What to Make in Your First Pottery Class

An exciting time is approaching – your first pottery class! Congrats on this big first step to your first pottery creation. And with this you’re probably wondering what you can make in your first pottery class. Depending on what kind of class you are taking is going to greatly impact what you make in your first pottery class.

What to Make in your First Pottery Wheel Class

Throwing on the pottery wheel is difficult the first time. So I will tell you what I tell all my classes – set your expectations low and then you will exceed your expectations!
I often have students coming in showing me a photo of a vase from a pottery savant, saying this is what they want to make. While I think having a goal is awesome, it’s going to be a very unpleasant surprise when you can’t even keep a lump of clay on the wheel, let alone turn it into a vase in your first class.

I will qualify this and say there are pottery prodigies that have come into my class and throw surprisingly well for their first time. BUT this is incredibly rare and until you get behind the pottery wheel, don’t assume you’re this person.

Have realistic expectations and aim for something more achievable, such as:

Sauce/Trinket/Catch-All Dish

I dare you to find a potter who didn’t make a trinket dish in their first class. The spin of the wheel is naturally pulling your pot into a wider shape and you won’t be able to pull the clay very high the first time. Because of these factors, the trinket dish is born!

I still have trinket dishes from my first class that function superbly. They’re functional, multi purpose and will survive the test of time.

Ashtray

You can replicate a similar shape to your trinket dish except you are going to add small semi-circle cutouts/indents to the rim of your dish. Voila – ashtray. Even if you’re not a smoker, these are great for tokers, incense, sage or candles.

Heart Bowl

Using the same format at your catch all dish and ashtray, simply use your fingers to manipulate the shape of the rim of the bowl into a heart shape. Do this once the bowl is taken off the wheel and has had a few minutes to dry. Your clay should still be wet and malleable but not fragile or unstable.

Candle Holder

Any small cup can double as a candle holder. Since you are going to be working with smaller amounts of clay and working on getting more height in the walls of your pots as one of your first skills, candle holders are the perfect project for this. They will help you hone height building while still making something functional.

Shot Glasses

Shot glasses are a great project for new potters as you are working with small amounts of clay but will be able to practice pulling up the walls of your pots to get more height. Just don’t expect all your shot glasses to look the same when you’re first starting out.

If you want more info on what to expect in your first pottery class, check out my posts on the subject!
What to Wear to your First Pottery Class
What to Expect for your First Pottery Class
Do’s and Don’ts for your First Pottery Class

What to Make in your First Handbuilding Class

Generally, your first hand building class may be more structured because you have more control over the material, without the added complication of heavy machinery like in pottery wheel classes, so the learning curve is different.

Some handbuilding classes may have a specific end goal in mind, where the name of the class is Colander Workshop, for example. Others will instruct you on the methods and tools and then leave the project up to you. This leaves an entire world of potential projects at your finger tips.

Some good starting points that employ many different handbuilding techniques to explore in your first pottery class include:

Tealight House

This is an adorable project that can help you working with slabs. Pottery slabs are rolled out sheets of clay that are then assembled together to build a structure or sculpture. Working with clay slabs may seem straightforward, but can be very technical to get consistent thickness and stability.

You can also use other techniques and tools in your first class such as stamps, sculpting and textured rolling pins, to make this project your own.

Pinch Pot Cup or Bowl

Another fundamental handbuilding technique is Pinch Pots. Essentially, you start with a ball of clay and, while rotating it in your hands in a pinching motion, you will squeeze and manipulate the clay into your desired shape. Again – such a simple technique but takes a lot of practice to master.

You can combine skills by adding a handle. This can be done by creating a coil or by ‘pulling’ the handle for a more fluid look.

Ornaments

Another great project that emphasizes the use of slab is ornaments. Create wonderful gifts and mementos in your first pottery class for family and friends. Add beautiful texture and personalization to your ornaments that will set them apart. Choose glazes that will showcase these designs by asking your pottery teacher what glazes “break” well on textured surfaces.

Egg Cups

To make egg cups, I would recommend starting with a ball of clay and using the pinch pot method. These are adorable, functional additions to your kitchen or great gifts for family and friends.

If you want more info on what to expect in your first pottery class, check out my posts on the subject!
What to Wear to your First Pottery Class.
What to Expect for your First Pottery Class
Do’s and Don’ts for your First Pottery Class