Pinch Pot

How to make a hemispherical form with a ball of clay and your thumb.

Form a ball of clay

Open

Place the ball of clay in your palm and with your other hand press your thumb into the ball of clay.

Pinch in to make the bottom

Start by holding sphere in the palm of the less dominant hand and inserting the thumb from the dominant hand 2/3 of the way in to create an opening. Don't go all the way through.

Pinch and rotate

The pinch pots are formed by gently pinching the clay walls while rotating the sphere to even out and thin the walls of the pot. Pressure should be consistent and any cracks should be smoothed by rubbing across them as soon as they form.