A ceramics studio is made up of lots of elements, so I thought I’d break it down and give some insight on what I couldn’t live without. Here are some insights on handy tips and tricks for setting up a ceramic’s studio at home.

Equipment

Whether it’s hand-building or wheel throwing ceramics you’re interested in, there are bits and pieces that are needed for both. Here’s my list of things I’d be including in a home set-up studio.

• The first no brainer is clay, but how much and what type? I’d recommend heading down to your local pottery place and testing a few different types of clay to find what type is going to suit you best. Try something smooth and gritty. Blend them together? There are so many options!
• A pottery wheel. I have a Shimpo Whisper wheel!
• Buckets and containers – these are used more than you’d think, I find buckets in my studio important for the recycling of clay, storing glaze and for carry water needed for throwing or tidying up your pieces.
• Scales – both a standard kitchen scale measuring up to 5kg and a jewellers scales are important to help measure and prepare clay, as well as measuring glaze products.
• A bench or table – sturdy and level.
• Shelving – storage of equipment and the drying and storage of all your creations. I find it particularly useful to have a shelf for raw non bisque fired makings, a shelf for bisque fired and a shelf for finished glazed products, this helps to keep everything in order.
• Plaster bat – a plaster bat is incredibly useful to prepare clay and wedge clay on and is also useful to help in the recycling clay process as it absorbs water from the clay – I’ll pop up a tutorial of how to make a plaster bat at home very shortly.
• Drying boards – drying boards are useful to place hand built or thrown pieces onto, allowing them to be transferred easily. These can be made from plywood and are are easy and cheap to arrange.
• Banding wheel – useful to hand builders when making creations and helpful when trimming and carving pieces.
• Glaze – glaze is a complex component of pottery and as a beginning potter commercial glazes are a safe choice to make the process easier. Glazes can also be made at home from different elements but I would suggest that you invest some time in a glazing course before starting to mix your own.
• Kiln, – a kiln is a necessary but often quite expensive part of a ceramics studio and often quite a difficult machine to use without practice and guidance. To begin with I used a kiln firing service, which I believe is a great way to start off!

Tools

• A beginners set of tools that I believe are important in a ceramic’s studio include trimming tools, sponges, a cutting wire, ribs, a paintbrush, a rolling pin and cookie cutters. 
• Sanding Pads – finishing your work is key!
• Big sponges for cleaning.
• A ruler! A stainless steel one is great and easy to wipe clean!
• Aprons & towels.
• A mask – protect your lungs when mixing glazes!
• Glazing tongs and brushes.

These items help to shape your creations and give a good basis for your pottery journey.

My Tips & Tricks

• Having a water source in your studio area or one nearby is very useful but not always necessary. Ensure that you are not putting chemicals and clay into our waterways so recycling your clay rather than tipping it down the drain by using a bucket system or clay trap in your studio.

How about a treat?

Check out Diamond core tools and Bison Studios for top quality tools to last forever!

Make your studio space a happy place, set it up how you like, fill it with inspiration and get your pot on!