Hand-Building
9 guides
How to Smooth and Finish Hand-Built Pottery Surfaces
Learn how to smooth clay pottery and finish hand-built pieces with simple tools and techniques that work at every stage of drying.
July 1, 2026
Why Hand-Built Pottery Cracks and How to Prevent It
Find out why clay cracks when drying and get practical tips to prevent drying cracks in your hand-built pottery from pinch pots to slab work.
June 29, 2026
How to Make a Pinch Pot: Your First Pottery Project
Learn how to make a pinch pot step by step — the perfect first pottery project for beginners. No wheel needed, just clay and your hands.
June 26, 2026
How to Make a Slab Plate or Shallow Dish for Beginners
Learn how to make a clay plate by hand using the slab method. Step-by-step guide covering rolling, shaping, drying, and finishing your first slab plate.
June 23, 2026
How to Make and Attach Handles to Pottery
Learn two ways to make clay handles, how to score and slip them onto a leather-hard pot, and how to prevent cracking during drying and bisque firing.
June 20, 2026
How to Make a Clay Mug by Hand (No Wheel Needed)
Learn how to make a clay mug by hand using coils or slabs. A step-by-step guide for beginners with no wheel, no studio, and no prior experience.
June 19, 2026
How to Score and Slip: Joining Clay So It Doesn't Crack
Learn how to score and slip clay to make strong, crack-free joins. Covers slip consistency, scoring technique, moisture matching, and coil reinforcement.
June 14, 2026
Slab Pottery for Beginners: Making Pots from Flat Clay
Learn slab pottery for beginners: roll even clay slabs, cut templates, join pieces with score and slip, and build your first slab dish or box.
June 10, 2026
Coil Pottery for Beginners: Building Pots with Clay Coils
Learn coil pottery for beginners: how to roll even coils, build a base, stack and join layers, and finish a hand-built pot from scratch.
June 5, 2026