5 Cool Pottery Skills to Learn at an Edinburgh Clay Making Experience

If you're ready to get your hands dirty and have a blast with clay in 2024, our pottery classes in Edinburgh are just what you need!

We're all about unleashing your creativity and letting your inner artist shine, and believe us, clay making is seriously awesome. You can create all sorts of amazing things; think beautiful ceramic cups, perfect plates, stunning vases, and cute plant pots – the possibilities are endless. So, what can you expect to learn at our pottery workshops in Scotland's capital city? We've put together a list of five super cool skills that you'll pick up along the way, so let's get started and make some incredible pottery together!

Start simple with a beginner-friendly coil building pottery workshop

Never sunk your hands into clay before? Don’t worry, all of our Edinburgh pottery workshops are suitable for beginners, but if you’re keen to kick off your clay making journey a little more slowly, a coil building course will tick all the boxes.

Located at the peaceful Creative Ceramics Edinburgh pottery studios by the harbour, you’ll get to switch off and relax into crafting homemade ceramic pots and bowls using pre-made coils. With your teacher on hand to guide you the whole way, if you’re looking for a gentle start to pottery, Edinburgh harbour is the place to be!

Two women are sitting at a pottery wheel, making a clay pot together

A close up of a person making a clay pot at a pottery class, using hand building techniques

Three people are in a pottery studio, two are making pots on a pottery wheel

A close up of two people holding hands across a lump of clay on a pottery wheel

A man and woman are building clay pots at a table using hand building techniques

A close up of a person making a small cup with a handle from clay

Explore Edinburgh pottery workshops and unleash your creativity with wheel throwing classes

Whether you’re keen to jump in at the deep end or you want to build on your existing pottery making skills, a wheel throwing workshop in the city could be just what you need.

Led by a pottery professional, you’ll settle down to this peaceful ceramics class and learn all the techniques used in wheel throwing to transform a lump of clay into a beautiful cup, pot or bowl. At the end of the session, your piece will be fired and you’ll leave with some fresh skills and something lovely for your home!

Go freestyle with a sculpt and sip pottery workshop

If you’re thinking of marking that special occasion with a fun pottery class, Edinburgh has just the thing! Led by the creative team at Paintvine, this sculpt and sip pottery making experience is ideal for unique birthday parties, anniversary celebrations and date night plans with a difference - simply grab a drink, unwrap the air dry clay and get stuck in!

With a tasty tipple in hand, you’ll learn how to create homemade clay figures, pots and bowls using a variety of hand building sculpture techniques. You’ll finish the class feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, with a gorgeous clay creation and a host of new skills. What could be better?

Keen to get your decoration on? Then get stuck into pottery painting, Edinburgh!

Already know your coil technique from your slab building? If you’ve got a few basic pottery skills under your belt and you’d like to explore the world of painting pottery, Edinburgh has the perfect specialist workshop for you!

Held in beautiful harbourside pottery studios, you’ll be guided through a variety of decorating techniques by a talented ceramics pro. You’ll learn all about the importance of underglaze, and how to use it to give your pottery projects the perfect finish – and with the pre-made pottery, materials and equipment provided, all you need to bring is yourself!

Not only will you have the opportunity to create beautiful pottery pieces through the guided lessons, but pottery painting can also be a great way to relax and de-stress. Taking the time to focus on the strokes of the paintbrush, choosing colours, and seeing your design come to life can be a therapeutic experience. It allows you to disconnect from the fast-paced world and let your creativity flow. So, whether you're looking to learn a new skill or simply want to have a fun and calming activity, pottery painting is the perfect choice!

Searching for something different? Try Sgraffito pottery classes

Never heard of Sgraffito? Then you’ve come to the right place! Of all of our Edinburgh pottery workshops, this has to be one of the most unique – you’ll learn all about Sgraffito, the art of scratching through a layer of slip to reveal a contrasting colour underneath. If you’ve mastered hand building, you’re already a wheel throwing wizard and you want to take your pottery painting to the next level, Sgraffito is the class for you!

You’ll be given pre-made greenware pieces to work on, and will be able to choose which colour slip you’d like to apply over the top. With your talented teacher on hand, you’ll learn how to make patterns, texture and shapes, and will leave with a totally one-off piece of handmade pottery for your home.

Read more to discover how to fire up the romance with Edinburgh pottery classes!