The 5 best clay workshops in Amsterdam

Amsterdam, a city with so many clay workshop options. That is, of course, a positive thing, but it does make it hard sometimes to pick the best one to start your clay-journey. Lucky you, we have tried most of them, and created this list specifically for you to help you decide. Ready? On to the list!

1. The Clay Room Amsterdam

Tucked away in a cozy studio setting, The Clay Room Amsterdam offers a warm and welcoming handbuilding workshop every Sunday. Over the course of three hours, you’ll learn various techniques and get hands-on with clay to create your own personal project – think mugs, bowls, or whatever your imagination sparks (within reason). The added bonus is the colorful underglazes to decorate your pieces before they’re fired and returned to you a few weeks later.

The Clay Room has an intimate atmosphere and workshops with thoughtful guidance, making it especially welcoming for beginners. While you won’t walk out with your piece the same day (expect a 2–3 week wait), the relaxed vibe and sense of creative achievement make it more than worth the wait.

• Price : €60-90
• Duration: 3 Hours
• Private event option : Yes
• Location: De Rijpgracht 36, Amsterdam-West
• Website: theclayroomamsterdam.com

2. Rembrandt van Wine

If you're looking for a clay workshop that's more about fun than finesse, Rembrandt van Wine's Sip & Clay sessions are the perfect pick. Set in a cozy clay studio in Amsterdam-West, these two-hour events blend creativity with a festive atmosphere, complete with a spinning disco ball and lively music. Using air-dry clay, you'll craft and paint your masterpiece in one evening, ready to take home immediately – no waiting weeks for firing.

• Price : €42.50
• Duration: 2 Hours
• Private event option : Yes
• Location: World Fashion Centre, Amsterdam-West
• Website: rembrandtvanwine.nl

Book your clay event

• 2 hour Rembrandt van Wine clay-event with instructor
• Clay, paint and sip all in 2 hours
• Enjoy your favourite music and all drinks on the house

3. Studio Pansa

If you’re curious about working with clay but not quite ready to commit to a full course, Studio Pansa’s one-day taster workshop is a great intro. Over 3.5 hours, you’ll get hands-on with both handbuilding and wheel throwing techniques. The class is split into two sessions—one focused on crafting a mug (or your own quirky version of it) by hand, and the other on trying your luck at the pottery wheel.

The workshop gives a real sense of variety, and the studio has a welcoming, creative vibe that appeals to both total newbies and those with a more serious interest in ceramics. The biggest downside? You won’t be keeping anything you make on the wheel, and the pickup time for your glazed handbuilt piece is around three weeks. Also, their cancellation policy is strict, so be sure you can make it before booking. Still, if you’re looking for a well-rounded intro in a vibrant setting, it’s a top pick.

• Price : €90
• Duration: 3.5 Hours
• Private event option : Yes
• Location: KNSM-Laan 295, Java Eiland, Amsterdam-Oost
• Website: studiopansa.com

4. Heart & Soul Studio

Heart & Soul Studio offers a simple introduction to pottery through handbuilding. This beginner-friendly workshop is all about slowing down, getting your hands dirty, and learning the tactile joy of shaping clay without a wheel. With everything included—clay, tools, paint, glaze, and expert guidance—you’re free to dive in and focus on creating something completely your own. Whether it’s a bowl, a sculpture, or something abstract, your piece will be fired and glazed, ready for pickup in about 3–4 weeks.

This workshop is ideal if you're just testing the waters before diving into a full-on wheel-throwing course. One thing to note is that this is very much a taster session—you won’t be working on the wheel here (yet!), but you’ll leave inspired and better prepared for that next step in your pottery journey.

• Price : €67
• Duration: 2 Hours
• Private event option : Yes
• Location: Hemonystraat 54h, Amsterdam Oost
• Website: heartandsoulstudio.nl

5. Studio Pansy

Pansy in Amsterdam's Czaar Peterstraat – a colorful boutique meets a cozy upstairs clay studio. Their Clay Mates sessions are designed for those who’ve caught the clay bug and want more freedom to play. These unguided three-hour sessions give returning students full creative reign with a quick technique refresher (if needed), 1.5 kg of clay, and everything you need to create, decorate, and eventually glaze your own ceramic masterpieces at home.

The shop below is packed with gorgeous handmade items that make it hard to leave empty-handed. While this is the most expensive option on the list and geared toward those with a bit of clay experience already, the atelier is is worth seeing. Added bonus: you can BYOB (or drink their non-alcoholic refreshments).

• Price : €99
• Duration: 3 Hours
• Private event option : Yes
• Location: Czaar Peterstraat 68, Amsterdam-Oost
• Website: pansy-shop.com

6. Mud Magic

Nestled right in the heart of the picturesque Jordaan neighborhood, Mud Magic is a family-owned pottery studio that prides itself on offering a cozy, intimate atmosphere. With smaller class sizes than many other studios in the city, the focus here is on individualized attention and creative freedom. Led by founder Sandra Meadows, who brings over a decade of art teaching experience, you are highly encouraged to explore your own individual expression. Whether you want to try your hand at the pottery wheel or stick to hand-building techniques, the studio provides all the tools you need to bring your vision to life.

Their two-hour hand-building workshops are a fantastic way to dip your toes in, whether as an individual or for a team-building event. Just keep in mind that, like most traditional pottery studios, you'll need to wait a little bit for your piece to be properly fired before taking it home to display.

• Price : €75
• Duration: 2 Hours
• Private event option : Yes
• Location: Hazenstraat 27, Amsterdam-Centrum
• Website: mudmagic.nl

7. Kesemy design

Located right in the center of Amsterdam, just a stone's throw from the Nieuwmarkt, Kesemy Design offers a wonderfully relaxed and supportive environment for budding ceramicists. Run by Kesem Yahav, a ceramic designer and creative coach with 20 years of experience, this studio goes beyond just molding clay. Her popular 2.5-hour hand-building workshops guide you through forming, slabbing, and pinching techniques before letting you loose to decorate your object with vibrant colors. Because class sizes are strictly capped at 10 people, you can expect plenty of personalized guidance from Kesem herself.

This studio is highly versatile, offering everything from slip-casting and Nerikomi (a specialized Japanese decorative technique) to 1:1 beginner wheel-throwing sessions. Once you've crafted and painted your piece during the workshop, you'll leave it at the studio to dry and be dipped in a clear glaze. Your finished creation will be fired in the kiln and ready for pickup after two weeks. With her background in creative coaching, Kesem ensures you leave not just with a beautiful piece of pottery, but with a renewed sense of creative energy.

• Price: 65
• Duration: 2,5 Hours
• Private event option : Yes
• Location: Korte Koningsstraat 21, Amsterdam-Centrum
• Website: kesemydesign.nl

Conclusion

There are plenty of enjoyable beginner clay workshops in Amsterdam, and no matter which atelier you choose to get your hands dirty at, you will have a splendid time. The real question is, what to you is the most important?

Do you go for the cheapest option on the list, or the most complete workshop? Do you want unlimited drinks during the workshop or do you not mind bringing your own?

One final advice: Don't wait too long book a clay workshop before they are all booked out, because that happens quite regularly for all the studios above! They are popular, and for a reason.

Happy claying!