How to Make Your Own Barrel Tiles

Find or purchase a barrel tile to use as your mold. Paint a layer of shellac on the tile, and allow it to dry according to the manufacturer's instructions. Repeat this three times.

Construct a wooden frame just wide enough to contain the barrel tile, so that when the wooden frame is placed on top of the barrel tile, the frame rests on the tile's outer edges. The wooden frame may be constructed from wooden furring or some other lightweight wooden strip. Use 3d nails to hold the wooden frame together at the corners.

Wedge your terra-cotta clay. Clay-wedging is similar to bread-kneading. Cup your hands around the top of the clay and press down, applying equal pressure from both arms. Roll the clay by pressing down, and flatten it over the top of the table, then pull back on the clay and repeat the process. Do this for approximately 5 minutes.

Press the terra-cotta clay into the wooden frame, on the work table. Flatten the clay with your hands so that the clay completely fills the wooden frame. Alternatively, you may use a rolling pin to roll a slab of clay 3/4 of an inch thick and slightly larger than the wooden frame, then place the frame on top of the clay and trim the edges of the clay inside the frame with a clay knife, so that the slab of clay fits just inside the frame.

Hold the mold to the side of the table with one hand, then slide the clay and frame off the edge of the work table and onto the mold. Press the clay into the mold gently with a sponge to ensure the clay takes the shape of the mold.

Carry the mold with the clay on top to a shelf where the clay can harden and dry undisturbed. Carefully slide the clay off the mold and onto the shelf. Leave the clay on the shelf to dry. Although most clay will dry completely within a week or two, the longer your clay dries, the more fireproof your tiles will be. You can tell when clay is completely dry because it will be light in color, somewhat powdery and room-temperature. If your clay looks dry but feels cold to the touch, it's not yet completely dry. The amount of time clay takes to dry depends on humidity and other external conditions. Place your clay somewhere not in direct sunlight to prevent the clay from drying too quickly, causing cracks.

Fire the clay in a kiln to 2,000 degrees for 21 hours. If you do not have your own kiln, as many people do not, you will need to pay a local pottery studio to do this for you.