Slab pottery ideas for beginners – 25 easy clay projects
I have a pottery beginner’s taster day coming up at Farnham Pottery, which is going to cover slab built pottery making as well as throwing on the wheel. And I wanted to have some slab pottery ideas up my sleeve so, first things first, I did a bit of scrolling for inspiration and found some easy pottery ideas I think might just be doable.
Slab Pottery Ideas for Beginners – 25 Easy Clay Projects
If you’ve ever wanted to try ceramics but felt intimidated by the pottery wheel, you’re not alone. Many beginners start with slab pottery because it’s approachable, fun, and doesn’t require a lot of equipment. Instead of working with advanced wheel-throwing techniques, you simply roll out a slab of clay and shape it into something useful or decorative.
Whether you’re inspired by TikTok – make video tutorials or you’re just looking for a real project try at home, slab building is a great way to explore clay. You’ll learn about texture, form, and the drying process, while developing pottery skills that can carry over to beginner wheel-throwing projects later on.
Why Start with Slab Pottery?
Unlike wheel work, slab pottery is rooted in hand-building pottery techniques. You flatten out clay into sheets, then cut, bend, and join them to create forms. This makes it easier to control and gives you endless possibilities for different shapes. You can start small—making mini vases or maybe a soap dish—before moving on to larger pieces like a slab vase or ceramic clock.
You’ll also experiment with both soft slabs (flexible and bendable) and dry slabs (sturdier and easier for structure). Along the way, you’ll discover how to add a support structure, test new glaze combos, and turn simple clay into decorative clay pieces.
It’s a satisfying process that uses simple tools, doesn’t demand expert-level skills, and is packed with opportunities to create small ceramics with a personal touch.
25 Easy Slab Pottery Project Ideas
Here’s a list of pottery ideas to try your hand at —from functional kitchenware to artistic accents—that you can enjoy making with a clay slab or even air-dry clay.
1. Tealight Holder
Cut a rectangle slab, curve it, and punch out a small hole for light to shine through. Perfect for a votive-sized candle. Add a fun twist by carving designs or using a cookie cutter.
This printable tealight holder template is a good idea and available to buy on Etsy. It includes printable templates, step by step instructions and a slab pottery guide.
2. Soap Dish
Press a single piece of clay over a mold or bowl, then pierce small drainage holes and/or add a ridged texture to the base if you like the idea. It’s a great beginner pottery project and makes a useful bathroom accessory.
I like the textural simplicity of this soap dish available to buy on Etsy
3. Mini Vases
Roll a slab into a small cylinder or a narrow neck form. Try different glazes for each—these small pieces make great gifts or desk décor.
This one is a cute shape:
4. Slab Vase
Stack and join slabs vertically with a support structure inside. This excellent project helps you practice seams and thickness.
I really like the texture and simple shape of this slab built vase by Kaira of Firewood Pottery on Etsy:
5. Simple Bowl
A slab bowl is one of the most rewarding beginner pottery shapes. Drape your slab over a mould for a quick small bowl, or scale up to a fruit dish. It’s always bowl time!
I love this nest of bowls – get the template to make them on Etsy:
6. Practice Cylinder
If you’re considering a mini pottery wheel, a practice cylinder could be the perfect crossover project. Build a slab cylinder first, to get the feel of the shape, then try throwing one on the wheel.
7. Pinch + Slab Pot Combo
Pinch and slab pot combo is a ceramic hand-building technique where elements from both the pinch pot method, which starts with a ball of clay that is pinched to form a vessel, and the slab method, which uses flat sheets of clay, are combined to create a single pot. Combine a pinch pot base with slab sides. It makes an adorable little cup and helps you explore different ways to blend techniques.
This youtube tutorial is a really useful place to start:
8. Jewellery Trays
Roll out a slab, cut circular shapes with a cookie cutter, and curve the edges slightly. A personal touch like stamping or texturing makes them unique.
I’d love to create something organic and textural like this:
9. Salt Pinch Bowls
Small, shallow bowls are good options for storing seasoning such as salt or pepper. Use small ceramics techniques to practice even shaping.
I love the organic shape of these – and the pretty glaze colours which I know would require a kiln, so maybe I’ll just go for a simple unglazed organic shape for now…
10. Simple Mugs
Start with a flat base, add a slab wall, then attach a handle.
I like the textural, hand-shaped look of these mugs:
11. Espresso Cups
Test the classic espresso cup shape in slab form. These simple espresso cups are great for experimenting with new glaze combos.
I really like how the glaze works with the scalloped texture impressed on the clay here… If you don’t have a kiln of your own, places that offer pottery workshops and classes will often offer space to fire up (and possibly also help you with glazing) your pieces in theirs.
12. Coffee Mugs
Bigger than espresso cups, coffee mugs are still approachable to make. This is a great next step once you’re comfortable with small forms.
These hand formed ceramic cups and saucers are right up my street
13. Closed Form
Join two slabs into a sphere-like closed form. It’s an excellent project that tests your seam work and is the perfect excuse to try sculptural pieces. Once you’ve mastered it, this technique allows for the creation of a variety of forms, such as jars, teapots, and decorative vases, with the final shape and smoothness achieved through careful smoothing of the joints and surfaces. A step too far for me right now, but one to aim for once I’m comfortable with the basics.
14. Pin Cushion Holder
Turn a slab bowl into a beautiful ceramic pin cushion holder by adding a cushion insert. A charming gift for sewists!
This is a cute idea – combining a flower shaped small bowl and tumble dryer wool ball for holding the pins
15. Spoon Rest
One of the most fun pottery ideas: cut a slab, curve it slightly, and carve out a notch for your spoon handle. This beauty looks to have been made using the coil technique
16. Wall Art
Slabs are flat canvases. Create decorative clay pieces with carvings, patterns, or textures. Add new glaze combos or hang multiple for impact.
This set of wall hangings is so simple and so stylish!
17. Ceramic Clock
Attach a clock mechanism to a decorated slab. It’s a creative clay project that adds a personal touch to your wall.
I love the idea of impressing wild flowers into a slab of clay and adding a clock mechanism like this one
18. Stamp Pad
Finishing details make all the difference, so how about this adorable ceramic stamp pad for personalising your clay creations. A great thing for adding an individual and professional touch.
19. Butter Dish
Try making a clever little ceramic butter dish (or butter keeper). This support structure project is more advanced but super practical. To make life easier, how about this helpful printable template?
20. Candle Holder
This kind of clay candle holder is perfect for slab building. It’s a great clay craft project or handmade gift idea that will hopefully be treasured – and enjoyed – for a long time. how cute is this design?
21. Little Bowls
Make several little bowls at once. It’s the easiest way to practice repetition and round shapes. I love the look of these fluted bowls
22. Lidded Forms
Explore lidded pottery forms using slabs. This is one of the most satisfying intermediate pottery projects once you’ve built confidence. This is another great template
23. Decorative Cups
Shape a small cylinder, attach a dainty handle, and you’ve got an adorable little cup. Add texture for a fun twist. Or how about this quirky flower shaped design like this one? It feels more like a piece of sculpture than something you’d drink your tea out of but looks fun to make…
24. Slab-Built Sculpture
Experiment with abstract circular shapes or a single piece slab turned into a decorative clay piece. A true creative clay project. How cute is this bird sculpture? Love how the little bird is perched on the perfect base…
25. Air-Dry Clay Practice
Not ready for a kiln? Use air-dry clay. It’s the easiest way to test forms like simple mugs, slab bowls, or jewellery trays at home.
Tips for Success
- Start small: Focus on small base projects like trays or cups before tackling larger pieces.
- Mind the drying process: Cover your clay between steps; cracks often come from rushing.
- Experiment with glazes: Different glazes or new glaze combos can transform even the simplest form.
- Repeat the basics: Making little bowls over and over is the building block for confidence.
- Be patient: Learning the hang of centering clay and moving into wheel-throwing techniques will come with practice.
Step-by-Step Beginner’s Guide to Slab Pottery
Working with slabs is all about mastering a few hand-building pottery techniques. Once you know how to roll, cut, and join a slab of clay, you can make almost anything on the list of pottery ideas. Below is a simple step-by-step guide to get you started.
Step 1: Prepare Your Clay
- Wedge your pottery clay by kneading it to remove air bubbles.
- Keep your clay moist—cover any small pieces you’re not using yet.
Step 2: Roll Out a Slab
- Use a rolling pin or simple tools to flatten your clay.
- Aim for an even thickness (about ¼ inch for small ceramics, ½ inch for larger pieces).
- You’ve now got a clay slab ready to shape.
Step 3: Cut Your Shape
- Use a knife or cookie cutter to cut your slab into circular shapes, rectangles, or custom outlines.
- These will form the flat base or walls of your project.
Step 4: Form the Clay
- For a soft slab, gently bend it over a mold (like a bowl) or free-form it.
- For a dry slab, wait a little so it stiffens, then assemble into walls for things like mugs or boxes.
Step 5: Score and Slip
- When joining two slabs (like walls to a flat base), roughen the edges with a fork or scoring tool.
- Add slip (watery clay) as glue.
- Press firmly and smooth the seam.
Step 6: Add Details
- Attach a dainty handle, carve patterns, or press textures into the surface.
- This is where you add a personal touch or try creative ways to decorate.
Step 7: Dry Slowly
- Cover with plastic so the drying process is even.
- Too fast = cracks. Think of it as giving your clay a support structure until it’s ready for the kiln.
Step 8: Fire and Glaze
- If using kiln clay, bisque-fire your piece, glaze it, then fire again.
- If using air-dry clay, skip the firing and go straight to painting or sealing.
- Test different glazes and new glaze combos—sometimes the most fun pottery ideas come from experimenting.
Once you’ve practiced these steps with small bowls, soap dishes, or mini vases, you’ll have the hang of centreing clay and shaping forms. Then you can move on to beginner wheel-throwing projects or even challenge yourself with most satisfying intermediate pottery projects like lidded pottery forms or a closed form. Practicing at a full-size wheel at a workshop is the perfect next step.
Final Thoughts
Slab pottery is more than just a beginner’s technique—it’s a satisfying process that offers both functional and decorative results. From soap dishes to wall art, every project teaches you something new and it’s a forgiving craft – it’s easy to make a small adjustment as you go – or start over.
These 25 beginner pottery projects are the perfect excuse to get messy, explore creative ways of shaping clay, and build confidence without needing a wheel. Later, you can challenge yourself with beginner wheel-throwing projects, test a mini pottery wheel, or even test out the total flex of your wheel with pottery shapes demonstrate your overall skill and creativity in using a potter’s wheel, your mastery of throwing, trimming, and hand-building techniques to create unique and complex ceramic pieces.
No matter where you are in your journey, slab building is the best way to enjoy clay, discover your new favourite cup, and find the most fun pottery ideas that bring joy for a long time.
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