Pottery supplies for school, hobby and studio

Clay, glazes and tools for pottery

For pottery, you'll find clay, glazes, pottery wheels, tools and accessories here for ceramic work in class, at home or in the studio. Whether your pieces will later go into the kiln or dry in the air determines which material to choose.

Kiln-fired or air-dry clay?

Air-dry clay hardens in the air and doesn't need a kiln. It works well for figurines and decorative objects, but it isn't waterproof and isn't meant for functional ware. Clay for kiln firing is bisque fired after drying, then usually glazed and fired a second time. Only then do you get durable bowls, mugs and vessels.

Clay and glaze have to match: make sure the firing temperature of the glaze suits the firing range of the clay body. Earthenware is fired at lower temperatures than stoneware, and the exact details are listed with each product. For school and for getting started, it makes sense to begin with an easy-to-shape clay body, a few basic tools and a small selection of glazes.

• Clay and stoneware bodies for the wheel, hand building and modeling
• Ceramic glazes, engobes and underglazes for various firing ranges
• Pottery wheels and accessories for throwing vessels
• Tools for cutting, modeling, smoothing and carving
• Plaster molds and plaster hump molds for bowls and even curves

Tip: Let pieces dry slowly and evenly, for example loosely covered with plastic. Drying too fast easily leads to cracks on handles and thin rims.