Botanical Pottery
Forage, press, and imprint real leaves and flowers from the Dhauladhar foothills into your own one-of-a-kind ceramic piece.
Duration
1 hour
Group size
Up to 6 guests
Price
₹2,500 / person
Skill level
Beginner — no experience needed
Age
12 and up
Takeaway
After firing · 3–6 weeks
Before you book
Glazing takes 3–6 weeks
Two firings, so finished pieces are ready 3–6 weeks later.
Fees are non-refundable
Fixed rates, no discounts, and no refunds — including no-shows.
Handmade, not commercial
Beginner pieces sometimes break in the making — that's normal.
Trimming and shaping can't be promised
Uneven first-attempt walls can't always be trimmed — we try, no guarantees.
Extra time is ₹1,500/hour
Sessions run for the booked duration; longer is ₹1,500 an hour.
Full studio terms are below — worth two minutes before you request a slot.
Request a slot
Tell us when suits you. We'll confirm the exact time and hold your spot on WhatsApp — usually within a few hours.
Preview your message
Hi Mita Pottery Studio! I'd like to request a workshop slot. *Workshop:* Botanical Pottery (1 hour) *Preferred date:* Flexible — suggest a date *Preferred time:* Flexible — any time *Guests:* 1 · approx ₹2,500 total *Name:* — Sent from the workshop page on mitapottery.com
Opens WhatsApp with everything filled in — just hit send. Nothing is charged here; we confirm the slot and payment together. Cancellation policy
Prefer to call? +91 88796 54294
Some of the most beautiful pottery isn't shaped by hand alone — it's shaped by what grows around it. In this workshop, you'll walk away with a piece that carries a literal imprint of the hills: a fern frond, a marigold petal, a sprig from the studio's own garden, pressed permanently into clay. It's slow, textural, and a little bit like keeping a pressed-flower journal — except this one holds water.
What you'll do
You'll start with a short walk through the studio's garden (or a curated basket of local leaves and flowers if the weather isn't cooperating) to choose the botanicals you want to work with — everything from delicate fern leaves to sturdier marigold and bougainvillea petals tends to press best. Madhumita will show you how to roll out a clay slab to an even thickness, and how much pressure to use so a leaf's veins show up crisp instead of smudging.
From there, you'll press your chosen botanicals into the slab, peel them back to reveal the imprint, and shape the slab into a functional form — a shallow dish, a small planter, or a wall-hung piece, depending on what you press and how the clay behaves. Madhumita will help you clean the edges, add a base or feet if needed, and talk through glaze options that'll bring out the texture once it's fired (a clear or matte glaze tends to let the botanical detail read clearly; she'll show samples).
The session, step by step
- 01Welcome, apron on, quick studio tour
- 02Forage or select botanicals from the garden basket
- 03Demo: rolling an even clay slab
- 04Press and imprint your chosen leaves/flowers into the clay
- 05Shape your piece (dish, planter, or wall piece)
- 06Clean edges, finish the form, choose your glaze
- 07Studio cleans and stores your piece for bisque + glaze firing
What's included
Clay, all tools, botanicals from the studio garden, guided instruction, and light refreshments (chai). Bisque firing, glazing & glaze firing — all included at no extra cost.
Wear & bring
Clothes you don't mind getting a little dusty. Long hair tied back is helpful. Trimmed fingernails make pressing detail easier, though it's not required.
Who this is for
Nature lovers, anyone who wants a genuinely unique souvenir of the hills (not a generic one), and guests who find repetitive, textural handwork calming rather than stressful.
Meet Madhumita
Madhumita founded Studio Mita as a space for creative exploration and quiet unwinding — pressing local botanicals into clay is one of her favorite ways to connect guests to where they actually are, not just what pottery technique they're learning. She's happy to point out which local plants press best and share a bit about what's currently blooming around Rakkar.
— ceramic artist & founder, Studio Mita
Read her full storyStudio terms
What to expect, in full
These apply to every session at the studio. Please read them before requesting a slot — booking means you're happy with them.
Glazing takes 3–6 weeks+
Glazing involves two separate firings, so your piece is ready 3–6 weeks after the session. We'll message you as soon as it's out of the kiln — there's no need to follow up before then, as firing times can't be sped up regardless of check-ins. Pieces not collected within one month of being ready are discarded, as we have limited storage space.
Fees are non-refundable+
Our rates are fixed and don't include discounts. Fees are non-refundable, including no-shows and cancellations.
Handmade, not commercial+
This is studio pottery — handmade, one piece at a time, with natural variation from one piece to the next. It won't look like the smooth, uniform finish of commercial ceramics, and that's the point, not a flaw. Since workshop pieces are made by beginners, breakage during the process — while shaping, drying, or firing — is a real possibility, not a rare exception. Glaze results can also vary. This is a normal part of learning pottery, and the studio isn't responsible for pieces that don't survive the process.
Trimming and shaping can't be promised+
Whether a piece can be trimmed and shaped properly depends entirely on how it was made. First attempts rarely come out at a consistent thickness, and walls that are uneven — too thin in one place, too heavy in another — can't always be trimmed to a clean profile without the piece collapsing or cracking. We'll always try our best to shape and trim what you've made, but we can't guarantee the outcome. Please don't come expecting commercial-grade perfection from a first build; the wobble is the honest record of your own hands.
Extra time is ₹1,500/hour+
Sessions run for the booked duration. Additional time beyond that is ₹1,500 per hour.
What the session covers+
Extra requests like jewellery, charms, or pieces outside the workshop scope aren't included — the same goes for underglazing and choosing specific glaze colours. All of it can be discussed as a separate add-on booking if you're interested, so do ask.
Your pace, your piece+
Everyone's creative pace is different. We'll guide you through the process, but pottery takes practice — we don't guarantee a specific outcome, and that's part of what makes each piece genuinely yours.
Damage in transit+
Pieces are packaged carefully, but we're not responsible for damage once they leave the studio.
Photography at the studio+
We may photograph the studio and finished pieces for our social media. Let us know if you'd prefer not to be included.
More about this workshop
Do I need to know anything about plants?+
No — Madhumita curates a basket of botanicals that press well, and you're welcome to pick from that if foraging isn't your thing.
Can I take my piece home the same day?+
No — it needs bisque and glaze firing first, which takes 2–3 weeks. You'll be notified when it's ready.
What if my piece cracks or breaks during firing?+
Occasionally happens with thinner botanical impressions — Madhumita will let you know if this affects your piece and can offer a second attempt at a reduced rate where possible.
Cancellation
Fees are non-refundable, including no-shows and cancellations. Tell us as early as you can if plans change.
Accessibility
The studio is on the 1st floor, stairs only. Call or WhatsApp +91 88796 54294 in advance with accessibility questions.
Getting here
First Floor, Ghoomakkad New Bldg, Rakkar Rd, Rakkar, Himachal Pradesh 176057. Directions
₹2,500/ person
1 hour · weekends