Pottery Starter Checklist

1. Gather your supplies

• Air dry or kiln clay
• A few simple clay tools
• A smooth work surface
• Acrylic paint or glaze to finish

2. Your first project

3. Your first month, step by step

• Week 1: Get your hands in the clay. Make a pinch pot: roll a ball, press your thumb into the center, and gently pinch the walls upward while turning. Do not aim for perfect—aim for finished. Notice how the clay responds to pressure and moisture.
• Week 2: Try coil building. Roll ropes of clay and stack them to grow taller walls, scoring and smoothing each joint. This teaches you how pieces are joined and lets you build a mug or small vase taller than a pinch pot allows.
• Week 3: Roll a slab and build flat. Make a small tray or dish from a single sheet of clay, smoothing the edges with a damp sponge. Slab work introduces texture and shows how the same clay makes very different forms.
• Week 4: Finish what you made. Let pieces dry to leather-hard, then smooth and refine them. Visit a community studio to learn how bisque firing and glazing work, and arrange to have your first month of pots fired into keepers.

4. Mistakes to avoid

• Clay too wet or too dry: water makes it floppy, dryness makes it crack. Keep a damp sponge handy and work clay at a soft, earlobe-like firmness.
• Walls of uneven thickness: thick spots trap moisture and can crack or explode in the kiln. Pinch and check often, aiming for an even quarter-inch wall.
• Skipping score-and-slip when joining: pressing coils or handles on without scratching and wetting both surfaces leads to cracks. Always scratch, add slip, and press firmly.
• Trapped air bubbles: failing to wedge (knead) your clay leaves pockets that crack in firing. Wedge each lump well before you start.
• Drying too fast: pieces left near a heater or in the sun crack as the outside shrinks faster than the inside. Cover loosely with plastic and dry slowly and evenly.
• Rushing the wheel: fighting clay that is not centered only wears you out. Slow down, brace your arms on your legs, and let steady hands do the work.