Things to do · Arts and crafts
Learn to throw a pot on the wheel
A friend has invited you to do this with them.
Centring a lump of clay and pulling it up into a bowl is harder than it looks and absorbing from the first minute. Beginners' wheel courses usually run for four to six weeks and include the clay, glazes and firing, so you go home with pots you made.
Moderate£100 to £500 / $130 to $650A few weeksIndoorsWith othersUK and US
Someone who has done it
These are real people who did this, as reported by the outlets named. We opened each one before linking it. None of them is connected with this site.
What it's really like
Beginners start with simple forms and the basic skills of centring the clay, pulling up the walls and trimming. One US course warns that throwing can be a bit of a workout for your arms and core.
Not every ceramics course is a wheel course. At City Lit, for example, the Introduction to ceramics gives only a taster of the wheel in its final session, while Pottery for beginners covers both hand-building and throwing. Read the description before you book.
What beginners pay
| Where | Course | Cost (as last listed) |
|---|---|---|
| City Lit, London | Pottery for beginners: hand-building and throwing, glazing and firing | £649, or £519 senior and £422 concession |
| Oklahoma State University arts centre | Four weeks, three hours a week; 10 lb of clay, tools, glazes and firing included | $135 |
| A-B Tech Community College, North Carolina | Six weekly sessions; a bag of clay, glazes and firing included | $186, plus a $15 tool kit |
The A-B Tech course asks students to bring a towel, an apron and a small notebook and to wear clothes suitable for clay. The Oklahoma course needs no previous experience and is open from age 15.
How to start
- Look for a beginners' wheel-throwing course: an adult education college, a community college or a pottery studio.
- Check that the course includes time on the wheel, not just hand-building, and whether clay, glazes and firing are in the fee.
- Wear old clothes and bring a towel and an apron to the first session.
Where to go
- City Lit: pottery and ceramics courses for beginners (London) UK
- Scottish Potters Association: classes UK
- A-B Tech Community College: Beginning Wheel Made Easy (North Carolina) US
We opened these links on 7 November 2026 and found them to be what we say. Dates, places and prices are on the official page, where they stay up to date.
Plan this
Pick a day, or a month, and we will set out how to get ready, step by step, with a date and a reason for each. Courses and classes have start dates and can fill up, so the plan begins with finding and booking one. Kit comes after the first session, once you know what you need.
Questions people ask
Is the pottery wheel hard to learn?
It takes practice. Courses start with simple forms and centring, and one US course warns that throwing is a workout for your arms and core.
Do I need any experience to take a pottery wheel class?
No. Oklahoma State University's arts centre says no prior experience is necessary, and A-B Tech's course is for beginners only.
What should I wear to a pottery class?
Clothes you do not mind getting clay on, with an apron and a towel. A-B Tech asks students to bring both.
Is the clay and firing included in a pottery course?
Often, but check. The A-B Tech and Oklahoma State University courses include clay, glazes and firing in the fee.
Where this comes from: City Lit, Pottery classes and ceramics workshops for beginners; Scottish Potters Association, Classes; A-B Tech Community College, Pottery: Beginning Wheel Made Easy; Oklahoma State University arts centre, Beginning wheel throwing class. Opened 7 November 2026.
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