Make a Ceramic Lampshade in Dharamshala
Build a clay lampshade: pierce it so the light throws a pattern across the room, or ruffle the rim into soft waves like a glazed petal.
A two-and-a-half-hour ceramic lampshade workshop at Mita Pottery Studio in Rakkar, Dharamshala. You build a clay shade, pierced or ruffled, and finish it your way. ₹2,800 per person with up to 1 kg of clay, glaze, firing and a pendant lamp holder included. Ready to collect 3–6 weeks later.
IllustrationDuration
150 minutes — 120 min making, 30 min clean-up
Group size
Up to 3 guests
Price
₹2,800 / person
Firing
Clay, glaze and firing included
Skill level
Beginner — no experience needed
Age
14 and up
Takeaway
After firing · 3–6 weeks
What you'll take home
Illustration- Size
- About 20–25 cm across
- Clay
- Up to 1 kg of stoneware
- Fitting
- Pendant lamp holder included; LED bulbs only
Illustration. Yours will be shaped by your own hands.
Before you book
Glazing takes 3–6 weeks
Two firings, so finished pieces are ready 3–6 weeks later.
Glaze & firing included
The price covers clay, glaze and both firings; shipping & handling is ₹350 a piece.
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:* Ceramic Lampshade (150 minutes) *Preferred date:* Flexible — suggest a date *Preferred time:* Flexible — any time *Guests:* 1 · ₹2,800 total, glaze & firing included *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
A lampshade is the most dramatic thing you can make in an afternoon. In daylight it is a quiet, textured dome. At night it fills the room with whatever you carved into it: a scatter of stars, a ring of leaves, a lattice.
It is one of the largest pieces on the menu, close to a kilo of clay, and takes the studio's biggest kiln shelf.
What you'll do
You roll a slab and drape it over a form to get the dome or cone shape, then smooth and even the wall. Madhumita shows you how to mark out a pattern with a soft pencil and how to pierce it with hole cutters of different sizes, working while the clay is firm enough to hold an edge but soft enough to cut cleanly.
You finish the rim, cut the opening for the fitting, and choose a glaze: inside only, outside only, or left partly raw so the clay shows. After firing, the studio fits a pendant lamp holder.
The session, step by step
- 01Welcome, chai, and finished shades to look at, lit
- 02Roll a slab and drape it over the form
- 03Smooth the wall and set the rim
- 04Mark the pattern
- 05Pierce and carve
- 06Cut the fitting opening, choose a glaze
The session, in motion
Ideas to start from
Directions guests often take. Bring one, mix two, or arrive with nothing and decide at the table.
IllustrationLeaf cut-outs
IllustrationA jaali lattice
IllustrationRibbed, a single ring
IllustrationRuffled, like a petal
What's included
Up to 1 kg of clay, all tools and hole cutters, guidance throughout, chai, both firings and a pendant lamp holder fitted after firing. Glaze and firing are included.
Wear & bring
A pattern idea if you have one (a photo works). Clothes you don't mind getting dusty.
Who this is for
Anyone furnishing a home or a homestay, people who want one statement piece rather than several small ones, and second-time potters ready for something bigger.
Meet Madhumita
Madhumita founded Studio Mita in Rakkar and teaches every session herself. Small tables, one person guiding six at most, and time to get the detail right rather than rushing to the clean-up.
— 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.
Glaze & firing included
Yes. The workshop price covers the session, your clay allowance, tools, guidance, glaze and both firings — there is nothing to pay per piece afterwards. Each workshop's price is set by the piece you make: how much clay it takes and how much kiln space. Studio pickup is free; if you'd like your finished piece sent to you, shipping & handling within India is ₹350 per piece.
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
Is the electrical fitting included?
Yes, a pendant lamp holder is fitted after firing. Connecting it to your ceiling should be done by an electrician.
What bulb should I use?
An LED bulb only, which stays cool. A warm-white filament-style LED shows the pattern best.
How big is it?
About 20–25 cm across, depending on the form you choose.
Can it be shipped?
Yes, within India for ₹350, packed double-boxed. Collecting from the studio is free.
Do I need experience?
No. It is a bigger piece rather than a harder one; the form does the shaping, and Madhumita guides the piercing.
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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
₹2,800/ person
150 minutes · any open day





