- When making the pinch pots I took a ball of clay and pinched the sides with my thumb in the center and my other fingers on the outside, then I had my other hand to cup the bottom and when I wanted to created a different shape like a square, I imaged a square around it and pinched in that shape. Once the clay was harder I added designs, some silly, some patterns, mainly using the needle tool. - Even pinches are key when making a pinch pot because if the walls are uneven, the pot may slope or crack when being fired.