Pottery

Gypsum, or calcium sulfate dihydrate, is a sandy crystalline mineral composition that has been used for hundreds of years in building materials. The mineral forms along beds near sedimentary rock...

In this tutorial, you will learn how to make almost any ceramic bisque piece look like it was made by a professional. You will learn how to antique your pieces using acrylic paints. (Oil Optional)

Working with clay is a rewarding and enjoyable hobby. You can make all sorts of things using clay. If you have made a miniature house, factory, or any other type of building you may want to add a...

During any ceramic tiling project, a few tiles are going to get broken. If you think these beautiful but broken pieces must be good for something, you're right. You can do many fun and unique...

There is something so enchanting about a new born baby. So much so, that artisans have taken to making new born dolls from clay to capture that enchantment. These realistic miniature babies appear...

Japanese hakata dolls are regal, unglazed clay dolls. These dolls originated as dolls for children, made for everyday play. In the late 19th century, a Japanese artisan transformed them into high...

When you fire clay, you heat the clay to harden it, creating a finished piece. The heat causes the clay to undergo a chemical change, making the once-pliable substance hard as stone. Normal clays...

Some of the most rustic yet sophisticated art pottery pieces can be created in a simple, homemade sawdust kiln. By using sawdust as the fuel and firing the kiln for a longer period of time than...

Making your own mugs is a creative way to showcase your talent. Personalized mugs can be used at home or given as gifts. They are also great for marketing a business or product. Many websites...

Once you've finished creating and trimming your pottery, the next step is to fire the pieces in a kiln. This should be done only when the clay is bone dry, which can take two-to-five days...

Handcrafted pottery can be fired at home without spending a massive amount of money on an electric kiln. Kilns can be created outdoors with little or no money, and these kilns work well for most...

Firing kilns cannot be made of wood, or you will have to replace your kiln every time you fire a piece of pottery. However, wood is a great fuel to power firing kilns, offsetting the cost of...

One of the limitations of creating pottery, either throwing it on a wheel or hand building, is kiln access for firing the pieces. Studio time can be expensive and in some areas, access to kilns is...

In the Encarta dictionary, greenware is defined as "clay objects that have dried but have not yet been fired." Yet potters and ceramicists know that there's more to the story than that. Greenware...

Porcelain clay makes the most elegant tiles. Its natural buttery consistency creates a jewel-like surface when it has been glazed and fired. That's because the particles in the clay are so fine --...

Beaded yard décor adds shine and excitement to your outdoor space. You can add bead work to almost any surface or create an entirely new decorative piece. The benefit of constructing your own...

Porcelain figurines are beautiful collectibles that people have enjoyed for centuries. You can make your own porcelain figurines if you have access to a kiln either at home or at a ceramics shop....

A lot of damaged porcelain gets thrown out for minor reasons. If you have broken porcelain, before chucking it out, see if you can put it together first. Porcelain is not that hard to repair at...

Bricks are one of the oldest building materials known to man. Bricks are the perfect material to use when making a kiln because they can withstand the very high temperature used to fire the...

As the appreciation for handmade tiles has increased, many people have a desire to make their own tiles. You can craft tiles for a custom back splash, mirror frame, furniture accents and gifts. It...

While you can usually find painted ceramic mugs in most boutique gift shops, creating your own allows you to customize the mug with your own designs. You can add names, favorite sports teams'...

A pyrometer is used to measure temperatures that are too high for mercury thermometers. A cone in ceramics is a kind of pyrometer and is called a pyrometric cone.

A mortar and pestle is an old but still highly useful set of kitchen implements used to grind fresh herbs, releasing their internal juices for maximum scent and flavor. While a mortar and pestle...

A kiln is an important piece of equipment in the making of pottery. It is an oven where the clay pieces are dried by subjecting them to very high temperatures. Kilns and firing techniques range...

When making ceramic mugs, the body of the mug can be thrown on a wheel or made by hand with coiling or pinching techniques. The handle of the mug is made separately, then later attached to the...

Hobby potters often build their own firing kilns because of the high cost and bulk of electric kilns. Building your own kiln allows you to place the kiln in the middle of your yard, reducing the...

Raku is a pottery technique originated by Korean potters in 16th century Japan. It has been popularized in Western culture by famous potters and innovators such as Bernard Leach and Paul Soldner....

Raku is a type of pottery that is fired at a low temperature and is therefore a bit porous. Raku ware was invented by Japanese potters in the mid 16th century as a way to fire tea bowls for the...

Plant pots come in a variety of sizes, shapes and finishes, including terra-cotta, which is porous and should be sealed prior to painting. Paint terra-cotta surfaces with the paint of your choice....

A vase is an important element to an arrangement of flowers. While the aesthetics of the flowers are typically the focus, having a container appropriate for the flowers helps to unify the...

Placing a picture on a coffee mug can be a nice customized gift---especially for coffee and hot tea drinkers. There are numerous websites devoted to placing pictures on coffee mugs in a few easy...

Ceramic tiles with their endless variations of color, shape, size, texture, and finish have enhanced homes since ancient times. These versatile and hardy products have been used for floor...

Pinch pots are one of the simplest and earliest pottery vessels. Fragments of clay figurines dated to 27,000 B.C. were found in the Czech Republic. Most early clay figurines were made by squeezing...

Pottery can be categorized as stoneware, earthenware or porcelain. This is based on the clay, the process it undergoes and the properties of the end product.

One way to brighten and update your bedroom or kitchen is to change out old drawer pulls on dressers or cabinets. Swapping outdated drawer pulls for newer, more modern ones is a quick and...

A homemade plate can be a personalized addition to your dish set or a great gift item. The basic ingredient you need for this is clay. Clay becomes a hardened ceramic once fired under high...

Terra cotta plant pots are appealing in their natural state -- no paint, no designs. However, a painted terra cotta pot, whether using one color or many in a design, can coordinate with an...

The three types of clay are earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. Of the three, porcelain is the least porous. It is further categorized as soft paste, hard paste and bone china.

Raku is a type of ceramic that originated in Japan about 400 years ago. The differences of raku to other types of ceramic glazing are mostly in the firing, where most other types of firing begin...

Jazzing up a plain ceramic pot is simple with Pebeo Porcelaine 150 Paints. These paints work better than other types of paints on glazed ceramic pots because they fire in a home oven and will...

Creative gifts or personalized ones are always a nice gift for special occasions. A personalized dinner plate is a unique gift to to celebrate an upcoming birthday, wedding, baby shower or...

Push pots, also referred to as pinch pots, are made by pushing clay into a pot shape using your fingers. This basic form of pottery has been used since ancient times to make all types of dishware....

Terra cotta flowerpots are easy and inexpensive to customize with paint. Adding words to flowerpots transforms it into a treasured memento when a child writes "Happy Mother's Day" on it. Using...

Pinch pots can be made in a variety of shapes and sizes. Used for decorative and functional purposes, these pots add color and beauty to your home or office. Pinch pots are the best way to begin...

Glossy ceramic pots filled with lush and healthy plants can brighten up any room, patio or balcony. You can decorate ceramic planters from scratch to get the exact look you want, but that doesn't...

Ceramic glue provides the best bond to repair ceramics or pottery. Other multipurpose glues may be used, however, ceramic glues will bond with the ceramic surface more effectively.

Sometimes painted pottery looks great, but other times it's an art project gone wrong. Whether you want to fix a school pottery project or restore a great piece of art pottery, use these...

Potter's wheels are an essential element for spinning clay into beautiful works of art. Many expensive potter's wheels from fine art stores are electric, but if you are willing to use a kick...

Clay pottery has been produced for many years for use in cooking and as decorative art. Oven-baked red clay allows the artist to mold shapes, then bake the piece to harden it. This type of clay is...

Pottery and ceramics are a beautiful addition to any home. As a craft or hobby, creating art pottery is a worthwhile pursuit. It is satisfying to work with your hands, manipulating clay into...