Potter’s Wheel

Learning to throw your own pot on our potter’s wheel is very exciting. Whilst many of our customers arrive feeling nervous and worry about “messing it up”, you won’t as we are sat beside you guiding you through the process step by step.

You will how ever get a little messy as the clay often goes up your arms, so come in a short sleeve top or roll them up.

You will experience the thrill of turning a lump of clay into a unique pot between your hands. 
It takes a bit of hand eye coordination and lots of concentration, in doing this your mind will relax and clear too – it is very therapeutic!

Jane will start you off with a ball of clay and show you how to set it to the wheel to centre it, then to knead it – this is when it rises up and down in your hands to mix the clay.Then you will do this process too

With instructions you will then hollow out your pot and then pull it out to widen the pot.

From this stage you will then increase the height of your pot and then turn the base to finish it off.

All with step by step guidance.

On occasions we do need to put our hands over yours to help you feel the pressure, but we will ask if this is ok before we do.

Your thrown pot will stay on a drying board to dry out and then in 10 days time approximately we will fire it when we have a full kiln load.

We will arrange for you to return in 3 weeks time to paint it up. This will add colour and patterns of your choice.

We then glaze and fire it again to complete the finished thrown pot. Your creation is ready to collect a week after you paint it.

Aprons are provided.

Please note;
to tie back long hair
remove jewellery from hands and wrists before starting on the wheel
have short finger nails otherwise they will affect the result you achieve making your pot

You do get clay spray over you at times so please don’t wear anything you don’t wish to get clay on it. It does all wash off but best not to wear your best clothes etc.

We are looking forward to seeing you soon to get creative and throw a unique pot on the potters wheel here in Walton le Dale, Preston in our studio

See you soon!
Jane, Katy & Kelvin the kilns