The classes at Blue Dog run for four weeks, twice a week, and are open to all skill levels. They cover all the fundamentals of pottery, including wheel work and sculpture, and class sizes are kept small to help maximize the amount of instruction each student receives. If you don’t want to commit for that length of time, you can also bring a plus one to the BYOB date night classes.

This cozy, all-levels-friendly pair of sister studios offers an impressive selection of pottery (some of which you can check out on Instagram), underglaze colors (the color you paint your pottery piece before it’s glazed in the firing process), and other materials, including stencils and stamps to help perfect the design of your choice. Potteryland specializes in painting premade ceramics, while Clay Bar offers chances to take pottery classes and workshops no matter how much experience you have. You don’t have to choose between which one to visit in a day, either—they’re located right next door to one another.

Located in the Arts District at Sawyer Yards, Fire Gallery teaches a wide variety of beginner and advanced pottery classes for small groups, including the tongue-in-cheek Ghost Experience for date night. Studio membership is also available if you’re wanting to make ceramics and pottery a more frequent activity with loved ones. You can even rent out space to display your creations or sign up to learn about more advanced techniques like raku firing and making your own glazes. Lessons in glassblowing are available as well.

Located in the Asch Building, a shopping center centered on offering ethically crafted and sourced goods, Four Circle Studio takes a more individualized approach to the classes it offers. Whether you’re taking a private introductory lesson to pick up the fundamentals of wheel-throwing, having fun with someone you like enough to take a pottery class with, or looking to master vases, mugs, or more complex pieces, there’s no set curriculum to follow. Instead, the studio has you focus on what kind of objects you want to make, or what kind of skills you’re looking to build, then customizes your session to helping you achieve your goals.

This artist-run studio is equipped to help you at every step of your pottery journey, starting with individual and group lessons, as well as classes and workshops suitable for beginners. If you discover a real passion for the craft along the way, you can also sign up for a kiln firing membership, a monthly membership, or simply drop in for a day or half a day to experiment with one of the several types of clay available for purchase. Drop-ins require at least six months of recent studio experience.

With storefronts in River Oaks, Meyerland, and Memorial, the Mad Potter features more than 250 paint-your-own pottery options, such as simple shapes, “coloring book” pottery with pre-printed designs, holiday gifts, home decor, and even dragon and dinosaur statues. Visitors don’t have to pay studio fees to participate, and there’s no cap on how long you can stay to finish your masterpiece. The Mad Potter also holds holiday workshops and offers multiple on- and off-site party packages.

This whimsical, boutiquey studio run by ceramic artist Carole Smith offers hand-building pottery classes, parties, and workshops for kids and adults alike. Five- or 10-week classes teach students all they need to know while still giving them the freedom to choose what kind of projects they want to make. Workshops centering on a variety of themes are offered for adults throughout the year.

Interested in learning how to use a pottery wheel? Potter’s Place teaches that. Want to set up a team building exercise for work? Potter’s Place lets you do that, too. The studio also updates its website with upcoming workshops so you can focus on more specific elements of pottery and ceramics. Previous events have included raku firing, sculpted martini glasses, glazing, and heart-shaped bowls for Valentine’s Day.

Not everyone loves the feeling of wet clay between their fingers. Painting premade, unfinished ceramics and pottery provides all the fun of working with the medium sans any of the discomfiting textures or messes. At Purple Glaze, you can choose from more than 200 different ceramic pieces and 50 paint colors, as well as a selection of stamps and stencils to properly convey your vision. Parties, including some where you can paint on a canvas instead of ceramic, and summer camps for kids are also available.

Adults, kids, couples, and families are all welcome to throw some clay (not actually smash it) at Smashed Studio’s two locations. Here, you have the option of setting up sessions in throwing and hand-building, taking the Couple’s Challenge (we won’t tell if you bring a friend and not a date), or attending open studio time. You can even book services for off-site parties, though on-site is available as well if you don’t have the space.

Although it offers classes for interested potters of any skill level, this local artist-run studio also has some great resources and opportunities for working artists interested in broadening their range of clay techniques and pursuing a serious career in the ceramic arts. You can try out a casual, two-hour wheel-throwing session if you’re new to it, or join a seven-week class with one of the studio’s many instructors to build a foundation in the art. Please note that most classes are offered for adult learners only.

You don’t have to be a member at the popular makerspace TXRX Labs to take its classes, but you will need to join in order to regularly use the on-site kiln and pottery wheel. Memberships are priced by how often you plan to access the space and whether you intend to profit off your handiwork. Ceramics classes cycle in and out of the overall schedule here, so make sure to check the website ahead of time to see what’s currently being offered.