DIY Network

DIY People: Making Pinch Pots

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DIYer Ahmad Qadri creates pinch pots with earthenware clay. When working with this type of clay, hold it in one hand and with the other, place your thumb into the hole and pinch outward. Rotate the clay as you pinch to create and ever widening hole. You can also set the ball of clay on a flat surface resting on a small piece of cardboard so that it will be easy to rotate. Figure A Running your thumb or fingers up the walls of you pinch pot will smooth the inside. Creating pinch pots is both fun and easy -- allowing you to make a cup or a bowl without having to use a potter's wheel.

"Children and clay have a lot in common," potter Ahmad Qadri says, "they're both very impressionable. Working with clay is creative and it lets kids express themselves. Pinch potting is one of the oldest art forms known, dating back many thousands of years."

The clay Ahmad prefers when teaching kids is simple terra-cotta clay. An earthenware clay that must be fired in a kiln to harden. There is also self-hardening clay called polymer clay, but it can be toxic and is not suitable for consuming liquids.

An advantage of using the pinch-pot method is that you don't need a potter's wheel to create your project. Pinch potting begins with a ball of clay a little larger than a baseball. Ahmad shapes the clay with his hands until it becomes round. Then insert your thumbs into the clay until you reach nearly the bottom. Begin to press outward, making the hole larger (figure A) as you rotate the clay.

"Basically you're pushing the clay from the bottom up and out. It's almost like using a wheel except you're using your hand to turn the clay, Ahmad explains. "The object is to get the sides of your cup or bowl thin but not so thin that you create a hole."

It's helpful to keep a bowl of water handy to wet your thumb as you pinch. "Water helps to make the inside smoother," Ahmad says. "Water sometimes works like acid on clay by weakening it and causing cracks. Use just enough water to help your thumb slide better."

The thickness of the pinch pot is determined by its use. If you're making a drinking mug or cup, a quarter inch is about the right thickness. The main thing is to have the sides of your cup as even as possible. A handle can be created by rolling out clay in the shape of a rope and attaching it to your cup.

Let the cup dry for at least a day or more. When the terra-cotta clay lightens in color you can paint your project with a glaze. Then the pot is hardened in a kiln. Kiln time can be rented from pottery supply stores or from schools that teach pottery.

Pinch potting is a simple and fun way to spend an afternoon. The earthenware clay is relatively inexpensive and a pinch pot project is suitable for kids five and up. Pinch potting is a great creative outlet that helps build self-esteem and lets kids say, "I did it myself!"