How to Make a Textured Sushi Plate Using a Wiggle Wire Nan Rothwell shares a super fun way to use a wiggle wire! Nan Rothwell

Wiggle wires are a super fun way to make texture on pottery. You can get wiggle wires from pottery suppliers or make your own by stretching out springs (get the springs at the hardware store or by taking apart a ballpoint pen). One technique that I especially love is using a wiggle wire to cut pots off the wheel, thus creating an interesting texture on the bottom of the piece—a great alternative to trimming a foot.

In today's video, an excerpt from Wheel Throwing with Nan Rothwell, Nan takes that concept and turns it on its head by throwing her pot upside down and cutting it off with the wiggle wire, creating texture on the top of the piece. Have a look and think of more directions to take this technique. – Jennifer Poellot Harnetty, editor

It's like having your own pottery teacher at home... Wheel Throwing with Nan Rothwell provides more than two and a half hours of demonstrations, tips and techniques from a pro.

To learn more about Nan Rothwell or see images of her finished work, please visit nanrothwellpottery.com.

More to Do With Wiggle Wire Pottery

There is so much that can be done with wiggle wires, from faceting pots to cutting them off the wheel with the wiggle wire. We have some great posts in to archives to get your creative juices flowing! In this video, Gay Smith demonstrates how to make your own homemade (and therefore unique) wiggle wire and then shows several ways to facet her pots with it. And in this clip, Mark Peters shows a different twist for faceting pottery with his wiggle wires!

**First published in 2011.