How to Throw Pottery With a Wheel

With the aid of a pottery wheel, ceramic enthusiasts can create a variety of practical items like bowls, mugs and vases. It can be a tricky process to learn at the beginning, but those who stick with it find the end result to be extremely rewarding.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Pottery clay
• Bucket of water
• Basic pottery tool kit
• Pottery wheel (electric or foot operated)

1. Begin by thoroughly wedging the clay. Take a mound of clay and knead it in a similar fashion to kneading bread dough. This eradicates some of the air bubbles in the clay while ensuring that the clay's water is evenly distributed.

2. Separate the clay into 1 to 1.5 pound chunks (as you get better, the chunks can be larger). Roll each of these chunks into balls.

3. Get your necessary tools assembled around the pottery wheel. Clay balls, a bucket of water and trimming devices are all you should need at this point. You may also want to drape a towel over your lap, as the process tends to get a bit messy.

4. Toss your first ball of clay onto the pottery wheel, getting it as close to the center as you possibly can. You don't want the clay to go flying off of the wheel when it starts spinning, so throw it down hard enough to stick fast to the surface. Once you have placed the clay onto the wheel, start the wheel at a slow spin.

5. Pat the clay gently into a hill or cone-type shape, all the while keeping the clay maneuvered toward the center of the wheel.

6. Increase the speed of the wheel (not too fast if you're not used to it). Wet your hands in the water bucket and use them to moisten the clay. Center the clay by bracing your arms against your knees or thighs and gently forcing the mound into the middle of the wheel. Centering is a key step in the process, as the pottery can bobble and fall over if not properly centered.

7. Put a flat palm on top of the clay and gently force downward, using your other hand as a guide to keep the clay in place. Force the clay back up into a cone by using your palms as paddles on each side of the clay. Be sure to keep your arms braced against your legs so your whole body will be used to center the clay.

8. Press the clay back down a second time with your palm and gauge your work. If the clay is centered, it will be rotating in an even fashion. It will not be at all wobbly or crooked. Be sure to keep the clay and hands moistened during this process.

9. Make a hole in the middle of the clay with your thumb. Using your other hand to keep your thumb still, place it at the center of the clay and force downward very gently. The wheel will do most of the work for you. Stop while the base of the clay is about a quarter-inch in thickness. The hands must be kept still during this or the clay will be thrown off center.

10. Use both hands to open the clay. Gently place a couple of fingers into the opening and pull gently outward, all the time keeping the other hand against the outside of the clay so it will stay in place. If the clay needs re-centering, do this by placing the middle and index finger on top of the clay (top rim) and use gentle pressure to even out the formation.

11. Mop up any excess water with a sponge that may have pooled up inside the clay formation.

12. Pull up the walls of the clay by reaching inside with a few fingers and making a slight protrusion. Place one hand on the outside of the clay just under the protrusion. With your other hand inside the clay walls, simultaneously squeeze the clay (gently) and pull it up. Height should be achieved by two or three pulls. Don't try to pull the wall up with just one pull.

13. Trim the base of your creation with a cutting tool once the desired thickness has been reached. Usually, this will be about 1/4 inch.

14. Shape the piece any way you want. You may choose to keep a basic cylinder for a mug. For a bowl, you can pull the walls outward as your pulling them up (in a diagonal motion). Applying pressure toward the top can narrow the opening. Work with it until you get what you like.

15. Allow the piece to sit for a few minutes before taking off the wheel. To remove the clay from the wheel, pull the wire tool taut and run it under the pottery piece, thus separating it from the wheel.

16. Do any necessary trimmings to the piece once it has been allowed to dry to leather hard consistency.