How to Make Adobe Pots

Flatten a golf-ball-sized piece of clay using the palm of your hand. Create a circle and work the edges so they curve up slightly. This will serve as the base of your adobe pot.

Roll strips of clay and lay the pieces on the base to begin forming the sides. Add as many coils as necessary to achieve the desired height.

Shape and smooth the clay pot inside and out to about a quarter-inch in thickness. Dip your hands in a small dish of water to assist in modeling. Press the clay coils and base together to form a solid structure with no ridges or air pockets.

Add a final ring of clay around the top to create a lip. This piece can add visual interest, but should not be any different in thickness from the rest of the pot. Allow the pot to air dry for two days.

Smooth any rough spots on the pot using fine-grit sandpaper.

Rub a damp rag over the clay surface. Prepare the outside for decorating by smoothing the pot with a finishing tool, such as a burnishing stone or piece of metal purchased from an art supply store.

Create a design on the outside of the pot using paints and brushes. If a traditional look is desires, Pueblos generally decorated with geometric shapes and designs in red, dark brown, gray and black, the readily available natural pigments. Other rare colors were used sparingly as accents.

Apply a glaze to the pot to protect the design and clay surface.

Fire the pot in a kiln.