In the Studio: Handbuilding Bowl Handles Marion Angelica

Appears in the March/April 2025 issue of Pottery Making Illustrated.

Handles are sometimes an afterthought once the main body of a clay vessel has been built, trimmed, and allowed to set up. But handles can make or break the beauty and functionality of an otherwise wonderful pot. This article offers a variety of handles that will add to the uniqueness of your bowls as well as ensure they effectively serve their purposes. All of these handles are handbuilt from coils and slabs rather than pulled in a traditional way. A few considerations: First, handles make a vessel easier to lift, tip, or pour. Second, they make the vessel unique and visually interesting. Both are important qualities. 

Handles for Bowls 

Handles for bowls (casseroles, trays, platters) have the role of lifting, rather than lifting and tilting as with cups. These vessels can carry considerable weight, so their handles need to be sturdy as well as aesthetically pleasing. Especially for bowls, casseroles, and trays with vertical sides, handles are essential for lifting because getting one’s hands under these shapes is very cumbersome. 

Handles can be added to all shapes of bowls to add interest and uniqueness. There is a sweet spot for handles on all of these vessels: The handles need to stick out enough for easy grasping, but not so far that they can easily be banged and broken. 

The following four handles are useful for bowls, casseroles, and trays. Three of the four handles (croissant, samosa, and double tube handles) start with the same four steps. 

Handles for bowls, casseroles, and trays have the role of lifting considerable weight, so they need to be sturdy, as well as aesthetically pleasing. These handles need to stick out enough for easy grasping, but not so far that they can be banged and broken. 

Initial Four Steps 

Begin by cutting out the pattern for the handle you plan to make from tagboard. Next, roll out a 1/8-inch-thick (3.2 mm) slab from well-wedged, plastic clay. Tip: A thin slab makes handles bend more easily and avoids adding weight to the vessel. Compress the slab on both sides to avoid cracking. Using the tagboard pattern, cut out the shape in clay. Note: Each unique handle is made from a different shaped pattern. Gently compress and smooth the edges of the cut piece, turn over the clay piece and do this again. After completing these four preliminary steps, specific directions will be given for each handle. 

Croissant Handle (A) 

Start by cutting a 4-inch (10.2-cm) square of clay—a good size for a medium-sized bowl or casserole. You can enlarge or decrease the size of the clay square based on the size of your vessel. Smooth each side of the square with a rib, then using the backside of a fork, texture one side of the square (A1). 

Next, turn the clay over, tuck in one corner of the square, and roll it diagonally until it takes the shape of a crescent roll (A2). Bend the rolled square into a crescent-moon shape (A3). Roll two small balls of clay and shape them into disks by placing them in the center of your palms and gently moving your closed hands in a circle (A4). These disks are added to reinforce the attachment ends of the croissant handle since the handle itself is hollow. Score the inside of each end of the croissant and both sides of the two disks (A5). Add slip and place the disks inside the ends of the croissant. Let the croissant set up to soft leather hard. Score and slip the vessel, add slip to the scored disks inside the croissant handle, and attach to the vessel (A6). 

Double Tube Handle (B) 

Complete the initial four steps for bowl handles listed earlier in this article. Then, cut a rectangle of clay 2 inches (5.1 cm) wide and 6 inches (15.2 cm) long (B1). The length can be modified based on the size of your vessel. Compress the edges of the rectangle and put a line of slip down the center of the rectangle along its length. Place a 3/16-inch (0.5-cm) dowel or straw along the long edge of one side of the rectangle (B2). Gently curve the clay around the dowel. Withdraw the dowel. Repeat this along the other long side of the rectangle (B3). 

Press the rounded end of a tool along the center to firmly attach the edges of the tubular shapes to the center of the clay (B4). Cut the double tube handle to the desired length and squeeze the ends shut (B5). Tip: You may want to add small clay balls to the handle ends for better attachment to the vessel. Curve the double tubular form to complement the curve of your bowl/casserole and let it set up to soft leather hard. Scoring and slipping the handle and attachment area of the bowl, attach the double tube handle to the bowl (B6). Put pinholes on the undersides of each hollow tube in the handle. 

Twisted Handle (C) 

This handle does not require a pattern so skip the initial four steps. Begin by rolling a ball from soft, plastic clay and then on a smooth surface roll the ball moving the hand from side to side as you roll the ball to create a cigar-shaped form with narrow ends and a fat center (C1). Using a sharp pointed, thin-bladed knife, like a Dolan or X-Acto knife, cut the cigar shape in half lengthwise (C2). Run your fingers along the cut edges to smooth them. Then, lay one section of the cut cigar shape with its cut side down on the work surface, add a line of slip along the length of the rounded side and then lay the rounded side of the second section on top of it lengthwise. The two rounded parts of the cigar shape will be touching one another (C3). 

Holding the ends of the two pieces, twist them (C4). Once the clay is twisted to the degree desired, gently roll the twisted clay on the work surface to round and soften the edges (C5). If it untwists a bit, twist it again. 

Curve the twisted handle to mirror the shape of your vessel. Score and slip the vessel and handle to join them. When you attach the handle to the vessel you can add dots of clay at the ends of the twist or add a smaller twisted piece to enlarge the handle (C6). 

Samosa Handle (D) 

There are two patterns shown for this handle. The eye-shaped pattern is 6 inches (15.2 cm) in width and 31/2 inches (8.9 cm) in height. The oval pattern is 4 inches (10.2 cm) in width and 3 inches (7.6 cm) in height. The eye-shaped pattern makes a longer and narrower handle than the rounder pattern (D1). These patterns fit a medium-sized bowl and can be adjusted to the size of your vessel. Complete the initial four steps listed previously. 

Next, cut out a clay circle or oval using the pattern of your choice and compress and smooth the edges of the clay. Add any desired texture and then turn the clay piece over. Score the outer edges and add slip (D2). Gently bend the clay, starting from the tips of the oval/eye-shaped clay piece (D3), join the two long sides of the oval/eye-shaped clay together. Handle this gently so that air is still inside the closed form (D4). 

When the piece is completely sealed shut, gently stroke the straight side of the folded clay, curving the clay to match the curve of your vessel (D5). After the handle has set up to soft leather hard, score the inner arc of the handle and the area on the vessel to which it will attach, and adhere it to the pot (D6). Put a small hole in the handle.

Marion Angelica is a studio artist and teacher at Northern Clay Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She holds an MFA in ceramics from SUNY New Paltz and offers handbuilding workshops nationally.