Potters Wheel: Making Lidded Vessels
Mastering Clay – Making Flange Lids
Throwing with Purpose: Lidded Vessels on the Wheel
Dive into the art of creating wheel-thrown lidded pottery with this dedicated video playlist. From centering clay and shaping the body to designing a perfectly fitting lid and achieving clean, thoughtful forms, these lessons lead you through each stage of the process. Whether you’re refining your craft or tackling your first covered piece, these clear demonstrations and expert techniques will guide your way.
Inside you’ll explore:
How to choose and prepare your clay for wheel-throwing a lidded form.
The moment-by-moment workflow—centering, opening, pulling up walls, trimming, defining rims, and creating the body of the vessel.
Methodical techniques for crafting lids: throwing or trimming the lid, creating a gallery, flanges or rims for a snug fit, and how to ensure harmony between lid and body.
Design considerations: proportion, balance, knob/handle options, surface finishing, and how to make the lid visually and functionally complement the vessel.
Common pitfalls and how to avoid them — e.g., lids that won’t sit well, walls that warp, clay that traps air, and trimming mis-fits.
Ideas for applying your own aesthetic touches: textures, surface treatments, signature rims, knob shapes, and using consistent design language between body and lid.
Perfect for wheel-throwers at intermediate and advanced levels who are ready to move beyond open forms and want to master covered vessels for functional ware or expressive sculpture. Every tutorial is calibrated to help you build confidence in fit, finish, and design of lidded forms.
