How To Learn Pottery At Home |Full Course With Low Budget 

When thinking about how to learn pottery at home, you likely may not have the time or resources to start doing it in a professional studio. 

If you spend a lot of time at Home, do not have enough money, or don’t like going out, home training is often the best and only option. 

If this is your choice, this article is a complete guide to my nine years of potter experience. 

I will work you through everything you need to become effective without attending classes.

Also, read; essential tools and equipment for ceramics and pottery. And also learn what a pottery wheel is.

How To Learn Pottery At Home By Yourself

Learning pottery and ceramics making at Home is possible as you can learn almost everything At Home.

Educate yourself by watching online tutorials on YouTube or any University free course. You can check out udemy, skillshare, etc.,

You can also read other people’s documentaries online on how they began and succeeded on this pottery journey.

Go to Google and search for information that can help you. But best of all, watch online videos.

Join an online community, participate, and ask questions about what you want to know.

It is easy to learn online nowadays. However, some people graduate from the University online, studying different fields without going to the University.

You can also take advice from your retail store where you buy your clay and other material. They will instruct you on how to carry out some tasks.

Another benefit of getting started is to partner with any studio and visit them more often than you can.

Also, make a friend at the studio and tell them your challenge, and they will help.

If you’re learning to make pottery at home, the first step is to work on yourself, teaching yourself the basic technique.

Doing this at Home is an excellent way to create a comfortable space and learn the basics of the craft. 

But suppose you don’t have a home studio. In that case, working in a specialized studio is also worth it, especially if you don’t have your materials. 

It will allow you to quickly learn the basics of the technique and see if you can create a more comfortable environment for making clay products at Home.

Important notes:

Please be patient to read this article since it is a bit long. It is long because it is a complete guide to learning pottery at Home.

Keep Reading the actual process of making pottery at Home below this article.

So I want you to understand what you need to know before starting.

Also, read how to make a cylinder out of clay.

Benefits Of Making Pottery At Home

There are several advantages of making Pottery at Home. Below is the list of benefits you will enjoy if practicing it at Home;

1. It’s cheaper: in the long run since you don’t need to pay the monthly fee or rent a studio.

2. All stocks of materials are always at hand.

3. It saves time: no need to transport yourself anywhere. You can do your job at any time, even at night.

4. Minimum investment required.

Learning pottery at Home lets you do it in your comfort home and time.

Also, learn the best clay to throw on the pottery wheel.

The Disadvantage Of Learning Pottery At Home

1. You will not have a teacher to help you.

2. You must study everything on your own.

3. You may not have the super professional tools the studios have.

3. You may be limited in selecting items you want to make.

How To Choose Clay To Work At Home?

They are three different types of clay to choose from this three different types of clay are :

• Fire clay.
• Polymer.
• Air dried.

Each of them has its pros and cons. 

Fire Clay Pros And Cons 

Fired clay has several advantages and disadvantages that you need to consider:

Pros

• It usually withstands higher temperatures.
• Better for pottery used in consumption.
• Usually more durable.

Cons

• The biggest downside is that it’s harder to work with.

Air-Dried Clay Pros And Cons 

Air-dried clay has advantages and disadvantages, namely:

Pros

• You don’t need an oven or heat source.
• As a rule, you can create most products from it.

Cons

• The disadvantage is that it is usually not as strong as kiln-fired.
• It takes forever to dry.

This option is usually less similar to the actual pottery-making process. Still, it is used sometimes when you want to make something most easily.

Polymer Clay Pros And Cons

Finally, there is polymer clay, which, like the second choice, offers advantages as well as disadvantages.

Pros

• it is an excellent clay for beginners.
• Allows you to work with the form.

Cons

• As a rule, strong, but not so much as fire.

·         When compared to the other two, not the most flexible.

·         Is often only used for molding.

The idea of this situation would be if you had a kiln and clay specialized for it.

But if you are on a budget and don’t want to invest much money in expensive equipment yet, these are your options.

How To Choose Clay For Ceramics?

One detail you’ll want to get right about is the types of clay. If you were working in a studio, we would say take the regular clay we used for firing.

Read the best clay for a pottery wheel.

But this process depends on the temperature of your kiln; you can even work with porcelain.

Clay and ceramics are different materials that we used in pottery. 

However, the main difference between pottery and ceramics is that clay is a natural material that we mined from.

On the other hand, ceramics are various substances added to clay to harden it when heated.

Because ceramics contain metal oxides, they change the clay’s molecular structure when heated. 

Therefore, all clays can be considered ceramics, but not all ceramics are considered clays. 

While there are various ceramic clays, the main uses in pottery are porcelain, pottery, and stone clay.

Pot clay

Pot clay has a low firing temperature and is composed of fine-grained particles. 

Products from such clay can serve for years. This type of clay is easy to process, sticky, and malleable. fired at 1100°C. The result is a hard but brittle material with a porous structure. 

The glaze is applied to the ceramic and then fired a second time to make the piece non-porous

Porcelain

Porcelain clay is a white, fine-grained clay used to make pottery. It is very durable and produces a white color due to the higher levels of kaolin concentration.

You can fire Porcelain clay at very high temperatures, from 1200 to 1450°C. The result is tough, white, translucent, shiny products.

Do you love fruits? Learn the benefits of mango.

Stone Clay

The color of such ceramics varies from dark brown to buff. The clay’s impurities and iron concentration are responsible for the color variance.

Stone clay has coarse particles that can receive fired at 1200°C. The result is a denser, more durable material that is inherently waterproof. This clay does not require a glaze.

While these are the best ceramic clays for pottery, if you’re new to pottery, you might want to start with self-hardening clay. 

It is very plastic, which allows you to create a wide variety of pottery. 

How To Fire Ceramics At Home

If you are dealing with heated clay, you have the choice of oven firing. However, if you don’t mind spending a little extra cash, you can get a cheap oven.

Benefits Of Roasting Ceramics In The Home Oven:

It’s cheap because you already have it.

You can often make nice pottery with it.

Products made as a result are fairly durable.

But suppose you want to take the process more seriously. In that case, you need an oven because your home oven will not give the desired temperature.

Advantages Of Using That Pottery Oven For Firing 

1. Your products can be more varied.
2. You will be able to create the right atmosphere for work.
3. You can work with a broader variety of glazes and clays.
4. The process is easier to manage as it is slower.
5. Allows the use of high-temperature (biscuit) firing, which makes ceramics stronger.

The oven is a good start if you are going to learn how to do this at Home. 

But we advise you to consider buying a kiln or firing it in a studio nearby once you learn a little.

How To Make Pottery At Home?

Remember, this process does not require any expensive tools or many tools. It only needed things you have at Home.

So if you love to invest in pottery tools, I have great resources for you to read; tools and equipment used in pottery and ceramics.

How To Work With Ceramics In Such A Limited Space? 

It’s pretty simple, and we’ll talk about how you can use different techniques depending on the environment you’re working in.

First, let’s talk about creating a clay mold; for this, we start with the following:

• Take the clay and roll it out.
• Cut to desired length and width.
• If using modeling, roll the clay into a ball shape.
• Choose a technique for further work.
• If you’re creating pottery without a potter’s wheel, it’s hand sculpted. 

Consider three hand-sculpting techniques :

Modeling from clay plates.

Spiral molding.

Modeling from a whole piece of clay.

Also read what Are The Techniques Of Molding Clay 

How To Start Clay Plate Sculpting

1. Roll out the clay.
2. Cut it to your desired length/width/height.
3. Set aside and repeat.
4. When you have cut out all the parts, work out the connections by smearing them with liquid clay and then joining them together.
5. Smooth out the connections.
6. Repeat these steps on each side.

read How To Make Clay Plates At Home

For spiral cord sculpting, you do something similar at the beginning, but the process involves a lot more detail:

How to start spiral clay molding 

1. Roll out the clay cylinder so that it has the desired thickness and consistency.
2. Lay it around the bottom plate.
3. Cut off the excess and then squeeze the ends together when you get to the end.
4. Flatten each ring as needed to even out the walls.
5. Ensure everything is level and no two seams end at the same point because this will create holes.

Note: When it comes to pottery, it’s handy to use ring molding to make bowls, cups, and the like.

If you’re working with fired clay, it’s a great option as it’s easy to work with and can do much.

And finally, solid clay sculpting is perhaps the easiest for a beginner. Still, the products can be more uneven than other types of sculpting.

How To Start Modeling Clay From A Piece.

1. Make a clay ball.
2. Pressing from the center, reach the bottom of the ball.
3. Continue to extrude from the bottom to the desired width and height of the bowl to be made.
4. Make all walls as even as possible.

All of these methods I have mentioned above can be done at home with simple materials, so you end up with a fantastic product you can use.

Also, learn how to make beautiful designs with clay at Home using only your hand. 

I want you to make your beautiful design out of clay which I have shown you below. Click on each topic to learn;

Learn how to make soap dishes with clay.

Learn how to make picture frames with clay.

Learn how to make a plate with clay.

Learn how to make a cylinder with clay.

Can I Use A Potter’s Wheel At Home? 

Yes, you can make pottery at Home using a potter’s wheel, but if you don’t have one or have never done pottery before in your lifetime. 

I suggest you go the hand-made route first. There are several reasons for this:

• The potter’s wheel is quite expensive.
• You have to get used to it.
• You will need specialized knowledge before you get started.
• There will be enough room to make mistakes.

How To Use A Pottery Wheel At Home:

You can use a potter’s wheel, although we don’t recommend starting with that. Here are some tips to help you master the potter’s wheel:

Also, learn the history of the pottery wheel.

• First, you need a potter’s wheel to hold at least a kilo of clay.
  
  
• You’d better consider an electric potter’s wheel option as it’s easier to use.
  
  
• Ensure you know how to use the clay you’re working with, how to keep it moist, how to dry it, and how to fire it. Learn the best clay for a pottery wheel.
  
  
• Knead and roll the clay into a bundle to prepare the workpiece.
  
  
• Remove any air bubbles to prevent cracking in the oven.

• Stick the resulting lump of clay on the circle and center it.
  
  
• Moisten your hands and keep them moist so they glide over the clay.
  
  
• Start the circle, increase the speed, and pull the clay up, smoothing the walls.
  
  
• Grasp the clay with your hands and besiege it from the center.
  
  
• Rinse the bottom, and draw out the clay to get the desired shape.

• Keep the walls as straight as possible.

In the end, that’s all you need to do to sculpt a piece of clay on a potter’s wheel.

How To Dry A Clay?

If you’re not working with an oven, you will likely air-dry your clay or bake it in an oven. There are several ways for each of them.

How To Dry Clay In The Oven:

• Preheat the oven to the desired temperature. 
• Place a clay blank on a tray there.
• Bake for the required amount of time.
• Check the hardness of the product.

It’s simple, but the heat isn’t intense enough for porcelain or faience.

How To Dry Clay With Sun Or Air

• Put the product in a safe place.
• Wait for about 24 hours, Omo, as this may take time.
• Check the product for hardness and give it more time if necessary.
• If you’re air-drying, use fine-grained sandpaper to remove small bumps before moving on to painting.

Drying pottery takes time, but proper drying techniques can help you avoid cracks.

Is It Possible To Add Decor To Clay Products?

Yes, you can! There are several ways to decorate clay products:

Stamps with counter-relief. They can be found in specialized stores. Use them on slightly damp clay to make markings great for patterns or even “signatures.”

Tools: forks, knives, needles, combs, or the like, which can create unique designs and textures that your pottery will benefit from.

Imprints: leaves, stones, twigs, or the like. Press them gently against the clay to create an imprint before firing or drying.

The artwork looks good, and if you’re not creating pottery that needs glazing, these little decorations will make your pottery even more attractive.

How To Paint Clay Products

If the clay has air-dried, you can paint it with acrylic or latex paint. You must strictly adhere to the guidelines here.

Here are a few painting tips:

• Make sure if you’re firing clay; the paint is kiln-safe.
• Some stains do not require firing, which can sometimes be a convenient option.
• Choose a color that matches the required temperature, as air-dried clay cannot be fired.
• Apply paint with brushes, sponges, or other means.
• Permit the paint to dry as directed by the manufacturer.
• If you are going to kiln utensils for food and liquids, use color and sealant first, and then start firing after drying.
• If you are using an oven, also use glaze to set the paint thoroughly.

The painting will add uniqueness to your artwork. While the first steps may not be necessary, you can benefit if you have some exciting painting ideas. 

Some also prefer to paint products after baking in the oven; it’s up to you to decide how you like it best.

Clay Handling Precaution

Remember to take some precautions;

• Read the instructions for materials and equipment.
• Remember that your oven is hot, and you need to be careful with it.
• Be careful when shaping the clay so as not to injure yourself.
• Learn what chemicals are in everything you work with.

Many people get great pleasure from making ceramics at Home, and we tried to tell you how to do it in this article. 

If you want to get into pottery and are worried about whether your actions will impress someone, don’t think about it. 

Improve your technique and always create at the maximum of your abilities. You will get unique clay products that create coziness and comfort in your Home.

It is time to add color and festivity to your everyday home environment and emphasize individuality.

Conclusion

How to learn pottery at Home is possible. I recommend you follow this process written down in this article.

Pottery making requires patience and skills. Always learn from experts online because you are doing it at Home or meeting people already in the line.

Learn how to make pottery without a pottery wheel. And what is a pottery wheel?