Thoughtful Gifts for Clay Lovers…
Do you have a potter in your life? Or is that you - and you’re just looking for a bit of present inspiration? Consider this your handpicked gift guide for anyone with a thing for clay.
These gifts have been curated with conscience - all from small businesses who genuinely care. I have personal experience with every maker or brand listed and only ever recommend things I’ve bought myself with my own money or have seen used and loved by other makers I trust. I’ve deliberately avoided Amazon. If even just one of your gifts is bought from a small business, that’s money redirected into families, artists and local communities rather than Jeff Bezo’s pocket.
This blog post is not sponsored by any of the brands mentioned, and everything here is my honest opinion. I have included my own products and clearly marked those as such.
Walk in Aprons…from $84
I first saw these aprons at NCECA in Richmond, Virginia in 2023. The colourful collection of linen hung cheerfully in the brand hall. There was such a buzz around the stall. The designer and maker Hannah and her mum were there proudly sharing their creations with the pottery community. I was so tempted to bring one home. But alas (full disclosure) I had just placed an order with a European linen apron company I had been wearing in my studio for years - so the timing wasn’t quite right. I couldn’t stop thinking about them though. They were great! Still handcrafted by their original creator and come in a range of gorgeous colours. I am sharing them here as I think they deserve it.
Once all my aprons have sold out I’ll be placing an order! In the mean time you can buy them here.
Batt System — Hartley & Noble - from £90
One thing that makes pottery workflow a million times easier is a batt system. I get asked which one I use every time I post a throwing video. In my studio I mostly use the Hartley & Noble batt system.
Designed and manufactured in the UK, they make quality systems to fit any pottery wheel — including:
The Russian Doll Batt System
An over-the-wheel system for wheels without batt pins
Mini batt systems
Their customer service is brilliant and will help you work out which system is best for your wheel.
You can even have the batts engraved!
After the Storm’ Travel Mug - by me - from £40
Made by me!
A brilliant way to stop clay falling into your coffee whilst you’re in your studio!
I get so many compliments on mine - I really do take it everywhere.
This handmade stoneware travel mug is thrown on the potter's wheel using black stoneware clay. It’s glazed with a combination of a beautiful glossy dark blue and my Glenbrittle glaze. Where the two glazes overlap, misty blues, gentle greys, and subtle pinks meld together - luminous and ethereal, like the ocean after a storm. It’s been fired to 1220°C and is strong and durable.
Each mug is unique, so the one you receive will vary slightly from the one pictured.
The mug comes with a grey silicone lid and two interchangeable grey sleeves: one slim, one wide. Silicone is made from silica — which is not plastic and does not come from the petrochemical industry.
Hand-Thrown Reed Diffuser - by me - from £49
Made by me & La Luna Cornwall.
Bring a touch of joy to your space with this refillable hand-thrown reed diffuser. The essential-oil fragrances are hand-poured in Cornwall: vegan, biodegradable and cruelty-free.
I first discovered La Luna while walking the coast path. Arriving at our destination in Falmouth, on a quaint side street I stumbled upon a beautiful independent gift shop displaying their candles and diffusers. I fell in love with their scents - inspired by the Cornish landscape, crafted to soothe and comfort.
The bottle vase is thrown from grey Scandinavian clay, twice-fired and dip-glazed in my Glenbrittle glaze.
Choose from two fragrances:
Charlestown — crisp coastal air; sea salt, green leaf, vetiver
Flora — soothing and restorative; clary sage, French lavender, geranium, neroli
They’re completely refillable or once the oils have gone display dried flowers or blooms from your garden.
Stocking Fillers
Sponge on a stick - from £15.12
This humble tool might seem a little run of the mill but I reach for mine whenever I throw something taller than 4 inches. The wooden ones are much cheaper but they snap for a past-time. I’ve gone through serval. The metal ones should last forever. The sponges are replaceable if it goes a bit mankey. Buy Here.
Potter’s Hand Balm by Into the Horse’s Eye - from £19
I was kindly sent this hand balm a few months ago by Thomas and loved it so much I bought another jar. It’s perfect to use at the end of a busy studio day. A pea sized amount is enough to coat your hands. I’ll put on some cotton gloves whilst I’m watching the telly or if they’re really dry then I’ll leave them on all night.
Created by a skin care expert who specialises in plant-derived formula. It is made with kukui nut, safflower, myrrh and shea - ingredients that deeply moisturise, protect and soften dry, clay-tired hands.
Produced in the UK exclusively for Into The Horse's Eye, this balm is 100% natural, made entirely from plants and herbs, and free from chemical preservatives, synthetic ingredients and artificial fragrance. The small jar goes a long way. It smells fantastic! Buy it here.
Handmade Pottery Tools by Sage Cortez - from $28.
Pottery ribs in hand-hammered brass from Sage Cortez.
These are beautiful versions of one of a potter’s most-used tools. Sage makes every rib by hand in her Oregon studio. Metal ribs can be used to smooth and compress slabs, burnish surfaces after trimming, scrape excess slip, and facet leather-hard clay. A multi-tool essential for any potter. These tools make working with clay just that little bit more delightful. Buy Here.
Foot Trimming Tool by Joe Thompson from Old Forge Creations - from £25
This is an effortless way to add a shaped foot to your work, just use it instead of an undercut tool immediately after throwing a piece.
Joe initially made one for his own use in his studio, but enough people asked if he could make them one too. They are laser cut from 2mm stainless steel with an angled head to allow a vertical cutting surface without having to scrape your knuckles on the wheel head. The thick stainless steel means they will make thousands of pots without wearing down, giving an identical foot on every piece in a matter of seconds. Buy Here.
Books
The Potter’s Workbook — by Clary Illian
One of the best books for improving your throwing, written by (in my humble opinion) one of the best potters on the planet.
The book “provides a way to see, to make, and to think about the forms of wheel-thrown vessels…” Each chapter starts with a series of exercises exploring good form and good forming for pitchers, bowls, cylinders, lids, handles and more. Find it at your fav online book store. Most independent book stores can order in any book you want - try them first!
The Essential Pottery Notebook - by me!
My book!
With so many variables to keep track of - temperature, time, clay, glazes, ventilation - it can feel impossible to remember what went right (or wrong) during your last firing. Not anymore.
I created the perfect kiln companion so you’ll never make the same mistake twice. My searches for a good potter's notebook to use in my own studio and recommend to my students had not born fruit. So I decided to create my own.….
This pottery notebook ensures you remember what you did when you got good results! And just as importantly - what you did when you got bad ones! And with the ever-increasing cost of raw materials, electricity and gas the more we can do to make our work successful and our making processes more efficient the better for our pockets and for the planet. The Essential Pottery Notebook has helpful refresher on cones, firing, note-taking, and includes reference photos. The rest of the book is made up of write-in templates so you know exactly what to record for consistent results.
With this beautifully flat lay bound notebook in your studio, you’ll feel more confident and more in control of your firings.
Pottery Club Membership
My Patreon!
A place to connect and get support from me and a community of potters from all around the world. With over 100 tutorials, projects and techniques, it’s full of inspiration. Tell me what you want to learn and I’ll create tutorials for you. You get access to exclusive videos not available anywhere else.
Best of all, you can ask me anything.
Whether you work from your kitchen table, a community studio, or your own pottery space, Pottery Club is the perfect companion. You can now gift a membership — and you get 15% off annual subscriptions.
Still Looking for Ideas?
If none of these hit the spot, hop onto your loved one’s Instagram, look at who they follow, and find potters, small brands or artists you can buy from. I guarantee both parties will be thrilled.
TTFN
Kara x