General Instructions

Our templates are designed to make slab building more precise and more efficient. Alignment guides help you mark the slab, stamp your design, and re-trim the piece so it fits together cleanly during assembly.

The goal is simple: less time fussing with construction and more time enjoying the creative side of clay.

Roll your clay slab to 5–6 mm thick (approximately ¼ inch).

Place the template on your slab and cut around the outer edge using a pin tool or fettling knife.

Before removing the template, use a pin tool to lightly score the guide dots and lines onto the clay.

These marks help align stamps and allow the template to be repositioned later for accurate re-trimming.

You may notice slightly more clay on the right side of the piece. This offset is intentional and provides extra clay for beveling without cutting into the stamped design.

Remove the template.

Lightly dust the clay with cornstarch to prevent sticking. Press the stamp firmly into the clay and lift straight up.

Place the template back onto the clay.

Use the alignment marks you scored earlier to realign the template before trimming.

Re-trim the edges using a pin tool or fettling knife so the piece returns to its correct shape.

Handle the cut pieces carefully so they do not stretch or distort.

Edges that will be joined must be beveled before assembly.

Unless otherwise specified for a particular design, side seams are beveled at 45°.

Refer to each products bevel guide.

Score the joining edges

Apply slip

Join the pieces

Compress the seam thoroughly

For the best fit, ensure that all slab pieces are at a similar moisture level before assembly.

Press the beveled scrap cutoff in between the two pieces of clay you just joined to reinforce the interior seam of your piece. Smooth.

Many mug templates use a Universal Mug Bottom, allowing the same base template to work across multiple designs.