how to start making ceramics at home

Learn how to use underglazes on your pottery in different ways. Find out what tools you will need, tips, and ideas for using underglazes.

how to start making ceramics at home

It all begins with an idea.

Here are kiln tips for beginners, part two! If you are new to having a kiln, these tips will come in handy!

I want to show you how easy making ceramic handles with a handheld extruder can be without all the mess and frustration. Plus save a lot of time.

Step 1: Building Forms All of my work incorporates both wheel-thrown and hand-built elements. I often alter the initial thrown form by cutting out triangle or leaf-shaped darts. In seamstress…

Techniques I learned for how to work with air dry clay. Secrets for beginners working with air dry clay.

Making pottery is much safer in the 21st century. From making kilns safer and easier to operate, to having better ventilation through technology, and even taking the lead out of paints. Clay is non-toxic, but you still have to be aware of the organic elements in it. Clay is safe to play with when wet, but not so much a

Ceramic artist have their own inspiration and motivation. Their art work reflects uniqueness, personality and style. We have selected 8 ceramic artist on Instgram who have "eye catching" masterpiece. Enjoy! Lauren Lewis of @lalepottery loves to do shiny stuff. She makes sure to give joy and happiness to everyone. It'l

If you want to try pottery at home, invest in simple and accessible pottery techniques, use the right clay, and use the essential tools to make the process easy.

If you have always wanted to learn how to throw clay on the pottery wheel but don’t know where to start, this Step-by-Step beginner’s guide is perfect for you.

Wondering if you can you use acrylic paint on ceramic? Learn what kinds of acrylics to use on glazed and un-glazed ceramics, like bisque.

What do you struggle most with when throwing on the potters wheel? I remember when I first started I struggled a lot with centering the clay as well as feeling like I had full control over what I was making - a lot of the time I felt like the clay was deciding what shape it was going to be rather than me! As with any new skill it's practice, practice, practice. Try not to feel too precious about what you're making (not easy, I know). Every mistake will enable you to make the next pot that little bit better. Here are my top tips for improving your throwing: 1. Posture This one is so important. To be able to control the clay you must have your body over the wheel. Although your hands are doing the work, it's your body that's providing the power. Remember to take breaks - there's a reason that lots of potters have bad backs! Stand up, have a stretch every half an hour or so. 2. Connection with your body This follows on from my first tip. Your body is there to provide a steady anchor against the spinning clay. Always have your elbows sitting on your legs to connect them to this anchor (or on the wheel pan, whichever is most comfortable). If your arms are floating out away from your body you'll find the clay is going to be moving your hands around, whereas we need it to be the other way around - your hands moving the clay. 3. Direct the power This applies particularly to centering which is when you need to use the most power to get your clay in the middle of the wheel head. After coning the clay several times, I use the heel of my left hand and imagine I'm pushing an invisible line right through the centre of the ball of the clay, whilst applying a little pressure with my right hand on the top of the clay. Although the whole of my left hand is wrapped around the side of the clay to control it, it's very much the heel that's doing the work. By concentrating the power into one part of your hand, it becomes much easier to control the clay. Put your body power behind it (rather than just the power in your hand alone, which isn't very much), which is easy because your arm is connected to your body... see tip 1! 4. Your hands as one tool Try to think of your hands as one tool rather than two separate ones - they need to work together to control the clay well. At every stage of throwing a pot, my hands are touching in some way. This is particularly important when pulling up the walls; your hands are either side of the wall of the pot but need to stay opposite each other to bring up the wall evenly. Make sure your hands are touching is some way, even if it's just touching your thumbs together above the rim as your fingers do the work inside the pot. You'll find your hands can 'talk to each other' more easily if they're physically connected. The tricky bit comes when your pots get too tall to be to connect your hands - at this point take it very slowly and get your hands connected as soon as you're able as you get nearer the top of the wall. Then practice, and practice a little more! Good luck and let me know how you get on!

This article outlines the best and most practical slab pottery ideas for beginners. Click here to learn more.

Creating a home pottery studio when space is limited. How to create a home pottery studio on a budget.