$300Workshops & Classes · Wednesday, November 4, 2026
Intro to Handbuilding: Creating Vessels Off the Wheel
About
A six-week introductory handbuilding course for adults 18 and up, making pottery vessels without the wheel, with 18 hours of guided instruction plus open studio time and all supplies and materials included. It meets Wednesdays 11am–2pm on 4, 11 and 18 November and 2, 9 and 16 December at ViaClay, 208 S Marion St, Oak Park (Oak Park on Metra UP-W, or Harlem/Lake on the Green Line). The course is $300.
Good to know
Read off ViaClay’s own page. Times and prices can change; the venue’s page wins.
How it compares
- Beginner-friendly
At $300, this is the most expensive of the 31 single-session pottery classes we list in Chicago. They run from $25 to $300, and the typical price is $83.
That works out to about $100 an hour for a 3-hour session.
If one session leaves you wanting more, 1 studio we list runs multi-week pottery courses, from $225.
Other pottery classes in Chicago
- Ceramics, All LevelsElmhurst Art Museum · Oak Park & West SuburbsWED, NOV 4 · $200
- Made at Night: WheelthrowingMADE Chicago · Northwest SideFRIDAYS & SATURDAYS · 6 PM · $85.00
- 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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