Build a working ceramic lamp from clay in one of the more hands on team building activities in the San Francisco Bay Area. This beginner-friendly lamp making class guides your group step by step through shaping, carving and assembling a lamp that is both functional and stunning, with no experience needed.
The class runs 2.5 hours and is priced at $90 per guest for private groups of 6 to 12 guests. Slab-building and handbuilding techniques are taught from the ground up, and the tricky parts, from the kiln to the wiring, are handled by the studio.
What's Included
- Two and a half hours of guided slab-building and handbuilding instruction
- Clay, tools and texture tools for shaping and carving
- Kiln firing and a glossy
Build a working ceramic lamp from clay in one of the more hands on team building activities in the San Francisco Bay Area. This beginner-friendly lamp making class guides your group step by step through shaping, carving and assembling a lamp that is both functional and stunning, with no experience needed.
The class runs 2.5 hours and is priced at $90 per guest for private groups of 6 to 12 guests. Slab-building and handbuilding techniques are taught from the ground up, and the tricky parts, from the kiln to the wiring, are handled by the studio.
What's Included
- Two and a half hours of guided slab-building and handbuilding instruction
- Clay, tools and texture tools for shaping and carving
- Kiln firing and a glossy white glaze that lets the natural clay speckles shine through
- A cord with an on/off switch and a bulb, wired for you
- A unique, handcrafted ceramic lamp, fired, glazed and ready to pick up in about four weeks
What You Will Make
Each guest designs and builds a lamp body from clay slabs. Under the instructor's guidance you cut, assemble and build a sturdy form ready for wiring, then shape, carve and finish it with texture and cut-out designs that let light play through. Some guests go tall and sculptural, others build a squat, chunky base, and no two lamps in the room look alike.
After class the studio fires your piece and adds a glossy white glaze that lets the natural speckles in the clay show through. A cord with an on/off switch and a bulb is wired in for you, so your handmade lamp is ready to light up a room the day you pick it up.
Why It Works for Groups
Making something that actually switches on is a big payoff for one evening, which is why this ranks among the most unique team building activities the studio runs. Guests learn new slab-building skills, gain confidence in creative expression and get real stress relief from working with their hands, all without any pressure to be good at art.
Private sessions of 6 to 12 guests keep it focused, making it one of the stronger team building activities for small groups and a standout among team building workshops. It also fits the season: the class page lists it for a team building activity, a Christmas party, a birthday or a bachelorette party, so it slots neatly into office holiday team building activities and other creative team building activities through the year.
About the Studio
This bright, welcoming pottery space in the Inner Richmond is women-owned and was opened in 2023 by a ceramic artist and educator who grew up in her mom's pottery studio. A former elementary school teacher, she built the studio so that people could experience clay in a more approachable way, make something with their hands and step away from the noise for an evening.
Alongside public workshops the studio offers memberships, kids pottery parties and private group events. Private events have a 6-guest minimum, and the studio can host groups of up to about 22 guests with the right staffing, so it suits everything from a small team to a full department.
How the Session Runs
- Arrive and get an introduction to slab-building and handbuilding
- Cut and assemble the slabs that form your lamp body
- Shape, carve and add texture and cut-out designs
- Prepare the form so it is sturdy and ready for wiring
- Leave the kiln firing, glossy white glaze and wiring to the studio
Good to Know
- All skill levels are welcome; bring your creativity and enthusiasm
- Lamps are picked up at the studio in about four weeks, already wired
- The studio adds the cord, on/off switch and bulb, so there is no wiring for guests to do
- Your group may bring food and drinks, including alcohol for guests 21 and up; the studio adds a $50 food fee for cleanup, and plates, cups and utensils are not provided
- Private groups of 6 to 12 guests at $90 per guest
Plan Your Lamp Making Class
Share your preferred date and group size to check availability. With per-guest pricing, clay, kiln firing, glaze and wiring included, every guest goes home with a lamp they built themselves and a story to tell every time they switch it on.
