Mighty Mud ceramics studio in Knoxville, TN, wants you to get down and dirty behind a pottery wheel—just no ghost nooky. Six-week classes cater to beginners and intermediate students. Newbies learn the basics of firing and glazing and leave with DIY cups, bowls, and plates. Intermediate students practice surface techniques on more complex forms like teapots and lidded jars. Classes cost $220 for newcomers and $200 for returning students, and the price includes six weeks of instruction, eight weeks of studio time, plus tools, firing, glazes, and a 25-pound bag of starter clay. Other sessions cover mold casting and surface design or raku firing.

Folks who get really good at it or fall in love with the process can rent studio space at Mighty Mud for $1.25/square foot. If you don’t have six weeks to spare or don’t live in the Knoxville area, consider taking a weekend workshop in wheel throwing or hand building, finishing techniques, welding, mosaics, polymer clay, or precious metal clay. The gallery shop, located in the front of the studio, is also worth a look, as its shelves are stacked with affordable works by local and regional potters.

1300 McCalla Ave., Knoxville, TN; 865-595-1900.

Additional photos courtesy of Mighty Mud