The Magic of Handbuilding
- Vallejo Clay: Whitney
- Feb 10
- 2 min read
When we open registration for our six-week pottery sessions, the wheel-throwing class often sells out first—sometimes in minutes! I get it. After 25 years of throwing professionally, I still love it. There’s nothing like shaping a pot from spinning clay. It’s magical.
But pottery isn’t just about the wheel! Handbuilding offers its own magic, giving beginners a deeper understanding of clay—how it forms, its characteristics, and its transformation from soft blob to finished piece. Unlike the wheel, which keeps you working in the round, handbuilding allows for any shape or size. The only limit is skill level, which improves with practice. There is also not a messy wheel to clean up at the end of class!
Handbuilding has three fundamental techniques: pinching, coiling, and slab work. Our six-week class starts with pinching, moves into coiling, and finishes with slabs. Once students grasp these basics, they can mix and match techniques to create unique pieces.
The Three Handbuilding Techniques
Pinching is likely the oldest pottery method—and probably one you’ve tried, maybe in school. It starts with a ball of clay, gently pinched into shape. The process is slow, meditative, and leaves behind the maker’s fingerprints, adding a textured, organic feel. We use this method for our Pinch it Good class, a fun one-hour class we offer once a month.
Coiling is also a familiar process to many, where a potter takes long coils of clay that have been rolled, extruded, or squeezed, then stacking them in layers to create the walls of a vessel. Each coil is smoothed and blended together either on the inside, outside, or both, to create a seamless or textured surface. Coiling is a bit more challenging because the walls tend to want to lean outward and the potter must learn how to control the shape of the pot as it forms.
Coiling allows for great flexibility in shape and size, making it ideal for creating organic, asymmetrical, or large forms that might be difficult to achieve with other techniques like wheel-throwing. It also provides a strong structure, as each layer supports the next. Some potters leave the coils visible as a decorative element, while others refine the surface for a polished look.
Slab building comes last in our class—because once people discover it, they get “slab happy” and don’t want to stop! Slabs are rolled flat with our studio slab roller, cut, shaped, and assembled, making them perfect for geometric forms like boxes and plates, but also organic shapes and vessels. In our studio, slabs are the go-to for many one-off classes, like our mug-making workshop.
Handbuilding gives potters freedom, creativity, and a deeper connection to the clay. Whether you’re shaping a simple pinch pot or crafting a complex slab-built form, the journey is just as rewarding as the result. Now that you've learned more about handbuilding, consider trying a one-off classes or make the leap into a 6-week session. We can't wait to see you in the studio!
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