Pottery Process

Tools and Equipment

• Potter’s wheel and bats

• Towels and an apron

• A small bucket for holding water or slurry as you work

• One or more sponges

• A trimming tool

• A rubber or wooden rib

• A potter’s needle

• A cut-off wire

• Fettling knives

• A box to keep your tools in

• Glazes and application tools such as brushes, tongs, etc.

• Calipers

• Kiln

Choose your clay

Earthenware clay is versatile and typically the easiest to throw on the pottery wheel, so this may be the best option if you are just beginning. Stoneware is another clay option that is easy to handle and work with. Porcelain clay is incredibly strong and is considered the best clay available for making pottery because of its high resistance to heat and high amount of silica. The downside of porcelain is that it is expensive and can be hard to handle for beginners. Before starting your pottery project, you will want to wedge your clay on a surface to work out any air bubbles.