7 gift ideas for a potter

Kristen Fern

Updated on:

wedging-board

Looking to buy gifts for a potter? Are you at a total loss for what to get them for an upcoming holiday or birthday?

Well, let me tell you: I have a die-hard potter in my life (my wife, Kristen). I’ve been at a total loss for what to get her before. I always want it to be a gift that she’ll use and love.

But I’ve found with a little bit of thought and care, I can find her a great gift.

This list of 7 gifts for potters is organized by price to help you nail that perfect gift. So let’s dive into the special ceramicist in your life!

$ – T-Shirt

Funny Pottery Ceramics Artist Seize The Clay Men Women Gift T-Shirt
  • Funny Pottery Ceramics Artist Seize The Clay Men Women Gift by Funny Pottery Apparel & Gifts
  • Perfect gift to any crafter potter sculptor, art teacher, pottery students, ceramics artists, and people who work with clay! Great as Christmas gift, Birthday present, Valentines Day, Secret Santa, Anniversary, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day or just because!
  • Lightweight, Classic fit, Double-needle sleeve and bottom hem

Our first category covers gifts you can find for the potter in your life for $20 or less.

Maybe you’re looking for stocking stuffers or a good gift for your pottery-loving co-worker. A t-shirt is an inexpensive gift that still shows your giftee you know what they.

I like funny t-shirts. You get a chuckle from your friends and it’s a good conversation starter. Picture your gift recipient wearing this around the pottery studio.

$$ – Pottery Sculpting Tools

This next category is a gift for potters that’s in the range of $25 – $50. Our recommendation is a pottery sculpting toolset.

Langqun 18Pcs Pottery Tools Kit, Polymer Clay Tools,Pottery Ribs, for Sculpting, Modeling, Carving, Modeling
  • Set includes: 6 pcs double-sided sculpting tools, 9 pcs pottery tools and 3 pcs different shapes mud ribs,length 6” – 8″.
  • Great for detail work.The various sizes and shapes of the tools allows for creative use, and you can apply the tools in any way you imagine. This is a great product for those just starting out with clay $ pottery scuplting.

Sculpting tools are a MUST for making ceramics. And if you’re giftee is just starting out in their pottery journey, they may not have all the needed items. The set includes a bunch of sculpting tools, an apron, and a carry bag for the set. It’s a great set to start with that will last through a potter years.

$$$ – Wedging Board

In the $$$ category, we’re looking at pottery gifts of $100 or less. Our suggestion is a clay wedging board.

Portable Clay Wedging Board, 24 x 18 Inches Watercolor Drawing Board for Artists Wood Clay Board for Art with Handle for Pottery Ceramic Wedging Sketching Drawing(1 Piece)
  • Widely Applied in Your Life: this wood wedging board can serve as a mat for clay crafts, board for outdoor painting, portable desk and DIY workbench, suitable for studio, classroom, office and home use, practical and convenient
  • Proper Size to Meet Your Various Needs: the hard drawing board measures approx. 61 x 45.7 cm/ 24 x 18 inches, with a thickness of approx. 1.2 cm/ 0.5 inch, large enough to meet your painting, writing or hand clay needs

A wedging board takes your giftee’s ceramic set up to the next level. Wedging is the process of making clay malleable for a project. It’s important to have a dedicated surface in ceramic-making to prevent the clay from sticking to the surface or anything (debris, crumbs, etc) sticking to the clay.

$$$$ – Pottery Wheel

We’re getting above $100 with the $$$$ category. Our suggestion is a pottery wheel.

Bestseller No. 1
Patented Mini Pottery Wheel for Beginners – 6in Turntable, 0-440 RPM Speed…
  • ✨ Comprehensive Pottery Kit: Dive into the world of pottery with our all-inclusive set. You’ll receive 6 sculpting tools, 2 artist’s brushes, 12 vibrant acrylic paints, a handy cutting wire, and more. Everything you need to shape, mold, and color your clay into stunning works of art is conveniently included in this kit.
SaleBestseller No. 2
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Pottery Wheel for Kids – Complete Kit for Beginners,…
  • EVERYTHING YOU NEED – Create your own decorative air dry pottery with 2 pounds of air dry clay, 3 arm attachments, 3 sculpting tools, 6 paint colors, palette, brush, apron, and much more included!
SaleBestseller No. 3
VEVOR Pottery Wheel, 11in Ceramic Wheel Forming Machine, Adjustable…
  • Unmatched performance: Open up your creativity with this powerhouse of a motor! With 350W of raw power, it’s built from the finest materials to handle the toughest jobs. It’s got the strength to handle 11 lbs of clay with ease, and the 11 in turntable gives you ample space to work your magic. Create on a grand scale with unlimited potential. This motor is ready for anything you can dream up.

At this level, your potter has been making handbuilt objects and is loving it. They’ve decided to make a space of her own dedicated to ceramic work.

Pottery wheels can be affordable or pricey. If you have a pottery center near you, I might recommend trying out their wheel or asking for suggestions from the owner.

$$$$$ – Pottery Studio or Center Membership

ceramic-shelves

A pottery studio membership will likely run between $50 and $200 a month. That’s $600 – $2,400 for a year membership.

I got my wife, Kristen a pottery studio membership for Christmas one year and she LOVED it.

This is a great option for potters who live in apartments or small spaces and can’t have their own studio space at home.

But it’s also great exposure to other potters. Most studios are started by people who are really good at ceramics. You’ll typically find a resident professional that is happy to noodle on ideas about a project. Being at a pottery studio will also introduce your giftee to classes the studio offers where they can upgrade their craft.

$$$$$$ – Kiln

Our suggestion at this price level is a kiln. We’re getting into the expensive territory now.

Made in USA | 18″ by 18″ Electric Pottery Kiln Designed and Assembled by Seattle Pottery Supply | 240 V | Fires to Cone 10 | Ideal for Potters, Home Studios, as a Test kiln | with a Bartlett V6CF
  • EASY TO USE – Our kilns are easy to maintain and even easier to use. We build our kilns with the thermocouple offset from the box, so they are easy and fast to replace.
  • IDEAL SMALL KILN SIZE – Our 18″ kilns are the perfect size for a test kiln or for potters who make small pieces or have lower production rates. Economic to use and space-saving.

A kiln can round out a studio set up if your giftee is established and has a space of their own to make pottery. There are things to consider like energy usage (electric or gas) and space. It’s also important to get a kiln that can produce the end outcomes your potter wants. So this might be a collaborative gift that isn’t a surprise to the recipient 🙂

$$$$$$$ – Pottery-Focused Trip

Gladstone-Pottery-Museum
Gladstone Pottery Museum, United Kingdom

So this might be more than 7 dollar signs… you could really do it big with a trip!

I think this is a great idea if the pottery lover is a big part of your life. You can see the world together and show them you are interested in what they are interested in by focusing the trip on ceramics.

A few places to consider:

  • Seagrove, North Carolina (USA) – it’s the self-proclaimed pottery capital of the world.
  • Stoke-on-Trent, United Kingdom – it’s where the amazing show The Great Pottery Throwdown is filmed!
  • Mashiko in Japan – Japan has a beautiful tradition with ceramics. And Mashiko has everything you might want – pottery, museums, and studios.

Conclusion

Those are our ideas when looking for gifts for a potter. Hopefully, you can find one that the potter in your life loves.

If you have any ideas that we should add to the list, let us know! Simply leave a comment or contact us.

Last update on 2024-03-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API