Pottery

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...

A number of heating sources can be used to operate a kiln, but gas and electric are the most popular types. There are various advantages and drawbacks to both, and the potter's level of experience...

Clay pots are for more then planting flowers. You can use clay pots for many types of crafts. They are fairly inexpensive and can be found at most craft stores. Clay pots come in different sizes...

Whether you are interested in therapeutic exercise, artistic expression or functional output, pottery offers something for almost everyone who takes up the art. Although it is possible to create...

Makers of primitive pottery often formed their creations around baskets or other objects and then hardened them in a fire pit. According to author Glen Nelson, this is why most early pottery had a...

Pottery is a fun and rewarding hobby. Learn strategies on how to produce the perfect pot.

It is easy to go to the department store and purchase a set of candles, or a pre-made piece of pottery, but there can be true joy and a sense of accomplishment when you craft these everyday...

According to the website Native-Languages.org, American Indian pottery traditions varied from tribe to tribe across the Northern Hemisphere. Although the Native Americans of the Southwest still...

If you can locate an old wood stove and some bricks, you can build a homemade kiln. This type of kiln is easy to assemble and disassemble and can be built to any height depending on your needs.

Many people don't like having to deal with decals on ceramics because they don't want to have to locate a ceramic shop to have the item fired in a kiln. If you're not going to eat or drink out of...

Decals on China Plates, are a perfect way to add that extra touch to your decor. Decals and China Plates can be purchased on the internet from a variety of manufacturers, by just doing a search on...

Glaze is a hard glassy coating on the surface of ceramic material. Most high- and low-fire glazes help to strengthen the material, while adding a smooth and impermeable surface, and adding...

Kids are always looking to make things. This is a really easy recipe to make sawdust clay, You can make all kinds of things with. It is a multi purpose craft. You can make it and then make...

Raku pottery is a Japanese style of pottery most often used in tea ceremonies. Raku ware uses exclusively monochromatic black or red glazes as an expression of the subdued aesthetics of Wabi. In...

Ceramics is a fun hobby, and with us, it's even a career. Many people purchase items that need to be lit with a bulb, but they're not quite sure how to install their own light kit. It's not...

The art of pottery in Mexico goes back thousands of years when clay was transformed into water storage jars inspired by the gourds and squash from the fields. Pottery was created by and for the...

When you take up pottery, your biggest expense, other than clay, is the pottery wheel and the kiln. You can always take your pottery to a commercial 'paint it yourself' pottery shop and have it...

The African art of pottery is a significantly symbolic form that is surrounded by tradition and ritual. The design involved is carefully dictated by metaphors used to describe human and animal...

Traditional pottery making was done with the hands and a few primitive tools that were used for adding texture and design. Potters today still practice the art of traditional pottery making by...