Beginner Clay Idea: Dorodango Balls

Here’s a beginner clay idea for kids and adults: Japanese dorodango balls! Made with natural clay from your yard, these decorative balls are so simple to make and require no special equipment. In Japan, these are called *dorodango *balls, which translates into “mud dumplings”. They make gorgeous natural gifts, a great homeschool project, and a lovely keepsakes from the various places you visit.

I was first introduced to dorodango balls when I was attending a cobb building workshop hosted by Build Naturally in Pennsylvania. Our instructor, Sigi, encouraged us to make these balls as a great beginner clay idea to get used to the feel of clay.

Clay is almost magical in its ability to conduct water from point A to point B and to regulate temperature. This is why we use it in natural buildings; it regulates both humidity and temperature! 

Since making them with Sigi, I’ve become enthralled with the idea of collecting dirt from various places I visit and making dorodango balls. Like a chronicle made of clay!

A Clay Idea That is Healing

Putting your hands in the dirt is actually good for you, so this clay idea could be considered healing! In her article entitled, “The Farm Effect: How Dirt Makes You Happy and Healthy”, Dr. Christiane Northrup explains,

Soil microbes called Mycobacterium vaccae are proven to have a natural antidepressant effect on the brain.

Lack of serotonin has been linked to disorders such as depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), bipolar and more. Studies show that Mycobacterium vaccae actually mirror the effect that drugs, such as Prozac, have on the brain without the side effects or chemical dependency. …

• Being “dirt happy” lowers your blood pressure and stress hormones.
• Mycobacterium vaccae in soil can improve cognitive function, as well as symptoms associated with Crohn’s disease and even rheumatoid arthritis.
• Bacteria on your skin can help manage inflammatory skin conditions such as psoriasis, and can even heal wounds.
• Gardening (and other dirty outdoor activities) engages your senses. Research shows that when multiple senses are stimulated, the brain is more likely to remember things and is better able to solve problems.”

And these are just a few of the positive effect dirt can have on you!

I’ve loved gardening since I was a child. My maiden name is even Gardiner (a form of the word gardener). For me, dirt is very hyggelig! 

To see if it can be for you, too, I challenge you to make a dorodango ball by yourself or with your children or friends.

What is a Dorodango Ball?

Dorodango is a Japanese art form in which dirt and water are combined and shaped into a sphere, and then polished with a smooth stone to create a hardened, shiny ball. They’re beautiful in their own right and can be displayed as a piece of art in your home.

Dorodango balls make great gifts! I’ve been working on a permaculture homestead design for a friend and decided to make her a dorodango ball with the dirt from her site. I’m keeping it a surprise and can’t wait to give it to her when her design is finished!

I like to gather dirt from various places that I visit and making dorodango balls as a kind of tangible, organic memory of the place. I love holding these spheres, too. They’re cool to the touch and they feel grounding – they make me happy, like Dr. Northrup noted.

Beginner Clay Idea: How to Make a Dorodango Ball

Making a dorodango ball is, thankfully, so easy that you and I can make one with little to no artistic skill.

The first step is to find a patch of soil that has a high concentration of clay. Clay is present on nearly ever continent in the world, so you’ll most likely have some.

Usually, you’ll need to dig down a bit to find good clay. Practical Self Reliance has a wonderful article entitled, “How to Process Soil Into Clay,” that is a worthy read.

Use a shovel to gather 1-2 lbs. of clay soil. It’s alright if you have some regular dirt and a few sticks here and there. You’ll also have some rocks, most likely. Pull out any rocks and sticks you can see while you’re digging.

However, you’ll continue to process the clay soil after it has dried to pull the rest of the bulky material out. Rocks, especially, can be pushed to the surface of our dorodango ball while we’re processing it, causing rough edges.

Finding Clay

Here are the basic instructions for finding the right dirt:

• Look for areas of soil where the water pools after a rain – there will usually be clay there.
• If you have a body of water like a river or creek, look along the shoreline for packets of clay.

You can know that you’ve found clay when it passes the snake test.

The Snake Test:

1. Mix the soil you think has clay in it with just enough water to make it hold together.
2. Roll the dampened soil in your hands until it forms a snake that will basically hold its shape.

Does it hold together? If so, try the poop test next just to be sure you have enough clay.

The Poop Test:

1. Take your dampened clay and form a lump that looks a bit like a piece of poop.
2. Hold one end of the poop in your fist and slightly shake the clump.

Does it hold together? If so, you’ve found dirt with enough clay in it to make a dorodango ball.

 This test is most effective with actual cobb mixture which includes sand and straw with the clay. The straw adds tensile strength and holds the ball together more securely than clay alone. That’s why we build with it!

However, this quick test of the dirt will tell you that you have enough clay to form a ball that will hold together.

To Form the Dorodango Ball With Pictures:

1. Harvest the clay and dry it out, if it’s wet. Pound the dry dirt clods until they crumble apart to dust.
2. Remove as many rocks as possible, as well as sticks and any botanical material you find.
3. Gather 1 cup of dried clay and start adding water to it in 1 tablespoon increments. Mix the clay and water with your hands, allowing the clay to fully absorb the water.
4. Begin shaping the damp clay into a ball. Add only enough water to get the ball to glue together.
5. Smooth the sphere as much as you can with your hands and once its sufficiently round, wrap it loosely in parchment or wax paper. You can really wrap it in anything that will enable the ball to dry, but to dry slowly. If it dries to quickly, it will crack and you’ll need to start over.
6. Allow the ball to sit overnight or for as long as it takes for the surface to dry out enough that clay no longer sticks to your fingers when you touch it. You should be able to run your finger over the surface and not make an indent. It will feel dry, even though the core will still be damp.
7. Use a very smooth stone or any smooth surface to repeatedly rub and rub the surface of the ball. This aligns the clay particles and stacks them so that the ball will be solid and, eventually, shiny.

To Smooth the Balls

After testing various items to smooth the dorodango balls, my favorite is a smooth, polished stone. However, you can use other things, too.

• A small or medium sized glass bottle with a rounded rim on which the ball can be rolled and rolled.
• Bowls of various shapes in which you can roll the bowl around to smooth it.

We use a variety of things to create the shine on the balls and sometimes it’s personal preference. 

Beginner Clay Project Homeschool Lesson

If you’d like to make these dorodango balls as part of a homeschool project, you can download the sheet below to help you teach your students a bit about how clay functions.

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