How to Pull a Pottery Handle (and Make It Match the Mug)

A handle is where a good mug becomes a great one, or a frustrating one. A pulled handle is shaped by stroking a lug of clay into a long, even strap, the way you would stretch taffy. It takes practice, but the rhythm is easy once you find it.

Our mug throwing guide covers handle basics. This post goes deeper on pulling, attaching and matching.

Make a good lug

Start with a wedged piece of clay about the size of a small egg or two, depending on your mug. Shape it into a carrot: thick at one end, tapering at the other. The thick end is where you will hold it.

The clay should be softer than leather hard but firm enough to hold its shape. If it is too wet, it will tear. If it is too dry, it will crack.

Pull the strap

1. Hold the thick end of the carrot in one hand, letting the tapered end hang.
2. Wet your other hand. Make a ring with your thumb and first finger around the clay.
3. Stroke down, from top to bottom, with moderate pressure. Re-wet and repeat.
4. Rotate the clay slightly between strokes so the cross-section stays even.
5. Stop when the strap is about as long as you need, with a thickness of about 8 to 10 mm.

Pull gradually. A few long, gentle strokes are better than a few hard ones. Cover handles you are not using so they do not dry.

Practice with five handle carrots until your pulls feel the same each time.

Curve and let it firm up

Hang or lay the handle on a board and curve it into a loose "C" or "S". Let it stiffen for a few minutes until it holds the shape but is still flexible. Meanwhile, the mug body should be at a similar moisture, usually leather hard.

Handles and mugs that are at very different moisture levels pull apart as they dry. This is the number one handle failure. Read our guide to clay stages so you can judge by touch.

Plan the placement

Before you attach it, hold the handle against the mug and check:

• Finger room. You should fit at least two fingers comfortably.
• Top attachment. Slightly below the rim, so it does not catch.
• Bottom attachment. Roughly a third of the way up from the foot.
• Balance. The curve should lead the eye, not fight the shape of the mug.

See handle placement and angle for photos and measurements.

Attach it

1. Score both attachment points on the mug and the handle ends.
2. Add slip.
3. Press the top end onto the mug first, supporting the handle with your other hand.
4. Shape the curve, then press the bottom end into place.
5. Smooth the joins on both sides with a tool or your finger and remove any extra slip.
6. Add a small coil of clay on the join for strength, if needed, and blend it.

Cover the mug loosely with plastic and dry slowly so the handle and body dry together. This is the same principle as why pottery cracks.

Make a set that matches

To make four mugs that look related:

• Weigh each lug so all handles start the same size.
• Pull to the same length and thickness. Hold a cut-out template against each.
• Attach at the same height, measured from the foot.
• Use the same curve every time.

If you keep your measurements in a Claybook project, you can repeat a handle that worked.