Functional Pottery & Dinnerware
Create handmade mugs, bowls, plates, and functional pottery pieces
Overview
Functional pottery businesses generate $80,000-$500,000 annually with 60-75% margins selling through craft shows, Etsy, galleries, and wholesale.
In 2025, handmade pottery valued for uniqueness, sustainability, and craftsmanship.
Create mugs ($25-$60), bowls ($30-$80), plates ($40-$100), dinnerware sets ($200-$600), vases ($40-$150), and planters ($30-$100).
Successful potters develop signature glazes and forms, maintain consistent quality, photograph pieces beautifully, balance production work with creativity, and wholesale to galleries and boutiques.
Mugs most popular functional pottery (daily use, gift-giving).
Need kiln ($1,000-$5,000), pottery wheel ($300-$2,000), clay, glazes, and studio space.
Can work from garage or studio.
Marketing through craft shows, Etsy, Instagram, local galleries, home goods boutiques, and makers markets.
Required Skills
- Pottery Wheel Throwing
- Glazing Techniques
- Kiln Operation
- Consistent Production
- Photography
- Quality Control
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Strong demand for handmade functional pottery
- Daily-use items create loyal customers
- Can wholesale to galleries and boutiques
- Sustainable alternative to mass production
- Pottery aesthetically popular on social media
Cons
- Kiln investment and electricity costs
- Time-intensive throwing and glazing
- Fragile items shipping challenging
- Need dedicated studio space
- Kiln firing schedules limit production speed
How to Get Started
- Learn pottery throwing and glazing
- Set up pottery studio with wheel and kiln
- Develop signature forms and glazes
- Create inventory of consistent pieces
- Photograph pottery in beautiful lifestyle settings
- Sell through craft shows, Etsy, local galleries
- Build wholesale accounts with boutiques
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