Pottery may be intimidating for beginners. You will need numerous shaping and sculpting tools to complete a pottery project.

After learning the beginning skills, you will have many hour of fun making ceramics. Here are some tips for you to learn How to make pottery at home

What Do You Need To Make Pottery At Home?

Different tools are available at supply houses. Make sure to buy these tools before starting your pottery projects. Here is a list of basic pottery tools you will require for making pottery at home.

• Wire Tools: You will need it to cut your clay. To increase the life of a wire tool, make sure to keep it tight when using it to cut clay. Avoid working with a kinked wire because it can hurt your fingers.
• Needle Tool: It is a professional tool for scoring and throwing.
• Wooden Bowl Rib: You will need it to shape bowls.
• Wood Triangle Rib: You can use it for throwing.
• Rubber Ribs Sherrill Mud Tools: Several different shapes and sizes of ribs are available with different hardness levels. These prove useful to perform different functions. You can identify their hardness levels with the help of colors. They are available in different colors, such as dark blue, green, yellow, and red.
• Sponges: You will need it to add and take water away while molding clay.
• Wooden Knife: Useful for throwing.
• Clean up Tool: It proves helpful to cut or trim small clay pieces.
• Trimming Tools: Several shapes of trimming tools are available for different purposes.
• Ruler: It will help you to make work accurate, particularly to make lidded pieces.
• Turn Table: It is useful for handwork and glazing. 
• Glazing Tongs: You can use them to hold different pieces when glazing.
• Paint Brush to Glaze: You will need a 1-inch hake brush for glazing. It can be useful for small detailing.
• Large Bowl Rib: Wood ribs are useful for large bowls.
• Carving Tools: If you want to carve designs in clay, you will need simple carving tools. It is enjoyable to carve different designs.
• Throwing Stick: It is useful to shape different pieces that are difficult to do with your hands.
• Calipers: Kemper or lid master is helpful to fit lids. The calipers are handy as you have to set them once. You can use them to measure lids and bots. 

Remember, it is a basic list of equipment and tools that you may need to start pottery. You may need more tools for complicated and advanced projects.

How To Make Clay Pots Without A Wheel?

For pottery projects, a pottery wheel can make your work easy. If you do not have a wheel, you should not worry because it is possible to manage pottery. 

You can use different manual techniques, such as coil pot, to show your creativity. Fortunately, numerous pottery glaze recipes are available for your assistance.

Make Coil Pots

You can use different methods to create coil pots. It is important to master a few skills to make coil pots. Here are some easy steps to follow:

• Take a small clay piece and use your hand to roll it in a ball.
• After making a smooth ball, squeeze it in a sausage style.
• Use your palms or fingers to roll it and make it long.
• Once it becomes long, twist every portion of the clay. The coil can flatter while rolling if you roll it without twisting. For several rolls, you can take the clay and twist its ends.
• Moreover, move both hands outwards toward the end of the coil. It will help you to stretch the clay and give you a long coil.
• If you are not happy with rolling, feel free to pat it in a round shape. Twist the ends and continue rolling.
• If you get cracks or creases in the coil, make them smooth. Continue rolling until you get the desired thickness. Some potters prefer finger thick coils. 
• Make several coils before you begin building a pot. While working, cover these coils with a plastic sheet. It will prevent them from cracking and drying out while you work. Feel free to use black pottery clay for this project.

To make a coil pot:

• Roll out clay using a roller.
• Cut a slap of equal thickness. The width of the batten will determine the thickness of the slab.
• Cut one circle of clay from this slap using a craft knife or a needle tool.
• Make its edges smooth using your finger.

Roll out each coil almost the width of a finger and drape coils around the base one by one. You can cut down extra edges and attach each coil securely to create a pot. Remember, the use of coil will help you to show your creativity on the pot.

Select The Best Clay

Before buying any equipment, you have to choose the best clay for use. Remember, the firing temperature of every clay type can determine the type of kiln. Clay is generally classified as porcelain, stoneware, and earthenware.

For your hand-build projects, you can buy standard clay to fire in your kiln for the material setting. Choose a natural tone, such as brown or gray. At first, you have to purchase a small amount of clay. Initially, you can work on small projects. 

If you are doing it for the first time and you do not have a kiln, feel free to pick an oven-baked, polymer, or air-dry clay. These will help you to complete your projects at home. See the type of clay:

Methods For Beginners To Make Pottery 

There are several methods of pottery for beginners. A few people prefer making professional pottery using rolled out clay slabs. Remember, slabs may be designed into slumped or cylinders on molds to make bowl or plates.  

Use your hands to roll clay slabs, or roller machines are available for your assistance.

You can cast pottery in molds with a wet (runny) mix of clay known as slip. Molds come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. 

Furthermore, you will need a pottery wheel to throw clay properly. 

Pottery wheels come in a variety of sizes and power sources. From cheap hand spun beginner pottery wheels, mini pottery wheels, and large pottery machines for professionals

Why not try the best kids pottery wheel if you are looking for a kids crafts project.

It may take some time to learn proper clay throwing techniques. The pottery wheel will be an efficient method that may use electricity or be powered by the potter's leg. A potter will use his/her leg for kicking.

Ceramic artists and potters use different techniques for pottery making based on different items they want to make. To make different items at your home, it is possible without pottery wheels. 

Remember, you may be restricted from creating different objects according to molds. Moreover, you can use your hands to mold several objects.

Potters can make different pieces with uneven and imprecise looks. You will need sufficient practice to make pottery at home. Feel free to get started with ceramic ware, such as jugs, plates, cups, or pots. To unleash your imagination, you will need a suitable pottery wheel. It will help you to create more than one piece immediately.

Pottery wheels may vary in terms of the price range, such as between $400 and $1,500. Some budgeted models are ideal for beginners who have to make pottery at home. Remember, basic models can be slow and less durable. 

Their capacity to load clay will be small as compared to professional models. It is the most important thing for pottery projects. You may find different wheels based on quality and price. The wheel is an important machine to shape a round ceramic ware.  

Equipment For Pottery Projects

For small scale production, you will need important tools. Here is a list of important tools you must have in your studio:

Work Table

For your work table, you must have sufficient space. A sheet (4' x 8') of plywood (medium grade) covered with a heavy canvas can be a great choice. If you lack space, feel free to cut the plywood sheet to a perfect size to fit your needs. You can cover it with one heavy canvas.

It is essential to tightly stretch your canvas and staple it on the plywood underside. The canvas can stretch out after something and must be re-stretched on the table. It is a practical work table to make a surface to prepare the clay. 

You will use this table for glazing, but cover it with plastic or a sheet before glazing. Remember, the glaze must not get mixed in your clay. For an ideal situation, you can arrange a separate table to complete the glazing task.

Reliable Storage Shelf

After completing your pieces, you will require a storage shelf to store your masterpieces until you are ready to glaze or fire them. You can store them on a wooden shelf. If you have limited space, feel free to construct a wall shelf.

Damp Room

You will need a special place to store moist pieces that should be finished. Remember, you will need extra room for handles and trimming. 

If you have an old fridge, feel free to use its shelves. Moreover, a wooden or metal shelf may be a good choice with a plastic sheet wrapped around shelves. An encased area proves helpful for damp spots.

Kilns

Numerous electric kilns are available, but every kiln has different qualities. Nowadays, people are more interested in pottery. Some people create a home studio for their hobby. Many people purchase affordable kilns and use them for several years.

Several kilns are easy to obtain, but they may not have good features. It is important to select a kiln for your small or medium-scale projects carefully. 

Remember, you will need a special kiln for large pottery projects. They must be well-built and well-calibrated. Avoid using homemade kiln for pottery for large scale projects.

Commercial kilns come with a dependable and accurate control panel. These may be expensive, but you will need them for large scale pottery projects. You can choose between two kiln types, such as manually operated and computerized controller.

If you want maximum control on the glaze firing cycle, you will need computerized kilns. They are easy for bisque, low maintenance firing. Undoubtedly, manual kilns are suitable but need your attention.

Several kilns have a special device known as "Kiln Setter". It can shut off your kiln at an appropriate temperature. Regardless of the kiln type, you should not leave it unattended during firing.

Glaze Area

It does not matter if you are making your glaze or buying pre-made powders; you must have a particular area for glazing in your studio. You have to designate a space to keep glazes and glaze pots. 

For the mixed glaze, you will need five-gallon buckets. 

Set these buckets on your work table to complete your projects comfortably. 

By keeping buckets on the ground, it can be difficult for you to manage these projects. It may be difficult on your back. A 2.5' tall table can be perfect for lots of people. You should arrange a special work table in the glazing area.

Bat / Tool Storage

Furthermore, you will need a special location to store your tools and bats. A mobile cart may work well with a shelf. You can use a shelf with horizontal bars for holding bats. 

The size of the shelf can be different based on the size of the studio and production work. Using a special shelf will help you to save sufficient space for work.

Clay Storage

For your bulk clay, you can use space under a work table. Your shelf must have sufficient space for the clay. The storage shelf should rise some inches off the ground to avoid collecting water and dust under your clay bags or boxes.

Remember, cleanliness is essential in each studio. The dust of dry clay will have silica, and you should not inhale it. For this reason, avoid extra dust because it may have clay scraps. 

Water on the ground around clay may be the reason for the mold. Moreover, it can increase the chances of slipping hazards. Make sure to maintain great hygienic practice to keep your studio safe and clean.

Earthenware

To learn how to start pottery at home, a good place to start is with earthenware. This low firing clay can mature at low temperature in a kiln. For this reason, you can use earthenware if you have limited heating methods.

As compared to other clay types, earthenware is porous. For this reason, it is not good to use in microwaves and dishwashers.

Clay can absorb water, and water may cause cracks while heating. For this reason, glazed earthenware may be perfectly safe for food. You have to wash them by hand. 

Porcelain

If you need the highest firing clay, you can buy porcelain. To use it, focus on the capability of your kiln to reach a suitable temperature. Numerous small hobby-style kilns may not provide you the high temperature.

Undoubtedly, porcelain is a fine ceramic, and it may be translucent if thin because of its purity. It is expensive and costs two times more than other clays. 

Stoneware

For this clay, you will need a mid-range temperature. Different clay types may become mature at different temperatures. You can get it in different colors, such as buff, speckled, or red.

Stoneware can be fired to its maturity, and it is suitable to use in microwaves and dishwashers. For this reason, it is ideal clay for tableware, such as mugs.

How To Make Pottery Clay At Home?

Your soil may have some clay, and you can test this level with a jar. Fill a jar almost hallway using soil, pour water, and mix to break up particles of soil. After some minutes, silt and sand will settle to the base. Anything suspended in jar water will be the clay.

The 1/4th of this jar may have sand, rock, and silt. You may find almost 50% of clay in your garden soil. You can harvest clay using two different methods, such as wet and dry. 

Dry Harvest Method

This method can dry out your soil completely, and you have to sift this soil repeatedly. Pound the globs of clay until it is flour-like and uniform. The sifting may require some rounds to examine the clay on a surface.

This method is useful in water-limited locations. Remember, this method needs maximum energy and time. If your area has hot sun and small rain, it is practical to dry the earth completely. Moreover, winnowing, pounding, and sifting will require several hours for some pounds of clay.

Wet Harvest Method

In this method, you will need soil and water. Put these ingredients in a bucket and mix soil in the water. Wait for a few minutes to let the sand, silt, and rock settle out. 

The clay will be suspended in water. Remember, a mixture of water and clay is filtered through a sheet of fine cloth. Finally, you will get a smooth ball of clay. 

Undoubtedly, the wet clay harvest method is efficient. In this method, gravity does maximum work. Using our guide, it will be easy for you to make clay pots at home.

How To Make Pottery Glaze At Home?

If you want to make pottery glaze at home, you will need important glaze components, such as:

• Fluxes
• Glass-formers
• Stabilizers

To make the glaze, you will need important equipment. Here is a list of important tools to arrange for your glaze:

• Round buckets and lids, such as 5 to 10 liter containers for glaze.
• Sieve to mesh fine particles; you can buy them from different ceramic supply stores.
• Whisk, such as an old whisk in your kitchen to stir up your glaze.
• P100 rated respirator filter
• Large brush for paint
• Digital scales

You will need 20 wollastonite, 20 china clay, 10 calcium borate frit, 35 soda feldspar, and 15 quartz. For a 2kg batch, you will need the following ingredients:

• Wollastonite: 400g
• China Clay: 400g
• Soda Feldspar: 700g
• Quartz: 300g
• Calcium Borate Frit: 200g

Procedure:

1. Put on your respirator.
2. Fill your bucket with 2 liters of water.
3. Put a container on the scale and make it zero.
4. Add ingredients and create some dusk by scooping ingredients carefully out of their packages instead of pouring them.
5. Pour the ingredient (weight) carefully into the bucket with water.
6. Replicate this process for every ingredient, such as add to your bucket.
7. After adding all ingredients to water, whisk them carefully to avoid the creation of dust.
8. Feel free to add water as per your need to make the glaze. The thickness should be between cream and milk.
9. Take another clean bucket, put a sieve on this bucket, and pour the mixed glaze into the sieve. Make sure to pour the glaze in small stages and use a paint brush to mix the glaze in your sieve. The bristles of the paintbrush will help you to move the glaze in the sieve.
10. Clean your tools and area before removing a respirator.
11. Leave your glaze for almost 24 hours before using it to ensure all particles are soaked properly in the water.
12. You have to mix your glaze using a whisk thoroughly during and before use.

How To Glaze Pottery Without a Kiln?

If you are firing without any kiln, you can pre-dry clay pieces in your kitchen oven. Set your oven to almost 190 degrees Fahrenheit. Kitchen ovens can make pots dry by baking. For baked pottery, a kitchen oven can be a suitable choice.

Remember, actual glaze contains maximum silica, and it takes flux to melt at 2300+ degrees in pottery kilns. You may not be able to get the required temperature for glazing in your home oven. 

If you want to bake clay pots at home, put them in your oven on the middle rack and set it to 325 degrees F. You will get the best results by baking for almost 30 minutes.

Conclusion 

That's it for our comprehensive beginners guide to making pottery at home