All workshops
2 hours12 and upBeginner — no experience needed

Make a Ceramic Name Plate or House Plaque in Dharamshala

Letter your house name in clay, in English or Devanagari, frame it with flowers or a pahadi roofline, and fix it by the door.

A two-hour name plate workshop at Mita Pottery Studio in Rakkar, Dharamshala. You letter a ceramic house plaque in English or Devanagari: a Mughal arch with a jaali border, a pahadi roofline, or hanging hearts with each family name. ₹3,200 per person with glaze, firing and fixings included.

Illustration of two ceramic house plaques, green and blue, each a Mughal arch in a jaali lattice borderIllustration
Illustration of an arched ceramic house plaque with a vine border beside a blue wooden doorIllustration

Duration

2 hours — 100 min making, 20 min clean-up

Group size

Up to 6 guests

Price

₹3,200 / person

Firing

Clay, glaze and firing included

Skill level

Beginner — no experience needed

Age

12 and up

Takeaway

After firing · 3–6 weeks

What you'll take home

Illustration of an arched cream ceramic plaque with a braided border and a blank centreIllustration
Size
About 25 × 18 cm
Scripts
English, Devanagari, or your own
Fixing
Screws and wall plugs included

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.

1 · Preferred date

Leave it blank if you'd rather we suggest a date.

2 · Time that suits you
3 · Guests
1

₹3,200 × 1₹3,200Glaze & firing included

4 · Your name & note
Preview your message
Hi Mita Pottery Studio! I'd like to request a workshop slot.

*Workshop:* Ceramic Name Plate (2 hours)
*Preferred date:* Flexible — suggest a date
*Preferred time:* Flexible — any time
*Guests:* 1 · ₹3,200 total, glaze & firing included
*Name:* —

Sent from the workshop page on mitapottery.com
Send request on WhatsApp

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 house name made by the people who live in it reads differently from one ordered online. Every letter here is raised or carved by your hand, in the script you choose, with the motifs that mean something to the household.

It is fired stoneware, glazed to handle sun and monsoon rain by the front door.

What you'll do

You plan the plaque first: its shape (a Mughal arch inside a jaali border, a rectangle, a tile, or a little house with hanging hearts for each name), the name, the script, and how the letters will sit. Madhumita helps you space the lettering on paper, then transfer it to a slab.

The letters are cut from a thin slab and raised onto the plaque, or carved into it, or pressed with stamps. Around them you add motifs: a vine, a pahadi house, a sun, the house number. Fixing holes go in before firing, and you choose a weatherproof glaze.

The session, step by step

  1. 01Welcome, chai, and finished plaques to look at
  2. 02Plan the shape, the name and the script on paper
  3. 03Roll and cut the plaque
  4. 04Raise, carve or stamp the letters
  5. 05Add motifs and fixing holes
  6. 06Choose a weatherproof glaze

The session, in motion

  • A guest rolling out a clay slab with a wooden pin at the studio's window table

    Rolling the slab

  • A hand pressing a wooden stamp into soft clay

    Stamping a pattern

  • Unglazed cups and dishes stacked on shelves inside a kiln

    Into the kiln

Ideas to start from

Directions guests often take. Bring one, mix two, or arrive with nothing and decide at the table.

  • Illustration of a terracotta plaque carved with a hill house and pine treesIllustration

    A pahadi house

  • Illustration of a ceramic wall hanging of a little house with four hearts on twineIllustration

    A house, a heart for each name

  • Illustration of a striped ceramic hot-air balloon wall hanging with a small tagIllustration

    A hot-air balloon

  • Illustration of a square tile plaque with blue painted floral cornersIllustration

    A painted tile

What's included

Clay, letter stamps and all tools, guidance throughout, chai, both firings, and screws with wall plugs for fixing. Glaze and firing are included.

Wear & bring

The name, spelled exactly as you want it, and the script. A photo of your door or gate helps with sizing.

Who this is for

New homeowners, homestay and café owners, families naming a house together, and people making a housewarming gift.

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 story

Studio 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 it weatherproof outdoors?

Fired, glazed stoneware handles sun and rain well. In places with hard frost, a covered porch or wall gives it the longest life.

Which scripts can I use?

English or Devanagari, or another script if you bring it written out. Letter stamps cover English; other scripts are cut by hand.

Are fixing screws included?

Yes, screws and wall plugs. Holes are made before firing.

How big is it?

About 25 × 18 cm: room for a family name and a house number.

Can it be shipped?

Yes, within India for ₹350. Collecting from the studio is free.

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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

₹3,200/ person

2 hours · any open day

Request a slot