Lesley
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15 Tips on Setting Up a Home Pottery Studio on a Budget
If you’ve caught the pottery bug, you may well be thinking about setting up a home pottery studio. There are two unavoidable facts about making pottery. The first is that it takes up space and the second is that it costs money. Fortunately, it doesn’t need to take up loads of space, and it also…
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Pottery Wheel for Beginners – 14 Tips on Buying a Wheel
Buying a pottery wheel is very exciting, but it can be scary too. There are a lot of pottery wheels to choose from, and if you’re a beginner it can be hard to know which will suit you best. So, which is the best pottery wheel for beginners? In this article, I will outline 14…
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Frozen Clay and Glaze – Can it Be Used and What to Do?
Clay and glaze both have quite a high water content and when they are stored in sub-zero temperatures, they can both become frozen solid. But what can you do with frozen clay and glaze? Are they permanently damaged or can they be revived? The good news is that frozen clay and glaze can both be…
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Slipware – Where Does it Come From? and How is it Made?
Slipware is a form of ceramics that involves decorating lead-glazed earthenware. Primarily, slip is a liquid form of clay particles suspended in water. That is the simplest form. In its sophisticated form, slip features feldspars, colorants, frits, and fluxes. Usually, slip is in a bright color that bears great contrast to the body of the…
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Potter’s Wheel History | How Ancient Pottery Wheels Evolved
The potter’s wheel as we know it today has been on a long journey over 1000’s of years. It has developed from the most basic form of rotating device to the electrical pottery wheels, most potters use now. But exactly how and where did these changes take place, and what exactly is the potter’s wheel…
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How to Get Clay Out of Clothes – Removing Clay Stains
There is no way around it, clay is messy and sticky. That’s part of its fun. But it is less fun trying to get clay out of clothes. Perhaps you are a potter who uses clay at work or as a hobby. Or perhaps you have a kid who is making a clay project at…
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How Does a Pottery Wheel Work? – Art and Mechanics
An experienced potter can make throwing pottery on a wheel look effortless. But what is going on when pottery is being made on the wheel, and exactly how does a pottery wheel work? This post takes a look at how pottery is thrown, and how a pottery wheel works. A pottery wheel has a circular…
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How to Make a Double Pinch Pot – An Easy Step by Step Guide
If you like hand building pottery, then learning how to make a double pinch pot is a game-changer. It’s a simple technique, but once you have mastered it, you can use it to make almost any pottery form. I use the double pinch pot to make teapots, vases, jugs, and pitchers. In this post, I…
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55 Gifts for Potters – To Suit Any Budget in 2023
If there is a potter in your life, and you are struggling to find a gift, you have come to the right place. Pottery is full of gadgets, doohickeys, and thingummy bobs that can make perfect gifts for potters. If you are not into making pottery yourself, it can seem like a minefield. So, I…
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Do You Have to Wedge Clay When You Are Hand Building?
Wedging clay is a very good idea if you are making pottery on a potter’s wheel. But is it do you have to wedge clay when you are hand building your pottery? I love hand building pottery and I don’t love wedging! So, it was one of the questions I wondered about when I began…
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Easy Tips on How to Clean Your Kiln After Pottery Explodes
If you are reading this post, most likely some of your pottery has exploded during firing. My condolences…it’s sad when it happens, isn’t it? But it’s not the end of the world, it is possible to clean your kiln after pottery explodes. Here are some tips that I have picked up about cleaning a kiln…
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S Cracks in Pottery – What Causes Them & How to Prevent Them
Plates can be a little tricky to make. Actually making the plate is the easy bit, but problems can arise when you dry and fire the plate. One problem that you might encounter when you make plates or other flat-bottomed pottery is S cracks. But what exactly is an S crack? S cracks in pottery…