How to Make a Soap Dish Using the "Squish Method" Genna Williams

Before discovering what my class and I have lovingly coined the “Squish Method,” I always created non-circular shapes on the wheel by first throwing a bottomless clay wall, warping that into my desired shape, and then scoring and slipping that wall to attach it to a slab base. While I still use that process to achieve more complex shapes, this new Squish Method is now my go-to for throwing simple, non-circular forms on the wheel. 

In the directions below, I will go over how to use the Squish Method to create a small, simple soap dish, but this method has many potential applications. 

Making a Soap Dish 

Begin by measuring and wedging out 1 pound (454 g) of clay. Center and compress the clay until it reaches about 5½ inches (14 cm) in diameter. Once the clay is compressed, use a wooden knife to flex the outer rim up and feel free to clean up or extend a small wall with a sponge (1). 

Once you have a small plate (now about 6 inches (15 cm) in diameter with the addition of the rim), use a needle tool to create a guide circle on the inside of the plate to help make two equally sized darts. Use a needle tool to cut the two darts in the floor, one on each side. These should be slender, semi-circular or flat, crescent-moon shapes (2). 

Run your cut-off wire underneath the piece (3) and remove the clay from the dart cutouts (4). Make sure you remove all of the clay, even the thin layer left underneath the wire tool. I like to do this using a trimming tool (5). Note: I like to pull a second pass of the wire tool, this time incorporating some water to help the piece glide more easily. 

Either use your hands or two straightedge tools (I used two small, square bats) to squish the sides in until they match up with the straight edge of the dart cutout (6, 7). Then, use your finger, sponge, or rib to compress those seams. This is important to help reduce the likelihood of cracking. Run the wire underneath one last time and let your piece become leather hard. 

Drying and Finishing 

Once your creation is dry enough to handle, lift it off the bat and use your finger or rib to smooth and compress those seams on the underside of the piece (8). You can use a rasp and rib to do any additional trimming or cleanup needed at this stage. I like to finish it off with a sponge to clean everything up. 

Finally, let your piece dry slowly (we don’t want those seams to open back up) and then fire as normal. 

the author Genna Williams is a multidisciplinary designer and specializes in minimal, functional ceramics. She majored in furniture design and minored in ceramics at the Savannah College of Art and Design. After graduation, Williams moved to Austin, Texas, and started her own ceramics business. She and Hallie Shafer founded the educational pottery studio, Broad Studios Club House, in 2021 and have been covered in clay ever since. To learn more, visit broadstudiosclubhouse.com.