How to Make Basic Clay Pots

Making coiled clay pots is an easy project for beginners.

If you are a beginner in the art of pottery, you can hone your skill by starting with an easy project such as making a basic coil clay pot. The coil pot, made by coiling long ropes of clay in a spiral, is the earliest kind of pottery, according to the Free Library website. This type of pottery is rich in culture and history, dating as far back as 700 B.C. when the Mimbres tribe from New Mexico first made coil pots for cooking and religious purposes. The technique for making this basic coil pot is easy, and the resulting product is beautiful.

Things You'll Need

• Pottery clay
• Water
• Putty knife

Instructions

1. Place a chunk of clay on the table or your work surface. With a putty knife, cut a piece of clay from the chunk. Out of this piece you will make the base or the bottom section of a basic clay coil pot. Flatten the clay into your desired shape for your clay pot. If you want a round clay pot, make a circular bottom with the clay. If you want the clay pot to be oval, then make an oval-shaped base.

2. Cut another piece of clay from the chunk. Roll it out back and forth until it forms into a long strip. This strip will look like a clay "worm." Coil the strip around the edge of the base. Use your fingers to smooth up some clay to attach the coil to the base.

3. Create another clay "worm" about the same size and shape as your first one. Stack the clay strip on top of the first one and coil it around the edge of the pot. Use your fingers to press the clay together. Dip your hands in water to help smooth the clay out.

4. Continue rolling out strips of clay and placing a strip on top of another coiled strip until the clay pot reaches the height that you want. Smooth out the sides and edges of the clay pot with your fingers. This will allow the coils to grip together.

5. Place your clay pot in a safe place and give it time to dry. It may be a basic clay pot, but if you allow the clay enough time to harden, it can result in a durable, functional piece of art. Some potters fire up a clay kiln to give the clay pot a strong finish. If you do not have a clay kiln, the clay pot you just made will be fine as long as you give it time to dry slowly and completely.

References

• Kinder Art: What Is Clay?
• JH Pottery: Coil Construction
• Free Library: Native American Coil Pots