Finished mug by Emma Jackson

Handmade pottery is not just a job, it’s a passion for me. I mostly make mugs in my small home studio, and my pottery sells all over the world. Bright and happy pottery is my specialty, and I love spreading joy through my craft. I’m excited to share with you the handmade tool I use to create all my mug bases. 

Finding Inspiration 

I want the base of my mugs to be visually appealing because when sharing your morning coffee with someone, they will eventually see it. I looked at a lot of commercially made texture tools, but what I found were long, rolling pin-like cylinders, which are great for adding texture to large areas, but not suitable for me as I wanted to have an organic, circular dot pattern with an invisible edge. I was inspired by a little texture roller I had that created lots of circular shapes. I used it on some of my first mugs and the glaze effects were wonderful. But, the unglazed surface felt, to me at least, even lovelier to the touch. This is when I decided to make my own bisque-clay spheres to decorate the feet of my mugs. 

My bisque spheres are made from a golf-ball-sized amount of white stoneware clay, whose smooth texture won’t leave a pattern behind. While this is my preference, there is no reason why you couldn’t use a more grogged clay body. My sphere is just slightly smaller than 1¾ inches (42.7 mm) in diameter, but you can make it any size. Be aware of the additional drying time required if you make it bigger. 

Tools and Materials 

Suitable work surface such as a throwing bat that is smooth and clay doesn’t stick to it. 

Implements to create texture pattern. You can use anything you want: triangles, paperclips, flowers, or the head of a screwdriver! I use: a chopstick; two metal ball-head pottery tools; a paintbrush; a file with a rounded end (1). 

Clay that is soft but not sticky. My clay has a 10–12% shrinkage rate, which is important to be aware of when making a ball (2). 

1 Use various found implements to create texture patterns in clay. 2 Use soft but not sticky wet clay, and be aware of how much your clay shrinks.

Creating the Spheres 

First, flatten a bit of clay and try out your texture tools. This practice run gives you an idea of how much pressure to apply and how much the clay spreads when making impressions close together. 

When you are happy with the test it’s time for the fun part! Roll your clay into a sphere. It doesn’t have to be perfect but try to make it as sphere-like and smooth as you can. Start pressing texture tools onto the sphere (3). Try to press straight in and pull out on an angle. Be gentle—you don’t want to distort the shape. I start with bigger tools and then use smaller ones in the gaps. Keep turning the ball to get an even distribution of the texture. For the bigger holes, I will hold the sphere in my hand to add the pattern. If you apply too much pressure while it sits on your work surface your ball will flatten. The soft curve of your palm can help keep it round as you work. Regardless of whether or not I have it in my hand or on my work surface, I regularly stop and reshape the sphere as I add texture. 

Keep going until you are happy with the pattern on the ball (4). You can’t really test how the pattern will come out until after it’s fired, so I recommend making a couple of spheres. There might be one that you prefer. 

3 Roll a sphere, then texture the surface without distorting the round shape. 4 Change your tools to vary the texture until you finish the entire surface.

Drying and Firing 

As any potter knows, putting anything that damp in the kiln could result in an exploded piece. Someone commented on my Instagram reel, “Did you make it hollow so it doesn’t explode?” I didn’t, as you don’t want to have a cavity full of air inside it. The only way to fire these spheres is to allow them to dry completely. The way I tell if a piece is dry is by checking its weight and temperature. When the ball feels light and is room temperature to the touch, then it’s safe to fire, as these attributes usually indicate the water has fully evaporated from the clay. Once you do put them in the kiln, I recommend giving them some exploding space, just to be safe. 

Using the Texture Ball 

Roll out a slab and ensure the clay is thick enough to take the texture. Experiment with clay thickness and pressure to find what works for you. For example, if you use porcelain, the thinner parts could let light through, which would be beautiful! 

Start rolling the sphere around in a circle (5). When you get back to the place you started, without going over the same part, move outward and add another concentric circle (6). Make sure to leave a gap around the edge and you’re done! That’s all there is to it! 

5 Bisque fire the fully dry sphere, then test it out on a slab of clay. 6 Create a spiral shape with the texture ball to cover more surface area.

These little spheres really revolutionized how I make the bases of my mugs. Sometimes, if I’m feeling fancy I’ll add a swipe of underglaze that I then wipe off to leave some color in the recesses of the pattern. I can’t wait to see what you make with this technique. Please tag me in anything you make and share on Instagram! The possibilities are endless. Enjoy! 

You can find Emma Jackson on Instagram at @thesilverspot. 

Topics: Ceramic Artists, Making Clay Tools

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