Sculpt a mug with your own two hands in a one-hour hand building ceramics workshop, one of the quickest hands on team building activities you can book in the San Francisco Bay Area. At a woman-owned art studio in Lower Nob Hill, your group digs into clay, learns two core techniques and builds a mug from scratch.
The workshop runs one hour and is priced at $55 per guest for private groups of 2 to 30 guests. It is designed for beginners, and anyone over the age of six can have success with the material. Every guest makes at least one mug, and after class the mugs are fired and glazed for later pickup.
What's Included
- One hour of beginner-friendly hand building instruction
- A quick introduction to coil building and
Sculpt a mug with your own two hands in a one-hour hand building ceramics workshop, one of the quickest hands on team building activities you can book in the San Francisco Bay Area. At a woman-owned art studio in Lower Nob Hill, your group digs into clay, learns two core techniques and builds a mug from scratch.
The workshop runs one hour and is priced at $55 per guest for private groups of 2 to 30 guests. It is designed for beginners, and anyone over the age of six can have success with the material. Every guest makes at least one mug, and after class the mugs are fired and glazed for later pickup.
What's Included
- One hour of beginner-friendly hand building instruction
- A quick introduction to coil building and slab building from a template
- Clay, tools and underglaze colorants to decorate your mug
- At least one handmade mug per guest
- Firing and glazing after class, ready for later pickup
About the Workshop
The class opens with a quick introduction to coil building and to slab building from a template. Then each guest builds a mug from scratch, choosing the shape, handle and surface. Clay, tools and underglaze colorants are on the table so everyone can decorate their piece before it goes to the kiln.
The goal is to leave more confident and comfortable with clay after just one lesson. A handmade mug also makes a thoughtful gift, so many guests make one for a loved one. Past guests mention that you are free to make whatever mug or cup you wish, with lots of tools to cut and carve, and that the instructor adjusts the class for younger makers.
Why It Works for Groups
Because it fits into a single hour, this is easy to slot into a workday, and it ranks among the more relaxed team building activities for small groups and big ones alike. Everyone starts from the same lump of clay, so nobody needs experience, and colleagues can compare techniques as they go. It is a natural pick for crafty team building activities and for fun team building activities for adults who want something tactile and low pressure.
The workshop suits a team building activity, a Christmas party, a birthday, a bachelorette party or a date idea, and individuals and couples book it too. For holiday team building, each guest ends up with a handmade mug to keep or give. With room for up to 30 guests, it also works as one of the simpler large group team building activities for a full team.
About the Studio
The studio is a woman-owned, artist-run art space in the Lower Nob Hill neighborhood of San Francisco, founded by working artists and run by a two-woman team. Alongside exhibitions of emerging and mid-career artists, it hosts art classes and workshops and offers studio space for rent. The team sees art as a vehicle for social change and for bringing creative communities together.
Classes and workshops are organized by its co-director, a San Francisco native who has studied art in Italy, China and California. Her murals and public art commissions appear throughout the city, and her ceramic sculptures are in private collections.
What Past Groups Say
A company that booked a team ceramics workshop here called it a great team-building activity, with an instructor who was kind, patient and encouraging, clear instructions and plenty of room to be creative without feeling rushed. Another company that came for a team building workshop said the instructor was hands-on when needed while leaving everyone free to do their own thing, and noted that the space is beautiful and roomy.
Good to Know
- Designed for beginners; anyone over six can have success with clay
- Suitable for adults and kids aged 4 and up; an adult must accompany kids and may observe for free
- Wear something you do not mind getting dusty
- Optional add-on: shipping within the US for $15 per mug
- The studio is on several Muni bus lines
Plan Your Mug Workshop
Share your preferred date and group size to check availability. At $55 per guest for an hour of instruction, with clay, tools, colorants, firing and glazing included, this workshop gives every guest a handmade mug and a first taste of ceramics.
