Why Make a Pottery Spoon Rest
Every cook has the same problem: where to put the stirring spoon between stirs. On the counter leaves a mess. On a paper towel looks sloppy. Balanced on the pot edge risks the spoon sliding into the food. A dedicated spoon rest solves this completely. And a handmade pottery spoon rest does it with style — it is a small piece of art that lives on your countertop every day.
Stephen Jepson has always believed that the best pottery is pottery you use. A spoon rest is used at every meal. It is one of those objects that earns its place through constant utility, and making one yourself adds a personal connection to every cooking session.
Spoon Rest Designs
Simple Oval Dish
The classic design. Roll a slab, cut an oval about five inches long and three inches wide, and press it gently over a rounded form to create a shallow concave shape. The edges curve up slightly to contain any drips. This is a ten-minute project that produces a perfectly functional kitchen tool. Decorate with stamps, a simple glaze dip, or leave it with bare fired clay for a rustic look.
Spoon-Shaped Rest
Cut the slab into the shape of a large spoon — a round bowl at one end tapering to a handle at the other. The bowl section holds the cooking spoon while the handle provides a visual cue for placement. This design is playful and immediately communicates its purpose. It makes a charming gift.
Multi-Utensil Rest
A larger piece with multiple grooves or depressions — one for a spoon, one for a spatula, and one for tongs. Make this from a slab about eight inches long and four inches wide with three or four parallel indentations pressed into the surface. This design is practical for serious cooks who use multiple utensils simultaneously.
Wheel-Thrown Spoon Rest
Throw a small, shallow bowl — about four inches across and an inch deep. The round form holds spoons, ladles, and spatulas equally well. Add a pouring lip on one side so you can drain collected liquid into the sink. The bowl style catches more drips than a flat rest, making it ideal for messy cooking.
Making Spoon Rests
Slab Technique
Roll clay to a quarter-inch thickness. Cut your shape with a knife or template. Smooth the edges with a damp finger or rib. For a concave shape, drape the slab over a rounded form — a tennis ball works well for a gentle curve. Let it stiffen on the form, then remove and clean up. The key is even thickness — thin spots warp, thick spots crack.
Adding Texture and Design
Spoon rests are small canvases for decoration. Press a rubber stamp into the soft clay. Roll a textured rolling pin across the slab before cutting. Carve a simple design with a needle tool. Apply colored slip and scratch a sgraffito pattern. Because the piece is small and flat, you can try techniques that would be risky on larger, more complex forms.
Glazing for Kitchen Use
Use food-safe glaze on the interior surface where the spoon sits. A smooth, easy-to-clean finish is essential — you will be wiping sauce, oil, and soup off this piece constantly. Glossy glazes clean easier than matte. The underside can be any finish. Wipe the foot clean so it sits flat on the counter without scratching.
Spoon Rests as Products
Spoon rests are one of the best-selling items at pottery craft fairs. They are inexpensive to make, fast to produce in batches, easy to ship, and priced in the impulse-buy range of ten to twenty dollars. Every kitchen needs one. They make excellent small gifts and stocking stuffers. A potter can make twenty spoon rests in a single session, providing inventory for weeks of sales.
Learn from Stephen Jepson
Stephen's pottery video lessons cover slab work, wheel throwing, texturing, and glazing — all the fundamentals that make spoon rests and other small kitchen pottery. His practical, no-nonsense teaching style gets you making quickly. One-time purchase, lifetime access to all lessons.