How to Make a Pinch Pot With Clay

A pinch pot is a simple pot that can be created with some pottery clay and your own two hands. This primitive pot is a great project for the beginner potter or anyone who wants to create a simple, yet useful craft. The steps below will help you make a pinch pot that you can keep for yourself or give as a gift.

Things You'll Need

• Pottery clay

Instructions

1. Separate a piece of pottery clay about the size of a golf ball to a baseball. The bigger the piece of clay, the bigger your finished pinch pot will be.

2. Roll the piece of clay between your two hands until the clay is formed into a smooth, round ball.

3. Push your thumb into the center of the ball of clay to form an indentation and turn your thumb just a bit to form an even hole. Do not go all the way through the ball with your thumb, leave a thick portion at the bottom of the ball.

4. Put your thumb inside the indention you made, and begin to pinch with your thumb on the inside and the rest of your hand supporting the outside.

5. Turn the pinch pot as you pinch with your thumb, making the indention larger as the sides of the pinch pot get thinner.

6. Stop pinching once you have gotten the pinch pot walls to the desired thickness.

7. Press the pinch pot lightly on a flat surface to form a flat spot on the bottom of your pinch pot so the pot will sit upright.

Tips & Warnings

• You can curve you fingers as you pinch the pinch pot to make a more rounded form for the pinch pot.