Ceramic Hoops

I love making ceramic hoops.

Marsha Neal Studio Chocolate Stoneware Hoops

Simplicity is key to this design.

Roll out a smooth flat slab. Use two sizes of cutters to cut them out.

Add a hole. Sponge the edges to make them smooth.

Then once dry, bisque fire them for durability during glazing.

I have found that dipping these and brushing off the excess gives a really nice clean look.

If you can see where my hand is, I have to put my glaze into this smaller plastic container so I am able to keep my work space clean and be efficient. My hand does not fit into the original glaze container, and it rarely stays full enough to dip from the top. This was my solution.

Once dry, they are suspended during the glaze firing to avoid them fusing to anything.

Then they either go out to a new home to be made into earrings by someone else,

or I can whip them up into simple everyday wearable earrings like this:

Marsha Neal Studio Stoneware Ceramic Hoop Earrings.
Photo by Katy Timney

Marsha Neal Studio Stoneware Earring Hoops.
Photo by Katy Timney

As a bead maker, and a sometimes jewelry dabbler, I'm all about the simple...

And here are some quick pics of some donuts that I have also made that I think qualify a bit as hoops as well:

Marsha Neal Studio Porcelain Inky Black and Blue Donut Hoops

I'll have to see if I can find any examples out there with more ceramic "donut hoops" used in finished jewelry for my next weeks post.

If you happen to have any, leave a link to where I can find them in the comments on this post (links to your Etsy shop, Pinterest, Flickr, etc)