Make Your Own Mug
No wheel required — build a genuinely one-of-a-kind mug entirely by hand using pinch and slab techniques, the way pottery started.
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:* Make Your Own Mug (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
This is the mug you'll actually reach for every morning — because you made it, slightly wonky handle and all. Using pinch and slab hand-building techniques (no wheel needed), you'll shape, join, and finish a mug entirely with your hands, at your own pace, with Madhumita guiding the joins so it holds up to daily use.
What you'll do
You'll start by pinching a small ball of clay into a rough vessel form — pressing your thumb into the center and slowly turning and thinning the walls, the oldest hand-building technique there is. From there, Madhumita will show you how to roll out a clay slab and cut/shape a handle, then — the trickiest part — how to properly score and slip the joins so the handle actually stays attached through drying and firing rather than cracking off (a common first-timer mistake she'll help you avoid).
Once your form and handle are joined, you'll smooth the seams, refine the shape and rim, and optionally add texture or simple surface decoration before choosing a glaze. The result is a genuinely personal, slightly imperfect, entirely yours ceramic mug.
The session, step by step
- 01Welcome, apron on, intro to pinch and slab techniques
- 02Pinch your base vessel form
- 03Roll and cut a slab for your handle
- 04Score, slip, and attach the handle properly
- 05Smooth seams, refine shape and rim
- 06Optional texture/surface decoration
- 07Choose your glaze
- 08Studio dries, bisque-fires, and glaze-fires your mug
What's included
Clay, all tools, guided instruction, and chai. Bisque firing, glazing & glaze firing — all included at no extra cost.
Wear & bring
Clothes you don't mind getting a bit dusty/clay-streaked. Tie back long hair. No specific footwear needed — hand-building is less messy than wheel work.
Who this is for
Anyone who wants a genuinely practical, everyday takeaway (a mug you'll use, not just display), guests intimidated by the wheel, and families or friend groups who want to sit together and work at a shared table rather than individual wheels.
Meet Madhumita
Madhumita believes hand-building is the most honest entry point into pottery — no machine, no wheel, just clay and your hands. She pays particular attention to handle-joining technique in this session, since it's the single most common reason a first-timer's mug doesn't survive firing intact.
— 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
Will the handle actually hold?+
If scored, slipped, and joined properly — which Madhumita checks on every piece before it goes to firing — yes. This is the main technical risk in hand-built mugs, and it's specifically addressed in this session.
Can I make something other than a mug?+
The session is structured around mug-making (pinch base + slab handle), but Madhumita can usually accommodate a small bowl or cup instead if you'd rather skip the handle step.
Is this good for kids?+
Yes — children 12 and up are welcome. Hand-building is generally the most accessible session the studio offers.
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