How to Make Pottery – 8 Step Pottery Making Process

I’ve been making pottery for years now, and I love it. It’s a great way to relax, get creative, and even make some money! Did you know that making pottery from start to finish can take several weeks or more? It is not hard, but it does take time and patience. With each project being different, not only is it fun, but there’s always something new that can be learned along the way, too, so it never gets boring!

There are several ways to shape and decorate your clay. I will go step by step through everything it takes to make a pot, from selecting clay to the final piece, and learn more about what goes into creating your favorite mug or bowl. Let’s get started!

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Learning how to make pottery is fun and easy. You can choose the clay and glaze you want to create whatever you want. We’ll start with choosing your clay.

Step #1: Choose your Clay

Choosing the right clay is an important decision. There are many different clays, but there are three main types that most potters choose from, each with its own benefits and firing temperatures.

Earthenware

For those who want a lower-firing clay, Earthenware may be your best choice. These clays tend to be less durable, more porous, and plastic (easier to mold).

Stoneware

Stoneware has high heat tolerance and is versatile in use because it’s dense and more durable than other clays. This clay is a great choice for beginners because it is also plastic (easier to mold).

Porcelain

Porcelain is smooth and has a high heat tolerance, but is more elastic (it does not mold as easily), which makes it a bit more difficult for beginners to work with.

There are many options when it comes to selecting your pottery clay, but don’t worry. For more detailed information, check out Choosing Your Pottery Clay.

Step #2: Wedging the Clay

Wedging your clay is an important step you shouldn’t skip for several reasons. Most importantly, it eliminates any air bubbles in the clay. Getting rid of the bubbles will make the clay easier to work with.

Wedging also improves workability, giving the clay a more uniform consistency and a consistent moisture level throughout. To learn more about wedging, check out How To Wedge Clay, where I show you 5 different ways to wedge your clay.

Step #3: Choose a Pottery Making Technique

After you have decided on the Clay and how to wedge it, it’s time to make your pot. There are several different ways to mold clay. These are the three main techniques that beginner potters usually choose from.

• Throwing
• Coiling
• Pinch Pot

Throwing on the Pottery Wheel

Throwing clay happens at The Pottery Wheel. The Potter uses the wheel to shape the clay. Many beginners like to start out on the wheel, and I was one of them. I was instantly hooked.

While you have many advantages to clay throwing, the difficulty in this technique comes from Centering your clay and building the walls without having your clay collapse. It takes a little time to learn how to coordinate your hands with the wheel and center your clay. You can grasp the basics in a few hours, but acquiring proficiency can take several months or more.

Besides a pottery wheel, you will need a few basic pottery tools to get started. This 8-piece Tool Set is a good starter kit. It has a Wooden Modeling Tool, Wooden Rib, Loop Tool, Ribbon Tool, Needle Tool, Sponge, Metal Scraper, and Wire Clay Cutter. To see more tools, check out my Pottery Tool Guide List.

Throwing – Pros and Cons

Pros

• It looks the best coming off the wheel
• Can make pots faster than Handbuilding
• Calming and stress-relieving as you work at the wheel

Cons

• It can cost more to get started
• Takes a little more time to learn to throw

Handbuilding Pottery

Handbuilding is one of the easiest ways to start making pottery because you don’t need a pottery wheel. You shape the clay with your hands and use a few simple tools to create mugs, bowls, plates, planters, and decorative pieces.

Handbuilding gives you plenty of freedom to work at your own pace. Unlike wheel throwing, the clay isn’t spinning in front of you, so you have more time to shape, adjust, and smooth your piece as you go.

There are several handbuilding techniques you can use, including pinch pots, coil building, and slab building. You can also combine these techniques in one project. For example, you might build a mug from a slab of clay and add a hand-shaped handle.

One advantage of handbuilding is the variety of shapes you can create. You aren’t limited to round forms like you often are when throwing on the wheel. You can make square, rectangular, oval, asymmetrical, or completely free-form pottery.

Handbuilding is also a good way to get familiar with clay. As you press, roll, join, and shape it, you begin to understand how the clay feels at different stages and how much pressure you can use without damaging your piece.

One thing to watch for is uneven thickness. If some areas are much thicker than others, your pottery may dry unevenly and be more likely to crack. You also need to properly score and slip pieces when joining them so handles, coils, and other attachments stay secure.

Handbuilding Pottery – Pros and Cons

Pros

• Good choice for beginner potters
• Doesn’t require a pottery wheel
• Allows you to create many different shapes and sizes
• Gives you more time and control while shaping the clay
• Helps you become familiar with how clay feels and behaves
• You only need a few basic pottery tools to get started

Cons

• Walls can become uneven if you’re not careful
• Poorly joined pieces can separate or crack
• Larger projects may take more time to build
• It can take practice to make pieces look even and balanced

Slab Building

Slab building is a handbuilding technique where you roll clay into flat, even sheets called slabs. You can cut, shape, fold, and join the slabs to create pottery without using a pottery wheel.

You can roll out your clay with a rolling pin or use a Slab Roller if you have access to one. The goal is to create a slab that has an even thickness throughout. Once the slab is rolled out, you can use templates or pottery tools to cut it into the shapes you need.

Slab building works well for making mugs, plates, trays, boxes, vases, planters, and other forms. Because you are starting with a flat piece of clay, you aren’t limited to round shapes. You can make square, rectangular, oval, or free-form pottery.

One advantage of slab building is the amount of control you have over the shape and size of your pottery. You can also add texture to the clay by pressing stamps, leaves, fabric, or other objects into the slab before forming your piece.

Timing is important when working with slabs. Very soft clay can bend or collapse when you try to build with it. Allowing the slab to firm up slightly can make it easier to handle and join. However, you don’t want the clay to become so dry that it cracks when you bend or shape it.

When joining slabs together, make sure the connections are secure. Scoring and slipping the edges helps the pieces bond together. Compressing and smoothing the seams will also help strengthen your pottery.

Slab Building – Pros and Cons

Pros

• Good choice for beginner potters
• Doesn’t require a pottery wheel
• Great for making geometric and free-form shapes
• Gives you good control over the size and shape of your pottery
• Makes it easy to add textures and patterns to the clay
• Can be done with just a few basic pottery tools

Cons

• Slabs can warp if they are too thin or dry unevenly
• Very soft slabs can be difficult to assemble
• Poorly joined seams may crack or separate
• It takes practice to roll slabs to an even thickness
• Larger slab-built pieces may need extra support while drying

Coiling

The coiling technique in pottery means that potters form coils and place one coil on top of the next, continuing to shape them until they form the shape of a pot.  You can shape your coil pot any way you want. A larger base to a smaller rim, a smaller base to a larger rim, or a smaller base and rim with the middle area larger.

This technique lets you build the walls of your pot without the immediate threat of it collapsing. You can build ceramics in several ways using the coiling technique. Most potters consider coiling the most versatile technique for hand-building pottery.

You will need soft, moist, and pliable clay to carry out the coiling technique. Hard and dry clay won’t allow the coils to roll as easily and will crack when you bend them.

The coils should be attached together by scoring and slipping each coil for a proper seal. Scoring is marking your coil with a needle tool, applying slip with a brush, and attaching the coils together. If they are not sealed properly, the pot will be open to leaking liquid. This 8-piece Tool Set is also a good starter kit for hand-building.

Coiling – Pros and Cons

Pros 

• Good pottery choice for beginners
• No immediate threat of the pot collapsing
• Several ways to hand-build pots with the coiling techniques
• Most versatile of the hand-building techniques in pottery
• Doesn’t require many tools to start making pottery

Cons

• Takes longer to make
• Must seal the coils for the pot to hold liquid

Pinch Pot

Perhaps one of the simplest ways to make pottery is the pinch pot technique. Simply take a ball of clay and shape it into the desired form.

Pinch pots have limitations: they are usually smaller because of the technique. Most pinch pots will be less than 6 inches in diameter, but you can make them larger. You don’t see this technique used often for larger pots.   

One advantage is that you have more control over the clay, which also makes it a good choice for beginners. You can graduate to wheel throwing after you develop your skills.

The technique does exactly as it says—you pinch the clay into a pot by thinning out the walls with your fingers. This technique will teach you sensitivity to the clay as you develop an awareness of the thickness of the walls. Be careful not to accidentally make the walls too thin, which would render the pot useless.

Pinch Pot – Pros and Cons

Pros

• Good choice for beginner potters
• Develop a good awareness of the wall thickness of pots
• You get better control over the pot than with other techniques
• A simple technique to start with
• Doesn’t require any tools to start making pottery

Cons

• You can accidentally make the walls too thin
• The pinch pot technique mainly works well for smaller pots

Step #4: Making the Pottery

Now it’s time to start making your pottery. You can choose to handbuild your pottery or use a pottery wheel. The thickness of the clay should be 1/4 inch. This helps prevent the pot from becoming too heavy and lowers the chance of cracking during the drying stage and firing in the kiln. As much as possible, you want the pot to have a uniform thickness because it can crack if the walls are uneven and too thin.

With a Pinch Pot:

You start with a ball of clay and press your thumb into the center, being careful not to push all the way through. Slowly pinch the clay between your thumb and fingers while rotating the piece in your hand.

Work your way around the pot, gently thinning and raising the walls as you go. Try to keep the walls as even as possible. Once you have the basic shape, you can smooth the surface or leave some of the natural finger marks for a handmade look.

For a Coil Pot:

You start by rolling pieces of clay into long, even coils. Make a flat piece of clay for the base, then place your first coil around the edge. Continue adding coils on top of one another to slowly build the walls of your pot. Score and slip the coils as you join them to help keep them securely attached.

You can smooth the coils together with your fingers or a pottery tool for an even surface, or leave some of the coils visible for a more textured handmade look. As you build upward, you can gently move the coils inward or outward to change the shape of your pot.

With Slab Building:

You start by rolling the clay into flat, even sheets using a rolling pin or slab roller. Try to keep the slab an even thickness throughout. Once the clay is rolled out, you can cut it into different shapes using a knife, needle tool, or template. The pieces can then be bent, shaped, or joined together to make mugs, plates, trays, boxes, vases, and other forms.

When joining slabs, score and slip the edges and gently press them together to create a strong connection. You can smooth the seams for a clean finish or leave some of the joins and textures visible for a more handmade look. Slab building also gives you plenty of opportunities to add texture, patterns, and designs to the clay before putting your piece together.

With Wheel Throwing:

You start by placing a ball of wedged clay firmly in the center of the pottery wheel. As the wheel spins, use your wet hands to center the clay so it rotates smoothly without wobbling. Once the clay is centered, press your fingers into the middle to create an opening, leaving enough clay at the bottom for the base.

Slowly pull the clay upward between your fingers to form and thin the walls. You can then shape the clay into a bowl, mug, vase, or other round form. Keep your hands steady and use water as needed so your fingers move smoothly over the clay. Centering and pulling even walls can take some practice, so don’t get discouraged if your first few pieces don’t turn out as planned.

Learning to control the clay on the wheel is part of the fun. It takes some practice to learn how to center and control the clay, but once you get the feel for it, you can make bowls, mugs, vases, and many other forms.

If you’re ready to give it a try, follow my step-by-step guide on How to Throw Clay on the Pottery Wheel. I walk you through the process from centering the clay to shaping your pot.

You don’t need many tools to get started. A Basic Tool Set with a Wooden Modeling Tool, Wooden Rib, Loop Tool, Ribbon Tool, Needle Tool, Sponge, Metal Scraper, and Clay Cutter (Wire Tool) will cover most of the basics.

If you’re not sure what clay, tools, equipment, and supplies you need, head over to my What You Need to Get Started to Make Pottery post. It will walk you through what you need before you begin. For more options, check out my Pottery Tool Guide List.

When making your pot, if you mess up as most beginners do, just grab another piece and start over. Remember, there are no mistakes. You can recycle your Clay many times.
That’s the fun part of pottery making. If you do make a mistake and don’t like what you’re making, you can just start over.

Step #5: Trimming and Decorating your Pottery

After you finish making your piece, you have some options. You can Decorate it with Underglazes and slips in the greenware state (wet, leather-hard, or bone-dry). It’s important to know what you can do in the Different Stages of Clay.

The leather-hard stage is when the clay has hardened enough to trim, add handles, and make other alterations before it gets too hard. The clay is called leather hard because some say it feels like soft leather. You are now able to handle it without marking it up with your fingers, and trim the extra clay off the bottom to make a nice foot.

This is also the stage when you can have some fun with Sculpting tools. Sgraffito, layered Sgraffito, and Inlay (also known as Mishima). For more decorating ideas, check out Underglazing Pottery.

Step #6: Bisque fire the clay

To bisque fire your clay, you will need a Kiln. The good news is there are many Kilns to Choose From.

Once your clay is Bone Dry, you can Load the Kiln for a bisque firing (Video). The main reason behind pottery cracking or even exploding in the kiln is that your piece was not left out to dry long enough. While it may appear dry, the clay still contains moisture.

As the temperature rises above 212 degrees Fahrenheit, the water evaporates into steam, and, without a place for the steam to escape, it expands too fast, causing the clay to crack to accommodate it.

Now, the time it will take for your pottery to dry depends greatly on the climate you live in. It could take up to a week or more. Bone-dry clay will appear lighter in color, and it won’t feel cold to the touch. For more detailed information, read How long pottery should dry before firing.

TIP: Keep in mind that electric kiln elements, when affected by moisture, don’t last as long and will need replacing sooner. Ensuring pottery pieces are bone dry will save you time and money.

Temperatures for bisque firing normally range from Cone 06 to 04. You don’t want to fire hotter than 1945 degrees Fahrenheit (1063 degrees Celsius). For more detailed information, check out What is the purpose of Bisque firing.

Step #7: Glazing your pottery

Once the clay is bisqued, it becomes ceramic, and it’s time to apply the Glaze or Underglaze to your bisque pottery. There are so many ways you can apply the glaze. The main ways you can apply your glaze are dipping, spraying, brushing, and pouring. For more ideas on glazing, check out How to Glaze Pottery – 9 Pottery Glazing Techniques

To ensure success (especially as a beginner), your glaze should have the same firing temperature (Cone size) as your Clay. For more helpful information, check out 27 Glazing Tips.

Step #8: Put your Pottery in the kiln for a glaze fire

After you have let the glazed pottery dry Load it in the Kiln for the final fire (Video). Temperatures in the pottery kiln range from 1828 degrees Fahrenheit (998 C) to 2345 degrees Fahrenheit (1285 C).

Low-Firing Temperatures

Low-fire lists are the most commonly used firing range. Low-fire clays can withstand temperatures around 1828 degrees Fahrenheit (998 degrees Celsius). Cone 06.

Potters most commonly use earthenware at low firing temperatures. It has a highly plastic body, and it won’t warp or sag in the kiln. Earthenware is more porous, and items made from it may not last as long as other clays and can be more fragile.

Mid-Range Temperatures

Mid-range temperatures refer to temperatures between 2167 degrees Fahrenheit (1186 degrees Celsius) and 2262 degrees Fahrenheit (1238 degrees Celsius). Cone 5 to Cone 7.

While low-fire ranks as the most commonly used, mid-range temperatures have gained popularity among potters. Usually, you fire stoneware in a mid-range kiln. With mid-range firing, pots like this will have more durability.

High-Fire Stoneware

Finally, we will look at how you might use the higher temperatures in a kiln. The average temperature for high-fire is around 2345 degrees Fahrenheit (1285 degrees Celsius).

If you intend to fire at higher temperatures, be aware that you will need to buy a glaze that can withstand them. After using a high-fire clay and glaze, your pottery will be exceptionally durable. The surface characteristics become hard, nonabsorbent, and vitrified.

To learn more about buying a kiln, including what to look for, what features matter, and how to choose the right kiln for your pottery needs, visit Choosing an Electric Kiln – A Step-by-Step Buyer’s Guide.

Now you have the final piece that you have made by hand. It’s amazing how you use the 4 elements of earth (Clay, Water, Air, and Fire) to create a beautiful piece of pottery.

To find out more about the cost of making pottery, go to: Is Pottery An Expensive Hobby?

Conclusion

After reading this article, you should have a better understanding of the process that goes into making pottery. Hopefully, you’re excited to try your hand at it and Set Up a Home Pottery Studio. All you’ll need is some Clay, Glaze, and Tools to get started.

The process can be as easy or challenging as you want it to be and is a great way for beginners to learn the basics of pottery making. You can choose from any of these 30 Pottery Wheel Project videos to see the process from beginning to end.

It does take a while to make a piece, but it’s all worth it, though, because you get something that is uniquely yours! As a beginner potter, don’t be afraid to start Selling your Pieces even if you feel like you still have a lot to learn.