Taking a Ceramics Class in Seoul

“One-day classes” are becoming a trend here in Seoul for everything from flower arranging to making alcohol or painting ceramics. I wanted to see what all the hot gossip was about! I happened to be on AirBnb looking at the experiences available, and found a one-day class that was exactly what I’ve been looking for!

This particular style of ceramic making is one of the most popular ‘one day classes’ happening all over the city, and Dasong is one of the studios that pioneered it! For about $67USD you get to make a full sized dinner plate and then can choose between a coaster or two spoon/chopstick holders. Personally, I think that’s a great deal for a small 2 hour hands on experience :)

You can check out the class on AirBnb HERE!
If it doesn’t work, you can search “Make pottery with traditional colors” in Seoul experiences :)

I ended up being the only person in the class that day which was great because the owners said it was okay for me to film! We started with some tea (thank goodness, because I managed to catch a cold the day before) and a demonstration by Hanna, one half of the Dasong studio. She was incredibly easy to talk to and so friendly so it really felt like a friend and I were having an arts and crafts day :)

After her demo, it was my turn! There is no pottery wheel involved so we just roll out the clay, cut it to shape, and get it ready to bake! The key ingredient is Dasong’s special colored clay which they actually ask that I didn’t film because a lot of studios are starting to copy their style. You’ll just have to visit yourself and see why it’s so cool! I was given plenty of time to make my design, and even when I started cutting teeny tiny polka dots that would definitely take longer than necessary, I didn’t feel any pressure to hurry up.

We made a dinner plate and a coaster and after an hour and 45 minutes I said goodbye to my work. You can have it delivered or you can pick it up in person, which I opted for. Because I’m doing this right before the long holiday weekend here in Seoul, I will pick up my piece in about 3 weeks, but it usually takes 2 weeks (they bake it once as is and then again after glazing).

At the time of writing this, I don’t have my physical plate yet but I will be sure to update you when I do!

UPDATE:

I got my pieces back 2 weeks and 2 days after making them, even with the new year holiday interrupting their firing schedule. Here’s a sneak preview of the finished products but you can see them both in the video!