$205.00Workshops & Classes · Monday, November 2, 2026
Handbuilding Exploration
About
A four-session handbuilding course covering slab, coil and slump-mould construction along with other ways of building with clay by hand; tools and supplies are provided, and students can use the studio for practice between classes. This section meets Mondays 2, 9, 16 and 23 November, 6–8pm, at The Pottery Studio, 2525 N Elston Ave, D100 (California, Blue Line O'Hare branch), for ages 12 and up. It costs $205; a December section runs on Wednesday evenings from 2 December.
Good to know
Read off The Pottery Studio’s own page. Times and prices can change; the venue’s page wins.
How it compares
- After work
At $205, this sits toward the top of the 30 single-session pottery classes we list in Chicago. They run from $25 to $300, and the typical price is $80.
That works out to about $103 an hour for a 2-hour session.
If one session leaves you wanting more, 1 studio we list runs multi-week pottery courses, from $225.
It starts after work, which only 32% of the pottery classes on our calendar do.
Other dates for this class
Other pottery classes in Chicago
- Made at Night: WheelthrowingMADE Chicago · Northwest SideFRIDAYS & SATURDAYS · 6 PM · $85.00
- Friday Night Wine-o-ramaViaClay · Oak Park & West SuburbsFRIDAYS · 6 PM · $95; $75 each for groups (2+)
- Date Night ThrowdownLillstreet Art Center · North SideFRI, OCT 23 · $130 ($125 members)
- Date Night Pottery on the WheelColor Cocktail Factory · West Loop & Near WestFRI, OCT 23 · $80 for two / $55 for two
New to pottery?
Most first classes are either a wheel taster, where you learn to centre clay and pull up a cylinder, or hand-building, where you shape a mug, dish or planter with pinch, coil and slab techniques.
- Wear clothes that can get muddy and keep nails short; rings and bracelets come off before the wheel.
- Expect two to three hours for a single session. Clay, tools and firing are almost always in the price; glazing sometimes costs extra.
- A one-time class is the cheap way to find out whether you want a five- or six-week course, which is where the wheel actually starts to click.
Taking it home: Not on the day. Pieces dry, are fired, glazed and fired again, so studios usually hold them for two to four weeks.
Questions people ask
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