New and updated for 2023!
The Speedball Boss Base is a new centering and opening tool for the pottery wheel, which was released in early 2023. Shop at Amazon
This 2023-24 gift guide has more than 30 ideas of gifts for potters, ceramic artists, or anyone who works with clay. Most of these suggestions are priced between $15 and $100, along with a few higher-priced items. The guide includes loose guidelines recommending certain tools, for beginners, intermediate, advanced, or everyone.
Note: This site uses affiliate links for sites such as Amazon and Blick. If you click the links and complete a purchase, we may receive a percentage at no extra cost to you.
The Claypron is a split-leg potter’s apron available in a variety of colors.
The Claypron
An apron is very useful when working with clay and one of the most popular pottery aprons is The Claypron. Designed for working at the potter’s wheel, it features a split, overlapping leg with ties at the neck and waist. Available in a variety of colors, it is made with high-quality, machine-washable cotton.
Recommended for: everyone
Cost: $40
For more apron recommendations, check out our complete guide to pottery aprons.
Soolla Studio Bag
The Soolla Studio Bag is a canvas art tote that comes in a wide variety of mostly solid colors and a few patterns, and is washable. Well thought out, it has 30+ pockets for small tools and a large central opening, along with padded handles. This is an awesome bag from a small company, that would make a great gift for any potter. The bag typically retails for $59 but can often be found for less.
Recommended for: everyone
Cost: $59
Soolla Bag in green.
Soolla Bag in 80s Windbreker pattern.
Potter’s Skin Butter
Made by a potter for potters, this Skin Butter is a great gift and is available in four scents including Tangerine, Lavender, Mint, and Unscented. A 4 ounce jar is $20 and a pump bottle is $26.
Recommended for: everyone
Cost: $20–$26
By My Hands: A Potter’s Apprenticeship
by Florian Gadsby
Published in Fall 2023, By My Hands details the apprenticeship and journey of British potter Florian Gadsby, who makes beautiful pots and is one of the most popular potters on YouTube, Instagram, and other social media sites.
The hardcover edition features numerous color images throughout the 400 page volume.
Recommended for: everyone
Cost: $35
For more recently published books, check out our complete guide to 2023 ceramics and pottery books.
Multi-Function Titanium-Fused PRO Trimming Tool by Xiem Tools
Xiem makes a lot of great tools, but their Multi-Function Pro Trimming Tools are really wonderful, with a long-lasting titanium-fused metal blade, comfortable wooden handle, and most of all, a distinctive and functional shape. In a test of loop tools earlier this year, these were some of our favorites and they continue to impress in the studio. These are available individually or set of three. If getting just one, choose the middle size, #05.
Recommended for: intermediate to advanced
Cost:
$17-19 each
$52 for set of three
Speedball Boss Base pottery tool
There have been DIY versions of this for years, but in early 2023 Speedball released this tool for evenly opening clay on the pottery wheel. It features two handles and a slightly higher center pole, which leaves an even 3/8” base on pots. It’s a bit limited as some may want a thicker base for trimming a foot, but for anyone who struggles with opening, this ergonomic tool is very handy and available in 4 colors. (If you wanted to leave more clay at the base, you can also cut the center pole shorter so might be worth getting 2 of these!)
Recommended for: Potters
Cost: $30 each
Weleda Skin Food
Weleda Skin Food in its distinctive green tube.
There are lots of great everyday creams, such as O’Keeffe’s Working Hands Cream (shop at Amazon), but a real upgrade is Weleda Skin Food. It’s a rich, luxurious cream that will help protect hands during a long studio session or at home. This extra thick cream smells great, melds into your skin quickly, and the squeeze tube makes it easy to use at home or studio. The “original” comes in a 2.5 ounce squeeze tube and Skin Food Body Butter is available in a 5 ounce glass jar.
Recommended for: everyone
Cost: $15
For more on hand creams, visit our complete guide to creams and lotions for the pottery studio.
Double Ended Clay Modeling Tool
The line of Colour Shaper double-ended modeling tools from Royal Sovereign.
The Colour Shaper line of tools from Royal Sovereign is a great addition to anyone’s tool kit. Each tool features a high-quality rubber modeling tool, with a corresponding metal loop tool on the other side. Available in a variety of sizes and with a pointed or chisel rubber tip, these are especially useful for sculptors and hand builders but have their place in a potter’s tool kit as well. If getting just one, check out the size 6 tool with a chisel tip, which usually retails for $12-13.
Recommended for: Everyone
Cost: $12-13
Handbuilt: A Modern Potter’s Guide to Handbuilding with CLay by Lily Maetzig
Lilly Maetzig is a potter who has built a strong following online for instructional videos (search for Mae Ceramics) and in 2023 released this book, which introduces more than 20 projects that you can do without a wheel including a pedestal bowl, pinched teapot, and nesting plates.
Recommended for: beginners to intermediate
Cost: $24
Tool Kits
A packaged tool kit can be a great way for a beginner to get going, or for an experienced potter to replenish their tool supply. There are a few options:
Mudtool Essentials Starter Kit
The Mudtools Essentials Starter Kit includes 9 tools and a storage tube.
This kit from MudTools includes three flexible polymer ribs, the Mudshark cutting tool, a cut-off wire with rounded handles, a long plastic scraper/rib, a sponge, the MudTools all-in-one trimming tool, and the MudTools shredder.
Recommended for: everyone
Cost: $80-$95.
Xiem Tool Kits
The Xiem 10 piece beginner’s pottery kit.
Xiem Tools makes two tool kits with some of their best and most popular pottery tools.
The 10 Piece Beginners Pottery Kit actually contains 9 tools (unless you count the tube it comes in as a tool!) including a Foot Shaper, Needle Tool, Heavy Duty Clay Sponge, 11" Pro Wire Clay Cutter, 2 Titanium Fused Trimming Tools, Soft Silicone Clay Rib, Rigid Plastic Clay Rib, and Flexible Stainless Steel Rib.
Recommended for: Beginners / Intermediate
Cost: $60
The Xiem 14 piece Pottery Essentials tool kit.
The 14 piece Essentials Kit (13 tools plus the tube) has the same tools as the Beginners set with the addition of an extra rib, another loop tool, a metal clay knife, and the extendable Xiem pottery sponge.
Recommended for: Intermediate / advanced
Cost: $95.
Tote Bags
Tote and organizer bags also make a great gift for potters and ceramic artists, especially those that work in shared studios and have to pack up their tools after working. Here are a few options, in addition to the Soolla Bag mentioned above:
JJRing Craft and Art Organizer Tote Bag
The JJRing Tote Bag
The JJRing Craft and Art Organizer Tote Bag comes in a variety of colors and has numerous pockets to keep everything in its place. Made of nylon with cardboard supports, this bag is available in a variety of colors.
Recommended for: Everyone
Cost: $15.99
Xiem Artist’s Tool Bag
This deluxe bag features a metal frame, canvas pockets, and a wooden handle. This bag will definitely hold everything you need and more.
Recommended for: Everyone
Cost: $35–54.95 (At time of writing, was cheapest at Blick)
Carve Your Clay: Techniques to Bring the Ceramic Surface to Life by Hilda Carr
This book was published in 2020 but has been a steady favorite since. With ideas for surface decoration including carving, inlay, scraffito, wire cutting and more it has easy-to-follow instructions and great illustrations. Based on Hilda Carr’s signature style but with variations and ideas for every potter, the book is available in hardcover or paperback. (See below for a fluting tool that makes a great pair with this book.)
Recommended for: Everyone
Cost: $19 paperback, $25 hardcover
Xiem Fluting Tool
The Xiem Fluting Tool comes with 3 sizes of blades and an ergonomic handle.
Pair this fluting tool with the book Carve Your Clay and you will have an awesome gift for any potter. The tool comes with 3 blades and an ergonomic handle. Replacement blades are available as well, making this a well thought out and long-lasting tool.
Recommended for: Everyone
Cost: $18
Pottery T-Shirts at Society6, Redbubble, Threadless, and more
There’s a lot of fun t-shirts with pottery and kiln themes available from print-on-demand sites. Most of these sites also pay a portion of the sale price to the artists and designers, so not only are you getting a cool gift, but you’re supporting other artists and designers too. If you see a pattern or design you like, make sure to click around — designs are usually available on multiple products so you can find the right gift.
Pictured here a few shirt ideas with links, or check out our post about pottery shirts.
Recommended for: Everyone
Cost: typically $18-30 each depending on options and styles.
Mastering Ceramics Series
The Mastering Ceramics books are great for beginners and intermediate pottery students. The thorough, straightforward advice covers a variety of techniques in an easy-to-approach style. All three books are a great addition to any potter’s bookshelf.
The books usually cost $18-25 each.
Mastering the Potter’s Wheel by Ben Carter, published 2016
Shop at Amazon | Shop at Blick | Shop at Bookshop.org
Mastering Hand Building by Sunshine Cobb, published 2018
Shop at Amazon | Shop at Blick | Shop at Bookshop.org
Mastering Kilns and Firing by Lindsay Oesterritter, published 2019
Wagner HVLP Spray Gun
A High Velocity Low Pressure (HVLP) spray gun just needs a power outlet to instantly get any potter spraying glaze. With a built-in fan, nozzle, and cup for glazes, it’s a quick and affordable way to spray glaze. Wagner makes a straightforward, dependable HVLP that worked great in our recent test of spray guns. The best part is the smaller, cheaper models seem to be best suited for spraying glaze.
Safety Note: Spraying glaze should only down with proper respirator masks and excellent ventilation, or outside.
Recommended for: Advanced
Cost: $55 for basic model, $85 for slightly bigger spray gun
The Mudtools double-ended trimming tool.
MudTools Double Ended Trimming Tool
This steel trimming tool from MudTools is a great studio tool, allowing potters to trim in a flat plan or in a curve. It’s a toolbox essential tand is also available as part of the MudTools kit, mentioned at the top of the post.
Recommended for: Intermediate / Advanced
Cost: $27
Wooden Clay Mallet
This handmade wooden clay mallet, by CompanionWorks of Brooklyn, NY, is well proportioned, comfortable, and beautiful. With a maple mallet and poplar handle, it will only get more beautiful with use. It is great for flattening slabs or for working with large vessels on the wheel. Also check out their beautiful clay anvils for making bowls from slabs. The anvils are available in widths of 3” and 6”.
Recommended for: Intermediate / Advanced
Cost: $40 for mallet or $50 for large anvil.
The CompanionWorks clay mallet (top) and clay anvil are beautiful and functional handmade tools.
Underglaze Sampler Packs
The Speedball Underglaze Sampler Pack
Underglazes are studio favorites and are great way to get vibrant, saturated colors on ceramics. They can be applied by brush, sponge, or spraying. Sample packs are a great way to find the underglaze colors that work best, and are available from a variety of manufacturers.
The Speedball sampler pack includes 12 colors in 2 oz bottles, $45.
AMACO Velvet Underglazes are available in 4 different sampler sets of 2 oz jars for $52 each. Shop at Blick
Mayco has a 10 pack underglaze sampler for around $40. Shop at Amazon
Sax True Flow Underglaze has a 12 pack sampler set for around $43. Shop at Amazon
Creative Pottery: Innovative Techniques and Experimental Designs by Deb Schwartzkopf
Whether you are a handbuilder or work on the wheel, this book from 2020 is a guide to taking your ceramics to the next level. Add complexity to your projects with simple changes, learn how to make bisque molds, or choose from other projects in this self guided book from potter Deb Schwartzkopf, founder of Rat City and Rain City studios in Seattle.
Recommended for: all levels
Cost: $27
3M Respirator
3M half facepiece respirator with P100 filters.
A quality dust mask is a must have for anyone who mixes glazes from scratch, makes their own clay, or works with plaster. The best option is a 3M respirator. A basic model is about $15 plus the filters, but for a few dollars more you can get the “rugged comfort” mask which has a more comfortable liner and a few extra features. Pair it with P100 filters or P100 cartridges, and you’ve got high quality protection against silica and other airborne particulates.
For more, visit our complete guide to dust masks.
3M Respirator, $23-$40 depending on model
Nidec-Shimpo Banding Wheels
The Shimpo 8 3/4” x 2 1/2” tall banding wheel is one of five options from Shimpo.
Banding wheels are very useful for coil building, sculpting, and decorating. Nidec-Shimpo Banding Wheels are the best on the market, made of cast iron with sealed bearings. They are on the heavy side, but this added weight gives the wheels a smooth, even spin. Shimpo banding wheels come in five different sizes ranging from $61 to about $130. The 8 3/4” wide x 2 1/2” tall model ($73) is an all-purpose size that should work for most studios. For more info, read our complete review of banding wheels.
Recommended for: intermediate / advanced
Cost: $61 to $130
Stadea Adjustable Diamond Hand Pad Set
The Stadea adjustable diamond hand pad system.
Stadea is a go-to brand for quality diamond sanding tools, and this new option is great for potters! It features a 5 inch long foam pad with velcro and 6 different diamond pads, ranging from 50 grit to 1500 grit. It’s perfect for light-duty cleanup such as smoothing the bottom of pots and sculptures. And the adjustable pads means you just have to store one foam block, not six, so it can save space too.
Recommended for: everyone
Cost: $47
Nidec-Shimpo Potter’s Stool
Nidec-Shimpo Potter’s Stool
Another great gift idea from Nidec-Shimpo is the Shimpo Potter’s Stool. It’s the most versatile, comfortable, and functional pottery stool on the market. It has four adjustable legs with nine slots on each leg with a range of 19 to 26 inches high. The legs can be adjusted independently, allowing for the stool to be set at an angle if desired. It also has a comfortable, padded seat. It’s a great upgrade for any potter.
Recommended for: Anyone who owns a wheel
Cost: $99
Sony Portable Bluetooth Boombox
The Sony Bluetooth Boombox
This little Sony unit is a great for studios. It can stream via bluetooth, or use the digital tuner to pick up just about any AM/FM station in your area. While it doesn’t have audiophile quality, the sound is decent and for me personally, I just like having the option of listening to the radio without fussing with my phone. It seems to be the best, most functional option for a Bluetooth boombox that is priced under $100.
Recommended for: Someone who wants FM and Bluetooth
Cost: $100
Mudtools Rib Set
Mudtools Ribs, some sets of six available at Amazon or buy them individually.
Mudtools ribs are used and loved by many potters. There are four different firmness levels, and each level has six different shapes. There are sets of all 6 on Amazon, or head over to Blick to pick out individual ribs.
Mudtools ribs:
Red — very soft
Yellow — soft
Green — medium
Blue — firm
Mudtools Rib Set, $51 for six ribs at Amazon, or individual ribs at Blick, $9 each.
Milwaukee M12 Cordless Drill
The Milwaukee M12 Drill Kit comes with a drill, one battery, charging station, and a bag.
The Milwaukee M12 compact cordless drill is a studio favorite. It’s strong enough for most jobs, but small and light so that it’s comfortable for just about any user. Paired with the right mixer blade, this is an ideal drill for mixing glazes, plaster, or other tasks in a ceramics studio. Milwaukee also makes a wide variety of tools that fit the M12 battery. Click here to read a full guide to cordless drills.
Recommended for: Potters with their own studios
Cost: $125-$140
Recommended drill accessories for ceramics:
Jiffy LM Laboratory mixer for mixing small glaze cups.
Plastic helix mixer for mixing 1-2 gallon glaze buckets.
Jiffy ES Mixer for mixing 2 to 5 gallon bucket.
Dewalt 14 piece bit set for drilling holes and the Dewalt 45 piece screwdriver set.
My Weigh iBalance 5500 Scale
My Weigh iBalance 5500 scale has a 5500 gram / 12 lb capacity and is accurate to 0.1 grams.
The MyWeigh iBalance 5500 is a precision scale that is accurate to 0.1 grams while maintaining a large capacity of 5500 grams or about 12 pounds. It has a stainless steel top, optional AC power adapter, simple and intuitive buttons, and a 3 year warranty. The four feet can be independently leveled too. It’s one of the best options on the market and is a great gift for the potter who also mixes their own glaze.
Recommended for: Anyone who mixes glazes
Cost: $249
Giffin Grip trimming tool
The Giffin Grip in use, holding a pot in place for trimming.
The Giffin Grip is a trimming tool that attaches to any pottery wheelhead, and various arms allow you to easily hold vases and pots in place for trimming. It sure beats trying to attach pots using small bits of a clay. It’s not cheap—typically around $270—but it lasts for ever and once a potter has one, they’ll use it all the time.
Recommended for: intermediate / advanced
Cost: $270
Speedball Artista Tabletop Wheel
The Speedball Artista Tabletop Wheel
The Speedball Artista is a great tabletop wheel that is strong enough for most potters but is also portable and can be stored with ease. It’s the perfect option for an at-home practice wheel or for someone looking to try out pottery with a professional machine. It has an 11” wheelhead, a 1/3 horsepower motor, is compatible with standard 10” bats, and weighs just 26 pounds, so it can easily be put away when not in use. You can also add an optional foot pedal or legs. For a complete overview, check out our guide to tabletop wheels.
Recommended for: everyone
Cost: $549
North Star Portaroller
The North Star Portaroller is a great tool that can instantly upgrade any studio. Designed for artists who are on the go, it’s also ideal for small or home studios because it quickly breaks down into three pieces that can be stored when not in use. The Portaroller has two metal rollers, a crank, and two tabletop pieces that fit on either side of the roller. The top roller can be adjusted for slab thicknesses up to 2.5 inches and it can make slabs that are 16 inches wide. It’s a well thought out piece of equipment that is backed by North Star’s impeccable record of quality. There’s also a larger model in the same style, the North Star Polaris, that can make slabs up to 22 inches wide.
For a complete guide to portable rollers, click here.
North Star Portaroller, 16” wide slabs, $750
North Star Polaris, 22” wide slabs, $1,000
Full Size Pottery Wheels
A professionally quality pottery wheel starts around $800 and ranges up to around $1,500 to $2,000. Most potters use a wheel in the $800 to $1,500 range from quality brands such as Nidec-Shimpo, Brent, or Speedball. We’ve got a complete pottery wheel buyer’s guide here, but just know that as the price goes up you are paying for a stronger motor, a sturdier tabletop and legs, and a few other features.
Here’s a quick overview of a few wheels that would be great gifts.
Nidec-Shimpo Wheels
Nidec makes three full size wheels:
Shimpo VL-Lite
Shimpo RK-Whisper
Shimpo VL-Whisper
VL-Lite is a motor-driven model that retails for $858
RK-Whisper has the classic Shimpo metal body and fixed foot pedal, 12” wheelhead, and the ultra-quiet magnet driven wheelhead. It retails for $1,310
VL-Whisper is many potter’s favorite with a 14” wheelhead, the same ultra-quiet magnet drive as the RK, and a moveable foot pedal. It retails for $1,532
Brent Pottery Wheels
Brent Model B.
Brent wheels are workhorses and come in a few models where everything is the same, except the motor. Some models are also available in black in addition to the distinctive “Brent yellow.” The most popular Brent models are the Brent B with a 1/3 horsepower motor, or the Brent C, with a 1/2 horsepower motor.
Brent Model B, 1/3 HP motor, $1,898
Brent Model C, 1/2 HP motor, $1,943
Speedball Wheels
Speedball Clay Boss Wheel
In addition to the tabletop model mentioned above, Speedball makes two full sized wheels. The Clay Boss has a 1/2 HP motor with a 14” wheelhead. It’s reversible, but only via a plug and not a switch. The Big Boss has similar features except it comes with a 1 HP motor.
Speedball Clay Boss 1/2 HP wheel, $1,038
Speedball Big Boss 1 HP wheel, $1,271
Other Gift Ideas
Kilns: Read our guide to Skutt kilns here.
Tools: We’ve got a lot more ideas in our tool guides such as:
Tools that can be used in the kitchen or the studio.
Classes: A set of classes at your local ceramics studio can be a great gift. If you can’t find a studio, ask a local clay supplier if they can recommend local studios.
Magazine Subscriptions: Magazines are great sources of ideas and inspiration. Check out The Studio Potter, Pottery Making Illustrated, or Ceramics Monthly.
Tours, Trips, or Conferences: Look for pottery-specific travel tours, retreats, or conferences.
What ideas do you have for pottery gifts? Let us know in the comments.
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