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If you're thinking about turning your pottery interest into a full time hobby, you have a few options. You can look around your town and around surrounding areas for studios that are all setup for you to use them. However, these studios generally have supply and firing fees to pay, plus you have to adhere to their schedule instead of simply being able to go to the studio whenever you want to go. Or you can setup your own home studio in a spare room, garage, or basement. With only the initial equipment fees and clay prices to pay, a studio at home is probably the best way to become a better potter – on your own time.

The Potter's Wheel

Obviously, the most important part of your own pottery studio is going to be the potter's wheel. This piece of equipment will not come cheap, however, so you will want to take your time when shopping around. They can cost many thousands of dollars brand new, or you can look on auction sites like Ebay to find used wheels for mere hundreds of dollars. At first, you might want to choose a used wheel just to get the hang of making pottery on your own. If you find it's something you will devote more time to, then you should invest in something a little more expensive. If you can find a wheel with a warranty, that's even better as it can help you with any problems within the first few months you own it.

Your Tools

What's great about pottery is that many of the tools you might need are things you can find at garage sales or even in your own home right now. First of all, you want to get a few buckets for water. This will allow you to have water readily available at the wheel where you are working. You will also want to have a wide variety of sponges to help you with shaping and with cleaning up. A wire will be necessary for cutting your piece off of the wheel itself when you are done. In addition, it will be a good idea to have a number of clay carving tools to help with shaping and styling. You will also need some old towels to help protect your pants from clay and an apron can also help you keep your clothes from getting stained. A ridge will help you shape the inside of your bowl and a pointed stick will help you to check the thickness of the bottom of your bowl. As you refine your technique, you might find you need additional tools as well, but these basics are a great place to start. When you're setting up your own pottery studio, you need the tools you need when you need them. Create a specific space for your pottery work so that you're never too far from things you need. This will also help to contain any mess into one specific place – which reduces the time you need to spend cleaning up when you're done.