10 essentials for in your pottery studio
The 10 essentials in my studio that I can't live without
1. Plaster boards
I use my plaster boards every day. Mostly to wedge my clay, but also use them to recycle clay or to dry out pieces that I’ve thrown on the wheel but flopped. I have a few different kinds of plaster boards. One big one (45 by 45 cm), which I use mostly to wedge clay. I use two smaller ones to recycle clay.
2. Plastic buckets
You can’t have enough plastic buckets! I have buckets everywhere in the studio. Some with lids, some without. The ones with a lid are for glazes, the ones without lids are to collect dried out pieces of clay or my throwing water. I also have a few rectangular buckets for my clay (they are the perfect size) so they don’t dry out when I’ve opened them .
3. Shelves, shelves and shelves
When you don’t have a lot of space, even in you do have a lot of space, shelves are the perfect way to store your pieces. In every step of the process. I have one big shelving unit for my freshly thrown pieces and greenware. And some other shelves for the bisque ware. It’s the easiest way to see what you have made and to see what you still have to do.
4. A pegboard
This pegboard is from Ikea and I love it. I mostly use it for all of the different kinds of tools I have as you can see. You can change it around if you like and add more things to it if needed. And it looks nice ;).
5. Plastic covering materials
I have a big bag of plastic bags and covers to use for my leather hard pieces. The bag is actually a laundry bag, I like this one because it’s a little flexible, which is nice if you want to have that specific plastic bag or covering that’s at the bottom of the pile. I have different kinds of plastic material. I have plastic bags, which are perfect for smaller pieces like mugs, but I also have big sheets of thick plastic material which I use to cover big batches of for example rainbow dishes.
6. Canvas sheets
I have around 5 sheets of canvas laying around in the studio, I use them to roll out clay and to dry slabs of clay on. They are made from thick material, so when I roll out my clay they stay in place. I like this material a lot, because they also pick up a lot of moisture from the clay, but not too much. I bought these in a local fabric store and cut them into smaller pieces.
7. Wooden boards
These wooden boards are so useful in the studio. I use them to move around freshly thrown pieces or to dry out slabs of clay. My kiln is in our garage, so I also use these boards to move around greenware and bisque ware. When you go to your local hardware store you can buy big wooden sheets which they can cut for you in your preference. I recommend to get at least 8 mm thickness otherwise the wood can warp (which you don’t want with flat pieces).
8. A wheel bat system
If you’re a thrower, like me, I highly (highly!) recommend you to buy a wheel bat system. I did not have one when I first started throwing on the wheel and it’s just so hard to get your pieces of in a good shape.. Mine is from Hartley & Noble, it’s a bit expensive but totally worth the money. If you are still doubting about what things to buy for you studio, this must be one of the first purchases.
9. A giffen grip
This one is also kind of a big investment, but I am so happy I have it in the studio. It’s such an easy way to trim your leather hard pieces. I use my Giffin Grip for other things as well, like glazing incense holders or waxing the bottoms of mugs.
10. Plants and decoration (or other decorative things)
And last but not least: plants and decor items. Your studio is your happy place and I want to be surrounded by beautiful things when I’m working. It gives me the right energy to work and I like to watch after all the plant babies in the studio. Apart from plants I like to buy items from other makers that I want to give a special place in the studio.
