How to Make Pottery Bowls

Creating pottery on a wheel is a relaxing hobby that can result in beautiful, functional works of art. Plates, saucers, teacups and bowls can all be made using wheel techniques that look as natural or as sculpted as you'd like.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Attach the clay for your pottery bowl to the wheel's bat. You can do this by slapping it on, or dropping it from a foot or two.

2. Center the clay on the wheel by pressing downward with the palm of your hand and pushing inward on the side with your other hand.

3. Open the pottery bowl up by pressing into the center of your clay with your thumb while the wheel is at medium speed. Gradually widen this hole until you can get multiple fingers inside.

4. Pull the clay up to create the pottery bowl's walls by pushing inside the center hole with your fingers and putting pressure on the outside of the bowl's wall with your thumb.

5. Shape the walls of the clay bowl with tools or your fingers. You can make your bowl wider, narrower or change the angle of its sides.

6. Dry the clay pottery by letting it sit uncovered for a few days. You can make the bowl dry faster by using a hair dryer.

7. Fire the pottery bowl in the kiln.

Tips & Warnings

• If you're having trouble applying enough pressure to center the clay, try locking your elbow against your thigh or knee. That way you can press with your body weight, not just your hands.