The Hobby Potters Box of Tools on the Cheap!
Let’s be honest, no one wants to spend money if they don’t have to. My hobby pottery journey began on a strict budget (and I continue to keep it that way), so thinking creatively about tools and education has always been a must!
Here’s my quick list of freebie, recyclables or super cheap tools that every hobby potter should have in their arsenal.
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Straws, Coffee Stir Sticks (plastic and wooden) – Perfect for creating holes, textures or to help smooth and blend. Easy cleaning tip: (allow the clay to dry and it will easily fall out of the straw for cleaning).
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Old Toothbrushes: For creating textures, applying glazes and helpful for cleaning those tools with hard to reach places.
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Dental Floss: For slicing clay and cutting pottery from the wheel.
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Bark, Leaves, Rocks, Buttons, shells: Textures and more textures! To create natural patterns and designs.
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Old Earrings/Jewelry/ Necklaces: Again, to create unique textures in clay OR to custom make your own bisque stamp textures!
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Plastic Utensils from drive-thru meals. If you need to mix, scoop, cut or scrape.
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Newspaper (from junk mail ads), Old Towels & Sheets. Free and repurposed protection for tables when glazing. Sheets are the best for creating smooth textures when rolling slabs!
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Bubble Wrap/Air-Filled Packing – (Another use for Amazon Prime packaging 😀 ) For propping and cushioning while hand-building.
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Plastic Credit Cards: Extremely versatile! If you are going to cut them up, do it creatively and make your self custom-designed tools. Great for scraping, smoothing and trimming angles for throwing.
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Pencils/ Pens/ Toothpicks Poking holes, drawing on bisque or creating textures.
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Plastic Ice Cream Buckets/Tubs (Don’t buy buckets, buy Ice Cream!) Mixing glazes or holding throwing water.
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Plastic Grocery bags for covering pottery to control drying.
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Pickle & Peanut Butter Containers with Lids: For mixing liquids cleaning brushes, storing slips.
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Kids Toys: My favorite handle making tool was my kid’s abandoned Playdough extruder and cookie c!utters
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Oatmeal Containers: Forms for hand-building vases and sculptures.
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Freebee Box at Yardsales: Look for kitchen tools and craft boxes focusing textures, forms and storage. Think, “How can you use this differently?”
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$1 Tools at the Dollar Store! – This is what I found in my local Dollar Tree!
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Plastic ketchup and mustard bottles (slip trail applicators).
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Placemats (for texture)
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Cake decorating tools/ icing bags
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Exacto knife,
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Rolling pin, cookie sheets, wooden spoons…and the list goes on! The possibilities are ENDLESS!
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These are just brain ice breakers and basics to help you think about how to use everyday items differently!
Keep your eyes open the possibilities are LIMITLESS!
Bonus: Here is a fun project for making Organic Handbuilt Dishware!