The 9 Steps of Ceramic Flower Making

First Step: Kneading Clay

Clay comes from natural mineral sources, and each production pit yields subtle variations in mineral composition. These differences affect the clay's hardness and purity, requiring testing and screening for every batch. The formation of ceramic flower imposes extreme demands on clay materials. Since each flower design varies, the selected clay requires further custom tuning for the specific flower shape. Only through this selection and customization process can the ceramic flower's form remain stable, preventing deformation or collapse during production caused by material instability.

Second Step: Pinching and Assembling

A single flower contains between 50 and 160 petals. With such high volume, moisture levels vary between petals throughout the production process, making detachment during assembly a frequent problem. The rhythm of pinching individual petals and assembling them becomes critical, along with thorough moisture retention management.

Third Step: Color Blending

Ceramic flower colors are not spray-painted—they are created through a color blending process where pigment powder is worked directly into the clay. Uneven color blending cannot be detected on the unfired clay body. It only becomes visible for quality inspection after firing. This step eliminates many ceramic flowers—those rejected precisely because uneven color distribution appears post-firing.

Fourth Step: Form Adjustment

Ceramic flowers are paired with hemispherical acrylic covers for dust protection. Once a flower takes shape, artisans adjust the form to ensure it fits the hemisphere perfectly—neither too large nor too small. Since flowers shrink during firing, artisans rely on experience for fine-tuning. This process often takes considerable time. Flowers that fall just short—too small, or slightly too large—are eliminated.

Fifth Step: Drying

Ceramic flower petals layer around one another. Drying progresses from outer layers inward, creating uneven shrinkage ratios across the entire flower that can lead to cracking. Even in midsummer when temperatures approach 40°C, workshops operate without fans or air conditioning. This minimizes differential thermal contraction between interior and exterior layers and prevents insufficient moisture during assembly. Excessive heat causes the body to dry too quickly, increasing crack risk—summer presents particular challenges.

Sixth Step: Loading the Kiln

Restoring the delicate translucence of petals results in extremely fragile clay once fully dried. Light finger contact can break it, and excessive tabletop vibration causes fractures. Loading the kiln demands both strength and precision. Artisans must carry full trays of clay flower forms and stone slabs while maintaining microscopic attention to avoid touching any ceramic flower.

Seventh Step: Firing

Uncontrollable factors abound during kiln firing. The most common: voltage instability causing excessive temperature fluctuations, which readily generates ceramic cracks. The clay's texture changes dramatically during firing. The flowers inside the kiln naturally "expand" outward—an uncontrollable process where many defects emerge. Firing time permits no margin for error. Strict adherence to scheduled duration is mandatory. Each firing exceeds 14 hours, accumulating 144 hours total.

Eighth Step: Unloading the Kiln

After firing completes, ceramic flowers undergo a 20-hour cooling process. This phase demands smooth, gradual cooling—haste or impatience causes problems. Cold air intrusion can cause high-temperature ceramics to crack upon sudden cooling. Once cooling completes, clean kiln unloading is equally critical. Flower tails remain extremely thin; hand handling easily causes edge fragmentation and material loss.

Ninth Step: Assembly

Assembly involves quality inspection, sealing, cover attachment, and packaging. Quality inspection removes all defective pieces produced during firing. Sealing is irreversible. Uneven sealant application eliminates the finished product—creating another "one step short" casualty that fails this final step.