how much it cost to start my pottery studio in my garage (and why joining a studio may be smarter)
When I first fell in love with pottery, it didn’t take long before I started dreaming of having my own home studio. No more booking time slots, hauling clay, or waiting for firings—I wanted full creative freedom, right in my garage.
Well, I did it. I built my own pottery studio.
And spoiler: it wasn’t cheap.
Let’s break it down.
the real costs of a DIY garage pottery studio
Here's exactly what I spent to get set up:
Used Pottery Wheel (Shimpo VL whisper): $1400
Electric Kiln (Skutt KM822): $3360
Kiln Ventilation System (EnvironLink 2): $745
Electrician Work (240v outlet): $1230
Clay and Tools: ~$150
Shelving & Storage: $0*
Handbuilding and wedge table: $175**
Glazes (3 kinds, brush on only): $250
➡️ Total: $7130
Keep in mind, this doesn’t include ongoing costs like electricity, clay restocks, glaze, repairs, or replacing kiln elements down the line.
*Luckily for me, the previous owners of our house were also ceramic artists, and they had plenty of shelving already set up in the garage.
**Doesn’t include the cost of my brother’s manual labor
what i gained (and what i didn’t expect)
Building a studio gave me:
Total freedom to work anytime
A creative space that’s all mine
Deeper understanding of firing and glaze chemistry
But I also faced:
Maintenance I wasn’t ready for
Kiln anxiety (overfiring is a real fear!)
Isolation—pottery can get lonely solo
Lack of inspiration - I found myself scrolling on Instagram more than usual
Frustration with limited glazes
why joining a studio might be the smarter move
If you’re just getting into pottery, or aren’t sure if you’ll stick with it long-term, joining a local studio might save you thousands.
Studio memberships typically cost $200+/month, and usually include:
Use of professional wheels and kilns
Clay and glaze for a small fee
Firings handled by staff
Classes, mentorship, and community
Less stress, more learning
… so let’s compare
Home Studio
$7000+
Freedom, control, long-term savings
High upfront cost, maintenance
Studio Membership
$2500+
Community, ease of learning
Less access/control, shared space
final thoughts
I don’t regret building my studio—it taught me a lot and gave me a sense of ownership over my craft. But here's the honest truth: I ended up not using the space nearly as much as I thought I would.
Working alone in my garage, I missed the energy of a shared space. Pottery is more than technique—it’s conversation, observation, and shared discovery. In a community studio, you learn by watching others, asking questions, and picking up little tricks you'd never think to Google. Someone’s glaze experiment turns into your inspiration. A simple comment while trimming can shift your whole process.
That kind of synergistic learning doesn’t happen in isolation. And I truly underestimated how valuable that was.
Another big limitation? Glazing. In a shared studio, you often have access to large buckets of dip glazes—quick, even, and consistent. At home, unless you’re ready to start mixing and storing 10-gallon batches, you’re mostly brushing on glazes. That takes forever, uses more glaze, and is hard to get even results with. On top of that, I was limited to only a handful of glaze options—because buying and testing dozens of commercial glazes just isn’t realistic (or affordable) for most solo potters.
So if you're asking yourself whether to build your own studio or join one:
Start with the community. Learn, grow, connect. If you're still hooked and want more control later on, your dream studio can always come next. But don’t skip the magic of shared creativity and resources—it’s half the joy of clay.