First we reviewed what a fossil is. A fossil is the prehistoric remains of a plant or animal. Fossils are usually preserved when they are buried under many layers of sand and mud. Under great pressure the sand and mud become sedimentary rock. Minerals seep into the fossil replacing the organic matter and creating a replica in stone. Viola - a fossil is born.
To make a fossil bowl/candy dish, my fourth and fifth graders at Oxbow wedged their clay to remove air pockets and rolled it out to pancake thickness. They placed a bowl on the clay, cut around it, then pressed in leaves, shells or other items to create "fossils". After they were fired, we then glazed them and then they were fired again. NOTE: Hunting for fossils is a wonderful pastime, especially if you get to an area of Michigan where you can find Petosky stones and other fossils.