How Do You Make A Hand Made Clay Pot?

Gather Materials

The key materials needed to handmake a clay pot are clay, a potter’s wheel or mold, clay tools, water, and slip.

Clay is the main material that will be shaped into the pot. There are many different types of clays that can be used, such as earthenware clay, stoneware clay, and porcelain. The type of clay determines the finished look and feel of the pottery. For beginners, an earthenware clay is a good choice as it is more forgiving and easier to work with.

You will also need either a potter’s wheel or a mold to shape the clay. Potter’s wheels allow you to center and spin the clay to form symmetrical rounded pots. Molds can be used to create specific shapes and designs. Molds are especially helpful for beginners.

Clay tools like ribbon tools, loop tools, wooden ribs, metal ribs, trimming tools, and fettling knives are used to shape, refine, trim, and smooth the clay. Have a variety of tools on hand.

Water is used to soften and hydrate the clay when needed while working. Slip, which is liquefied clay, also helps join pieces of clay and smooth seams and joints.

Prepare the Clay

One of the most important steps in making a handmade clay pot is properly preparing the clay. This involves a process called wedging, which kneads the clay to remove any air bubbles.

Start with a lump of clay and cut it into smaller sections if needed. Then slam and squeeze each section of clay onto your work surface repeatedly. Fold the clay over itself and continue slamming and squeezing. The goal is to thoroughly mix the clay and force out any air pockets. Well-wedged clay should have no visible air bubbles.

Take your time with wedging to ensure the clay is uniform in consistency, moisture and plasticity. The repetitive folding, cutting and slamming actions will also make the clay more pliable and easier to work with when wheel throwing or handbuilding.

It helps to keep your work surface and hands lightly lubricated with water while wedging. You may need to periodically spritz water on thicker sections of clay as you’re working it. Don’t allow the clay to become too wet or too dry.

When wedging is complete, form the clay into rounded balls. Cover with plastic wrap or store in an airtight bag or container until you’re ready to begin shaping your pot.

Center the Clay on the Wheel

Once the clay is prepared and you are seated at the pottery wheel, the next step is to center the clay on the wheel. This is a crucial foundation for shaping a symmetrical and balanced pot.

First, mound the clay in the center of the spinning wheel head. Apply water to both the wheel and the clay to lubricate the surface. The water helps the clay move smoothly across the wheel.

Then, use both hands to gently press the clay down and in towards the wheel head as it spins. Apply even, firm pressure with your palms and fingers to coax the clay into a cone shape. Work slowly and methodically until the clay is centered on the wheel and no longer wobbles.

Centering the clay takes practice, but is an essential skill. Well-centered clay will make the rest of the pot shaping much easier and more successful.

Open the Clay

Once the clay is centered on the wheel, it’s time to open up the solid lump of clay into a hollow form. This is done by pushing your thumbs into the center of the clay mound while it spins on the wheel. Apply even pressure with both thumbs, sinking them both into the center of the clay at the same time.

As you push your thumbs down, the clay will begin opening up and forming a cone shape rising up around your thumbs. Keep your thumbs in place at the base of the cone, continuing to apply steady pressure. Open up the clay until the walls rise to the desired height for your pot.

Opening the clay properly is crucial to being able to successfully shape the pot in the next steps. Taking the time to center the clay well and patiently open it up will pay off later in the process.

Shape the Walls

Once the clay is centered on the wheel and opened into a cone shape, it’s time to shape the walls. This takes practice and coordination. With wet hands, place both palms against the outside of the clay piece, applying even pressure as the wheel spins. Slowly push outward, moving your hands up to expand the walls.

Focus on making vertical movements – don’t wiggle back and forth. Apply firm but gentle pressure with your palms to shape the clay walls uniformly. Aim for walls of consistent thickness without any bulges. The walls should feel smooth under your palms as you shape the piece.

Take care not to apply too much pressure or make the walls too thin and delicate. Work patiently, allowing the clay to gradually take shape through the spinning momentum of the wheel. Shape and refine the walls until you achieve the desired width and height for your pot.

Refine Lip and Base

Once you’ve shaped the basic walls of your pot, it’s time to refine the lip and base. The lip is the top rim of the pot that meets the outside air. A smooth, refined lip gives your pot a finished look. Use your fingers or a rib tool to compress the lip, smoothing out any bumps or ridges. Shape the lip so it has a gentle curve or flair, avoiding any sharp edges.

Next, refine the base. Use your fingers on the inside to shape and compress the bottom, creating a nice even surface. Curve the base gently inward so it has a slight indentation at the center bottom. Avoid leaving the base too thick or heavy. Compressing the lip and base helps condense the clay, strengthening these important structural areas.

As you refine these parts, maintain an even wall thickness throughout the pot. Compress clay from any overly thick areas to reinforce thinner spots. Work slowly and carefully to bring symmetry and balance to your clay at the refinement stage.

Decorate (Optional)

After the initial shaping of the pot, there are a variety of decorative techniques that can be used to embellish the pot before firing. Here are some of the most common decorative techniques for handmade clay pots:

Carving

Carving involves using metal tools to cut into the surface of the leather-hard clay. This can create textures and patterns. Sharp tools like loop tools, ribs, and needle tools work well for carving fine details and lines.

Adding Slip

Applying colored clay slip to the surface of a pot can create bold patterns and visual interest. Use a soft brush to paint slip onto the bisque fired pot before glazing. The clay will absorb the slip leaving behind the colorants.

Incising

Incising means using sharp tools to scratch lines and patterns into the surface of the clay. This can be done when the clay is leather-hard or even when it is soft. Fine tipped tools can create delicate marks. The carved lines will show up after firing, depending on the clay color.

Dry the Pot

Once you have shaped your pot on the wheel and are satisfied with the results, it’s time to let it dry. The key here is to dry the pot slowly and evenly to prevent cracking. If the pot dries too quickly, the clay will shrink and crack.

After removing your pot from the wheel, allow it to air dry until the surface becomes leathery, which usually takes a few hours. Make sure to turn the pot over so both sides dry evenly. You’ll know this stage is complete when you can touch the pot gently without deforming it.

Next, wrap the pot in plastic to trap moisture inside and slow the drying. Plastic grocery bags or saran wrap work well. Make sure the plastic doesn’t touch the pot, wrap it loosely. Let the pot dry for at least a week before unwrapping.

Keep the pot wrapped until the clay becomes bone dry. Test this by carefully touching and inspecting the pot. When ready, you can trim excess clay off the base in preparation for firing.

With patience and proper drying, your pot will be ready for the first firing.

First Firing

The first firing, known as bisque firing, is a crucial step in creating a usable clay pot. During bisque firing, the pot is heated to a high temperature which causes chemical changes that permanently harden the clay. Bisque firing is done before any glazes are applied.

For bisque firing, the pot must be heated slowly and evenly to avoid cracking and breaking. The optimal bisque firing temperature is around cone 04-06 which is approximately 1915-1943°F. Pyrometric cones are small ceramic cones that bend and melt at specific temperatures. They are used to gauge when the pot has reached the target bisque temperature. The cones are placed inside the kiln next to the ware. When the cone bends and melts, the firing is complete.

It’s important to allow adequate soak time once the target temperature is reached. A soak time of 10-15 minutes allows the heat to fully penetrate the clay. Slow cooling is also essential to prevent thermal shock. The pot must be cooled gradually over several hours down to room temperature.

After bisque firing, the pot will have a porous, bisque-like appearance and be ready for glazing and the final firing. Bisque firing prepares the clay chemically and physically for the application of glazes and final firing at higher temperatures.

Glazing and Final Firing

After the pot has dried sufficiently, it is ready for glazing and the final firing. Glazes are mixtures of minerals and chemical compounds that produce a glassy coating when fired at high temperatures. There are many types of glazes to choose from, ranging from solid colors to crystals and textures. Apply the glaze evenly to the bisque pot using a brush, sponge, or pouring. Allow the glaze to dry completely before firing.

The final firing, also called the glaze firing, hardens the pottery and melts the glaze onto the surface. Load the glazed pottery carefully into the kiln, allowing adequate space between pieces for air circulation. Set the kiln to reach a maximum temperature between 2,200°F and 2,400°F, making sure to follow the temperature guidelines for the specific glaze. The firing process may take 8-12 hours or longer depending on the size of the kiln and pieces. Slowly cool the kiln over 10-24 hours after reaching the peak temperature.

Once fully cooled, the glazed pottery can be safely removed. The clay has fused, glaze has melted evenly over the surface, and the pottery has become hardened, durable finished ware. Be sure to handle the pottery gently and avoid thermal shocks that could cause cracks. The handmade clay pot is now complete and ready to use or display.