How to Make a Coil Pot

Coil pots are one of the easiest ways to hand build something from clay. You can make coil pot from traditional stoneware clay, porcelain, store bought play clay for kids, and even air drying clay from the art store. A coil pot can be built in any size, but the instructions are always the same.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Clay
• Wire Cutter
• Work Surface
• Water
• Needle Tool
• Sheet of Plastic

Preparation

1. Cut off a small piece of clay with your wire tool. This should be about ½ pound of clay.

2. Break the slab of clay into four smaller pieces.

3. Take one of the small pieces of clay and place it on the table in front of you.

4. Roll the clay with both hands back and forth over the table to create a coil. Continue this until you have a long thin coil that is about 1/8 to ¼ inch thick.

Building the Base of Your Coil Pot

5. Coil one length of clay in a spiral. Start with a tight small spiral and continue wrapping the part of the coil around to create a small disk the size of your pot.

6. Use your fingers to rub over the clay and press the clay coils together to form a solid disk. Flip the clay over a repeat on the other side.

7. Continue shaping the clay with your fingers until you have a small smooth disk. This is the base of your coil pot.

Building the Sides of the Coil Pot

8. Use the needle tool to scratch small X’s around the perimeter of the disk of clay you made for the base. These X’s are known as “scoring” clay.

9. Add some water to the scored X’s by dipping your fingers in water and running them over the X’s.

10. Take another piece of coiled clay and use it to outline the disk of clay. Place the coil right on top of the clay, outlining on the edge.

11. Press the coil into the X’s. Continue to add clay coils building you coil pot higher and higher.

12. Use your fingers to smooth the coils into one piece about every two inches. Water can be added to clay that gets to dry.Continue this process until your coil pot is as tall as you want.

13. Lay a piece of light plastic over the top of the coil pot to allow it to dry slowly. Do not tuck in the sides.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep a spray bottle of water handy to moisten your clay. This is a great idea if you are building a large coil pot.
• Allowing your clay to dry slowly will create a more stable coil pot.
• Always wrap clay in sheets of plastic to keep it from drying out until your coil pot is finshed. Tucks the sides of the plastic around the clay to keep air from getting to the clay.