If you’re reading this blog, you most likely have an interest in tobacco pipes, working with clay, trying new projects, or simply have too much time on your hands—all of which are perfectly good reasons to keep reading! This blog will walk you through the process of making your own simple tobacco pipe out of store-bought oven clay. Although there is plenty of room to practice design details on the pipe if you choose to do so, no previous experience with working with clay is necessary! Since the materials for this project are inexpensive, you can count on saving money by avoiding buying a pipe from a tobacco store or on an internet site. After completing these instructions, you will have a fully functioning pipe ready to begin smoking tobacco as soon as your heart desires (if you’re 18 or older, of course). Not to mention, the process will allow you to show off your creativity through a one of a kind piece you can be proud of.

You'll need:

A small packet of oven clay found at most craft stores
A small plastic paintbrush
A toothpick
Access to a conventional oven :)

3 Basic parts of a pipe which we’ll reference:



· The bowl –the small chamber in which the tobacco is placed.
· The shank –the thin stem that leads to the bit. The smoke travels up the shank.
· The bit –the mouthpiece of the pipe.

Before you begin, you should know...

It is important to know some characteristics of clay pipes as opposed to one made of wood or other materials if you intend to smoke with your pipe. Some types of clay are known to get hotter than other typical tobacco pipe materials, so be aware of this while lighting your pipe so as not to burn yourself. This can be easily avoided by puffing slowly rather than at a rapid pace.
Another thing to note is that certain types of clay may slightly alter the taste of your tobacco during the first few times you smoke with them. This should work itself out after the first few uses of your pipe, and the tobacco’s taste should return to normal.

Time to begin!

Begin by tearing off a piece of clay approximately the desired size of your pipe (estimate around six inches in length). It will be easiest to form a pipe structure if one end of the clay is thicker than the other end, resembling the shape of a carrot. (See image below). The thicker end will form the bowl, and the thinner end will form the shank and bit.

IMPORTANT: It is better to get more clay than you think you will need, and scrape or tear off any excess as you’re forming your pipe. If smaller clay pieces are added to the main segment of clay, they are likely to break off while baking in the oven.

Once you’ve torn off an appropriate amount of clay begin using your fingers to form the bowl portion of the pipe. The best way to do this is to push a finger or thumb into the center of the thickest part of the clay. The inner part of the bowl (formed by your finger or thumb) will serve to hold the tobacco while smoking, and needs to be about half an inch deep. The entire depth of the bowl should be about one inch deep. (See image).

Smooth out clay around the bowl area to get rid of cracks.

Once you are satisfied with the general shape of the bowl (no need to be perfect) the next section to begin forming is the shank. The best way of doing this is to stroke the clay in smoothing motions away from the bowl. This will thin out the clay and give this part of the pipe more of a “stem”-like look which is characteristic of tobacco pipes. Remember that the shank is the chamber through which the smoke travels, so it needs to be relatively straight. You may shape your shank into a long rectangle (as shown in the photograph), make it rounded, or get creative with any sort of pattern. The important thing is that it is thick enough for the end of your paintbrush to go through the center of the entire length of the shank without a likelihood of breaking through the clay on any side. When you are satisfied with the thickness and smoothness of your shank, compare your pipe to the image below and proceed to the next step.

Next you need to determine how long you would like your shank to be, and pinch off any excess clay. The average shank or stem is around three or four inches. Pinch or tear off any excess clay. Then smooth out the end to form the bit, or mouthpiece of the pipe.

Now to make your pipe functional: First take the back of your paintbrush (the end without bristles) and poke it downward into the center of the bowl as shown. When pushing downward through the clay, be careful not to push too close to the bottom of the pipe to avoid breaking through to the surface.

Next take the same end of your paintbrush and push through the center of the stem-end (at the mouthpiece). If possible, get a friend to hold the pipe steady while you push the paintbrush all the way through until you see the end of the paintbrush penetrate the area of the bowl where the previous hole was made. Be sure to push the paintbrush through as straight as possible so that it doesn’t get too close to the edges of the stem or puncture the surface of the clay. The longer your stem is, the likelier it is to become “warped” during this process. This is fine, as long as the brush is able to make its way from the mouthpiece to the hole in the bowl, to allow for smoke to escape.

NOTE: Do not be surprised if at any point during the process, minor cracks appear in the shank as shown. This should not cause any problems with the functioning of the pipe.

You may need to take a toothpick and remove any extra pieces of clay you notice blocking the entrance holes at the bowl or bit of the pipe, as shown.

To test whether your air chamber is functional, you will want to either hold your pipe up to a light to see if light shines through from one end to the other, or try blowing through the pipe at the bit. If you cannot see light through the chamber or if you are not able to blow air out of the pipe through the bit, you will want to repeat the previous process with your paintbrush until your pipe can pass this test.

You’re almost finished! Now for the fun part. You may want to decorate or personalize your pipe in some way. If you choose to make designs in your pipe, you’ll want to do so before it dries and becomes too hard to do so. An easy way to write on or draw designs on your pipe is to use a toothpick.
*If you want to paint your pipe, you’ll want to do so AFTER it has baked in the oven.

Once your pipe is shaped and decorated to your satisfaction, let it set for a day or two, until completely dry. You can tell that the clay is dry when it is no longer cold to the touch.

When your pipe has dried, place it in the oven (DO NOT PREHEAT) and turn the oven on to 350 degrees. Your pipe will need about one hour to bake. The clay is done baking when brown specks appear on it.

IMPORTANT: To avoid the possibility of your clay breaking due to thermal shock, DO NOT open the oven during the entire baking cycle. Turn off the oven and allow it to completely cool before removing your pipe. If you cannot see through your oven door to determine whether the clay has finished baking, set a timer for one hour, and then turn off the oven and allow it to cool for another hour before checking on your project. This should be efficient time for your clay to bake.

When your pipe is dry, it is ready to be used and enjoyed. :)

**If you have any problems or questions during this process, send me a message and I'll try to answer you quickly and help you through it.**

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