7 gift ideas for a potter

January 6, 2022


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). Iโ€™ve been at a total loss for what to get her before. I always want it to be a gift that sheโ€™ll use and love.

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

Thisย list of 7 gifts for pottersย is organized by price to help you nail that perfect gift. So letโ€™s dive into the special ceramicist in your life!

$ โ€“ T-Shirt

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

Maybe youโ€™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 itโ€™s a good conversation starter. Picture your gift recipient wearing this around the pottery studio.

$$ โ€“ Pottery Sculpting Tools

pottery-tool-set
Pottery Sculpting Tools โ€“ Find it on Amazon

This next category is a gift for potters thatโ€™s in the range of $25 โ€“ $50. Our recommendation is a pottery sculpting toolset.

Sculpting tools are a MUST for making ceramics. And if youโ€™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. Itโ€™s a great set to start with that will last through a potter years.

$$$ โ€“ Wedging Board

wedge-board
Wedging Clay Board โ€“ Find it on Amazon

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

A wedging board takes your gifteeโ€™s ceramic set up to the next level. Wedging is the process of making clay malleable for a project. Itโ€™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.

$$$$ โ€“ Pottery Wheel

pottery-wheel
Pottery Wheel โ€“ Find it on Amazon

Weโ€™re getting above $100 with the $$$$ category. Our suggestion is a pottery wheel.

At this level, your potter has been making handbuilt objects and is loving it. Theyโ€™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.

$$$$$ โ€“ Pottery Studio or Center Membership

ceramic-shelves
Image from Unsplash

A pottery studio membership will likely run between $50 and $200 a month. Thatโ€™s $600 โ€“ $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 canโ€™t have their own studio space at home.

But itโ€™s also great exposure to other potters. Most studios are started by people who are really good at ceramics. Youโ€™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.

$$$$$$ โ€“ Kiln

kiln-amazon
Kiln โ€“ Find it on Amazon

Our suggestion at this price level is a kiln. Weโ€™re getting into the expensive territory nowโ€ฆ

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. Itโ€™s also important to get a kiln that can produce the end outcomes your potter wants. So this might be a collaborative gift that isnโ€™t a surprise to the recipient ๐Ÿ™‚

$$$$$$$ โ€“ Pottery-Focused Trip

Gladstone-Pottery-Museum
Gladstone Pottery Museum, United Kingdom

So this might be more than 7 dollar signsโ€ฆ 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) โ€“ itโ€™s the self-proclaimed pottery capital of the world.
  • Stoke-on-Trent, United Kingdom โ€“ itโ€™s where the amazing show The Great Pottery Throwdown is filmed!
  • Mashiko in Japan โ€“ Japan has a beautiful tradition with ceramics. And Mashiko has everything you might want โ€“ 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 email hello@wheelandclay.com.

Kristen-in-italy

About The Author

Hi, I'm Kristen! I've been making ceramics for almost 15 years. As a certified teacher, I taught kindergarten through 8th grade for almost a decade. Iโ€™m now regularly in my neighborhood studio where Iโ€™m trying out new things and getting better at the craft!

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