Okay, so I’ve been getting into making my own ceramics lately, and I decided I wanted to try making yunomi tea cups. I’d seen some beautiful ones online and thought, “Hey, I can do that!” Spoiler alert: it’s harder than it looks, but still super fun.
First, I got my clay. I’m using a stoneware clay because I like the speckled look it gets after firing. I wedged the clay, which is basically like kneading dough, to get all the air bubbles out. You really don’t want air bubbles, trust me. Exploding pottery is not a good time.
Then I centered the clay on my pottery wheel. This part took forever to get the hang of. It’s all about applying even pressure and keeping the clay perfectly in the middle. My first few attempts were…wobbly, to say the least. I watched some videos on YouTube, which kinda helped.
Once the clay was centered (finally!), I opened it up. That means I pushed my thumbs down into the center of the clay to create a well. Then I slowly pulled the walls of the clay upwards, making them taller and thinner. This is where the yunomi shape starts to come in.
- Centering the clay: This took me, no kidding, like 20 tries at first.
- Opening the clay: Go slow! I ripped through a couple of walls by rushing.
- Pulling the walls: Keep your hands steady and use even pressure.
I shaped the walls, trying to get that classic yunomi look – slightly wider at the top than the bottom. I used a rib tool (it’s just a flat piece of wood or metal) to smooth out the sides and refine the shape. Honestly, this part felt like sculpting, which was pretty cool.
After I was happy with the shape, I trimmed the excess clay from the bottom of the cup. This gives it a nice, clean foot. My trimming skills are still a work in progress, so some of my cups have a little bit of a…rustic…foot.
Then came the waiting game. I let the cups dry slowly, covered in plastic, so they wouldn’t crack. This took a few days. Patience is not my strong suit.
Once they were bone dry, I fired them in my kiln. This is called the bisque firing, and it makes the clay hard and porous. The kiln gets super hot, like over 1800 degrees Fahrenheit. My electricity bill is gonna cry.
After the bisque firing, I glazed the cups. I used a simple clear glaze because I wanted the natural speckles of the clay to show through. Glazing is messy, but also kind of satisfying. I dipped some and brushed it on.
Finally, I fired them again! This is the glaze firing, and it melts the glaze and makes the cups waterproof (and food-safe!). This firing is even hotter than the bisque firing, close to 2200 F.
The Results
My yunomi cups are… definitely handmade. They’re not perfect, but I love them! Each one is a little bit different, and they have that wabi-sabi vibe that I was going for. I’ve been using them for my morning tea, and it feels pretty special to drink from something I made with my own hands. Still working on getting them thinner, and my glazing could use some work. But hey, that’s part of the fun, right?
