When I first started learning pottery, I naturally began with wheel throwing as most people do. But as I spent more time in the studio and learned from different makers, I realised something important. The pottery wheel is just one way of working with clay.
Ceramics is a much bigger world. There are so many techniques, each with its own rhythm, process, and kind of beauty. Some are slow and hand-built, some are sculptural and expressive, and others are designed for consistency and production.
So here are some of the most common ways ceramics are actually made beyond just the wheel.
1. Pinch Pottery
Pinch pottery is one of the oldest and most beginner-friendly ways of working with clay. It begins with a simple ball of clay gently pinched and shaped using your fingers.
This technique teaches you how clay feels in your hands and how pressure changes form. It is beautifully imperfect and often creates organic, handmade pieces with lots of character.
Pinch pottery is commonly used to make bowls, candle holders, trinket dishes, and decorative pieces.
2. Coil Building
Coiling involves rolling clay into long rope-like strands and stacking them to build forms. The coils can either be blended for a smooth finish or left visible for texture.
I personally love coil-built ceramics because they feel expressive and sculptural. It gives you freedom to create forms that may not be possible on the wheel.
This method is often used for larger vessels, vases, sculptural pieces, and statement ceramics.
3. Slab Building
Slab building uses sheets of clay that are cut and joined together.
Think of it almost like constructing with clay panels. This technique is especially useful when creating structured or geometric forms.
Many mugs, trays, plates, lamps, planters, and home décor pieces are created using slab building.
It is also one of my favourite methods for creating contemporary ceramics because it allows for clean lines and endless experimentation.
4. Wheel Throwing
This is probably the most recognised pottery technique, and it's trending. Everyone wants to try their hand at it.
Wheel throwing involves shaping clay on a spinning pottery wheel while centring and pulling the clay upward with your hands. It takes patience and practice, but there is something incredibly calming about the process.
Wheel throwing is ideal for making symmetrical forms like bowls, mugs, cups, plates, and vases.
No two wheel-thrown pieces are ever the same, which is part of the beauty of handmade ceramics.
5. Hand Sculpting
Not all ceramics are functional. Some are deeply artistic and expressive.
Hand sculpting is a free-form method in which clay is shaped without a wheel or structured building process. Artists use tools and hand-forming techniques to create figurines, sculptures, textured surfaces, or decorative forms.
This technique allows complete creative freedom and storytelling through clay.
6. Slip Casting
Slip casting is a method where liquid clay, also called slip, is poured into plaster moulds. The mould absorbs moisture and creates a clay layer inside. Once it reaches the desired thickness, the extra liquid clay is removed and the form is left to dry.
This method is useful for creating multiple identical pieces or more detailed forms that are difficult to hand build.
Most of the ceramic tableware we use in our homes is made using this technique. Beyond tableware, slip casting is also commonly used to create décor pieces, figurines, lamps, and even sanitaryware.
It is especially useful when consistency matters, making it ideal for producing uniform shapes and repeated designs. Many well-known ceramic brands and companies use slip casting for large-scale production and bulk quantities while maintaining consistency in form and quality.
7. Press Moulding
Press moulding is somewhere between handbuilding and mould-making.
In this process, clay slabs are pressed into or over a mould to create shape. Plaster moulds are commonly used for this technique.
This is often used for plates, platters, dishes, and forms that need consistency while still retaining a handmade feel.
I love this method because it allows makers to create repeated shapes while still leaving room for individuality in texture, glazing, and finishing.
8. Jigger & Jolly
This is a technique many people have never heard of, but chances are they have used ceramics made this way.
Jiggering and jollying are production methods often used to create repeated ceramic forms. A rotating mould and shaping tool help form the clay consistently. Jiggering is usually used for plates, while jollying is more common for hollow forms like bowls or cups.
This process is often used when ceramic makers want uniformity without completely losing the handmade quality.
9. Extrusion
Extrusion pushes clay through a shaped opening to create consistent forms.
You can think of it almost like squeezing dough through a pasta maker. Long handles, tubes, hollow structures, and repeated shapes can be created quickly using an extruder.
Many ceramic artists use extrusion for handles, sculptural elements, or architectural ceramic work.
10. Ram Pressing
Ram pressing is commonly used in ceramic production, where clay is pressed between moulds under high pressure to create precise forms. It is especially popular for dinnerware and repeated functional ceramics because it helps maintain consistency.
While it is more industrial, many beautifully designed ceramic collections begin this way, with glazing and finishing done by hand.
So, Which Ceramic Technique is Best?
Honestly, there is no single best way to make ceramics.
Every technique offers something different.
If you are a beginner, pinch pottery, slab building, and coiling are wonderful places to start.
If you love perfectly symmetrical mugs and bowls, wheel throwing can be deeply rewarding.
If you are looking to create repeated forms or production work, slip casting, jiggering, jollying, and mould techniques can be incredibly useful.
What I love most about ceramics is that there is no one right way to work with clay. Every maker develops their own relationship with the material and often combines techniques to create something uniquely their own.
That is the beauty of handmade ceramics. The process becomes part of the story.
0 comments