All workshops
2 hours8 and up, with an adult under 14Beginner — no experience needed

Make a Personalised Pet Bowl in Dharamshala

A heavy, food-safe bowl with your dog's name on it, wide enough at the base that it stays put at mealtimes.

A two-hour pet bowl workshop at Mita Pottery Studio in Rakkar, Dharamshala. You make a heavy-based, food-safe bowl for a cat or a small-to-medium dog, with your pet's name on it. ₹1,200 per person with about 600 g of clay, glaze and firing included. Ready to collect 3–6 weeks later.

Illustration of a heavy cream pet bowl with paw prints pressed around the side and a blue insideIllustration
The studio's golden retriever looking up at the camera

Duration

2 hours — 90 min making, 30 min clean-up

Group size

Up to 6 guests

Price

₹1,200 / person

Firing

Clay, glaze and firing included

Skill level

Beginner — no experience needed

Age

8 and up, with an adult under 14

Takeaway

After firing · 3–6 weeks

What you'll take home

Illustration of a speckled ceramic pet bowl filled with kibbleIllustration
Size
One bowl for a cat or a small-to-medium dog
Clay
About 600 g, with a heavy base so it doesn't slide
Care
Food-safe and dishwasher-safe

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

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

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

*Workshop:* Personalised Pet Bowl (2 hours)
*Preferred date:* Flexible — suggest a date
*Preferred time:* Flexible — any time
*Guests:* 1 · ₹1,200 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

The studio has a resident golden retriever who supervises every session, so pet bowls are taken seriously here. The bowl you make is wide and heavy at the base so it doesn't slide or tip, with your dog's or cat's name stamped or carved into the side.

It is about 600 g of clay, glazed in a food-safe finish, and built to be filled twice a day for years.

What you'll do

You start with a thick, wide base: pinched or coiled, depending on the size your pet needs. Madhumita helps you get the wall even and the rim rounded so it is comfortable for a muzzle. Then the personal part: your pet's name in letter stamps or carved by hand, paw prints, bones, or a pattern of your own.

You choose a food-safe glaze for the inside and a colour for the outside. For a matching water bowl, book a second seat and make the pair.

The session, step by step

  1. 01Welcome, chai, and a hello from the studio dog
  2. 02Choose the size for your pet
  3. 03Build the wide, heavy base and walls
  4. 04Round the rim and smooth the inside
  5. 05Name, paw prints and decoration
  6. 06Choose a food-safe glaze

The session, in motion

  • 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 matching pair of sage-green food and water bowlsIllustration

    Food and water pair

  • Illustration of a shallow white cat dish with a fish-bone patternIllustration

    A shallow cat dish

  • Illustration of a rust-glazed bowl with bone shapes carved around itIllustration

    Carved bones

  • Illustration of a round ceramic ornament with a brown paw print and a ribbonIllustration

    A paw-print keepsake

What's included

About 600 g of clay, all tools and letter stamps, guidance throughout, chai, and both firings with a food-safe glaze. Glaze and firing are included.

Wear & bring

Your pet's name spelled as you want it, and a rough idea of their current bowl's size.

Who this is for

Dog and cat owners, people making a gift for someone's new puppy, and families who want the children to help make the bowl.

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 food-safe and dishwasher-safe?

Yes. It is glazed in a food-safe finish and fired to stoneware temperature, so it is safe for food, water and the dishwasher.

What size should I make for my breed?

Bring your pet's current bowl size or weight and Madhumita will help you size it. The 600 g allowance makes a bowl for a cat or a small-to-medium dog; for a large breed, book a second seat for the extra clay.

Can I make a cat bowl?

Yes. Cats usually prefer a wide, shallow dish, which the same clay makes easily.

Can my dog come along?

Well-behaved dogs are welcome. The studio is on the first floor, up stairs, and our own dog will want to say hello.

Can I add my pet's paw print?

Yes, if your pet is with you and agreeable. Otherwise we have paw-print stamps.

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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

₹1,200/ person

2 hours · any open day

Request a slot