How to Finish a Pottery Slab Pot

After deciding on what you want your finished piece to look like, you can add minor details to the clay before setting your slab pottery piece aside to dry. Leaving the piece with an unfinished look is also popular when you want to achieve a minimalist look.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Adjoin the coil to the slab to make a seamless pot. Gently and carefully scrape the sides and bottom of both the inside and the outside of the pot using a wooden utensil while the pot is sitting on its lip. Using a downward motion, slightly push the clay with the tool with each movement.

2. Use your fingers to smooth out the surface until it is uniform. Dipping your fingers in water might help facilitate the smoothing process. Just don't get them too wet.

3. Add detail to the outside of the slab pot while the pot is still upside down on its lip. You can use any variety of utensils to scrape, indent or apply a pattern to the clay. Make sure you do not remove too much clay or puncture the wall. Use light detailing. For classic pieces, use consistent detailing all around the pot. If you're going for an abstract look, make it incongruent and randomized.

4. Turn the pot onto its base and create texture or a pattern on the inside of the slab pot. You can do this on the lip of the pot to create a liplike effect, which is especially beneficial if the pot's lip is not prominent enough.

5. Allow the slab pot to dry a little, place it on a wheel or lazy Susan and use a trimming tool to make the bottom absolutely flat. Create rims and ridges on the interior and exterior. The spinning motion of the wheel allows you to create a consistent curve. The piece is beginning to dry, ensuring that you will not use too much clay.