Pottery club made clay pumpkin pots as their monthly pottery project in Room 2302 on Oct. 20.

Club president and senior Anna Burns led the project. She showed members how to combine two pinch pots into one hollow, gourd-shaped pot.

The officers spread out each of their pottery projects over the course of a month, dedicating time for hand building the clay, adding texture and personal designs, firing and glazing. Pottery Club plans projects by the season.

“We do them based on the month,” Burns said. “October's Halloween, of course, so last year for Halloween, we made witch hats out of clay. This year was kind of basic, but I thought, ‘Everybody likes pumpkins.’”

In December, the club hosts its yearly Project Santa. Members make clay ornaments of different sizes and shapes and have younger kids paint them to take home.

Burns said that Project Santa might be the club’s biggest project throughout the entire year.

“Last year we made, like, 200 ornaments,” Burns said. “Basically, we just roll a big sheet of clay. Then, we have cookie cutters and we just cut them out.”

Club sponsor Michael Simmonds is also involved in the club’s activities. Simmonds teaches multiple sculpting and art classes in addition to being the sponsor of the club.

“Sometimes he helps with firing stuff,” Burns said. “He knows more [than the officers] and teaches us sometimes when [we] have questions.”

During the next few weeks, Pottery Club plans to collaborate with the People for Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) to create, paint and distribute dog bows.

“Us Pottery Club people will create and bake it for two weeks,” Burns said. “We'll make the bowls, and then [the PAWS members] will come clean and decorate them. After, we'll just donate the dog bowls to the Houston SPCA and animal shelters.”

Pottery Club meets weekly on Mondays in Room 2302. For more information about the club, join their Remind @bhs-clay or follow their Instagram @bellairepottery2025.