02 May How to Make a Clay Model of a Sabot

Go find a clean shoe, because today’s homeschool handicraft is a clay model of a sabot – and I’m guessing you don’t have a sabot laying around the house. This project is model #36 from the book, A Manual of Clay-Modelling by Hermione Unwin and it’s part of our clay modelling series.

What is a Sabot?

The word sabot comes from the French term for a wooden shoe, typically carved from a single block of wood, and historically worn by peasants and workers.

Nowadays a sabot would probably be made from leather, rubber, or some other synthetic material instead of wood, and we’d probably call it a clog. Since we didn’t have a sabot, we dug through our closets to find the next closest thing. We had some rubber clogs but they were dreadfully dirty from garden work, so we decided on a a pair of my daughter’s shoes.

Materials Needed

• The book, A Manual of Clay Modelling by Hermione Unwin (or free online HERE)
• Modeling Clay (the book suggests red terra cotta clay)
• Clay modeling tools (this kit includes many tools, along with a sponge and wire to cut the clay)
• An modelling board with an armature – hopefully you’ve made this with us already
• A bowl of water
• An apron or paint shirt to protect your clothing
• Newspaper, or plastic covering to protect your table
• A sabot, clog, or similar shoe

Happy Handicrafts Video: How to Make a Clay Model of a Sabot

The Process

We began making our clay model of a sabot by creating an oblong slab with the armature positioned at one end. The plan is to bury the armature into the heel of the sabot / shoe. Next we built up the mass of the object on the slab. We chose not to make it to size because that would use a ridiculous amount of clay. Instead, we built it to a manageable size.

Once the general shape is achieved, we began to add the details on the outside. This included the strap on the back, the sole and stitching around it, as well as elastics on each side holding the front and back parts together. We then cut out instep and inside with the Mirette tool, leaving the sides about 1/8″ thick. The finishing was done by smoothing everything out with a wet thumb and finger.

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