What Is Intro to Wheel Throwing in Denver?
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Intro to Wheel Throwing is where most people start at Claya: a small-group class in RiNo that takes you from “I’ve never touched clay” to cups and bowls you actually made. Learn the wheel, then keep going.
If you’ve been searching for intro to wheel throwing in Denver and wondering what that really means, here’s the friendly version.
Learn the wheel in six weeks, one step at a time
Wheel throwing is shaping clay on a spinning potter’s wheel. It looks effortless when someone experienced does it, and it feels a little wobbly the first time you try. That’s completely normal. The six-week class is built around that learning curve, so each week adds one new skill:
- Week 1: Centering. Getting the clay steady on the wheel. Everything starts here.
- Week 2: Opening and pulling. Making a floor and raising walls.
- Week 3: Cups and bowls. Your first real forms.
- Week 4: Trimming. Cleaning up the bottoms and adding a foot.
- Week 5: Throwing taller. Stretching what you can make.
- Week 6: Glazing. Adding color to the pieces you’re proudest of.
Your teacher meets you where you are. Some people center on night one; some take a couple of weeks. Both are fine, and both end up with pieces to take home.
Who it’s for
Absolute beginners, mostly. It’s also a great refresher if your last time on a wheel was a high school art class. You don’t need to be “artsy,” and you don’t need to bring anything but clothes you don’t mind getting a little clay on.
What it costs and what’s included
The six-week Intro to Wheel Throwing class is $300–$325. That includes clay, tools, an apron, the glaze library and all firing for class, plus student open studio during your course, so you can come practice between classes (clay during open studio is available for purchase on the shelf near the aprons). You can pick up your finished pieces within about a week of your last class.
Open sections right now:
- Friday with Jesse: 12–2:30 PM, $300, starts October 30
- Monday with Mary (daytime): 12–2:30 PM, $300, starts November 9
Sold out: Sunday with Ethan (Dinnerware Sets, starts November 1) and Monday evening with Mary (6–8:30 PM, starts November 9).
Seats go quickly, so check the class page for which nights still have room.
Not ready for six weeks?
That’s okay too. A one-night workshop is a fun, low-pressure way to get your hands in clay, and private lessons are $70 per person per hour for 1 to 3 people (1.5-hour standard lesson) if you’d like a teacher all to yourself. You can see everything side by side on our pricing page.
Where to find us
Claya, our pottery studio in Denver, is at 3440 Walnut Street in the RiNo Arts District, with street parking nearby and the 38th & Blake light rail station a short walk away. Retail studio hours are Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday 10am–6pm, and Sunday by appointment. Class times are listed on each class.
If you’ve been curious about the wheel for a while, this is your sign. We’d love to have you. Browse all pottery classes in Denver or start with the beginner guide.