11 Jul How to Make a Clay Model of a Tam-O’-Shanter

Our homeschool handicraft project for today, is a clay model of a tam-o’-shanter. This is model #41 from the book, A Manual of Clay-Modelling by Hermione Unwin and it’s part of our clay modelling series. This project was fairly quick. We did not use the armature, because the height did not require it. Instead we built up the form on a clay slab, finishing with a pom-pom.

We did not have a tam-o’-shanter, so we chose to use a hat we had made in our crochet series.

Now, if you’re anything like us, you have no idea what a tam-o’-shanter is! A tam-o’-shanter (often shortened to simply tam) is a traditional Scottish cap made of wool. It has a broad, flat, round crown, a close-fitting band, and is usually topped with a wool pom-pom.

The hat takes its name from Tam o’ Shanter, the famous narrative poem written in 1790 by Robert Burns. In the poem, the title character, Tam, wears this style of cap, and the name eventually became associated with the hat itself.

The term tam later came to describe a similar soft, round women’s hat that became fashionable in the late 19th and early 20th centuries – right around when our book was published.

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 tam-o’-shanter

Happy Handicrafts Video: How to Make a Clay Model of a Tam-O’-Shanter

The Process

The process for our tam was very straight forward. We began by making our usual clay slab. The size of our hat clearly needed to be decreased, so we made our slab to be about 4-5 inches square with the goal of making the tam about 4.5 inches in diameter. We made the slab away from the armature, as it was not necessary.

We then built up the shape of the object, making it solid. At first we did not pay attention to the slope or angle of the tam, we focused on building up the overall shape. Once that was completed, we pressed down where there were depressions.

To make the tassel – or pom-pom, we shaped a circular ball of clay and pressed it into the top of the tam. Then, using the tool, we cut away the edges and made some deep cuts and indentations to give the desired texture.

We finished the project by cutting out around the edges and smoothing the model with water.

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