Hand-Building Built Pottery with Caroline Bouwense of Clay Tooth Studio

In this beginner-friendly workshop, ceramic artist and teacher Caroline Bouwense will guide us through the steps to turn a ball of clay into your own unique ceramic mug!
Using some of the very oldest methods that our ancestors used to turn earth into vessels, we’ll pinch and form a base and then build up the walls with a coiled roll of clay, thinning and shaping along the way with rhythmic and meditative pinching and turning. Complete your mug with a handle that suits you, and envision it finished as you choose a glaze to be added after its first firing.
Within 3 weeks, once your piece has been dried, fired, glazed, then fired again and its base sanded smooth, it will be ready for you to enjoy or give as a gift–just in time for Mother’s Day!
You can choose a pickup location that’s convenient for you, either at glasshouse community in Zeeland or Clay Tooth Studio, located in northeast Grand Rapids.
Whether you're new to pottery or looking to brush up on your slab skills, this workshop has something to offer. So come get your hands dirty with us, as we create beautiful, functional mugs that will be used for years to come.
We'll have snacks and sips on offer and look forward to greeting you this spring in the glass house. Cheers!

About Caroline Bouwense
I’m Caroline Bouwense (she/her), a ceramic artist and teacher dedicated to guiding others on their clay journey. My cozy home studio is tucked away in the basement of my Creston neighborhood home in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This intimate space is designed to help you focus, grow, and create. Whether you’re stepping into ceramics for the first time or refining your craft, I’m here to partner with you in a setting that feels personal, supportive, and uniquely inspiring.

I believe that each student’s path in ceramics is unique, and I’m here to meet you exactly where you are, whether you’re a curious beginner or an advanced student looking to refine your craft. My greatest joy as a teacher is to provide a place where pottery learning runs deep, with a commitment to skill-building, creative exploration, and personal growth.

about your hosts and the glass house

It's our belief that we're all co-creators with a deep need to create and be known. As Mako Fujimura would say, our creating is an act of love. When we love, we create, and when we create, we love.

We've transformed a century old glass house into a space where we can experience the joy of creating in community. In doing so, we open ourselves up to the possibility of transformation into people of greater love and joy.

We've hosted many different kinds of gatherings here including modern floral design workshops, big old barn dances, a relationships and the enneagram workshop, classes exploring acrylic and watercolor painting, and sourdough bread baking. We love to gather with our community to create together, and we hope you'll join us.

We look forward to an evening of embodied creativity with you!

Much love,

Chris & Becky

Host or Publisher Glass House Community