Clay Handbuilding Experience | Adults & Families | Linlithgow

Self-Led Clay Handbuilding in Linlithgow, West Lothian

Looking for a creative clay handbuilding experience in Linlithgow, West Lothian? At Mhairi Connor Designs, enjoy a relaxed self-led pottery-making session for individual adults, children and families. Use our studio clay and tools to make a trinket dish, small sculpture, decorations or other handbuilt pottery creations at your own pace.

No experience needed! We provide instructions to help you get started, and our friendly studio staff are available to offer advice, guidance and support as you create. Easy-to-follow PDF project guides are available to use in the studio for extra inspiration and step-by-step help. You can work at your own pace, knowing help is nearby whenever you need it.

This is a self-led experience with instructions and staff support, rather than a fully tutor-led class. For structured teaching throughout, explore our guided pottery workshops.

Choose individual places or a family package

Individual maker — £20 per person, any age. Book one individual place per person making pottery. Friends, adult-only groups and groups of children should choose the individual option and set the quantity to the total number of makers. For example, four adults book four individual places (£80), not a family package.

Family packages are exclusively for bookings that include at least one participating adult (18+) AND at least one participating child (under 18). Everyone included in the family package makes pottery. Family bundles cannot be used for adult-only groups, even when they attend together.

• Individual maker (any age): £20 per person
• Family of 2 makers (adult + child): £36 total
• Family of 3 makers (adult + child included): £54 total
• Family of 4 makers (adult + child included): £68 total
• Additional family maker: £17 — only alongside a family-of-four booking, subject to available space
• Non-participating guest: £6 — includes their first drink from our coffee shop

How to book: For individual bookings, choose the number of individual makers attending (for example, quantity 4 for four adults). For a qualifying family, choose one package for your total number of makers. Every participating person counts as a maker regardless of age.

Maker prices already cover the studio place; there is no additional £6 studio experience fee for participating makers. An adult coming only to accompany or supervise, without making pottery, pays the £6 non-participating guest fee and is not counted as a maker in a family package.

Children under 8 must be accompanied and supervised by a responsible adult aged 18 or over.

What's included in your clay-making session?

• Up to 2 hours of studio access (approximately 1 hour 45 minutes making and 15 minutes tidying)
• Up to 1kg of studio clay per maker — you can make one piece or several smaller pieces within this allowance
• Use of handbuilding tools, rolling equipment and texture materials
• Getting-started instructions and friendly staff support whenever needed
• Easy-to-follow PDF project guides to use during your studio session

Bisque firing — optional, charged separately

We dry suitable creations carefully before their first kiln firing (bisque firing). Bisque firing costs £5 per kilogram of dried work. Additional clay is £5 per 500g.

Handmade pottery can crack or break while drying or firing, and not every creation will survive. We cannot guarantee the outcome of firing. Only clay supplied by Mhairi Connor Designs can be fired in our kilns; please do not bring outside clay.

Return to glaze your pottery

Once your pieces have survived bisque firing, you can choose to return and apply the glazes yourself. We offer suitable colours from our Mayco Stroke & Coat and Mayco Stoneware ranges, subject to compatibility with your clay and firing temperature.

Our current return-glazing price is £15 per item, including the glazing session materials and final glaze firing. Glazing is optional, and you only choose which surviving pieces to glaze after the first firing. Multiple small pieces may be reviewed for an alternative combined price; please ask the studio before booking glazing.

When will my finished clay work be ready?

Drying and firing take time. If you choose optional bisque firing, please allow approximately 3–4 weeks as a guide for suitable pieces to dry and be fired. This is an estimate, not a guaranteed completion date: thick or detailed work, drying conditions and kiln scheduling can mean it takes longer. We will contact you when your pieces are ready for the next stage or for collection.

Collection: Once we have notified you, collect your pottery from Mhairi Connor Designs in Linlithgow during studio opening hours. Please wait for our confirmation before coming to collect.

If you choose to glaze: You can book a separate return-glazing session after your pottery has survived its first (bisque) firing. Your pieces will then need a second kiln firing, so there will be additional time before your finished glazed pottery is ready to collect. We will let you know when it is ready.

Delivery or postage: This is not included in the session or firing charges. If collecting is difficult, please contact us before booking to discuss whether an alternative arrangement is possible. Any availability and additional charge must be agreed separately.

Good to know

• Booking is for a self-led making experience; bisque firing and return glazing are not included in the clay-making ticket.
• Extra studio time, where available, is £5 per person per hour.
• Your pottery needs time to dry, bisque-fire, and (if selected) glaze-fire before it is ready to take home.
• Family bundles require at least one participating adult and one participating child. Adult-only groups must book an individual place per maker, including groups of four adults.
• For a family, select one package matching the number of makers. For other groups, choose Individual Maker and set the quantity to the number of makers. Add non-participating guests separately.

Book your clay handbuilding experience in Linlithgow and make something uniquely yours.