Custom slab pottery template
Rainbow Bridge Lantern
A lantern for the pet you miss, with their name, a rainbow and a little light in the doorway. It glows with a battery LED candle, every evening if you want it to.
You dream it, I build it, then you build it. You bring the idea. I design the template, every piece and every step, and send it to you as PDF files. You make the pottery.
Not all custom templates are created equal.
- Designed from your idea, not pulled from a stock file.
- Every piece at exact scale, worked out for shrinkage, slab thickness and every bevel angle.
- Checked three times, then audited separately, before it reaches you.
- You approve the design before I draw a single pattern.
Mine, side by side with the cheap wayAll 34 things that go into yoursLook through a real one
Plenty of templates never get checked. Mine get checked to death.
Some template designers type one sentence into a chatbot, post whatever comes out and move on to the next one. You find out the pieces don't fit when your clay is already cut. Here's the difference you're paying for.
Everything that goes into your custom template
30 of these happen to every custom template I make. The other 4 are add-ons you can choose.
- I study every photo, sketch and note you send, at full size, one at a time.
- I figure out what kind of form your idea is, and how it can be built from flat slabs.
- I count every piece it will take.
- I find every place two pieces meet: every seam, lid, hole, foot and joint.
- I settle the one measurement everything else depends on.
- If it needs anything store-bought (a clock movement, a stopper, an LED light), I design around sizes that actually exist.
- I ask you every question I need answered all at once, so we're not stuck going back and forth.
- Clay shrinks as it dries and fires, so I size every pattern up to make up for it.
- I size every pattern for the slab's thickness, so the inside and outside both come out right.
- I work out the angle of every beveled edge from the shape itself. Not every corner is 45 degrees.
- Anything over 18 inches gets designed in sections that fire separately and fit together afterward.
- Before I draw a single line, I write the plan: every piece, every measurement before and after firing, every seam and angle.
- For Advanced and up, I build a full 3D model of the finished piece from the exact numbers the patterns come from.
- You get a concept of your design, and up to two alternatives if the first isn't it.
- You okay the design in writing before I draw a single pattern.
- I unfold the shape into flat patterns, piece by piece, laid out to print on regular paper.
- A piece too big for one sheet prints in parts that tape together, and nothing you cut ever crosses the tape line.
- Every piece is labeled with its number, how many to cut, and the angle for each beveled edge.
- Every template with a bevel gets a bevel gauge with every angle the build uses.
- Then I put the flat patterns back together mathematically and prove every edge meets the edge it's supposed to.
- Every step written in the order you'll actually build it, one action per sentence, sizes right in the sentence.
- Every pottery term explained the first time it shows up.
- A before-you-cut page on slab thickness, shrinkage and recutting each bevel at its own angle.
- Expert and Insane builds get a full guide: keeping clay workable for days, drying, firing and what to do when something goes wrong.
- A sittings plan, so you know where to stop for the day.
- A math check: every measurement and bevel angle worked out again from scratch.
- A drawing check and an instruction check, every page at full size.
- A completely separate audit of the finished template before it goes out, and every real problem fixed.
- A running list of mistakes earlier templates taught me, checked every time.
- A print-ready PDF, delivered to you, with your ownership certificate.
- Explain It Like I'm 12: every step again in plain words, with the reason behind it. With upgrade.
- Large-format pages: every piece whole on 24 x 36 in sheets for a copy shop. With upgrade.
- Clayla project help: up to 30 questions about building your design. With upgrade.
- Rush: your first concept in 2 business days, and your finished files 5 business days after you approve. With upgrade.
A small light, with their name on it.
Some memorials hold something. This one glows. A rainbow arches over the door, their name runs across the base, and a soft light sits inside. Archie's is a simple square lantern. Jasper's is two lit pavilions with the rainbow running between them as a bridge.
Tell me their name and dates and the colors that feel like them. The rainbow can be the classic one, or a softer set that matches their coat, their collar or their favorite toy.
Who's it for?
Their name and dates, and a photo or two.
Which colors?
A full rainbow, or the colors that feel like them.
How is it lit?
A battery LED candle or light you buy. The opening is sized for it.
Which build?
A square lantern with a painted rainbow at Beginner, up to a lit scene of pavilions and a bridge at Insane.
From one lantern to a lit bridge.
A Beginner lantern is four walls, a big arch and a painted rainbow, and it glows just as warmly as the Insane one. Higher up you get a lift-off roof, then six sides and a slab bridge to the door, then two pavilions joined across it.
Beginner $120
What I designA four-wall lantern with a big arch opening, a painted rainbow and your pet's name.
What it takesRolling even slabs and joining flat pieces. Simple straight cuts, nothing that has to fit snugly.
Finished size6 to 8 in tall
Template PDFAbout 8 to 12 pages

Intermediate $200
What I designA lantern with a lift-off roof and window openings.
What it takesParts that have to fit each other: a little depth, a few angles, pieces that stand on a base.
Finished size7 to 9 in
Template PDFAbout 10 to 16 pages

Advanced $300
What I designA six-sided lantern with a pyramid roof and a little slab bridge to the door.
What it takesAngled (beveled) edges throughout, more parts and built relief. Usually an evening or two, plus drying.
Finished size8 to 10 in
Template PDFAbout 16 to 24 pages

Expert $440
What I designTwo pavilions joined by a bridge, lit inside, on a stepped base.
What it takesSeveral sittings and detail built in clay. The biggest pieces print in two taped parts, and a full guide covers drying and firing.
Finished size10 to 12 in
Template PDFAbout 22 to 34 pages
Insane $600
What I designA lit scene in fitted modules: pavilions, bridge and base, dozens of pieces.
What it takesDozens of numbered pieces that must fit exactly, built in modules like a thousand piece puzzle over many evenings.
Finished size11 to 16 in
Template PDFAbout 34 to 50 pages
Example images show what's possible at each level. They're not a promise that your order includes every pictured piece. Once your design is fully worked out, the finished template can carry more or less detail than a concept image, never a different design from the one you approve. Need something bigger than Insane? Legendary showpieces are part of Your Idea, in Clay.
Not sure which level? Seven quick questions.
Answer for where you are right now, and I'll point you at a level. It's advice, not a test.
This can't promise how your build goes. The Explain It Like I'm 12 guide and Clayla are help along the way, not a stand-in for the skills a level asks for.
Every example, sorted by level
These are rendered concepts, not photos of finished pottery. Ask for one with your own name, or use it as a starting point for something nobody has seen yet.
Intermediate

Advanced


Expert

Look through a real custom template before you buy.
This is Maya's Alpine Cathedral, a pair of Advanced name bookends, designed all the way through my normal process and stamped SAMPLE. It's the complete set of files, not a teaser. It has been checked the way every custom template is checked. It has not been built or fired.
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Included with every orderThe template
All 29 pages: the cover with finished sizes, 20 pattern sheets at exact scale, a before-you-cut page, 29 steps over three sittings, a bevel gauge and a map of every piece.
Open the sample template (PDF) -
Optional add-onExplain It Like I'm 12
The same build again in 17 pages and 71 small steps, in plain words, with why each one matters and what to watch out for.
Open the sample guide (PDF) -
Optional add-onLarge-format files
Every pattern piece whole on two 24 x 36 in sheets, ready for a copy shop. No taping pages together. Printing isn't included.
Open the sample sheets (PDF)
Each bookend in the sample comes out 8 3/8 in tall, 8 1/4 in long and 5 1/4 in deep: 56 pieces cut from 44 patterns and about 17 lb of clay. Your design gets its own numbers.
How a custom template comes together
You order
Pick your level and any add-ons you want, and agree to the terms.
I email you within 48 hours
A list of exactly what I need: the name, the idea, and any photos or references.
You send it, I start designing
If something's missing, I tell you exactly what. Once I have it all, your first concept arrives within 5 business days (2 with rush).
You get a concept
If it isn't the one, ask for up to two alternatives within your brief. Each comes back on the same timing as the first.
You pick one, I refine it
One combined round of small refinements to the concept you choose.
You approve it in writing
Nothing is final until you say so. Your due date clock starts that day, and I tell you the exact date.
I deliver, you build
Your template and any file add-ons arrive by email. Then the making is all yours.
| Order | Each concept | Your finished template |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Within 5 business days | Up to 3 weeks after you approve your design |
| With rush | Within 2 business days | 5 business days after you approve your design. If I miss it for a reason on my side, I refund the template and everything bought for it, and you still get it. |
Business days are Monday to Friday, Mountain Time, not counting the studio's holiday closures. Weeks are calendar weeks. Concept times count from the day I have everything, or from the day you ask for the next one. Take as long as you like choosing and refining: that time never counts against you. If I'm ever going to miss a date, I tell you before it, and you choose a full refund or the new date.
The form comes from the template. The finish is yours.
Your template gives you the shape and the guidance to build it. Glaze, paint and lettering are yours to choose. Some looks in the examples, like crisp small lettering or a fine repeated pattern, take extra tools or products, and brushing on glaze won't reproduce every one of them. (Plenty of people letter beautifully by hand, too.) These are worth searching for:
- Custom underglaze transfersor custom ceramic tissue transfers
Your artwork printed in underglaze on tissue paper, transferred onto the clay and fired.
- Custom kiln-fired ceramic waterslide decalsor custom overglaze decals for pottery
Printed images applied over fired glaze and fired again.
- Ceramic photo decals for kiln firing
Overglaze decals made from a photograph.
- Custom reusable pottery lettering stencilsor ceramic underglaze stencils
For clean painted letters and shapes.
- Custom clay lettering stampspottery alphabet stamps, or custom pottery stamps
Pressed into soft clay for crisp impressed lettering.
- Ceramic underglaze screen printingor custom screen-printed ceramic decals
For patterns you want repeated.
Suppliers set their own setup fees, minimums, lead times and firing limits, so check before you order, and follow the maker's directions for your clay, glaze and firing. Ask whether a decal suits surfaces that touch food or go in the dishwasher. Ordinary craft vinyl, a generic waterslide sheet or a sublimation print isn't a kiln-fired ceramic decoration. Buying and preparing any of these is up to you.
Questions people ask before they order
Can I use a real candle?
No. It's designed for battery LED candles or lights you buy, never an open flame. The openings are sized for them.
Does it have to be a rainbow?
No. Plenty of people want the arch in their pet's own colors instead. Tell me what you'd like and I'll design it that way.
Can it hold their ashes?
This one is a lantern, not an urn. For the remains, look at The Collar Urn or The Pet-I-Knew Memorial Urn. Want both in one piece? Ask me before you buy.
Can I see a real example of what I'd get?
Yes. The complete sample for a pair of Name-As-Structure Bookends (Maya's Alpine Cathedral, an Advanced design) is free to look through: the standard template, its Explain It Like I'm 12 guide and its large-format pages, all stamped SAMPLE. It has been checked the same way every custom template is, and it hasn't been built or fired.
What exactly am I buying?
A custom slab pottery template, designed by me around your idea and delivered as PDF files. I design it, then you build it. No finished pottery, clay, glaze or firing comes with it, and nothing ships.
What's in the standard package?
Everything you need to build the piece at the level you chose: full-size patterns for every piece with labels, quantities and dimensions, a tools and materials list, step-by-step assembly instructions, and a bevel guide if the design has angled edges. Expert, Insane and Legendary templates also get in-depth chapters on drying, keeping clay workable over a long build, and avoiding common problems. The add-ons make it easier or faster. They never hold back anything you need.
What do the add-ons do?
Explain It Like I'm 12 is a longer PDF guide to your design that walks through every step and why it works (20% of the template's base price). Large-format files put the patterns on 24 x 36 in sheets, every piece whole, ready for a copy shop (25%; printing isn't included). Rush gets your first concept to you in 2 business days, and your finished files 5 business days after you approve the design instead of up to 3 weeks (40%). Clayla project help is $20 for up to 30 questions about building your design. Each percentage is figured from the base price only and rounded to an even dollar amount, and you see the exact price before you add anything.
Has my design been built and fired before I get it?
No. I check every custom template digitally before it goes out: the patterns against the design, and the drawings and instructions against both, with a 3D model behind every Advanced and higher design. Your piece is a brand-new design, so you're the first to build it. If you hit a mistake of mine, I fix it free.
Can I bring my own idea?
Please do. The examples are sparks, not a menu. Show me one and ask for something like it, or bring something nobody has thought of yet. If your idea fits one of my named custom templates, start there. If it doesn't fit any of them, Your Idea, in Clay is made for exactly that.
Which level should I pick?
The one you're ready to build. A Beginner version is a deliberately simpler build of your idea, and what makes a piece mean something doesn't depend on how many parts it has. The skills calculator on this page asks a few questions about your experience, space and time, then recommends a level. A higher level, or the Explain It Like I'm 12 guide, doesn't replace the skills that level calls for.
What if my idea needs more than the level I bought?
I'll tell you before I start your first concept. Then you choose: I simplify it to fit what you bought, or you pay the difference to move up. I never add charges or trim what you bought without your say-so.
What can't you design?
Brand names and logos, team names and mascots, and characters, artwork or worlds from games, films, TV and books. Photos and drawings you send need to be yours, or used with permission (finding an image online isn't permission). Your own business name, or a simple text logo you own, is fine. Not sure? Ask me before you order.
What happens if you can't accept my idea?
Send me a different idea for the same order, switch to another custom template, or take store credit on a gift card that never expires. There's no fee for any of it. And if your idea fits my rules and I still can't take it on, you can choose a full refund instead.
How long does it take?
Your first concept arrives within 5 business days after I have everything I need (2 with rush). Once you approve your design, your finished template is ready within 3 weeks (Legendary, 4 weeks), or 5 business days with rush (Legendary, 8). Business days are Monday to Friday, Mountain Time, not counting studio holidays. You get your exact due date the day you approve.
When does the clock start?
Within 48 hours of your order, you get an email listing what I need. Once I have all of it, I start designing, and your first concept arrives within 5 business days (2 with rush). The due date clock starts the day you approve your design. Take as long as you like choosing and refining. That time never counts against you. After you approve, if I have to wait on an answer from you, those days move your due date, and I tell you the new date.
What if I'm slow to reply?
Life happens. I'll send reminders, and your order waits until you're back. Nothing gets finished without your approval, and nothing you paid for disappears.
How many concepts do I get?
A first concept, and up to two alternatives if the first isn't it. Pick the one you love, and one combined round of small refinements comes with it. Then you approve the final design in writing, and I build the template.
What if you miss my due date?
If I'm going to miss your due date or a concept date, I'll tell you before it, and you choose a full refund or the new date. With rush, if I miss the date for a reason on my side, I refund that custom template and every rush fee and add-on bought for it, and I still deliver it.
Can I change the design after I approve it?
Yes, for a fee. I explain what the change involves, quote the price and the new due date, and wait for your yes. The fee depends on how much has to be redone, up to 70% of the template's base price. Fixing my own mistakes never costs anything.
What if I find a mistake in my template?
Tell me (by email, through the contact page, or through Clayla) and I'll send corrected files within a week of confirming it. It's free, there's no time limit, and it never uses your Clayla questions. A different way of doing a step isn't a mistake. A wrong size, a missing piece or a pattern that doesn't match the instructions is.
Who owns the design?
You do, outright. When I deliver, I assign you my rights in your custom design, with a signed ownership certificate. The design, the template files and everything you make from them are yours to use, sell, share or give away, and you can call it your own design. You never have to credit me.
Can I share or sell the files?
Yes, both. Share them with anyone, give them away or sell them, changed or not, and the people you pass them to can sell what they make too. There are no limits, and no credit to me is needed.
Will you show my project, or sell it to other people?
I may show your design as an example of my work, and I may turn a suitable design into a template for my catalog. Your private photos and contact details never go public, anything personal (a name, a date, a house number, your kid's drawing) gets removed or generalized unless you tell me it can stay, and I don't put your name on it. Your rights don't change if I do either, and my catalog version never limits what you do with yours.
Can I buy one as a gift?
Yes. Buy it, then tell me in your reply to the "what I need" email who will send the details and approve the design. I start designing when I have their information, and the design becomes theirs. A gift card works too, if you'd rather they pick everything themselves.
What size will it come out?
Every size I list is the finished size after firing, assuming your clay shrinks 12%. Clay bodies vary, so if yours shrinks more or less, send me its shrinkage with your information and I'll size the patterns for it.
What paper do I print on?
Plain paper, at actual size (100%), never "fit to page". The patterns are laid out on US Letter sheets (8.5 x 11 in), and at actual size they usually fit A4 too. Check a printed measurement against a ruler before you cut. Large-format files are 24 x 36 in, for a copy shop.
What is Clayla project help, and how are questions counted?
Clayla, The Clay Hole Assistant, helps while you build your design. $20 gets you up to 30 project questions. A question that gets a real answer uses one. Follow-ups to the same question, failed requests, duplicates and corrections of a wrong answer don't. Clayla shows your balance and tells you before a question counts. Questions about your order, my policies or a mistake in your files are always free, and unused questions never expire.
Can Clayla draw a step for me?
Yes, as a separate purchase you choose each time: $5 for Beginner to Advanced designs, $10 for Expert and Insane, and $12.50 for Legendary. If a drawing misses, I refund it.
Can I get a refund?
A custom template is personal design work, so there are no change-of-mind refunds. You do get your money back in the situations the terms set out: a missed due date or concept date (your choice), a missed rush date on my side, a material change you don't accept, an idea within my rules that I can't take on, and anything the law where you live gives you.
Do members get custom templates free or discounted?
No. Member picks, bundles and promotions are for pre-made templates. Custom templates are paid design work, priced the same for everyone.
I'm in the EU, EEA or UK. Can I cancel?
Yes, within 14 days of ordering. When you send your information, you choose whether I start right away or wait until the 14 days are over. If you ask me to start and then cancel, you pay for the work already done and I refund the rest. Once your finished files are delivered, the order can't be canceled.
Everything here follows the Custom Template Terms. Something I didn't answer? Ask Clayla, or send me a message.
Leave a light on for them.
Tell me their name and their colors.


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