Is there an instructor in both sessions?

No. Session 1 is instructor-led at the pottery wheel. Session 2 is an independent decorating visit without an instructor; Vietclay lays out the glaze colors and tools for you to decorate the pieces you made.

When will my finished pottery be ready?

After the decorating session, Vietclay handles the remaining glaze work and kiln firing. Finished pieces are usually ready in 2–3 weeks for studio collection or delivery.

Where can I find the available dates and times?

Current dates and time slots appear in the booking section on this page. You can review the date, time and number of places before continuing.

How is the workshop different from the basic pottery course?

The workshop is a two-session introduction to throwing and decorating. The basic course is better suited to anyone who wants more repetition, technical development and a structured learning path.

BEGINNER WHEEL-THROWING WORKSHOP · HANOI

Learn to throw on the pottery wheel

The first session is an introduction to the wheel, with an instructor beside you as you find a feel for the clay and throw your first form. Once the work is dry enough, you return to choose from Vietclay’s prepared glaze colors and decorate it in your own time.

Wheel throwing

Instructor-guided Session 1

Continue through the workshop

Workshop details at a glance

Location: Hanoi, Vietnam
Experience: First-timers welcome
Format: Guided throwing · self-paced decorating
Price: VND 600,000 per person
Duration: Two hours each

TWO-SESSION WORKSHOP

600.000đ / person

Sessions available

2 sessions2 hours eachFirst-timers

The first session brings you to the wheel with an instructor beside you. The second is yours to decorate from a prepared glaze palette, without instruction. Clay, tools and firing are included.

FIRST PRINCIPLES

What is wheel throwing?

Wheel throwing is the process of shaping soft clay on a rotating wheel. The hands center the clay, open it and pull up the walls before guiding the form into a cup, bowl, plate or another round vessel.

Hands shaping clay on a spinning pottery wheel — Throwing
Hands steady the clay as the wheel turns

The movement can look fluid and effortless, but the clay responds to small changes in pressure, wheel speed and water. Learning to notice those changes is the beginning of good throwing.

Once a form has been thrown, it is left to dry until leather-hard. At that stage, a foot ring can be trimmed, the profile refined and the surface cleaned before decoration and firing.

The clay and wheel may be the same; the finished form never is.

—The same clay, many possibilities

Some potters work toward quiet, even tableware. Others keep the throwing lines, finger marks and slight shifts that record how the piece was made. Both can begin with the same measured lump of clay.

Because the wheel naturally produces circular forms, it is well suited to cups, bowls, plates and small vases. Within that simple geometry there is still room for a crisp profile, a soft curve or a deliberately loose, expressive rim.

How the wheel and hands work together

The wheel head turns at a steady speed while the hands brace and compress the clay. Centering brings the whole mass into an even rotation; when it is truly centered, it feels still beneath the palms even though the wheel is moving.

A small amount of water reduces friction. One hand opens the center, both hands establish the floor, and steady pressure lifts the clay into walls. The form is then shaped from the inside and outside together.

A finished wheel-thrown piece — A thrown form
Thrown by hand, shaped through movement

Curious to feel how clay moves on the wheel?

Browse the current sessions when you are ready to try centering and shaping a piece for yourself.

SESSION STRUCTURE

Two sessions: throw & decorate

The first session belongs to the wheel, with an instructor beside you as the clay begins to take shape. A few days later, you return to a table laid with glaze colors and tools, ready to decorate in your own time.

01
Session 1 — Guided throwing
An instructor stays beside you at the wheel, helping a centered piece of clay become your first cup, bowl or small plate.
02
Session 2 — Independent decorating
Once the work is dry enough, you return to choose from the glaze colors Vietclay has laid out and decorate at your own pace. This is an independent visit, without instruction.

If you cannot return for independent decorating, let the studio know during Session 1. Where timing allows, you may use the prepared colors before leaving; otherwise, the studio can finish your piece in a selected glaze.

WHAT IS INCLUDED

Tools, materials and firing are included

Clay, apron & tools

Clay, an apron and the hand tools you need are ready when you arrive.

A wheel for each person

In the first session, everyone has a wheel of their own.

An instructor beside you in Session 1

Your instructor observes as you work and steps in when hand position, wheel speed or pressure needs adjusting.

A glaze palette for Session 2

Vietclay lays out the glaze colors and tools for you to decorate independently. There is no instruction during this visit; afterward, the studio completes the glaze work and kiln firing.

600.000đ/ person

Make as many pieces as the session allows
Finished work is glazed and kiln-fired, usually ready in 2–3 weeks
Collect from the studio or arrange delivery

The calendar is for the throwing session; your decorating visit is arranged afterward.

AT THE WHEEL

A look insidethe wheel-throwing workshop

Two students throwing clay on electric pottery wheels at Vietclay — Trying, watching and finding the rhythm together.

A student shaping a ceramic vessel on the pottery wheel — Focused on every fingertip.

A student smiling while shaping clay on the pottery wheel — Let the clay lead the way.

A student focused on shaping clay with both hands — Slowing down for a beat.

A student forming a piece of clay on the pottery wheel — Each touch changes the clay.

A student in red throwing clay on the wheel at Vietclay — An afternoon to try something new.

A student delighted by the ceramic form she has just shaped — A little joy taking shape.

Would you like to spend some time at the wheel?

The booking area below shows dates for instructor-led Session 1. The independent decorating visit is arranged later, once your work is ready.

BOOKING THE WORKSHOP

Find a session that suits you

The calendar below is for the instructor-led throwing session. Once your work is dry enough, the studio will arrange your independent decorating visit with you.

Dates coming soonWorkshop dates will appear here when booking opens.

August 2026

New dates will appear here when Vietclay reopens booking.

Booking summary

Beginner Wheel-Throwing Workshop

Dates coming soon

StatusDates coming soon

DateNot available yet

TimeNot available yet

People-

PriceTo be announced

This is not a reservation yet. Vietclay will contact you when dates are available.

FAQ

Practical questions before you begin

A few useful notes about the two sessions, the work you make and what happens after firing.

Choose a question for the details

No. Session 1 begins with posture, wheel speed and hand position before moving into centering, opening and pulling the clay. The instructor stays nearby throughout that first session.

Choose a session when the timing suits you.

The booking calendar shows the dates, times and remaining places currently available.

WAYS TO CONTINUE

More ways to work with clayOne studio, several ways to work with clay

Begin with a guided introduction, build your skills through a course, or use the studio for independent practice.

Students throwing clay on electric pottery wheels at Vietclay

Wheel-throwing workshop

Guided throwing in the first session, followed by independent decorating.

Choose a session

Basic pottery course

A structured foundation taught over several sessions.

View the course

Studio rental

Independent studio time for potters with the basic skills to work safely on their own.

Explore the studio

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa

Learn to throw on the pottery wheel

Workshop details at a glance

What is wheel throwing?

Two sessions: throw & decorate

Session 1 — Guided throwing

Session 2 — Independent decorating