Functional Hand Building Course - 6 Weeks

6 Week Functional Clay Course

Our Functional Clay Course is a six-week hand-building class designed for beginners and experienced makers alike. In this course, you’ll learn how to transform raw clay into beautiful, functional pottery for everyday use.

Throughout the six sessions, students will explore a variety of hand-building techniques including slab construction, surface design, and assembling functional forms. You’ll create pieces such as serving platters, dinnerware, bowls, mugs, and kitchen canisters while learning the full process of pottery making.

During the final weeks of the course, you’ll prepare your work for firing and complete your projects by glazing your pieces from our studio color palette.

This class is intentionally kept small (maximum of 10 students) to allow for personalized instruction and a relaxed creative environment.

Course Overview

Week 1 | Introduction + Serving Platters

Week 2 | Dinnerware & Functional Forms

Week 3 | Serving Bowls

Week 4 | Canisters + Mugs

Week 5 | Rinsing + Waxing Preparation

Week 6 | Glazing + Firing

During weeks two through four, students will also be introduced to a variety of surface design and hand-building techniques including texture rollers, lace impressions, stamps, and other decorative tools. Students may follow the guided projects or explore their own creative ideas.

What’s Included

• Small group instruction with plenty of one-on-one guidance

• Clay for all class projects

• Access to all studio equipment and tools

• Surface design materials including lace, rollers, stamps, and textures

• Choice of glaze from our studio color palette

• Kiln firing of all finished pieces

• A calm, welcoming studio atmosphere designed for creativity and learning

Pricing

$200 — includes instruction, all clay, tools, glaze, and firings.

Class Schedule

Classes run for 2 hours once a week for six consecutive weeks.

Class Location

CREATIVE Community Clay Room
3244 W. Main Street
Claremont, NC 28610

The clay studio is located right next to our paint-your-own pottery studio and Creative Brew coffee shop.

Registration

Registration is required to secure your spot. Each course is limited to six participants to ensure a supportive and personalized learning experience.

Artwork Pickup

Finished artwork will be ready for pickup after firing. All artwork must be picked up within 30 days of notification. Items not collected within that time may be donated or discarded due to limited storage space.

OPEN STUDIO
Once you have taken a wheel lesson or weekly pottery class and feel comfortable using the studio independently you are welcome to start utilizing our open studio hour memberships.