Whether you’re looking to decorate a plate in a day, want to practice and perfect your pottery throwing skills on a wheel over a few weeks or weekend, or have a go at designing your own mug online, we’re sharing the different ways you can do this in Stoke-on-Trent.
Starting with the quickest and least messiest first…
Moorland Pottery, Cobridge
We love this idea! Design your own mug online by choosing your favourite motifs and lettering from a selection of Moorland Pottery designs, which include animals, flowers and kitchenware. You can then see a 3D version of how your finished design will look, with the option of personalisation inside the mug too, before placing your order.
We enjoyed playing around with designs online, as you can see from the examples below! Try designing your own mug.
Emma Bridgewater, Hanley
Offering various Decorating Studio Pottery Sessions such as baby morning, decorate a plate, with breakfast or afternoon tea included. Perfect if you’re just visiting for the day or want to create something unique for a special gift or occasion. These can be combined with Emma Bridgewater factory tours too.
Discover the latest experiences on their website.
World of Wedgwood, Barlaston
There’s lots to choose from at World of Wedgwood – paint a pot on the day in their Decorating Studio, throw a pot in their Clay Studio or sign-up to their Creative Studio Courses to master how to throw on a potter’s wheel over a number of weeks, guided by a ceramic artist.
Secure your place in the Creative Studio on their website.
Love Clay, Fenton
Offering a variety of classes for beginners and intermediate level – from pot throwing sessions and ‘clay as you go’, one day pottery workshops and six week ceramics courses. They offer special events too such as mug making workshops or ‘Sunday Brunch Club’, with plate-painting, pastries and coffee.
For the latest events and workshop dates, head to the Love Clay website.
Dimbleby Ceramics, Longton
A short walk from Gladstone Pottery Museum, home to The Great Pottery Throw Down, Dimbleby Ceramics have just moved to a new space where they offer painting sessions, throwing classes, clay modelling and even potter’s wheel hire, with special events throughout the year too such as ‘Italian Night’.
For the latest event information, head to their website.
Clay College, Burslem
A beautiful location, part of the Middleport Pottery site and next to the canal, Clay College offers various evening classes where you can learn about hand-building or throwing on a potter’s wheel, run by professional potters and diploma students.
Take a look on their website for the latest classes.
British Ceramics Biennial Studio, Stoke
With the next BCB taking place in 2027 (their tenth biennial) they run a variety of events and workshops throughout the year. With nothing planned currently, it’s worth checking back or signing up for their newsletter. They also offer a firing service, where you can pay for space to fire your ceramics in one of their electric kilns – email studio@britishceramicsbiennial.com for more details or head to the BCB website to see what’s on.