2024 Pottery Gift Guide: 12 Gifts for the Potter in Your Life
Looking for gifts for the potter in your life? Whether that potter is your lover, bestie, child, spouse, neighbor, or special human, I’ve got a list for you!
As a potter and pottery instructor, family members often ask me what I want as a gift for the holidays (no, this is not a list for said family members, though if my brother reads this, I would not object to receiving #9…).
It was not easy to narrow down the list to just 12, but here goes, in order of smaller to bigger budget gifts.
Potter Gifts between $15-$50:
Basic Kemper Tool Kit ($22.54)
1) Basic Potter’s Tool Kit:
Have a new to pottery person in your life who can’t stop talking about how awesome pottery is? (Can’t blame them. It’s really a spectacular art form).
While most pottery studios will provide tools to students, treat that budding potter to their own toolkit. A great place to start is the Basic Kemper Tool Kit ($22.54), which includes the basic needs for wheel-throwing and hand-building pottery.
4Clay.com Stamps ($15-$49)
2) Custom Clay Stamp:
Does the potter in your life have a special signature for their pieces? Are they looking to brand their work with something more uniform and precise than needle tool initials?
4Clay.com ($49) makes excellent wood handled detailed stamps in various sizes based off custom made artwork you supply.
Unsure about gifting a custom signature stamp, 4Clay.com also supplies “Maker's Marks, Year, Hallmarks, Country Codes, Symbols & legal trademark TM and copyright (C) (R) stamps for clay” ($15 each).
Potter Gifts between $50-$100:
Walking Apron ($45-65)
3) Apron:
Is the potter in your life a messy one? (I mean, which potter isn’t…). Do they want to show up for that messy clay time in style?
I was gifted a Walking Apron ($45-65) when I left a former teaching / administrative position, and it is by far my favorite pottery apron. As stated on the website, it is “designed for messy makers.” It is very sturdy and can handle more than a few wet hand wipes at the wheel. Plus, it accentuates the behind — a fashionable perk?
Walking Aprons come in youth & adult sizes, and come in a variety of colors from pink, chartreuse, marigold, and more!
Penguin Pottery Bat System ($68.97)
4) Bat System:
Does the potter in your life get nervous wiring newly thrown pots and pulling them off the wheel? Is putting a fresh pot on a board jenga not their favorite game?
There are many bat systems out there to choose from, from fiber-based material to plastic to tile. Fiber-based materials like MDF may warp over time, but they are my preference because they absorb moisture and pieces pop right off the bat when leather hard, eliminating the need for wiring off.
I recommend the 14” Heavy Duty Penguin Pottery Bat System ($68.97).
5) Potter’s Tool Kit:
Does the potter in your life have the Basic Kemper Tool Kit, is into wheel-throwing and sculpting, and is ready to try some other products?
Consider the MudTools Essential 10 Piece Starter Tool Kit ($86.96 on Blick.com and $130.24 on Amazon).
The kit contains 3 polymer ribs (R1, Y2, G4), 1 mudshark, 1 green standard cut-off wire, 1 stainless long scraper rib, 1 small shredder, 1 do-all trim tool, and 1 mudsponge.
6) Carving Tools:
Does the potter in your life love carving decorative designs into clay? If this blog post on carving resonates with them, the answer may be yes.
I have a whole post comparing carving and loop tools HERE if you want to explore all the options, but if I had to narrow it down for gift-giving and receiving purposes, I would recommend the Diamond Core Tools 3-Piece Fine Point Set 1 (FP1, FP3, FP5) ($99).
The FP1 is excellent for fine details. The FP3 and FP5 are great for carving out backgrounds for sgraffito and for carving thicker bands. If you are new to Diamond Core Tools you can use code WELCOME25 to get 25% off your first order (excludes the Cink)!
Potter Gifts between $100-$250:
How about a massage?
7) A Massage:
Does the potter in your life forget to stretch after epic throwing sessions? Do they mention a little (or a lot) of lower back pain from the hours hunched over the wheel? Wrists that could use some TLC? Tight shoulders?
Yes. This is not a tangible gift. But pottery is physically taxing, and a massage could feel really nice. A 90 minute professional massage averages between $90-$175.
For the potter who appreciates being kneaded as opposed to kneading (in pottery, we call that wedging), the gift of relaxation could be quite appreciated.
Want to take care of the massage yourself? Consider getting a massage gun like the Mebak 3.
Giffin Grip® Mini ($199)
8) Trimming Equipment:
Does the potter in your life complain about trimming? That it takes too long?
Center pots and trim with ease with the Giffin Grip® Mini ($199), a relatively new product from Giffin Grip, the longtime trusted go to for trimming equipment.
I have the original grip, which, honestly, is helpful for trimming, but causes a huge mess because the trimmings go flying everywhere (so I have to sweep them or vacuum them) and that is not good for controlling clay dust. The Mini solves the trimming chaos problem. It has a lower profile, so trimmings stay in the splash pan.
Small Ceramic’s Mini Pottery Wheel ($211.41)
9) Mini Pottery Wheel:
Does the potter in your life dream of making pots on the wheel all day but not have the space for a full-sized wheel? Does said potter wish they could throw at the next picnic? At the beach? Perhaps on the deck at the neighbor’s holiday party?
Small Ceramic’s Mini Pottery Wheel ($211.41) does Shakespeare’s quote the honor by being little and fierce, or as the makers call it “tiny but mighty”.
Potter Gifts over $250:
Nidec Shimpo SRM-1624 Mini Slab Roller ($666.62)
10) Slab Roller:
Does the potter in your life love hand-building and is looking to make more pieces at home with limited art-making space? Rolling out slabs with a rolling pin is a tried and true method, but it can be time consuming and laborious. Time for an easier slab-making journey?
A good slab roller like the Nidec Shimpo SRM-1624 Mini Slab Roller ($666.62) can help make more consistently thick slabs quicker. In addition to being good for small studios, the Nidec Shimpo SRM-1624 Mini Slab Roller is also good for classrooms and on the go art-making.
Shimp VL-Whisper Potter’s Wheel ($1595)
11) Potter’s Wheel:
Does the potter in your life LOVE their pottery classes so much that they want to bring the fun home and practice all the time? If they have the space for it in their residence, they might squeal over a potter’s wheel.
For beginners and more experienced potters, you can’t go wrong with the Nidec Shimpo VL-Whisper Potter's Wheel ($1840 on Blick.com and $1595 on Amazon). While there are cheaper wheels on Amazon for under $200 (like this one from Vevor), those low-budget wheels just don’t compete in terms of mechanical construction, usability, and longevity.
Skutt KMT-818 ($2686)
12) Electric Kiln:
Does the potter in your life have a wheel at home and would really really love not to have to fire their work in someone else’s kiln? Do they have to drive multiple miles with fresh pots in the car praying or wishing that they all make it to their destination okay? Nerve-wracking!
I have a whole post on picking the perfect kiln here.
A brief discussion of my personal favorite smaller kiln: If you/they are ready for the investment, have the space and the electrical capacity in their residence, and, as artists, they produce work on a regular basis, a smaller kiln like the Skutt KMT Series Kilnmaster Touchscreen Kiln - KMT-818 ($2686) is an excellent first kiln. There is a version with a touch screen ($2686) or an automatic one wihtout a touchscreen ($2316.33).
Of all the small kilns, why a Skutt as top pick? Because Skutt support and technicians are amazing (italics intentional, they will sit with you on the phone as long as you need).
The KMT-818 fires up to Cone 10. When you get a kiln, you will also need kiln furniture (for the pots to fire on, naturally). The KMT-818 furniture kit ($346.15) comes with two 5/8" full shelves, three 5/8" half shelves, and one small post assortment (three each of 1–6" lengths).
Note: Always double check available voltage before purchasing and consult a licensed electrician. The KMT-818 comes as a 3 phase kiln (which requires three phase electric power) or as a single phase, which is the standard in most residences in North America.
Happy gift-giving!
All of the products above are genuine recommendations. A few of the links above are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and a Blick Art Materials Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Your purchases help me with creating my own art, and I am super grateful! Image credits: images are pulled from the supplier websites.
