6-Week Hand-Building Pottery Course

Perfect for beginners | £280* per person | All materials & equipment included

Course Dates:

Monday 28th April - Monday 2nd June 2025 | 1pm - 3pm

Tuesday 17th June - Tuesday 22nd July 2025 | 1pm - 3pm

Unleash your creativity and discover the joy of working with clay in our 6-week hand-building pottery course, held at our welcoming studio in the heart of Liverpool. Designed specifically for beginners, this course covers all the fundamental techniques of hand-building pottery. Over six weeks, you’ll learn to shape, construct, and decorate your own unique ceramics, with expert guidance every step of the way. At the end of the course, you’ll take home your beautifully fired and glazed creations to cherish forever.

What’s included?

• All clay, tools, glazes, and firing costs.

• Expert tuition in a relaxed, friendly environment.

• The opportunity to create multiple pieces throughout the course.

Week-by-Week Breakdown

Week 1: Introduction to Clay, Pinch Pots & Coil Building

• Learn about the properties of clay and how to handle it.

• Practice making simple pinch pots – one of the most intuitive and versatile hand-building techniques.

• Explore the art of coil construction, a technique used to build larger, more complex shapes.

• Learn how to roll and layer coils to create vessels or sculptural forms.

• Understand the importance of joining clay securely to ensure your creations withstand the firing process.

• Experiment with adding texture and surface decoration to personalise your piece.

• Pieces made in this session will be left to dry before the first firing.

Week 2: Slab Building

• Discover slab-building techniques to create flat-sided forms like boxes, tiles, or plates.

• Learn how to cut, shape, and assemble clay slabs.

• Experiment with textures and patterns using tools, stamps, and natural objects.

Week 3: Combining Techniques & Wheel Throwing

• Bring together pinch, coil, and slab techniques to create a more complex piece.

• Begin planning your final project – a piece of your choice using the skills you’ve learned so far.

• Introduction to underglazes for adding colour and detail to your work.

• Wheel Throwing: (Group A) Introduction to the pottery wheel, focusing on basic skills like centering, opening, and pulling a cylinder. Practice forming simple bowls or small plates.

Week 4: Combining Techniques & Wheel Throwing

• Bring together pinch, coil, and slab techniques to create a more complex piece.

• Begin planning your final project – a piece of your choice using the skills you’ve learned so far.

• Introduction to underglazes for adding colour and detail to your work.

• Wheel Throwing: (Group B) Introduction to the pottery wheel, focusing on basic skills like centering, opening, and pulling a cylinder. Practice forming simple bowls or small plates.

Week 5 & 6: Decorating & Glazing

• Learn about different glazing and decorative techniques, including painting with underglazes, sgraffito, and resist methods.

• Apply these techniques to your pieces, ready for their final firing.

• Discuss how glazing affects the look and feel of finished ceramics.

• Learn tips for caring for your ceramics at home.

• Take all your beautiful hand-made pottery home!

Ready to book?

Whether you’re looking to try something new, unwind with a creative activity, or craft beautiful handmade ceramics, this course is the perfect way to begin your pottery journey.

We can’t wait to welcome you to Clay Workshop!