Make a basic pinch pot (250 g)

The oldest pottery technique in human history, and still one of the best ways to develop a feel for clay.

Start with a 250 g ball patted into a smooth sphere. Push your thumb in, then pinch and rotate, pinch and rotate, working from the bottom up.

Aim for

• About 8 cm wide at the rim
• Even wall thickness (do the light test: hold it up to a lamp and look for thick/thin spots)
• A flat, stable base that doesn't rock on the table

Remember

• Don't start at the rim: work bottom up
• Keep the floor sturdy (pinky-finger thick)
• Smooth cracks at the rim with a damp finger as you go