32 upcoming · 8 studios · checked by a human

Pottery & Clay Classes in Chicago

Wheel throwing, handbuilding and glazing around Chicago — one-evening tasters, family sessions and multi-week courses at studios and community art centres, with the price each one prints.

Booking for a team? →

32 pottery classes in Chicago

FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS · 6 PM

MADE at Night: Wheelthrowing

MADE Chicago · Northwest Side

Repeats weekly

$85.00 / person

FRIDAYS · 6 PM

Friday Night Wine-o-Rama

ViaClay · Oak Park & West Suburbs

Repeats weekly

$95; $75 each for groups (2+)

FRI, OCT 23

Date Night Throwdown

Lillstreet Art Center · North Side · 3 h

One-time class

$130 ($125 members)

FRI, OCT 23

Date Night Pottery on the Wheel

Color Cocktail Factory · West Loop & Near West · 1.5 h

One-time class

$80 for two / $55 for two

FRI, OCT 23

Wheel Throwing for Beginners

Color Cocktail Factory · West Loop & Near West · 1.5 h

One-time class

$65 per ticket / $45 per ticket

SAT, OCT 24

Matcha Bowl on the Wheel

Color Cocktail Factory · West Loop & Near West · 1.5 h

One-time class

$65 per ticket / $45 per ticket

SAT, OCT 24

Mushroom Pottery

Color Cocktail Factory · West Loop & Near West · 1.5 h

One-time class

$45 per person / $35 per person

SAT, OCT 24

Ceramic Mug and a Bowl

Color Cocktail Factory · West Loop & Near West · 1.5 h

One-time class

$80 per ticket / $55 per ticket

SATURDAYS · 11:30 AM

Saturday One-Time Experience Session

ViaClay · Oak Park & West Suburbs · 2 h

Repeats weekly

$80; $65 each for groups (2+)

SAT, OCT 24

Cat Vase Making

Color Cocktail Factory · West Loop & Near West · 1.5 h

One-time class

$45 per person / $25 per person

SAT, OCT 24

Pumpkin on the Wheel

Color Cocktail Factory · West Loop & Near West · 2 h

One-time class

$85 per ticket / $60 per ticket

SAT, OCT 24

Cauldron Pottery

Color Cocktail Factory · West Loop & Near West · 1.5 h

One-time class

$65 per ticket / $45 per ticket

SUN, OCT 25

Cup Creations on the Wheel

Color Cocktail Factory · West Loop & Near West · 1.5 h

One-time class

$45 per person / $35 per person

SAT, OCT 31

Intro to Wheel Throwing

Lincoln Square Pottery Studio and Learning Center · North Side · 2 h

One-time class

$60 + $15 firing fee

SUN, NOV 1

Miniature Pots

Lillstreet Art Center · North Side · 3 h

One-time class

$130 ($125 members) + $5 materials fee

SUN, NOV 1

Introduction to Wheelthrowing

The Pottery Studio Chicago · Northwest Side · 2 h

One-time class

$205.00 / person

MON, NOV 2

Handbuilding Exploration

The Pottery Studio Chicago · Northwest Side · 2 h

One-time class

$205.00 / person

TUE, NOV 3

Wheel Throwing Class (4 Week)

The Digs Chicago · West Loop & Near West · 3 h

One-time class

$225.00 / person

WED, NOV 4

Intro to Handbuilding: Creating Vessels Off the Wheel

ViaClay · Oak Park & West Suburbs · 3 h

One-time class

$300 / person

WED, NOV 4

Ceramics, All Levels

Elmhurst Art Museum · Oak Park & West Suburbs · 3 h

One-time class

$200 / person

FRI, NOV 6

Holiday Gifts & Ornaments Workshop

The Digs Chicago · West Loop & Near West · 3 h

One-time class

$75.00 (sliding scale)

SAT, NOV 7

Saturday Morning Adult Wheel Throwing Class

ViaClay · Oak Park & West Suburbs · 3 h

One-time class

$300 / person

SAT, NOV 7

Returning Wheelthrowing

The Pottery Studio Chicago · Northwest Side · 2 h

One-time class

$205.00 / person

SUN, NOV 8

Autumn Mugs

Lillstreet Art Center · North Side · 2.5 h

One-time class

$110 ($105 members) + $5 materials fee

FRI, NOV 13

Wheel Throwing Workshop Level 1

The Digs Chicago · West Loop & Near West · 3 h

One-time class

$75.00 (sliding scale)

SAT, NOV 14

Intro to Wheel Throwing

Lincoln Square Pottery Studio and Learning Center · North Side · 2 h

One-time class

$60 + $15 firing fee

SUN, NOV 15

Intro to Wheel Throwing

Lincoln Square Pottery Studio and Learning Center · North Side · 2 h

One-time class

$60 + $15 firing fee

SAT, NOV 21

Unique Holiday Ornaments

Lillstreet Art Center · North Side · 2.5 h

One-time class

$110 ($105 members)

WED, DEC 2

Handbuilding Exploration

The Pottery Studio Chicago · Northwest Side · 2 h

One-time class

$205.00 / person

SAT, DEC 5

Returning Wheelthrowing

The Pottery Studio Chicago · Northwest Side · 2 h

One-time class

$205.00 / person

SUN, DEC 6

Introduction to Wheelthrowing

The Pottery Studio Chicago · Northwest Side · 2 h

One-time class

$205.00 / person

SAT, DEC 12

Play with Clay

Lillstreet Art Center · North Side · 3 h

One-time class

$130 ($125 members)

Pottery & Ceramics studios in Chicago, side by side

The 8 studios behind the classes above, worked out from what each one has on our calendar right now: how many sessions, the lowest printed price, what kind of class it runs and when the next one is.

Studio	Area	Classes	From	Formats	Next
Color Cocktail FactoryBeginner sessions	West Loop & Near West	9	$25	One-time class	FRI, OCT 23
The Pottery Studio ChicagoBeginner sessions	Northwest Side	6	$205	One-time class	SUN, NOV 1
Lillstreet Art CenterBeginner sessions	North Side	5	$105	One-time class	FRI, OCT 23
ViaClayBeginner sessions	Oak Park & West Suburbs	4	$80	Repeats weekly, One-time class	FRIDAYS · 6 PM
Lincoln Square Pottery Studio and Learning CenterBeginner sessions	North Side	3	$60	One-time class	SAT, OCT 31
The Digs ChicagoBeginner sessions	West Loop & Near West	3	$75	One-time class	TUE, NOV 3
MADE Chicago	Northwest Side	1	$85	Repeats weekly	FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS · 6 PM
Elmhurst Art Museum	Oak Park & West Suburbs	1	$200	One-time class	WED, NOV 4

Questions people ask

How much do pottery classes cost in Chicago?＋

Across the 32 pottery classes we list in Chicago, printed prices run from $25 to $300. A single session typically costs about $90. The lowest price on the calendar right now is Cat Vase Making at Color Cocktail Factory ($45 per person / $25 per person).

Where can I try pottery once, without signing up for a course?＋

8 studios run single-session classes on our calendar: Color Cocktail Factory (from $25), Lincoln Square Pottery Studio and Learning Center (from $60), The Digs Chicago (from $75) and ViaClay (from $80), among others. Use the "One-time class" filter above to see only those.

Are there beginner pottery classes in Chicago?＋

Yes. 6 studios list classes billed as introductory or open to first-timers, including Color Cocktail Factory, The Pottery Studio Chicago, Lillstreet Art Center and ViaClay. Intro sessions usually provide clay, tools and firing, so you only need to turn up; check the listing for what is included.

Can I take a pottery class on a weekend or after work?＋

Of the classes listed now, 20 start on a Saturday or Sunday (at Color Cocktail Factory, ViaClay and Lincoln Square Pottery Studio and Learning Center), and 12 start at 5pm or later (at MADE Chicago, ViaClay and Lillstreet Art Center). The "When" filter narrows the list to either.

Which part of town has the most pottery studios?＋

By the studios we list, West Loop & Near West (2), Northwest Side (2), North Side (2), then Oak Park & West Suburbs. Pick an area in the filters to see what is near you.

How current is this list?＋

Every class here was read off the studio's own booking page by a person, with the date, time and price as printed. Sold-out and cancelled sessions come off when we see them, and courses show their next real start date. If a studio's page disagrees with ours, the studio's page is right, and we would like to hear about it.

What should I wear to a pottery class?＋

Clothes you do not mind getting clay on, closed-toe shoes, and short nails if you can manage it, since long nails gouge the clay on the wheel. Tie back long hair and leave rings and bracelets at home. Most studios lend aprons.

When do I get to take my pottery home?＋

Rarely on the day. Pieces have to dry, be bisque fired, glazed and fired again, so studios usually hold them for two to four weeks and message you when they are ready. Some single-session classes glaze for you; the listing says which.

Wheel throwing or hand-building: which should I start with?＋

Hand-building (pinching, coiling and slab work) is the gentler start and you leave with a finished-looking piece more often. The wheel is harder to learn in one evening but is what most people picture; a one-time wheel taster is a cheap way to find out whether you want the five-week course.

How this page is put together

Every listing here was read off the studio's own page by a person: the date, the price as printed, and whether a session is a one-off, a course or something you book for any day. Where a studio keeps its dates behind a booking system we say so rather than inventing one, and where it publishes no price we say that too.

Recurring classes show their next real occurrence rather than the date they were first entered, worked out in Central time so a 6:30pm class stays 6:30pm across the clock changes. The side-by-side table and the answers above are calculated from the same listings, so they change as the calendar does.

Other crafts on this calendar

🪔 Turkish Mosaic Lamps 🪟 Mosaic & Lamps 🔥 Glass 🖨️ Printmaking 📕 Bookbinding & Paper 🧶 Textiles & Fibre 🌿 Flowers & Plants 🎨 Painting & Drawing 🪵 Wood & Carving 🕯️ Candles & Scent 💍 Jewelry & Metal

Missed the dates you wanted?

Tell me when the next pottery class opens

One email when a new one appears on our calendar. Nothing else unless you ask.

Or keep them in your calendar

Every pottery class we list, updated on its own. No email needed.