Hot Ceramics & Pottery How-Tos « Ceramics & Pottery

How To: Knead clay with Japanese spiral wedging technique

Simon Leach shares tips for kneading clay. He demonstrates the Japanese spiral wedging technique.

How To: Mix your own clay at home

This video tutorial shows how to mix your own clay body. Covered are the basic types of clay, fluxes, and fillers. When testing clay body mixtures, make 1000 gram batches dry, then add water to that. This way a percentage recipe can be taken and just by moving the decimal point can convert it to grams (25% = 25 grams or 250 grams, etc). Here is a clay-body recipe is as follows for those of who might care. Also, much of the mixture of a clay body is designed to match the glazes. It needs to me...

How To: Trim a ceramic pot on a wheel

English pottery instructor Simon Leach has stepped out onto his lovely deck to teach us how to trim our ceramic pots on the wheel. His example piece is small cup or pot that begins the video as plain as vanilla and ends it as a wonderfully detailed piece after only 10 minutes or so of work.

How To: Convert an old electric kiln into a propane gas kiln

You may love your old electric kiln like a child, but it's time to get in touch with the times and update that sucker! Watch this ceramics tutorial by potter Simon Leach to learn how to turn your old electric kiln into a snazzy new propane gas kiln.

How To: Prepare clay for wheel throwing

Georgia Tech resident pottery instructor, Trip, describes how to knead clay and get it ready for use on the wheel. First you need a piece of soft scrap or fresh clay. When kneading, or wedging the clay, try to force out all of the air bubbles. The kneading board should help to absorb excess moisture. Test the kneaded clay by slicing it with a wire cutter to check for air bubbles.

How To: Decorate ceramics with a torch

Try using a blowtorch to dry the outer portion of a ceramic pot. While the clay is still on the pottery wheel, cut light marks into the outer wall of the pot. Dry the outermost layer of wet clay with a blowtorch. When you continue to stretch and form the wet clay on the wheel, witness an interesting cracking effect.

How To: Wedge and knead a piece of clay for pottery making

Wedging and kneading is essential before throwing clay on a pottery wheel, or shaping by hand, in order to get rid of air bubbles that may cause the pottery to explode while firing in the kiln. There are many different techniques to wedge and knead, but this video ceramic design tutorial shows how to wire cut wedge and spiral knead a piece of clay. Learn how to wedge and knead a piece of clay for pottery making by watching this instructional video.

How To: Throw a simple ceramic vase on a pottery wheel

This simple vase is thrown on a pottery wheel from the same piece of clay in under six minutes. See as the clay takes shape to make a vase. Watch this video pottery making tutorial and learn how to quickly throw a simple ceramic vase.

How To: Make Clay Sculptures

In this ceramics video series, learn how to make terracotta clay sculptures from ceramics art expert Chitrotpola Mukherjee.

How To: Throw a lamp base

You all the know the scene from Ghost? Where Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore are sitting and they are trying to make something using the machine? It's one of the most iconic scenes out there. Anyways, this video isn't about ghosts, or either of those actors, but rather that machine and what it can do. This tutorial will show you how to throw a lamp base easily. Enjoy!

How To: Trim a pot

In this video, we learn how to trim a pot. First, you will want to get your pot wet and place it onto a ceramic bowl shaper. Start to spin the bowl and get it wet as you use a sharp tool to remove the trim from around the pot. Continue to do this until all of the trim you want to remove is gone. When finished, you will need to refire this and place glaze back onto it. This can be done with any type of ceramic pot, just make sure you keep it moist while you are cutting it, so it doesn't break ...

How To: Throw and carve a double walled pottery vase

This video illustrate how to throw and carve a double walled pottery vase. Here are the following steps.Step 1: First of all take a potters wheel.Step 2: Now take clay and put it on the wheel and rotate the wheel.Step 3: Make inner and outer partition and slowly shape the inner clay into long vessel shape.Step 4: Now take the outer clay and shape it into vessel, now join the neck of this vessel to the inner vessel and shape it into a vase.Step 5: After the pot has half dried cut the outer bou...

How To: Use the chattering technique on a flat form pottery piece

Are you looking to make your pottery projects more quickly and with less stress? Then this is the perfect tutorial for you. Lakeside Pottery shows you step by step how to flatten and shape a flat form pottery piece using a chattering technique.

How To: Set up a kiln

Before starting out on any pottery projects, you need to set up that kiln. This video how-to series demonstrates the safe and proper set-up procedure for your new kiln. Learn where to set up the kiln, unpack, and assemble. Follow along with the video and have fun with ceramics. Set up a kiln.

How To: Make an incense burner

Simon Leach shows us the technique for making an incense burner, to hang on the wall

How To: Make mini polymer clay pancakes for a dollhouse

Garden of Imagination teaches viewers how to make cute and adorable mini polymer clay pancakes for a dollhouse or decoration. First start out with a wooden square to put the finished product on. Next, start out with light brown clay and roll it out on a clay setting number 4 on the pasta machine. Next, use a circle cutter to cute the shape of pancake. Next, texture the pancake so it look doughy and make sure the edges are not too straight. Make three of these pancakes and place them on the wo...

How To: Pull a ceramic handle

Simon Leach demonstrates how to pull a handle out of clay for a jug. He shows various techniques.

How To: Pull handles for pitchers

Watch this ceramics tutorial video to learn how to pull handles for your pitchers. The tips in this how-to videos are helpful for potters of any level. You'll be pulling beautiful handles for your pitchers after watching this helpful instructional video.

How To: Make a ceramic slab plate

In this video, we learn how to make a ceramic slab plate. First, roll out the ceramic. After this, place the clay on butcher or newspaper and smooth it out with a plastic card. Repeat this on the other side. Next, use a paper template to help cut your design or use a circular object. Cut slits to help remove the surrounding clay. Use the excess clay to build support pieces then curve the edges of the plate up and place the support pieces underneath. Use a piece of leather to smooth the edges....

How To: Make a simple clay and ash glaze

This method of making glaze utilizes environmental supplies. That way there's no need to rely on a clay supply store, so it's great to save money or time if it's a distance to the nearest supplier. Watch this video pottery tutorial and learn how to make a simple ceramic glaze for firing out of clay remnants and wood ash. It's appropriate for use on raw glazing projects as well.

How To: Build a small raku kiln

In this three-part how-to from everyone's favorite potter (wizard children notwithstanding), Simon Leach talks about the process of building a small raku kiln. For insight into Mr. Leach's kiln-building process, watch this helpful how-to.

How To: Decorate bisque pottery with red iron oxide

This is a video tutorial of decorating bisque with red iron oxide. Red iron oxide can be layered, fired, watered-down, and used in many ways to add a finish to a piece of bisque pottery. Bisqueware absorbs the color easily, so the two materials work well together. Pick up some new ideas for how to decorate bisque pottery with red iron oxide by watching this video ceramic design tutorial.

How To: Center on the potter's wheel with clay

Perfect your ability to center on a Potter's wheel with these tips from Andy Ruble. There are several different ways to go about centering, but the general principle is to put equal pressure on the top and side of the ball of clay and clay has no choice but to go in the middle. This instructional ceramics video is designed to help the beginning through advanced ceramic student improve their throwing skills.

How To: Make faceted pottery

Watch this ceramics tutorial video to learn how to make faceted pottery using some common faceting methods such as wire cut faceting. The detailed instructions in this helpful how-to video are geared toward intermediate potters and will allow you to make pretty faceted pottery.

How To: Make a pottery clean up sink in a garage studio

Pottery is a messy craft, and will be even messier without a decent cleaning station. A makeshift studio can be converted from a small space in the garage with a few innovative ideas. Learn how to make a pottery clean up sink in a garage studio by watching this video tutorial.

How To: Begin making lids for wheel thrown ceramics

Watch this helpful ceramics video to learn how to throw a few types of lids for wheel thrown pots. Our guide forms a gallery lid, using calipers to measure the inside distance of the rim of the pot. The calipers can then be used to adjust the width of the lid piece.

How To: Throw a ceramic teapot on a pottery wheel

This simple teapot is thrown on a pottery wheel from the same piece of clay in under six minutes. See as the clay takes shape to make a teapot. Watch this video pottery making tutorial and learn how to quickly throw a simple ceramic teapot.

How To: Decorate raw clay pottery with white slip

In this video pottery-making tutorial, Simon uses a white slip made from half china clay and half stoneware clay. Slip is an alternative to glaze for finishing a potted project. Simon also demonstrates an easy project to make a paint brush holder that will keep tools in place while using them. Watch this video demonstration to pick up a few ways to decorate a raw clay pottery piece with white slip.

How To: Build a small downdraft kiln with Simon Leach

In this 2 part how-to video, Simon Leach, who normally shows you how to make pottery, instead shows you something else. In this tutorial, Leach shows you how to make and build a small propane downdraft kiln. Follow along with Simon Leach, and you too could be building your own kiln in your backyard.

How To: Glaze pottery inside and outside

Watch this ceramics tutorial video to learn how to use some more advanced glazing techniques to make the inside different than the outside. The detailed instructions in this helpful how-to video are best for intermediate to advanced potters who want to glaze both the inside and the outside of their pottery.

How To: Recuperate clay to soften it

Watch this ceramics tutorial video to learn how to soften clay by recuperating it. This helpful how-to video teaches several techniques to recuperate and soften your clay that are easy enough for beginners. You'll never be stuck again when your clay gets too hard after you watch this instructional video and learn how to recuperate and soften it.

How To: Make a Japanese Shino glaze with Simon Leach

A Shino glaze is an umbrella term for a category of pottery glazes that range in color from milky white to orange and even charcoal gray. Chino glazes add a very pretty luster to pottery pieces and are made using a carbon trap, or trapping carbon in the glaze during kiln firing.

How To: Reclaim clay

Simon Leach shows us how to reclaim clay.

How To: Join two pieces of leather-hard clay together

Check out this video to learn scoring techniques of joining two pieces of stiff leather-hard clay. Following are some steps you will see demonstrated

How To: Pierce carve a clay pottery bowl

Ingleton Pottery demonstrates how to pierce carve a clay pottery bowl. First, form your bowl on a potter's wheel. Then take a blade to the undried clay bowl and score your design into the bowl using the piercing technique. Gently press out the design so that the clay is removed from the negative space created by the scoring marks. Continue making the design around the bowl. You can make intricate designs around the bowl using the piercing and scoring technique. Be careful not to damage the bo...

How To: Throw a ceramic bottle or bud vase on a pottery wheel

A bud vase is a small vase, about as large as a bottle, which holds small flowers - or buds. This tutorial shows you a few different methods you can use to throw one of these small vases on a pottery wheel.

How To: Do glaze trailing and pouring for pottery

Simon Leach teaches us how to glaze trailing and pouring for pottery. First, you will dip the entire pot into the glaze after you have poured it into the middle. Wind up your wrist as you are pouring it out so you cover all of the sides in it. Just dip it down a little bit so it goes over the edge of the tip to cover the mouth of it. To use a balloon wand, fill it with the glaze and then use this to glaze the pots. Simply drop the liquid onto the pot in straight lines as you are turning it wi...

How To: Make polymer clay pocket mirrors

This video teaches you how to make small polymer clay pocket mirrors. You can put these in your purse or even wallet. It is a good gift, as you can customize them for the person you indent to give. Get small mirrors from a craft store. One technique is to make a separate cover for the mirror using clay. Another technique is to cover the whole mirror with clay. You can also create two separate covers. One on the back of the mirror and the other for the front. Stick the clay on the back of it a...

How To: Make a mold using two-part silicon putty

Make It Mine Magazine associate editor Tea Benduhn shows you how to make a mold using two-part silicon putty.

How To: Throw a wide bowl with Simon Leach

Watch this instructional ceramics video to learn how to throw a wide bowl with Simon Leach. As a preliminary step, one should throw a flat piece of clay onto the pad to assure easy lifting off of the bat. Centering is quite difficult with a larger piece of clay. Leach's visual guide allows one to view the delicate steps required to throw a wide ceramic bowl without letting it collapse.