From Mud to Mug

If you're curious about how to turn a piece of clay into a ceramic mug, pasta bowl, a ring dish or anything else... Then keep reading <3

 

Clay

When starting a ceramic piece, it's essential to weigh the right amount of clay depending on the desired product, whether it's a mug, plate, bowl, or vase. Getting the right quantity is important because too much or too little clay can affect the final shape. Before shaping the clay, it must be thoroughly kneaded to remove any air bubbles, which could later cause cracks during drying or firing.

 

Shaping

Once the clay is ready, we handcraft the pieces into their desired form. When making mugs, it's especially important how to attach a handle. Both the mug and the handle need time to dry until they reach the right level of firmness before they can be joined together. After attaching the handle, the product is dried under plastic wrap for 1-2 days to prevent cracks in the areas where the handle meets the mug.

Once the wrap is removed, the pieces need several more days to fully dry. At this stage, they become lighter in color and extremely fragile so careful handling is crucial. Before the first firing or painting, we use a damp sponge to smooth out any imperfections, like fingerprints or bumps.

 

Underglazing

My (almost) favorite part of making ceramics is painting with underglazes. Each pattern is carefully thought out and tested multiple times on sample mugs. The colors don’t always turn out the way you want and I love that all the mugs are somehow 'connected' and that their colours complement each other.

 

Bisque firing

Once your pieces are glazed ("underglazed"), they undergo a bisque firing process. This step is essential as it hardens the clay, preparing it for glazing. The bisque firing ensures that your mugs, bowls, plates, and vases are durable and ready for the next stage of finishing, allowing the glaze to adhere properly.

Glazing and glaze firing

After this first firing, the products are still porous and unsuitable for use, as they absorb liquids. They need to be glazed with an appropriate glaze, especially if the product is intended for food use. Before glazing, each piece must be wiped again with a damp sponge to remove dust or greasy fingerprints, as glaze won’t adhere properly in those areas.

Once glazed, the pieces need 24 hours for the glaze to dry before they can be placed in the kiln for the final glaze firing, which lasts around 10 hours. The kiln reaches temperatures of about 1230°C, and it must not be opened immediately after firing because a sudden temperature change could cause the pieces to crack or even explode. It's important to wait for the kiln to cool down, ideally to room temperature, which takes at least 24 hours.

 

This waiting period can be nerve-wracking because you never know how the glaze firing will turn out, and there's always a risk that an entire batch could be ruined. After a long two-day wait, we can finally open the kiln and start enjoying our finished ceramic pieces <3