A pottery studio website that fills the wheels and sells the work
People come to a pottery studio's website for one of three things: a class, a studio membership, or a piece to buy. Each class has several places, so enrolment works best as a payment plus a form, rather than a one-person booking slot. Finished pieces sell through your payment link too. Anticode covers all of it simply, though it won't count places or stock for you.
Classes: the main reason people visit
Most visitors want to try the wheel. A date-night taster, a six-week beginners' course, a hand-building workshop, a glazing day, a kids' holiday session. For each, say exactly what happens and what people leave with, because pottery has a surprise built in: the pot isn't ready on the day. Explain that pieces are trimmed, bisque-fired, glazed and fired again, and say when and how people collect them, typically a few weeks later. Students who knew that in advance don't email to ask where their mug is.
| Detail | Example of what to say |
|---|---|
| Format | Two-hour taster, six weekly sessions, one-day workshop |
| Places | Up to eight people, one wheel each |
| Included | Clay, glazes, two firings, aprons, tea |
| You leave with | Two finished pieces, collected about four weeks later |
| Who it's for | Complete beginners, ages 16 and up, or families with children over eight |
| Access | Ground floor, step-free, wheels at standard height |
Enrolment when a class has several places
Anticode's booking calendar gives each day and time to one booking, which suits a private wheel lesson but not a class of eight. For classes, put each date in a classes CMS collection (title, date, time, length, places, price, tutor, description), so every class has its own page, and point its Book button at your payment link from Stripe Payment Links, Gumroad, Lemon Squeezy or PayPal. An account has one payment link, so every button opens the same checkout; point it at a store page at your provider where each class is its own product, ideally with a limited quantity. When a class is full, remove it there and mark the page "Full".
Payment links don't collect everything you need, so add a short enrolment form after payment, or ask for it in your welcome email: name, email, phone, experience, any access needs. Through a connector, enrolments can land in a Google Sheet or Airtable base that becomes the register for each class. Private and couples' wheel lessons, being one booking per slot, can use the booking calendar directly.
Studio membership
Members are the steady income of many studios, and they ask detailed questions: what hours they get, how much shelf space, whether clay and firing are included or charged by weight or kiln space, whether there's a waiting list, and the studio rules on cleaning, glazes and reclaim. Publish all of it on one page. If your payment provider supports recurring payment links, use one for monthly membership; if not, take a membership enquiry by form and set up payments outside the site. Anticode itself doesn't manage subscriptions or member accounts.
Selling pieces
Handmade ceramics are one-offs or very small batches, which makes a big shop platform feel heavy. A simple approach: a pieces collection with a page for each piece or batch, giving its dimensions, glaze, whether it's food-safe, dishwasher-safe and microwave-safe, and how it's made. The Buy button opens the same payment link as the rest of the site, so list the pieces at your provider and let buyers choose there. When one sells, mark it sold the same day. Say how you post fragile work and to where, or that it's collection only.
If you sell dozens of lines with stock counts, variants and shipping zones, use a store platform and link to it from the site. Anticode has no cart, inventory or shipping, and design-engine stores take payment only through payment links. The page on payment links explains how buttons connect to each provider.
Vouchers, open days and newsletters
Gift vouchers for classes sell well before holidays. List voucher values or class types as products at your payment provider, reached through your payment link, and state how long vouchers last and how to redeem them. Open studios, sales and new class dates go to a mailing list; the newsletter form asks only for an email and can pass sign-ups to Mailchimp or Kit.
Design that feels like the studio
The Organic (Figtree) design system with an earthy action colour such as orange or green suits most studios; Editorial (Geist) suits a maker whose pieces sit closer to fine art. Photograph hands at work, shelves of bisque, the kiln, glaze tests. Avoid generated imagery of perfect pots; buyers of handmade work want to see the marks of the maker.
Limits
Questions people ask
How do people book a place on a pottery class?
Through your payment link, pointed at the class at your provider, plus a short enrolment form. The booking calendar takes one booking per slot, which suits private lessons rather than group classes.
Can I sell my ceramics on the site?
Yes, through your payment link, pointed at a list of pieces at your provider. For many products with stock and shipping, link to a store platform.
Can members pay monthly?
If your payment provider offers recurring payment links. Anticode doesn't manage subscriptions itself.
Sources
- Stripe Docs: Payment Links, checked