Alright, let me tell you about my adventure into making some ceramic soup bowls. It wasn’t exactly planned, you know? I just got tired of the same old boring bowls we had. Plus, I kept seeing these cool handmade ones online and thought, “Hey, maybe I could try that.” Sounded simple enough at first.
So, I found this local pottery studio that lets you use their space. First step was getting the clay ready. They call it wedging. Basically, you gotta knead this big lump of cold, damp clay to get all the air bubbles out. My arms were aching after like, ten minutes. Seriously, it’s harder than it looks. Felt like I was fighting the clay more than working with it.
Getting Them Shaped
Then came the fun part, or so I thought – the pottery wheel. Man, that thing is tricky. Getting the clay centered? Took me ages. First few attempts were just wobbly disasters that collapsed. One even flew right off the wheel, splattered clay everywhere. Bit embarrassing, really. But eventually, I got the hang of pulling up the walls, trying to make something that actually looked like a bowl shape. Not perfect circles, mind you, more like… bowl-ish shapes. I decided to make four, figuring at least a couple might survive the whole process.
After letting them dry out a bit, just enough so they weren’t squishy – leather hard, they call it – I had to flip them over and trim the bottoms. Carving out a little foot thing so they sit flat. This part was actually kind of satisfying, shaving off the excess clay.
Firing and Glazing Time
Then came the waiting game. They had to dry completely, like bone dry. Took a few days. Felt like forever. You just stare at them, hoping they don’t crack. Then they went into the kiln for the first firing, the bisque fire. You just hand them over and hope for the best.
Got them back, and they felt all hard and porous, kind of like a flower pot. Now for the glaze. Honestly, picking colors was overwhelming. So many choices! I ended up going for a simple blue for two and a creamy white for the other two. Dipped them in the glaze buckets. It’s messy stuff, gets everywhere. Tried to get an even coat, but who knows? You can’t really tell how it’ll look until after the final firing.
- Getting the clay centered was a real pain.
- Trimming the foot felt pretty good, like sculpting.
- Waiting for the firings was nerve-wracking.
- Glazing was messy but fun, like finger painting for adults.
The Final Reveal
Back into the super hot kiln they went for the glaze firing. More waiting. Finally, I got the call they were ready. Picking them up felt like Christmas morning. They actually looked like real bowls! Shiny and solid.
Okay, so they weren’t perfect. One blue one had a spot where the glaze ran funny, making a thick drip down the side. And the white ones weren’t exactly the same size. But honestly? I didn’t care that much. They were my bowls. I made them with my own hands, starting from a lump of mud.
Using them for soup feels different. They feel sturdy, substantial. Maybe it’s just because I know the effort that went into them. Yeah, it was a process, took way longer than just buying some, but it was pretty cool. Definitely makes you appreciate handmade stuff a whole lot more.
