How to Sand Pottery for a Smooth, Professional Finish
A rough foot ring is the first thing a customer feels when they pick up your work, and it is what scratches their table. Sanding pottery is how you fix …
How to Trim Pottery: The Best Trimming Tools from Beginner to Pro
Trimming is where a thrown pot gets its foot ring, its final weight, and a clean profile from the belly down. Trim at the wrong moisture and you tear or …
Paper Clay Slip: How to Make It and Use It for Repairs and Joins
How to make paper clay slip and use it for repairs — fixing cracks at leather-hard and bone dry, adding handles to dry pieces, and why it works when standard slip won’t.
Underglaze Basics: What It Is, When to Apply It, and How to Use It
Underglaze basics for pottery — how it differs from glaze, when to apply (greenware vs bisque), application methods, how to apply a clear coat, and common mistakes.
How to Care for Slipcast Porcelain
Slipcast porcelain has a refined, smooth surface and precise form that sets it apart from wheel-thrown work. Caring for it correctly keeps it looking its best and ensures it lasts …
How to Store Clay Properly
Clay is a surprisingly durable material when stored correctly — it can last for years without degrading. But improper storage can lead to clay that is too stiff to work, …
Introduction to Nerikomi: Japanese Patterned Clay
Nerikomi is a Japanese ceramics technique that creates intricate, geometric patterns running through the clay itself — not on the surface. Slice through a nerikomi piece anywhere and the pattern …
Why is My Glaze Crawling? Causes and Fixes
Crawling is one of the most frustrating glaze defects — your glaze pulls back from the clay surface during firing, leaving bare patches and bead-like edges. Understanding why it happens …
How to Read Witness Cones and Set Them Up
Witness cones are one of the most important tools in a potter’s kiln room — yet many potters skip them entirely, trusting their digital controller alone. The problem is that …
Ian Currie’s Grid Method: Map 35 Glazes in One Firing
Ian Currie’s grid method tests 35 related glazes in a single firing by varying silica and alumina across a 5×7 tile. A complete guide to making the grid tile, mixing the glazes by volumetric blending, firing, and reading the results.