Today we are going to make a Yarn Bowl! Are you ready!?
One of my favorite things to make and one of my best-sellers is the humble Yarn Bowl. This article is all about how I make a Yarn Bowl.
Please note this post may contain affiliate links and I may earn a commission if you click them and make a purchase. This is, of course, at no cost to you, and I only share products that I use and love myself.
Measuring the bowl
One of my favorite homemade tool when throwing! Its a chopstick marked with 1″ increments
The Outcome
The final Outcome! I will let this dry more, then I will smooth all the rough edges with a small sponge piece as well as a small chamois
Cutting the swoop
When you are making a yarn bowl, the best time to cut the swoop is when the bowl has stiffened up to a firm leather hard. You want it to be stiff enough to not wiggle or distort when you are cutting it out. At the same time it still has to be soft enough for a craft knife to cleanly cut.
I have found that it is NOT necessary to have a sharp blade on the craft knife. In fact, I prefer my blade to be dull. It cuts through the clay really well and I don’t worry as much about it slipping and cutting me. I use an X-Acto knife but any craft type knife will do.
I always start with the Yarn Bowl hole.
For me, when I make my Yarn Bowls, I start by making the hole. I prefer the hole to be in the middle of the bowl but where you place it is your personal choice. To make the hole I use either a 23/64 Drill Bit or a Clay Hole Maker, whichever I can find in my studio the fastest.
The drill bit I like the most is a weird size. I don’t even know where I found it but it’s 23/64. This size is smaller than the larger of the clay hole maker.
Once I make the hole I use my craft knife to gently draw the lines in the clay where I want my swoop to be. I am very gentle and barely scratch the surface when I am doing this so that I can “erase” the line if I don’t like it.
When I am pleased with my swoop I cut the swoop out. If my clay is the perfect hard Leather dry, I will be able to cut all the way through the clay. If the clay is too soft and the walls move I do suggest waiting some more until the walls of the bowl are no longer soft and pliable but you can still score and cut it. Cutting the clay when its too soft may cause the bowl to deform in the kiln if the swoop moves when you are cutting it.
You can clean up your cut a bit if its not to your liking by gently shaving the swoop with your craft knife. Normally I don’t remove all the bits and pieces, nor do I smooth the edges, until the next day when the bowl is dried even more. I do my best to not handle the swoop too much to avoid kiln distortion.
Check out my video of the entire Process
I hope this article helps you in making Yarn Bowls!! Please feel free to ask questions, leave comments and share this post with anyone who you think would be interested
My name is Dani and I am the potter behind this page! I am retired and having a ball being the artist I always wanted to be. My studio is located in NW Arkansas where I live a quiet life, on a lake with my husband, 3 dogs and two cats.
Have a look around!
Analog scale
This is the type of scale I use when weighing out clay. Its perfect for clay weighing, doesnt need batteries and cleans up easily
Skutt Kiln Vent
I have been using this Venting System on my L&L for years. It works great. Just because its a Skutt doesn't mean you can't use it with other kilns!
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Phone Arm for Overhead Videos
I bought this so that I could record video while I am making stuff. It works great. The arm attaches to the table with a thumb screw. The part that holds your phone is spring loaded and almost too strong of a spring. I pinch my fingers a lot but I know the phone won't fall out into my clay water!!
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Thank you so much! The directions were well done. Can’t wait to get to my wheel. Retired teacher in NC enjoying my clay.
I glaze my yarn bowls but fired right side up the pots frequently twist so the hanging piece sticks out. How should I correct this?
Hi Eric…thats frustrating, isn’t it. I had that happen alot and occasionally still do, but rarely.
There are two things I do to help stop that from happening.
First, I am very careful when cutting the swoop. I want the clay firm enough to cut without it moving around on me. Clay has memory, as we know, and if the swoop moves while cutting it can revert to that in the kiln. My swoops are very simple, with lots of support as well.
The second thing is when bisque firing I stack two yarn bowls rim to rim (see the last photo above). I feel this helps hold the rim steady. Since I started doing this my swoop has rarely popped out.
I hope one of these suggestions helps figure out whats happening,
Could bisquing on the rim (upside down directly on the kiln shelf or kiln cookie) achieve the same effect?
It absolutely would. I like to stack rim to rim to fit more in the kiln . Otherwise I would bisque fire upside down!
Hi as I do not have a kiln, would I be able to use air dried clay? Any tips on that?
I wish I could help with air dry clay but I honestly know nothing about it. With that said, however, I dont see why you couldn’t make a yarn bowl out of one. Since its not for food, it would work fine.
Thank you for your great video. What price range do you think works for these bowls in your experience?
Hi Jill
Glad you liked the video. Generally I get $38 for my yarn bowls. If i do artwork, like handpainting or sgrafitto i do charge more.