What is Pinch Pot? VIDEO with creative Ideas!

Making pinch pots is a simple technique for shaping clay by pinching it with your thumb and forefinger. Dating back to the Neolithic era, it is one of the oldest ways to make pottery. When creating a pinch pot, what do you do? 

Pinching involves first shaping a piece of clay into a ball. Thinning the clay wall requires methodical pinching with your thumb and forefinger. It is this process that opens up the clay into a vessel shape.

Why is it Called a Pinch Pot?

The ancient Japanese tea bowl (chawan) is an example of the pinching technique used in the past. Pinching and coiling have a long history. Ancient Egyptians made pottery by scooping out the inside of a lump of clay and pinching it thin. 

To Make A Pinch Pot, What Are The Steps I Need To Follow?

The first step is to decide what size pot you wish to have. Slice off a piece of clay and form a ball by patting and rolling it between your hands. Then support your clay ball with one hand and press the thumb of the other hand into the clay.  

For an even wall thickness, you need to press your thumb into the exact center of the clay. Continue pressing your thumb in until you reach the center of the ball. Once you start to feel your thumb in your supporting hand, stop pressing.

Be careful not to poke your thumb through the clay. Half an inch is ideal for the bottom thickness. If the base is thicker than half an inch, use your fingertips to thin out the clay from the base up the walls. 

It is necessary to turn the pot while thinning to help ensure even clay distribution. Make the pot thin and even by pinching, stroking, and shaping.

What Is The Proper Way Of Pinching Clay?

The art of pinching allows you to craft many items, including pots, vases, and animals. In order to achieve effective results, use your whole finger instead of just the tips. When you place your fingers straight, you can grasp the entire ball of clay. If not, you are only pinching one part of the clay ball.

Using your supporting hand, turn the clay little by little as you pinch it. You can see the clay open out into a pot shape when you pinch the clay while rotating it. This video explains how to create a pinch pot. 

What Are The Points To Keep In Mind When Pinching?

Sometimes, small cracks appear in the clay as it stretches. In this case, blend them in with your fingertip. If the clay is a bit dry, you can use a touch of water to smooth it. 

Related: How to Soften Clay? (Step by Step Guide)

Make sure you dab a drop of water onto the cracked area. Too much water makes it slippery and difficult to handle. As you work with the clay, small cracks will grow into larger ones if you ignore them. 

To level out your pot’s rim, turn it upside down and gently drop it onto your work surface. Tap the bowl on the table to flatten the rim. In this way, a bowl receives a better surface to touch. Watch this video to see a clear demonstration of how to make a pinch pot vase.  

How Can I Connect Two Clay Pieces?

Score the clay surfaces of the two pieces you want to join together. You can use the serrated rib to scratch. A kitchen fork or needle are alternatives. If the clay is on the drier side, use a wet brush to smudge it up and create instant slip. To adhere to the two pieces, place one over the other.

Roll the clay into a coil about the thickness of a pencil and flatten. Wrap it around the seam and smudge the clay with your fingers.  

How Do I Attach A Handle To My Pinch Pot?

Roll out a coil of clay with the right thickness and bend it into the shape of a handle. Cut the edges at the correct angles. Using a sharp tool, scratch the connecting points between the handle and pot. Wet the connection points just a bit.

Place the handle in the correct position. Merge the seam with your fingers, a wooden tool, and a brush. 

Finishing and fine detailing your pottery require a few small tools. In this task, modeling tools, serrated rib, metal rib, rubber rib, platter rib, shredder, wooden paddle, pottery bat, and banding wheel all prove useful. Otherwise, you can find alternatives at home.

How Can I Clean The Clay Surface With Tools?

Once your pot has become leather-hard, you can begin cleaning its surface. To remove any clay lumps and bumps, use the platter rib to scrape the inner surface. You can also use a metal kitchen spoon. Scrape the surface with a metal rib, then smooth it with the rubber rib. 

Run the shredder along the outside of the pot to remove the imperfections. While cleaning, rest the pot on a piece of foam. If not, the pot tends to flatten when you apply pressure.

Is A Kiln Necessary For Pinch Pots?

It depends on the type of clay you use. It is possible to use any type of clay to make pinch pots. You can use either air-dry clay or low-heat firing clay that you can fire in your oven. Here is a video that shows you how to make clay pinch pots without a kiln. 

How Can I Make Pinch Pot Creatures?

Making pinch pot creatures requires combining two or more pinch pot bowls. Most of the time, it requires cutting a pinch pot bowl into the desired shape and connecting it to the compound object. 

The hollow object serves as the base for attaching other organs such as the ears, noses, mouths, and tails of animals. As a handle for a pitch pot, you can attach these to it. Find out how to make a pinch pot fish in this video: 

Pinching clay is an ideal way to introduce someone to clay that teaches them tactile sensitivity and kinetic awareness.    

Children and beginners learn this technique as a basic pot-making method. The pinching technique has become popular in modern times to create both functional and ornamental pottery.