The Pottery Shed
Just starting out? This is the right place. We are Sydney's original and best pottery school dedicated to teaching affordable wheel-throwing skills. At The Pottery Shed you can mix and match classes, practice sessions and speciality workshops. To get started, Book a Class below or for a discount buy a multi-pack voucher/gift certificate set first.
Once-off Glazing Class. Fancy diving into slurry painting or trying a one-off paint & sip night? It’s as simple as brushing coloured glaze onto ceramic—then we fire it into art! Join our Glazing Class and we’ll hand you bisqueware that’s primed and ready. No experience required.
Choose a Glazing Class. Mornings & evenings, weekdays & weekends.
WHEEL-THROWING SKILLS
Throwing Class (2.5 hours) $79. Availability & booking: by credit card or by voucher
Learn the fundamentals of wheel-throwing and create basic ceramic forms on the potter’s wheel. This 2.5-hour class includes orientation, live demonstration, guided hands-in-clay instruction, and practice time. All materials and equipment are provided. Your freshly made work can be stored at the studio for your next class (Trimming), left with us for our Completion Service, or recycled on site.
Trimming Class (2.0 hours) $79. See availability and book with a credit card or voucher
In this class, previously made pieces — either your own stored work or forms we provide — are refined at the leather-hard stage, when the clay has dried slightly and is ready for trimming. You’ll learn how to carefully carve and balance a spinning vessel using trimming tools, improving proportion, weight, and finish. Final surface decoration and attachments (such as handles) are also discussed.
By the end of the session, your work will be ready for the first of two kiln firings each at $15 per kilo.
HAND-BUILDING SKILLS
Hand-Building Class (2.0 hours) $79. See availability and book with a credit card or voucher
Explore slab-based hand-building techniques to create functional and sculptural ceramic forms without the use of the wheel. This class focuses on rolling slabs, shaping, and joining methods, with guidance on structure and form. Templates are provided to inspire ideas and support your making process. All materials and equipment are supplied.
Completed work will be ready for the first of two kiln firings each at $15 per kilo.
CERAMIC DECORATION SKILLS
Glazing Class (2.0 hours) $79. See availability and book with a credit card or voucher
In this class, previously made pieces — either your own stored work or bisque-fired forms provided — are given a functional food-safe glaze. Some glaze decoration techniques are covered to complete your ceramic work or those you select from our wide range. Using food-safe lab tested glazes, you’ll learn how to apply glaze, understand colour results, and prepare work safely for the final firing. Studio glazes, materials, equipment and a $10 credit on purchase from our bisqueware range are provided. Finished work will be fired by the studio, at $15 per kilo.
Illustration Class (3.0 hours) $120 book see availability and book with a credit card
Learn decorative techniques using specialised coloured materials and explore surface illustration across all stages of clay — raw, bisque, and glazed. Work with your own pieces or use studio-provided forms, ranging from leather-hard pots, bisque-fired pots and finished glaze ware. All materials are supplied, with additional options available if you’d like to continue experimenting.
The Pottery Shed was conceived in 2010 and established by American pottery teacher Joe Darling. The studio and the classes are beautifully organised to achieve the best success. It is always open so please drop in to look at it yourself.
We have training levels to suit raw beginners and intermediate levels. We use white midfire earthenware, terra cotta midfire and full-fire raku clay.
We fire to varying temperatures.
Over the two hours, each class is divided similarly with an introduction, a demonstration, then a hands-on sessions with the clay and taking it step-by-step. The instructors will explain the purpose and principals behind the lesson. Use as much clay as you need to understand the task. You may try and fail a few times, but with some concentration and luck, you'll have learned the basic. The clay from failed attempts or from the those made just for practice is completely recycled at the studio and used again.
Regardless of the outcome from any class, everyone may progress to the next with pre-made forms provided. Project storage is provided.
The trimming class is your second to be followed up as soon as possible, or within 4 weeks. This second class teaches a new set of tools and techniques to trim excess leather-hard clay to form a foot, join, shape and decorate the project. Your project will then be cured, fired and made ready for glazing. This process will take up to 14 days, you'll be emailed as soon as your project is ready.
The Glazing class is where you get to paint-on glaze to decorate your project and prepare it for its final firing. Within 14 days it becomes a functional piece that you can use and enjoy. You'll be email alerted when it's ready for pick up. We have food-safe and brilliantly coloured glazes and underglazes from Blackwattle, Cesco, Walker and Northcote.
It's smart to book all three classes at the same time or 10 days early. Spread the classes out 14 days apart and use practice sessions between to improve. Last-minute booking attempts are often disappointing.
Classes are instructor guided and include an intro, demo and step-by-step walk-through for each basic skills class: Throwing, Trimming and Glazing.
Sessions are independent practice time at any level to improve all skills. Instructors may not be available so classes can be reviewed.
Workshops are instructor guided practice time designed for new potters learning intermediate skills after at least 5-10 practice sessions.
After your beginner 3-class course, or as practice between classes, students are welcome to continue developing their skills and confidence through sessions as a Returning Student at a discounted rate. These sessions are 2-hour bookings that offer students the opportunity to come in and use The Shed’s space and materials to practice their creative skills independently.
The Pottery Shed's booking system is fully automated and self-managed online. From the moment you book your session it’ll be confirmed, updated and connected via email and SMS. This way, you can manage your bookings and monitor your projects from home to gain the full experience.
The first 3 classes are $79 each. Returning Student sessions are $49, or even less with our weekly membership. Everything is included in the cost of a class. We provide materials, training, clay and equipment.
The Pottery Shed is located in a new warehouse at 656 Crown St, Surry Hills, NSW 2010. Near the corner of Crown Street and Cleveland Street.
The Shed is open daily with AM and PM classes available daily. Closed Tuesdays. To book your first pottery class, see above in the BOOK A CLASS section of this site.
Please remember that comfortable pants are needed to sit close up to the wheel. Long hair should be tied back, fingernails trimmed and don’t wear hand jewellery.
Further enquiries please use the contact form below.
Give a beautiful gift of pottery skills with our single class or multi-pack gift certificates. These are valid for 12 months. The Recipient will be able to choose when their specific class event will be.
Redeemable at:
After checkout your personalised gift certificate will be immediately generated and emailed to you as a linked PDF.
The Pottery Shed is located 12 minute walk from Central Station. 656 Crown Street, Surry Hills, NSW 2010. 12 week pre-booking recommended.
Please use the contact form below for queries and bookings.
Drop By. All Welcome.
Give us a call (+61411950409), though with our hands constantly in clay a phone call can be difficult. Best is this form, an SMS or an email. Feel free to also come by for a chat, cup of coffee or just browse the facility and the pottery we sell.