Pottery Tools to Carry Forward | Pottery tools perfect for beginners.

Whether you’re fresh from one of my classes or standing at the very beginning of your pottery journey, this moment matters. Stepping into clay is an act of curiosity, patience, and trust, and I’m grateful to have shared even a small part of that process with you.

Below, you’ll find a thoughtfully curated list of the tools I rely on, including those we worked with together, offered as a resource to support you as your relationship with the material continues to grow and evolve.

General Pottery Tools

• Hole Drill Tool

  • This is the best for creating drainage holes for planters.

• Scoring Tool

  • This scoring tool is really fast and efficient to use compared to a traditional needle tool. It goes deeper into the surface of your pieces creating a secure bond between attachments.

• Clay Shredder

  • Lets just say you forgot to trim, or you want level out the rim or bottom of the piece. This is an excellent tool to remove clay very quickly, and uniformly!

• Long Clay Shredder

• Clay Bag Ties

  • These are perfect for closing your bags, so you don't have to worry about your clay drying out, and you don't have to wrestle with getting your bag back open!

• Hole Maker Tool

  • This is an additional tool for making holes of different sizes.

• Potter's Water

  • This is perfect for putting two pieces back together after separating!

• Bisque Fix

  • This is an “enhanced slip” that repairs, mends, fuses, and corrects clay defects.

• Washable Clay Tool Bag

  • I love that you can literally spray this off or throw it in the washer, it has so many compartments, I haven't reached the capacity yet!

• Custom Pottery Stamp

Throwing Tools

• Pottery Bats

• Pottery Bats with Lines

  • Its really important to have your own bats, especially if you work at a community pottery studio where there is a high volume of people using the bats. This way you aren't subjected to warped or uncentered bats.

• Trimming Tool

  •  This is the ONLY trimming tool I use.

• Rim Shaper

  • This is for those moments when your plastic covering smushes your work, and you need to make the rim even again

• Trimming Spinner

• Long Sponge Stick

  • For cleaning the inside of a vase

• Hole Opener

• Mug Handle Molds

  • This is to let your mug handles rest and not disform!

• Pottery Measuring Disk

  • This is for making sure your carving and surface decorations are even.

• Lid Master

  • This is for measuring the perfect lids.

Carving Tools

• Xiem Sgriffito Set

  • This is my favorite tool set to carve with, as someone who started off as a illustrator, I think this is the perfect tool set to replicate the experience of drawing on a 3D form.

• Xiem Tools Carving Tools ( Orange )

  • These are perfect for bold and broad carving designs

• Xiem Fluting Tool

• Xiem Tools Scratch Pen

Hand-Building Tools

• Banding Wheel

• Color Shaping Tool

  • These are perfect for reaching hard-to-reach spots or corners when you are hand-building or making handles.

• Agate Burnishing Tool

  • I use this tool when I am burnishing pottery but I can't reach between handles or any surface design.

• Wooden Clay Roller

  • I love this for rolling quick slabs of clay.

• Bamboo Sculpting Pen

Glazing

• General Glaze Brushes

• Slip Trailing Tool

• Calligraphy Brushes

• I use these for fine detail when I am using Terra Sigillata or a very runny glaze.

• Hake Brushes

  • These are the most efficient and fast glazing brushes to use.

General

• Pottery Apron

  • To protect your clothing

• Pottery Table Linen

  • To protect tables at home studio

• Wedging Table

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