How to Make a Pitcher Out of Clay

A simple lump of clay offers millions of possibilities.

Pottery is a useful and fun craft which some turn into a viable business once they've mastered their art. Creating a pitcher from a lump of clay can be very rewarding as a hobby and can yield utilitarian objects to use around the house or to give as gifts to special friends or family members. The process will take patience, honing skills and perhaps learning new ones.

Things You'll Need

• Two large fistfuls of clay, pressed into one mass
• One small ball of clay, about the size of a golf ball, for the handle
• Potter's wheel
• Water
• Sponge
• Long, thin piece of wood cut on a diagonal - a hand tool to "cut" excess clay from the pitcher
• Sharpened pencil

Instructions

Create the Pitcher

1. Using force, throw your clay to the center of the wheel. It needs to stick, so throw it hard. Spin the wheel slowly and shape your clay into a cone. While doing this, force it to the exact center of the wheel. Wet your hands and the clay then increase the spin of the wheel. Keep fine-tuning the centering of the clay, as it needs to be in the exact center when you use high wheel speeds. If the clay is not centered, you will have to fight the clay for the whole process.

2. Form your clay into a disc about one inch tall and about three inches in diameter. Press an indentation into the clay by pressing your thumb down in the center of the disc. Use your right thumb, pressed and guided by your left hand, to form the opening. Make sure your body remains steady through the whole process.

3. Press down through the clay, leaving 1/4 inch at the bottom. Use water to keep your hands moist, but use a sponge to extract any water that might pool in the hole.

4. Expand your hole, gently pressing out from your center hole. Use both hands, one atop the other, to open the hole. The wall needs to be 3/4 inch thick. At this stage, you should have a short, squat cup-like object.

5. Starting at the base of the object, raise your clay by applying equal pressure to the inside and outside of the cylinder. Pull the clay upwards. It should take you two to three times to raise the walls of the pitcher. Keep practicing so that you do not rip or twist your pitcher.

6. Trim the base of the pitcher of any excess clay using your long, thin piece of wood.

Make and Attach the Handle

1. Take your small ball of clay and form it into a cone-shaped object, like a carrot. Turn off the wheel. Keeping the clay wet, gently pull it to the length you desire. Pinch off excess or add more clay if you need a longer handle. This may involve up to 50 pulls. Once the piece is the desired length and width, set it aside on a dry spot to firm up.

2. Use your pencil to make hash marks, an "x" pattern, where the handle is to be attached to your clay pitcher. Repeat a similar pattern on the handle piece.

3. Press the handle to the upper and lower attachment spots. Wet your finger and smooth out the attachment spot to give the illusion of one cohesive piece of pottery.

4. Set your pitcher to dry under a piece of plastic where moisture can be trapped. The piece will crack if dried too fast.

Tips & Warnings

• You might wish to take a pottery class to master the wheel and to develop your technique with a master potter.

References

• JH Pottery; Throwing on the Wheel; John Hester
• Learning to Throw; Raising the Cylinder; Marvin Bartel; 2000
• Pottery Magic; How to Make and Attach Handles;

Resources

• Cultural China; Development of Pottery Craft