Hot Ceramics & Pottery How-Tos
How To: Throw a beer tankard
Watch this ceramics tutorial video to learn how to throw a beer tankard using clay and your pottery wheel. This helpful how-to video contains detailed instructions that are good for beginner to intermediate potters who have used a wheel before but have never thrown a beer tankard.
How To: Throw a large vessel
Watch this ceramics tutorial video to learn how to throw a large vessel on your pottery wheel. The detailed instructions in this helpful how-to video are best for intermediate potters who have some experience but have never made larger vessels.
How To: Center and use good posture when making pottery
Watch this ceramics tutorial video to learn how to center and sit with good posture when using your potter wheel to make pottery. The detailed instructions in this helpful how-to video are good for potters of any level.
How To: Remove work from the hump
Watch this ceramics tutorial video to learn how to take your work off the hump. The detailed instructions in this helpful how-to video are good for intermediate potters. Removing your work from the hump will be easy after you've watched this instructional video.
How To: Glaze your pottery
Watch this ceramics tutorial video to learn how to glaze your pottery. This helpful how-to video contains detailed instructions that cover the basics of glazing and are perfect for potters of every level.
How To: Decorate little cups
Watch this ceramics tutorial video to learn some different ways to decorate little cups and other pottery. The cups used are leather-hard. You should start with a base color and then paint designs over it. The detailed instructions in this how-to video are helpful to any potter who wants to decorate his or her pottery, particulary little cups.
How To: Make goblets
Watch this ceramics tutorial video to learn how to make goblets start to finish, including the throwing, trimming, and putting together. Use thick clay to make your goblet so it doesn't have to be really thick to stand up on its own. The detailed instructions in this helpful how-to video will help intermediate potters make beautiful goblets in no time.
How To: Make handles
Watch this ceramics tutorial video to learn how to make handles out of clay for other pieces of pottery. The detailed instructions in this helpful how-to video are easy enough for beginners to follow, and there is no pottery wheel necessary to make these handles.
How To: Trim pieces with small necks with a chuck
Watch this ceramics tutorial video to learn how to use a chuck to trim your small-necked pottery. The detailed instructions in this helpful how-to video are best for intermediate potters with some experience.
How To: Make a plate
Watch this ceramics tutorial video to learn how to quickly make a plate on your pottery wheel. The detailed instructions in this helpful how-to video will allow intermediate potters to quickly make plates on their pottery wheels.
How To: Make multi-walled vessel pottery
Watch this ceramics tutorial video to learn how to make double- and multi-walled vessel pottery. The detailed instructions in this how-to video are geared toward intermediate potters and will have you making beautiful multi-walled vessel pottery in no time.
How To: Make double-walled and donut pieces
Watch this ceramics video tutorial to learn how to make double-walled and donut pieces, especially teapots. This technique is trite, but can lead to better ideas. The detailed instructions in this how-to video are best for intermediate potters and will have you making nice double-walled and donut pottery in no time.
How To: Make a wiggle cup or spiral bowl
Watch this ceramics tutorial video to learn how to make a wiggle cup, a loose spiral bowl similar to a faceted bowl used mainly with wood firing. The detailed instructions in this helpful how-to video will allow intermediate to advanced potters to make wiggle cups or loose spiral bowls.
How To: Put lips and rims on your pottery
Watch this ceramics tutorial video to learn how to make some simple lips and rims with cut aways. The detailed instructions in this helpful how-to video will help intermediate potters make different kinds of lips and rims and put them on their pottery.
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 tall neck bottle
Watch this ceramics tutorial video to learn how to throw a tall necked bottle using your pottery wheel. The detailed instructions in this helpful how-to video will allow intermediate potters to make nice tall neck bottles in no time.
How To: Make ceramic lidded vessels
Watch this ceramics tutorial video to learn how to make smaller lidded vessels with your pottery wheel. Throw the lid first because it's easier to make the pot fit the lid than the other way around. The detailed instructions in this helpful how-to video will allow intermediate potters to make nice lidded vessels.
How To: Throw a little pot
Watch this ceramics tutorial video to learn how to throw and form little pots on your pottery wheel. Making a little pot is the same as making a big pot, just on a smaller scale. This instructional video will have you throwing beautiful little pots in no time.
How To: Pull tall cylinders
Watch this ceramics tutorial video to learn how to pull tall cylinders out of clay using your pottery wheel. This how-to video is not for beginners, but it features detailed instructions and explanations. You'll be throwing and pulling tall cylinders for vases and other types of pottery in no time after watching this instructional video.
How To: Make a goblet stem
Watch this ceramics tutorial video to learn how to throw a goblet stem on a pottery wheel. This instructional video is not for beginners, but it does include very detailed explanations and instructions. This how-to video will have you throwing beautiful goblet stems in no time.
How To: Put together a teapot
Watch this ceramics tutorial video to learn how to put together a teapot by trimming the lid, sticking the parts together, and pulling the handle. You'll be able to put together very professional-looking teapots in no time using the tips from this how-to video. This instructional video is not for beginners.
How To: Center a large piece of clay
Watch this ceramics tutorial video to learn some good ways to center large amounts of clay. The example used in this instructional video is a 15-pound lump of clay. This how-to video will teach you how to easily center larger amounts of clay on your pottery wheel.
How To: Make a stretched platter
Watch this ceramics tutorial video to learn how to make a stretched or oval platter using a pottery wheel. This how-to video on throwing a stretched or oval platter offers detailed instructions and demonstrations, but it is not for beginners.
How To: Wedge clay before throwing it
This is a slow and and detailed how-to video on wedging your clay before throwing it on the wheel. This is especially good because doing this allows you to get rid of the air bubbles in your clay. This instructional video will teach you how to wedge your clay before throwing it in order to get the best results.
How To: Throw a vase neck
Watch this ceramics tutorial video to learn how to throw a vase neck using clay and a pottery wheel. This how-to video is not for beginners as it assumes a certain degree of skill. You'll be throwing vase necks like a pro using the tips offered in this instructional video.
How To: Make a miniature pot with polymer clay
Watch this ceramics video tutorial to learn a few ways to make a miniature pot using polymer clay. The two methods explained in this instructional video are the coil method and the pinch pot method. Both of the methods are easy for beginners to use in order to make a miniature pot out of polymer clay.
How To: Center a piece of clay on a potter's wheel
There are two rules to throwing clay on a potters wheel: keep the clay wet and keep the clay spinning. Centering clay can be tricky, but alignment is necessary to make an even pottery piece. Learn how to center a piece of clay on a potter's wheel by watching this video pottery making tutorial.
How To: Throw a large ceramic platter on a pottery wheel
This large platter is thrown on a pottery wheel from the same piece of clay in under five minutes. See as the clay takes shape to make a large platter. Watch this video pottery making tutorial and learn how to quickly throw a large ceramic platter.
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: 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: Wedge clay before throwing on a pottery wheel
This video pottery making tutorial demonstrates wedging clay before throwing it on the potters wheel. This is really important because it eliminates air bubbles in your clay while throwing. Learn how to wedge clay for ceramic pottery by watching this instructional video.
How To: Attach a vase neck to a pot
For more complicated pottery pieces, it's not possible to make the entire pot at once, but rather make two pieces to be attached later. This video pottery making tutorial shows how to attach a vase neck onto a pot. See as the two pieces are scored and sewn together. Learn how to attach a neck onto pot made out of ceramic clay by watching this instructional video.
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: Reuse clay scrap
This video pottery making tutorial shows how to go about reusing trimmings and slop from the clay forming process. Once clay has been fired, it can't be made workable clay again, but slip and clay trimmings can. Learn how to reuse clay scarp by watching this instructional tutorial.
How To: Make and mix glazes for ceramic pottery
This video ceramic design tutorial offers a very basic introduction to ceramic pottery glazes and glaze mixing methods. Glazes are a glass paint that are applied onto a piece of pottery to provide a beautiful finish, color, and shine to the ceramic project. Learn how to make and mix glazes for ceramic pottery at home by watching this instructional video.
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: 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: Use a potter's wheel and throw pottery
Those looking to begin making pottery, will benefit from the instruction provided by this video pottery tutorial. Center the clay, force the clay to mold to your hand rather than molding the clay, and start throwing pottery. Learn how to use a potter's wheel and begin working with ceramics by watching this instructional video.
How To: Decorate earthenware with porcelain slip and paper
Shredded paper is a great way to create a design on an earthenware piece, as it will burn away during the firing process. Porcelain slip can be simple throw water from old porcelain pottery projects. Learn how to decorate earthenware pottery projects with porcelain slip and shredded paper by watching this video ceramic design tutorial.
How To: Decorate pottery with slip
This is a video tutorial using B-3 brown slip to decorate bisque-ware. The slip is just throw water from an earlier project, so this technique is a creative way to use all materials available without waste. Learn how to decorate pottery with slip by watching this video ceramic design tutorial.