Face Mug Workshop in Denver: What You Make in One Night

If you have been searching for a face mug workshop in Denver, this is the short version: one night, one sculpted mug, $50. You slab-build a mug from scratch, give it a face, and finish with underglaze color. You do not need any pottery experience, and you do not need to commit to six weeks on the wheel.

The next Face Mug Workshop is Friday, September 25, 2026, from 6:00 to 9:00 PM at Claya, 3440 Walnut Street in RiNo. Twelve seats. Taught by Kate Barry, a Denver potter and Claya member who teaches this project regularly.

What you actually make

You leave having built a mug with a personality. Eyes, lips, ears, brows, glasses, hair, a crooked little smile — whatever the mug is calling for. The night is handbuilding, not wheel throwing. You start with a slab, shape the cup, then sculpt the face and paint it with underglaze.

The clay is still wet when you head out. We bisque fire it, clear glaze it, and it is ready for pickup about two weeks later. Work quickly and you may leave with a set, not just one mug.

• Three hours, one night, no prior experience needed
• Clay, templates, tools, underglaze, and all firing included
• Pieces are bisque fired, clear glazed, and ready for pickup about two weeks later
• $50, including materials and firing

Who this night is for

Come if you want a finished object more than a semester. It is a good first pottery night in Denver if you like sculpting, cartoons, or making something that looks like it has opinions. It is also a good one-off if you already throw and just want a handbuilt project that is not a bowl.

It is not a date-night package, and it is not a couples class with a script. Friends are welcome, of course. The point of the night is the mug.

What it is not

A face mug night is not Intro to Wheel Throwing, and it is not a substitute for a six-week course. You will not spend the evening centering clay on a wheel. You will not cover trimming, handles, or a full glaze library the way a multi-week class does.

If you want the longer path, classes start at $280. Intro to Wheel Throwing is the wheel path. Thursday 6 to 9 PM with Sami is $285. Intro to Handbuilding is the six-week handbuilding path, Sunday 1 to 3:30 PM. The face mug workshop is the one-night project: $50, and then you are done unless you want to come back.

How the night sits next to studio hours

This is a booked workshop, not a walk-in and not a tour. Public studio hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday 10am to 6pm, Sunday 10am to 2pm, Wednesday closed. The workshop itself is the Friday evening session on the product page.

We are not open 24/7, and we do not run tours. If you want to see the current dates and grab a seat, book the Face Mug Workshop directly. For the wider beginner mix, start with beginner pottery classes in Denver or the pottery classes collection. Prices for classes and membership live on pricing.