Michigan Woman Makes Pottery from Clay Found in Lake

A Michigan native who goes by the name Meg Mackenzies on TikTok has amassed nearly half a million followers on the platform thanks to a video she posted in June 2020 of herself extracting a large mass of clay from the bottom of the small Michigan lake and forging it into a piece of pottery. Her content is a typical mix of art and Michigan-related content, so this project was the perfect mix of both! Just wait 'til you see the finished products at the end!

This video went viral on TikTok, getting more than 14 million views. When asked by a commenter how she found the clay, she explained how she was just going for a swim off of her dock when she felt a gigantic mass of mushy clay under her feet. This video showed part 1 of the process, which she followed with 4 more parts of her drying, sculpting, baking, and painting the clay.

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It took her over a week to complete the project, and she kept her followers engaged every step of the way. Many people pointed out that the clay was full of bacteria and weird microorganisms, but that didn’t stop her. She was sure to dry the clay out of all creepy-crawlies before using it for artistic purposes.

In the end, she ended up with a tiny flower pot and a Notre Dame shot glass that she gave to her father for Father’s Day, who is a diehard ND fan. She even consulted an art teacher on how to make it food-safe so her dad could drink out of it. Talk about Michigan made! See the photos of the finished products below.