Q&A for How to Make Pottery

The slab method is ideal if you're working at home without any studio equipment. You can use just about anything as a template for your slab, like a tumbler or paper cup. A pottery wheel is another great option, if you have one.

It really depends on your project! A project worked in the round is best suited for a pottery wheel, while slab-building is better for a uniform project. If you're sculpting a figure or face, working with coils might be best.

Slab building is one of the easiest pottery methods to learn! You're essentially working with a sheet of clay, which is similar to working with cookie dough, pie dough, or playdough in a flat form.

Make a bowl of clay. Then put your thumb inside and make a hole leaving some space for the wall. Then rotate the bowl with your thumb inside it. Squeeze and pull simultaneously. Finally, the wall of the pot should have an even thickness.

You can make coils of even thickness. Then place them one on top of the other to make a pot. See to it that they stick properly.

The clay that is good for artwork is different from the clay that is suitable for making pots. So first, you should decide what you want to make with the clay. Then choose the clay or a clay formula which you can find in the ceramics monthly magazine. Or you can buy commercial clay. You can see the label on the package and know whether the clay is suitable for throwing on the wheel or making sculptures.

No, I've used a wheel many times and never gotten hurt. It's probably best to keep children away from it though, just to be on the safe side.

Most art and craft stores have multiple kinds of clay for any kind of pottery you desire.

If the pot and the glaze is dry, then you are able to use the pottery as soon as you want!

You can't. For low fire clay, you would have to bake your clay on a low temperature. On a high fire clay, you would bake it at a high temperature. If you use them together, the low fire would be over done or the high fire wouldn't be cooked all the way.

The time it takes varies greatly depending on your skill level, the clay you use and the object you are creating.

Look for pottery shops in your area or craft stores. You may also purchase these items online.

Generally not - usually the pot is fired too high to be able to keep normal paint on. If you are using polymer clay, this may be okay, but for ceramics you need specific paint. Look up underglaze online for a wide range of colors for pottery decoration.

Yes. Anything that uses electricity will add to your electric bill.

You will need to make the lid during the "wet" stage of the process. Often times a potter will use calipers or other measuring instruments to ensure a tight fit. You will want to make the lid and base out of the same clay and at the same time to ensure they shrink at the same rate.

That depends on whether it was made with air-dry clay or a type of clay that needs to be fired. If you used a clay that needs to be fired, then you should fire it unless you want your object to start crumbling. Most local clay works have a kiln, and you can find one using Google Maps.

I think you might be asking about slip clay. This is a watery clay that is poured into molds, held for a time then the excess is poured out. After the clay dries a bit, the mold is taken apart and the ceramic released. Firing, glazing, etc is the same as pottery.

Yes, look at the instructions carefully to determine which is needed and the voltage required.

Depending on the object that you make and what skill level you are, the time will vary.

No, because if it is firing clay, then it must be fired or it will likely crumble without the reinforcement of fire.

It depends on what type of glaze you're using, if it's the type you would normally use on a piece you would fire, then no you can't. But if you're using a regular non-fire glaze, then yes you can.