How to make pet bowls without a kiln.?

Hi, I taught at a ceramic/pottery shop for almost 13 years so here's what I can add to this. First, if you make the bowl (from thrown clay) outside of the ceramic/pottery class the business could be at risk and responsible for the other items in the kiln besides yours and here's why. If you don't know how to prep the clay first, or you do it incorrectly, it will blow up in the kiln, likely taking out other people's projects. This did happen to us so until we got to know the customer and their skills (or if they made it in our shop under our supervision) we would fire it separately or with just a few other items. That cost-loss was passed onto the customer so just be prepared... You will want to have a food-safe container, I'm sure. So, if you did use polymer clay (which I do love) that would not be considered food safe. Now, you could make the argument that dogs drink out of toilet bowls so who cares...??? but that would be your call. My suggestion and what I do now that the shop is closed is I buy glass or ceramic (food safe) bowls the size and shape I want. Then, to decorate it, I paint them with glass paints. Now those glass paints themselves arent technically food safe either, so limit where you paint - don't paint anywhere where food or water would contact it. In other words, paint the outside only..... There are several kinds of glass paint on the market (craft stores). These paints are great in that they can be blended, layered, etc. After painting them, you "fire" the paint onto the bowl or whatever by baking them in a low oven. This process will allow you to wash the bowl without the paint coming off. So, this is what I've been able to do since I no longer have easy access to a kiln anymore. Please be careful with anything else you try if you are worried about the food safety aspect. Umm, the wall plaster and water idea would be a great idea for general crafts but it would not hold up in a kiln for any kind of firing. (you would want to "hard fire" it when raw to harden it sufficiently and then soft fires for adding any color or glazes. The plaster would either blow or burn up in the kiln. I hope this helped....

Too bad, I liked the concept -- but it might still work if, after forming your bowl, you flipped it over and poured plaster inside. Might look a little funny though