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.