Small batch pottery

Beautifully practical and thrown to last

Artisan-formed

Mindfully Made

Thrown in NE Oklahoma

The items in your home

deserve a story of their own

You can find functional, stylish pieces at any store in town—and a million sites online. And while these goods can get the job done, they don’t tell your unique story. They don’t make your house, your home.

Storytelling takes time. Quality does too. 

That’s why each Raines Clayworks piece—from my inviting signature mugs, to my petite plant pots—is from the earth, down to earth, and designed to speak for itself. 

Julia Raines, owner of Raines Clayworks, holding a ceramic mug with both hands, standing in her pottery studio in Skiatook, Oklahoma
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Julia Raines

Founder + Artisan

In the hustle of day-to-day life

each intentionally crafted piece invites you to slow down and soak it in.

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Raines Clayworks is…

Two speckled ceramic coffee mugs filled with cappuccinos topped with foam, placed on a wooden surface with a plain gray wall background.

A fresh cup of coffee, warm in your palms, wrapped in a rich, glossy glaze.

Stacked ceramic plates with black, white, and speckled patterns on a textured surface.

A candlelit table, set with speckled plates and hued napkin rings, ready for lively chatter. 

A brown ceramic colander filled with fresh, ripe strawberries rests on a weathered wooden surface.

A handful of sun-kissed strawberries, ripe and rinsed for a sweet afternoon snack.

Every wheel-thrown element is made to use, easy to love, and guaranteed to make your other ‘wares jealous.

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Throwing clay
is an art—
and a science

7 steps to shaping your new favorite mug

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Two hands wedging and shaping a ball of clay.

1. Prep the clay

I pick the perfect tone and type of clay for my piece and wire off just the right amount from my block. Once the clay is sectioned out, I roll it into the best ball I can manage, and get ready to get my hands dirty.

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Close-up of a person shaping clay on a pottery wheel with their hands covered in clay.

2. Spin the Wheel

Now to the ‘wheel’ fun part: centering the clay. One wrong move here can send the spinning clay flying—a lesson I’ve learned from experience. As the wheel turns, I slowly open the middle of the clay, gently pull the walls up, and form my signature mug shape.

A person trimming an upside-down, leather-hard clay pot with a metal carving tool.

3. Trim the Foot

Once the almost-mug becomes dry to the touch, I flip it over, give it a spin on my wheel, and carve a clean foot around the bottom of the cup. Then, it’s time to get a handle on this project—literally! With the handle attached, the mug sits tight for 1-2 days, drying out before its fiery trip to the kiln.

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Several unglazed clay pottery pieces, including cups, an incense chiminea, and a cactus-shaped ring dish on the side of a kiln.
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4. Turn up the Heat

I pop the mug (and about 200 other freshly thrown pieces!) into my kiln and crank it up to a toasty 1,941°F. There, the pieces enjoy a red-hot sauna spa day for around 13.5 hours. The extreme heat pulls all the moisture from the clay, so it’s drab—but durable.

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To achieve a rich and glossy finish, I dip the now-cool mug into a luxe glaze bath. Dipping, rather than brushing on glaze, takes a bit of extra effort. But for the silky-smooth texture of seamless color, it’s a detail that’s worth the work.

A freshly glazed mug, being held with glazing tongs, immediately after being dunked in a bucket of white glaze.

5. Go Glossy

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A speckled ceramic mug with a mustard glaze.

6. GLAZE Firing

For the grand finale, I bake the clay at an ultra-hot 2,171°F for 7.5 hours, and then the real waiting game starts. Before I can open the kiln and see the pieces, the clay must cool for a sloooow 24 hours—the ultimate test of an artisan’s patience!

The bottom of six speckled brown ceramic mugs. Each cup has a small Raines Clayworks logo icon stamped into it.
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7. Smooth and Select

Finally, it’s time to open the kiln and see the final finished product. As I give the bottom of the mug one last sand to smooth the foot (no scratched tabletops on my watch!), I carefully inspect the piece for bubbles, glaze blisters, and rough patches. Only my finest work makes it to my shows—and into your welcoming home.

With quality baked in

everything else (dish)washes out.

  • White wheel thrown ceramic coffee mugs with a diagonal brown and speckled design, arranged on a surface.
  • Close-up of a green glazed ceramic berry bowl (or colander) used to washing and storing berries.
  • Small succulent plant with green and purple leaves in a light blue ceramic pot on a white surface.
  • Stacked ceramic mugs with a modern, minimalist design, featuring a two-tone cream and tan color scheme, arranged to resemble a balanced column.
  • A black and tan ceramic pottery cup with a thin paintbrush resting on its rim, set against a plain white background.
  • Four ceramic mugs with a speckled purple glaze, varying in size and shape, arranged against a plain light background.
  • Small ceramic cactus ring dishes on white ceramic plates, arranged on a white surface.
  • Four green ceramic mugs with speckled glaze, two large and two small, arranged on a white surface against a white background.
  • A small green succulent plant in a speckled white hanging ceramic pot with a rope hanger.
  • Miniature, colorful ceramic pottery pieces on a wooden surface.
  • Two small decorative chiminea-shaped incense holders with carved white leaf patterns, one yellowish and one brown.

Wheel-thrown pottery is an artform you can feel

The process of forming a two-pound lump of clay into your favorite ice cream bowl takes equal parts practice, patience, and effort. But to see each piece of earth transformed by water, heat, and glaze is truly remarkable—and worth the careful attention to detail. 

For me, the best part of creating clayworks is seeing the look on a customer’s face when they pick up a piece and recognize the thought that went into it. As they feel the weight and quality in their hands, tilt the glaze in the light, and admire the clean lines and smooth edges, I know that piece they’re holding will rarely see the inside of a cabinet. 

I believe the best art is touchable and details don’t have to be delicate. If you agree, stop by my next show or shop my current collection—and hold the difference for yourself. 

A dog sniffing at a hand holding a collection of small, colorful ceramic cups and bowls outdoors on grass.
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Upcoming Shows

  • White ceramic mug with cute ghost design

    Pumpkins & Pearls Market

    Sat, Oct 25, 2025 | 9am - 3pm

    Free admission

    The Grazy House
    411 W Broadway Ave
    Broken Arrow, OK 74012

    Learn More