Making Pots
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Sanding Pottery – How and When to Sand your Pots
If you are reading this article, you probably want to know how to smooth the surface of your pottery. So, you may be surprised to hear that sanding pottery is actually a source of disagreement amongst some potters. The reason for this is that when you sand pottery, you inevitably create clay dust, which contains…
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Easy Coil Pots – 3 Ways to Make Simple Coil Pots
This article is a step-by-step guide on how to make easy coil pots. The basic coil pottery technique is versatile. Once you have got the hang of coiling you use these skills to make all sorts of hand-built pottery. However simple coil pots can in themselves look great, especially if they are well made. So,…
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What is Leather Hard Clay? And Why is it so Useful?
Before it is fired, clay goes through three distinct stages. The first stage is when it is soft, plastic, and workable. The second stage is when it is leather hard. And the third stage is when it is bone dry. This article is all about leather hard clay. So, what is leather hard clay and…
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How to Make Coil Pots – 5 Great Coil Pottery Techniques
Coil pottery is a great way to hand-build pots. You can make lovely, strong pots with character and individuality using simple coiling methods. This article is a step-by-step guide on how to make coil pots. I will look at 5 different coil pottery techniques so you can experiment and decide which one you enjoy most. …
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How to Make Slip for Clay – 3 Ways to Make Perfect Clay Slip
This article is all about how to make slip for clay. There are different kinds of slip, used for different purposes. And there are some variations in how to make slip for clay depending on how you want to use it. I will cover these differences and outline a step-by-step guide for making different kinds…
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Firing Pots with Lids – How to Dry and Fire Lidded Pots
I recently made my first pot with a lid on it. I was at pains to make sure the lid was a perfect fit. But I know that clay shrinks when it dries and can warp when it’s fired. And I didn’t want my perfect lidded pot to be ruined. So, before I let it…
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Best Clay for Handbuilding – Tips on Choosing Pottery Clay
If you are making pottery without a wheel, you may be wondering about the best clay for handbuilding. Pottery clay for handbuilding needs to have certain properties. In this article, I will look at what those properties are and which clay you will find them in. The best clay for handbuilding is stoneware or earthenware…
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How to Roll a Clay Coil – 12 Tips for Making Perfect Coils
The first step in making coil pottery is learning how to roll a clay coil. This might sound simple, and of course, in some ways, it is. But, it is also a bit of a skill. When I started making coil pots, I was surprised by how tricky it can be to roll a clay…
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What is Wheel Throwing? – Pottery on the Wheel in a Nutshell
If you’re new to pottery, you may have the term throwing on the wheel, and wondered, ‘what is wheel throwing’? It’s a curious phrase and open to some misunderstanding. So, this article is all about wheel throwing and what it means. Wheel throwing pottery is the process of shaping clay on the pottery wheel. Throwing…
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How to Make Pottery at Home – A Beginners Guide
When I started to make pottery from home, I really just made it up as I went along. En route, I encountered a few practical issues that I had not anticipated. So, I thought it would be helpful to write a simple guide on how to make pottery at home. To help you avoid some…
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How to Make Marbled Pottery – 4 Easy Ways to Marble Clay
The first time I saw marbled clay I was intrigued and I wanted to know how it was done. It’s a beautiful way of blending colors on your pottery. So, I wanted to write about the different ways you can make marbled pottery. It’s really pretty simple. You can marble pottery by coloring the clay…
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Why Has my Wheel Head Corroded on my Pottery Wheel?
Many people value the aesthetic value of wheel heads. As such, people dedicate their time and resources towards wheel head maintenance. But wheel heads are still prone to corrosion. Perhaps this has left you wondering why has my wheel head corroded on my pottery wheel despite regular maintenance. This article demystifies the causes of wheel…