From Paintbrush to Keepsake: What Happens After You Leave Your Pottery?
Share
One of the questions we're asked most often at The Lemon Tree Pottery Café is:
"Why does it take around 7–10 days before I can collect my pottery?"
The simple answer is that your masterpiece still has one very important journey to make.
After you've finished painting, we carefully glaze every single piece by hand before it spends around 36 hours in our kiln, reaching temperatures of over 1,000°C. It's a slow process, but it's what transforms your artwork into something that can be treasured for years to come.
Step 1: You create the magic
Whether it's a child's first masterpiece, a family keepsake or something you've spent hours perfecting, every piece starts life looking beautifully matte.
Some recent creations have included:
- Three party geese celebrating together 🪿
- Delicate lilies painted with incredible detail 🌸
- Personalised LOVE ornaments ❤️
- Cute hedgehog bowls 🦔
- Modern floral plates
- Bright, colourful rainbow designs
Every piece has its own personality, which is exactly what makes pottery painting so special.
Step 2: We glaze every piece by hand
Once you've left, our work begins.
Every item is individually coated with a clear food-safe glaze. Before glazing, the pottery has a chalky, almost powdery feel. The glaze looks milky white when it's applied, so your pottery can actually appear dull or cloudy at this stage.
Don't panic!
The colours haven't disappeared—they're simply hidden beneath the glaze until firing.
This glazing process protects your artwork and gives it that beautiful glossy finish.
Step 3: Into the kiln for 36 hours
This is where the real transformation happens.
Each kiln load takes around 36 hours from start to finish.
We don't simply heat it up and take it straight back out. The pottery must:
- Warm up gradually to avoid cracking.
- Reach temperatures of around 1,050°C.
- Stay at temperature long enough for the glaze to fully mature.
- Cool down slowly over many hours.
Opening the kiln too early could cause thermal shock and damage the pottery, so patience really is part of the process.
Step 4: The reveal
Opening the kiln is one of our favourite moments.
The cloudy glaze has now melted into crystal-clear glass, making the colours brighter, richer and beautifully glossy.
It's often amazing how much more vibrant each design becomes after firing.
Seeing a kiln full of finished artwork never gets old.
Every kiln is full of memories
One kiln load might contain birthday gifts, anniversary presents, children's first paintings, baby handprints and pieces that will be used around the dinner table for years.
Looking at one of our recent kiln loads, it's incredible to think every single item tells a different story.
From playful party geese to elegant lilies, every design reflects the person who painted it.
That's why we love what we do.
Worth the wait
We know it's exciting to collect your pottery, and we promise we're just as excited to see the finished results as you are.
The few extra days allow us to carefully glaze, fire and inspect every piece so it leaves looking its absolute best.
When you finally unwrap your pottery, you're not just taking home something you've painted...
You're taking home something that's been transformed into a lasting keepsake.
We can't wait to see what you'll create next at The Lemon Tree Pottery Café.