Tea poured, clay ready, cats curious

A private pottery experience just for you

Share a creative moment with your family, friends, or team in a relaxed home-studio setting. With lots of flexibility, choose a day and time that works best for your group!

Visitors have loved getting creative in a welcoming space

“We have loved our workshops with Tessa at Any Clay. The space is awesome and very relaxing; allowing for a beautiful atmosphere to be creative!

Tessa is great at explaining how to use clay, regardless of your age or skill level. I would highly recommend her workshops to everyone, even the not so crafty people!"

- Diane

"Tessa was a warm, welcoming and highly skilled facilitator who made our introduction to her hand building workshop great fun while also learning something new."

- Beck

"I loved the private coil building workshop. Tessa is the perfect mix of instructional, down to earth and laid back.

She created such a beautiful space to connect with friends, have a laugh, and be creative. Would highly recommend"

- Hayley

Imagine this…

You wander down the brick path to your creative haven for the next few hours. My workshop space sits just behind the house, surrounded by plants, sunlight and soft background music. It’s cosy and calm, with tea on hand and the occasional cat popping by to say hello.

I keep the groups small so it always feels relaxed and personal. I’ll guide you through each step - whether you’re making a mug, vase or something totally unique. You don’t need any experience, just a little curiosity.

There’s no rush here. Just good company, a bit of mess and a chance to make something with your hands.

Ceramicist Tessa Smith sits at her workshop table demonstrating coil building for her workshop visitors
A brown tabby cat sitting on some low steps is sniffing a mug of tea

You don’t need to be creative to join

If you’ve never touched clay before - perfect! These workshop experiences are made for beginners; for curious minds that just want to do something with their hands instead of a screen.

They’re also beautiful for shared moments - bring your mum, partner, besties or workmates. Enjoy doing something different together.

Hi, I’m Tessa

What started as an evening pottery class with my sisters in 2016 has slowly grown into a fulfilling ceramic practice where I pursue creative joy and celebrate warmth and playfulness.

Pottery can be a pathway to feeling connected to yourself and others.

Ceramicist Tessa Smith stands at her worktable in her home studio with a rust skivvy on and jeans. Behind her are pine shelves with her pottery tools and drying work

Recognising the need to prioritise connection and fun in daily life, I invite you into my space for cosy hand-building workshops.

My workshops aren’t about making a flawless pot - they’re about the experience of making.

Tessa x

  • Settle in

Settle in with a cuppa and a warm welcome. Aprons are available and I have the cutest little bowls to keep your rings safe.

  • Hands on

I’ll pass you some beautifully tactile clay. I love to start with a little (low pressure) sculpture game to get a quick hit of fun and playfulness - we can skip this if it isn’t your jam. Then I’ll walk you through some basic hand-building methods.

  • Make it yours

Guided by examples or your own ideas, it’s your turn to have a go - shaping, smoothing and getting into the flow. I’m there to provide as much or as little help as you like.

  • Chose your finish

Choose the glaze colours for your creations and I’ll handle the firing and glazing. About 5 weeks later, you’ll come back to pick up your finished pottery!

What to expect?

Two hand are photographed from above, working on creating a small round plant pot. There's clay and tools scattered around on the work surface.

You’ll be provided with the clay, tools and materials you’ll need. I’ll fire your pieces in my kiln and let you know when they’re ready to pick up. Just wear comfy clothes - I’ll take care of the rest.

Everything’s taken care of 

1. Workshop Experience

Choose the experience that best suits you and your group.

2. Group Size

Anywhere from 3 to 8 people. Don’t stress - you can adjust this later if needed.

3. Date and Time

Find a spot that works for you. Weekends tend to fill fast!

4. Small Deposit

Your spot is reserved with a small deposit and I’ll handle everything from there.

Just follow these simple steps:

Choose the experience that suits you best!

Clay Play

$79 per person

For kids and adults with curious minds and shorter attention spans.

1.5 hours 3-8 people

You’ll learn the simple and satisfying technique of pinching clay to form small bowls - perfect for trinkets or tiny treasures.

Then the real fun begins: decorate, sculpt, and play with your piece. Think tiny animals, quirky shapes, or whatever your imagination dreams up - there's no “wrong” way to make.

  • No experience needed - suitable for adults and kids aged 6+

  • Create with stoneware clay - guided by examples and personalised tips

  • Clay, tools and your choice of glaze colour all included

  • I’ll glaze and fire all your pieces (no limits!) - ready for pickup in ~5 weeks

  • Enjoy tea, coffee, and juice - BYO snacks and drinks if you’d like

Clay Craft

$109 per person

For those that want time to slow down and get into the flow of making.

2.5 hours 3-8 people

An unhurried session where you’ll learn two classic hand-building techniques: pinching and coiling. With these simple methods, you can craft pots of varying size and shape - mugs, planters, snack bowls… whatever you feel inspired to make.

There’s plenty of flexibility, so you can follow your own ideas or draw from examples for guidance.

  • No experience needed - suitable for adults and kids aged 10+

  • Create with stoneware clay - guided by examples and personalised tips

  • Clay, tools and your choice of glaze colour all included

  • I’ll glaze and fire all your pieces (no limits!) - ready for pickup in ~5 weeks

  • Enjoy tea, coffee, and juice - BYO snacks and drinks if you’d like

Clay Escape

$199 per person

For those who want to linger in the experience - a little retreat into the world of clay.

4 hours 3-8 people

An extended session where you’ll be introduced to a range of hand-building techniques, with plenty of time to bring your own ideas to life - whether that’s a sculptural piece, a set of mugs, or something totally unique.

You’ll also enjoy some time hand-painting a pre-made Any Clay Mug to make it your own.

  • No experience needed - suitable for adults and kids aged 10+

  • Create with stoneware clay - guided by examples and personalised tips

  • Clay, tools and your choice of glaze colour all included

  • I’ll glaze and fire all your pieces (no limits!) - ready for pickup in ~5 weeks

  • Enjoy tea, coffee, and juice - BYO snacks and drinks if you’d like

  • Hand-paint a pre-made Any Clay Mug

Looking for a couples experience? Book a Clay Date for two.

Have questions?

  • If you’d like to book for a date/time that’s unavailable when you look at the calendar, please get in touch via email - hello@anyclay.com.au.

    I’m pretty flexible and I’m happy to accomodate you if I can.

  • Yes, you can easily reschedule your workshop booking via a button in your booking confirmation email, or you can email me via hello@anyclay.com.au.

    You can reschedule up to 3 days prior to your workshop booking.

  • A deposit is required at the time of booking. The remaining cost per person is payable on the day of the workshop. I accept cards, and split payments are absolutely fine.

  • Wear something that's appropriate for the outdoor temperature that day as we'll be outside in a semi-enclosed patio area - there is an outdoor heater though.

    You might get a little bit of clay on your clothes but it should come out in the wash. I have some aprons available too.

  • Yes, you can chose to hand-paint your pottery in a second follow-up session - after your work has been fired once. The painting session is booked separately at this link.

    Just let me know you want to return to hand-paint your pieces at the end of your workshop.

  • Yes, you’re welcome to BYO snacks and drinks

  • A little bit about the facilities.

    There are four small steps to access the workshop space, with an additional three steps to access the bathroom.

    There is some parking available at the premises but no Disability Parking Bay.

    There's room for 3-4 cars to park on the driveway/verge. Otherwise you'll need to park on a nearby side street. Please don't park on Kitchener Road as it can be a busy thoroughfare.

    The lighting in the space is indirect natural daylight or warm festoon lights.

  • My cats may come out to say hello during the workshop. If anyone in your group has fears or allergies around cats and would prefer the cats be kept inside please let me know.

  • It takes about 5 weeks to finish your pieces after your workshop.

    I dry your pieces slowly to minimise cracking - this takes 2-3 weeks. I then bisque fire them, glaze them, then fire them again - this can take another 2 weeks. I’ll notify you when your pottery is ready - you can either collect it at a time that suits you or choose to pay for postage.

Three small mushroom sculptures made out of clay sit on a wooden work surface
Two hands are working with clay on a flat work surface, shaping the top part of a mushroom sculpture

Ready to get your hands dirty?

This is more than a workshop - it’s a chance to slow down, make something real, and connect with yourself or someone you love.

Choose your pottery experience with Any Clay Pottery Studio.