Handbuilt Jewelry Trays for Mothers’ Day

Create a beautiful gift to give for Mothers’ Day, or make lasting memories with friends and family on Mothers’ Day itself!

No prior clay experience necessary!

Create a beautiful gift to give for Mothers’ Day, or make lasting memories with friends and family on Mothers’ Day itself! Using classic, simple Hand Building techniques, you will make and personalize a heart-shaped tray for storing jewelry, coins, or paperclips!

Example heart-shaped jewelry trays

Choose your color, and we will glaze and fire your creation for later pick-up 

Choose from one of three workshop times:

Tuesday morning, April 29, 10:00 am - 12:00 noon

Thursday evening, May 1, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Sunday (Mothers’ Day), May 11, 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Grab your spot now!

No experience necessary. Open to ages 10+  

Max. number of students per session: 8

Instructor: Abby Kiracofe

www.stauntonclayground.com/classes-courses-workshops#one-day-handbuilding-workshop-heart-tray-may-2025-abby-kirakofe

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Two New Kids' Workshops in March and April to Celebrate Spring and Mother's Day! Plus, Our Foundational Pottery Wheel Class For Adults Starts Tuesday, and It Still Has Spots Open!

Springtime is just around the corner, which means it’s time to get little hands busy celebrating by creating! We’ve got two different kids’ workshops planned to do just that. Join instructor Brooke Fawley to celebrate the return of brighter days and the first flowers popping up by making a blossom-shaped tea-light candle holder out of clay in the one-day workshop Terrific Tea Lights in March! Then, in April, kids can join us for a 2-part Mother’s Day workshop, Teacups for Mom!

Hello, Friends of the Staunton Clayground!

The season of new growth and renewal is just around the corner, which means it’s time to get little hands busycelebrating springtime by creating! We’ve got two different kids’ workshops planned to do just that.

Join instructor Brooke Fawley to celebrate the return of brighter days and the first flowers popping up by making a blossom-shaped tea-light holder out of clay! Terrific Tea Lights is A One-Day Kids’ Workshop for ages 7 to 12, taking place on a Saturday morning from 10:00–11:30 a.m., on March 29, 2025.

Pick-up in time for Easter, not to mention Mother’s Day!

Making this flower-like vessel will teach attendees the basics of handbuilding using clay, plus they are a lot of fun! Brooke will help students to pick a glaze color that compliments their pieces, and they will come back on Saturday, April 12, to pick up their finished, fired tea-light holders, well in time for Easter and for Mother’s Day! Make Mom a gift that will brighten not only her day, but her every evening!

Then, in April, kids can join us for another Kids’ Workshop! A Teacup for Mom: A Three-Hour Mother’s Day Workshop In Two Parts (Ages 8–12) – Saturday afternoons, 1:00–2:30 pm, April 12 & 26, 2025.

Tea? Coffee? Whatever Mom wants to put in it, it will be sure to be flavored with love!

Kids will have a chance to make a handmade gift from the heart, as well as a great chance to learn and build on foundational skills for crafting functional handbuilt pottery. In the first session, instructor Brooke Fawley will teach attendees how to build a teacup by hand out of clay. During the second session, kids will get to paint their teacups with underglazes, adding designs of their choosing. Pickup at 1:00 pm on Saturday, May 3… in time for Mother’s Day! What better way to tell Mom you appreciate her than by “treating” her to a nice cup of tea?

What’s going on for grown-ups, you ask? Well, we have quite a few wheel throwing and handbuilding classes and workshops starting over the next several weeks. In fact, you could still join us for our very next class, starting this coming week: Foundational Pottery Wheel For All Levels – Beginner and Up: Mastering And Building On Basic Skills: Tuesday evenings, 5:00–7:15, March 11–April 29, 2025.

Grown-ups need playtime, too!

Come join instructor Valya Boutenko to learn the foundational skills you need to throw functional pottery on the wheel! Students will gain confidence while  centering clay and throwing basic forms such as cylinders, cups andbowls. The class will focus on mastering the simple throwing and trimming techniques you need to begin creating your own work on your own, and will cover pulling handles for mugs as well as glazing techniques.

First-time beginners are welcome!

Not the right time/day for you? Check out the comprehensive list of our upcoming classes and workshops to see them all and find your perfect fit!

We have so many great things in the works. Look out for a new newsletter with even more fun to be had, coming very soon!

We can’t wait for you to come clay with us! 😃

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Flash Sale! 10% Off Our Holiday Workshops for Kids and Families, Now Through Midnight on Monday! Come clay for the holidays!

Today is Small Business Saturday! 😃 To celebrate, we have created a FLASH SALE! Today through Cyber Monday, December 2 at 11:59 pm, you can enter the discount code “SMALLBIZ10” (that’s the number ten at the end, there) when purchasing any of our upcoming holiday workshops for kids and families to get 10% off the ticket price!

Good morning, dear friends of the Staunton Clayground!

We hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your families and friends and are enjoying a great post-holiday weekend!

Today is Small Business Saturday! 😃 To celebrate, we have created a FLASH SALE! Today through Cyber Monday, December 2 at 11:59 pm, you can enter the discount code “SMALLBIZ10” (that’s the number ten at the end, there) when purchasing any of our upcoming holiday workshops for kids and families to get 10% off the ticket price!

For more info on all of these, you can visit the “Holiday Workshops” section of our online shop by clicking this link!

These workshops are great fun and are a wonderful way to get into the holiday spirit. They make great gifts, too!

Have a wonderful weekend, stay cozy, and we hope to see you soon at the Staunton Clayground!

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Last Call For 2024 Wheel Classes! Our final wheel classes of the year start this week (and one starts today!)

Last call for 2024 Wheel Classes! Our final wheel classes of the year start this week (and one starts today!) All of these classes are great opportunities to learn, play, have fun and make handmade gifts this holiday season! Come clay with us!

It’s that time of the year! Thinking ahead to the holidays, putting things in the calendar and realizing that they’re going to be happening in 2025! It’s hard to believe. However, there is still so much of 2024 to enjoy! The autumn is still in its full glory and, I don’t know about you, but all of my favorite holidays are yet to come!

What else is still to come? Our last wheel classes of 2024!

We still have spaces in two Pottery Wheel Classes for All-Level Beginners. Join us Wednesday evenings from 6:00–8:00 pm, from October 20–December 11 (with November 27 off for Thanksgiving week).

Or, jump in on our last wheel weekend class of the year, starting today! It will run Saturday afternoons from 3:00–5:00, from October 26–December 7 (with a break on November 30 for Thanksgiving weekend) and there are still two open spots waiting to be claimed! It’s not too late!

Then, for those of you who already know how to throw a basic cylinder or bowl form, we have Beyond Basics on the Pottery Wheel, starting this week and running Tuesday evenings, from 5:00–7:15 pm, October 29–December 17. You can still grab your spot!

All of these classes are great opportunities to learn, play, have fun and make handmade gifts this holiday season!

Also, don’t forget that next weekend is the start of our next Kids’ Workshop: Build A Pinch-Pot Turkey, taking place over two Saturdays, November 2 & 16, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, for kids ages 7–12.

More holiday workshops, along with 2025 wheel and handbuilding classes, are coming soon, so keep an eye on our Classes, Courses & Workshops page and stay tuned for more fun!

Wishing you all a great weekend, and hope to see you soon at the Staunton Clayground!

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Two New Pottery Wheel Classes Starting Next Week! Wed. & Thurs. Evenings (Plus a Saturday Kids' Class!)

If you have been waiting to jump on the pottery wheel, the time is now! We have two Pottery Wheel For All-Level Beginners classes starting!

The first will be on Wednesday evenings from 6:00–8:00 pm, and will run from September 18–October 23.

The second, will run on Thursday evenings from 5:00–7:15 pm, from September 19–November 14 (with a break for the week of Halloween, which falls on Thurs., Oct. 31).

There are still spots left in both of these classes, but don’t wait too long to claim your place! Sign-ups close on Tuesday, Sept. 17 at noon!

And don’t forget, our first kids’ class is kicking off next Saturday, September 21, too! From 10 a.m.–12:00 noon on Sat., Sept. 21 and Sat., Oct. 5, kids ages 7–12 can make their very own pinch-pot pumpkin. What a great way to welcome the fall!

Hello, dear friends of the Staunton Clayground!

It’s almost mid-September and that means that our new fall classes are getting started next week! It’s hard to believe, but we are so excited that it’s finally time!

If you have been waiting to jump on the pottery wheel, the time is now! We have two Pottery Wheel For All-Level Beginners classes starting!

The first, taught by our brand new teacher Mary Tuttle, who we are very excited to welcome on board, will be on Wednesday evenings from 6:00–8:00 pm, and will run from September 18–October 23. Click here to read the details and register for this class!

The second, taught by Valya Boutenko, who we are so glad is staying on with us after a very successful first 3 courses at the Staunton Clayground this summer, will run on Thursday evenings from 5:00–7:15 pm, from September 19–November 14 (with a break for the week of Halloween, which falls on Thurs., Oct. 31). Click here to read the details and claim your spot in this class!

There are still spots left in both of these classes, but don’t wait too long to claim your place! Sign-ups close on Tuesday, Sept. 17 at noon!

Photos of finished pottery by Staunton Clayground students

Yes, all of those finished pots are pieces that beginner potters have made in previous courses at the Staunton Clayground!

And don’t forget, our first kids’ class is kicking off next Saturday, September 21, too! From 10 a.m.–12:00 noon on Sat., Sept. 21 and Sat., Oct. 5, kids ages 7–12 can join artist, art teacher and Studio member Christy Pilson to make their very own pinch-pot pumpkin. What a great way to welcome the fall! Click here to read the details and claim a spot!

Pinchpot pumpkin

We have playtime for kids, too! 😃

So grab your spots while you can! The fall is nearly upon us and it’s time to jump in and clay!

None of the classes in this email quite what you’re looking for? Check out our full list of fall classes here!

We’ll see you at the Staunton Clayground!

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Our First Kids’ Classes Are Live! Pumpkins, Turkeys, Penguins and Fairy Houses! Woohoo!

We are finally ready to begin rolling out our first ever workshops for kids!!! We have chances to build pumpkins, turkeys, fairy houses and penguins! I know a lot of you have been waiting a long time and so, without further ado…

Let’s jump into fall fun!

Hello, dear Friends of the Staunton Clayground!

It’s been a couple of weeks since we posted our first adult fall classes, and now we are finally ready to begin rolling out our first ever workshops for kids!!! We have chances to build pumpkins, turkeys, fairy houses and penguins! I know a lot of you have been waiting a long time and so, without further ado…

Let’s jump into fall fun! Join us at the Staunton Clayground from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon on Saturday, Sept. 21 and Saturday, Oct. 5, for our first ever kids’ workshop, open to children ages 7–12!

In the first two-hour session, attendees will learn the pottery technique of handbuilding a pinch-pot, which they will then turn into a pumpkin. Two weeks later, they return to decorate their finished creations using underglazes and glazes. Kids will learn skills they can build on to make all kinds of creations in the future!

Pick-up of fired pieces on Saturday, October 12, with plenty of time to enjoy them and incorporate them into Halloween and Thanksgiving decorating!

Speaking of Thanksgiving, kids ages 7–12….

There’s a chill in the air and… do I smell pumpkin pie? That must mean it’s time to get a turkey for your table! Kids ages 7–12 can join us at the Staunton Clayground from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon on Saturday, Nov. 2 and Saturday, Nov. 16 to create your very own ceramic turkey. In the first session, kids will learn how to handbuild a pot using the pinch-pot technique, then add coils and other decorative elements to transform it into a beautiful Thanksgiving bird! In the second session, they’ll use underglazes and glazes to give it color and personality. Turkeys will be ready for pick-up the following Saturday, Nov. 23, in time to grace the holiday table!

This next one is for kids ages 12–100! With Halloween just around the corner and Hogwarts back in session, and there’s magic in the air!

Join us at the Staunton Clayground from 1:00–3:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 5 and from 1:00–3:00 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19, and build your very own fairy house. Whether it sits in your garden or on your mantle, it’s sure to attract some faerie folk!

In the first 2.5-hour session, attendees will design and hand-build their house out of clay. Two weeks later, they will return for a 2-hour session to decorate their finished creations using underglazes and glazes. The skills used in this workshop can be applied to make countless artistic creations! Pick-up of fired pieces on Saturday, October 26.

Last but not least, kids ages 6–12cold days are coming! When I think of winter, I think of wooly scarves, hot cocoa, a blanket of fresh white snow and… penguins! Come join us at the Staunton Clayground from 2:00–3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23 and Saturday, Dec. 7 to build a ceramic penguin!

In the first session, kids will learn how to use clay to build and sculpt their feathered friend. In the second session, they’ll use underglazes and glazes to bring it to joyful life. Penguins will be ready for pick-up the following Saturday, Dec. 14, in time cheer your household through the holiday season and beyond!

We have more special workshops for adults scheduled for October, so look for those postings very soon!

Keep watching this space, and we’ll see you soon at the Staunton Clayground!

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