How Clayhem got started
"It was pure joy from the very first try. I couldn't believe I managed to make six cereal bowls that my family started using. I wanted to learn more and get serious about this hobby."
Interview with Founder Emma Alftan:
Clayhem founder Emma Alftan was a complete beginner with clay work until she took her first course on an October Saturday in 2022. “It was pure joy from the very first try. I couldn’t believe I managed to make six cereal bowls that actually ended up in my family’s daily use. I wanted to learn more and to take this hobby seriously,” Alftan says.
There was, however, one obstacle to diving deeper into the excitement: there were very few places to practice ceramics in Helsinki, and all the courses were fully booked.
The inspiration came from abroad, from Los Angeles. “I visited The Pottery Studio in L.A., and its founder Marshall Blair showed me around and told me their story. I realized I wanted a place like this for myself, too.”
When a space on Franzeninkatu in Kallio was found, the decision was clear. Clayhem started operating in late summer 2023. A couple of years later, in the summer of 2025, Emma Alftan is all smiles. The business idea has proven to work, and enthusiastic hobbyists have found the studio. “Clayhem got off to an amazing start. It’s a great joy to see how much people have loved the concept and Clayhem itself,” she says.
Clayhem’s idea is to make ceramics as easy as possible for people to take up as a hobby. “We offer by far the most studio time for members — over 300 hours a month,” Alftan says.
Barriers have been removed everywhere. For example, Clayhem doesn’t have a booking system. Members can come to the studio whenever they like within opening hours. “I hate having to know far in advance exactly when you want to come and make things,” Alftan notes. “In the U.S. you could go to the studio even in the middle of the night. We of course close at night, but you still have studio time from eight in the morning until ten at night.”
At Clayhem you can start with a course, a company event, or by becoming a member right away. According to Emma Alftan, the outcome is often the same. “No matter what the first touchpoint is, really many people come back immediately when they have the chance.”
Because of the popularity, shelf space at Clayhem is filling up, and Alftan has decided to expand the business. A second space was found next door, and the new Clayhem Kulma will open in the autumn for private events and a large share of the courses. More changes are coming in autumn 2025 as well. Clayhem will invest in community in a concrete way, and the studio will add a member coordinator. “It has pleasantly surprised me that the studio is always full of happy people. Our big secret is community, and we’re going to invest in it even more now,” Emma Alftan says.
Signs of this community include member-organized markets and Saturday evening studio nights where people watch The Great Pottery Throw Down and taste wines. “Our community has grown big, and in Clayhem that sense of togetherness is somehow, in every way, more than I ever dreamed of.”
Clayhem began because Emma Alftan wanted a ceramics place that felt like her own. Now that Clayhem has succeeded, the question is whether Alftan herself has time to do ceramics. “Far too little,” she laughs.
Luckily, her current summer cabin-building project is inspiring and also gives the founder things to make at Clayhem. The cabin’s interior architect came up with the idea that Alftan would make the kitchen tiles herself. “We need 400 of them, and I’ve made four so far. At least I don’t need to wonder what I should be doing at the studio!”
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Clayhem’s logo was designed by Vivan Daaboul. The website photographs were taken by Alli Anttila. The studio’s interior was designed by Anna-Kaisa Melvas. The worktables were made by carpenter Rauli Paju. PR is handled by Anu Makkonen.
Getting started with ceramics at Clayhem’s Kallio studio is easy
If you already know the basics of wheel throwing, hand building and working with clay, you can join the studio as a member. With a monthly pass, you can come in and create independently whenever it suits your schedule.Our doors are also open to beginners!
If you’re excited about ceramics but starting from scratch, we offer an introductory course as well as several technique-focused continuation courses. We recommend beginning with a course if you’re new to the craft.
All courses and monthly passes are available in our course store.
The first step: Clayhem’s basic course – Ceramics for beginners
You don’t need to master pinching or sgraffito on your very first try — we’ll teach you! One of the best things about working with clay is how quickly your own style starts to show after just a few technique classes.
Clayhem’s beginners’ course helps you learn the essential foundations of ceramics. Our teachers are experienced and inspiring ceramic designers: Elina Sallinen, Sami Rinne and Danielle Yukari.After the hand-building beginners’ course, it’s easy to move on to the other two techniques. Our slip casting course and wheel throwing course are both popular next steps at Clayhem’s Kallio studio.
Our courses fill up quickly, but don’t worry if you don’t see an available spot right now — we open new courses all the time. We also announce new courses and studio news on Instagram, so make sure to follow us at @clay_hem.
The second step: Clayhem membership
When the clay starts to respond and the coil technique feels like second nature, we recommend becoming a member. There’s an old studio truth: the best way to grow in ceramics is simply by making more. We want to offer our members the freedom to create in our modern studio in Kallio, Helsinki. A monthly membership lets you work with clay at your own pace and on your own schedule – without hurry. Or in a hurry, if that’s your style.
Clayhem memberships are sold in one-month and multi-month packages, and you can choose the option that suits you best. As a member, you can access the studio during normal opening hours, store your pieces on your own shelf, use our basic glazes, and freely use all shared tools and equipment. Clay and additional glazes are also available for purchase at the studio. We charge a small fee for firing, and the prices can be found in the Studio section.
You can purchase your membership in our course store, and it will be activated by emailing our studio manager, Elina Sallinen, at studio@clayhem.fi.
Welcome to our ceramics studio in Kallio!
When you arrive at Clayhem for the first time, please check in at the office. During your first visit, we’ll give you a short tour of the studio and walk you through how everything works.
We’re also happy to answer questions by email or phone:
studio@clayhem.fi
044 781 1161
Please note that we are usually in the studio from Tuesday to Friday between 12:00 and 17:00. And when we are there, our hands are often covered in clay. So please don’t worry if it takes a little while for us to reply.
Address: Franzeninkatu 22, 00530 Helsinki.
Clayhem’s ceramics studio is located in the heart of Kallio with excellent public transport connections. The Fleminginkatu bus stops, the Helsinginkatu tram stops, and both Hakaniemi and Sörnäinen metro stations are all close by.
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Clayhem – a ceramics studio in Kallio
A truly inspiring hobby combines creativity, creating with your hands and relaxation.
At our ceramics studio in Kallio you can find your own, creative flow in a space that was designed for all our customers’ needs. For us, ceramics is more than a hobby – we think of it as a creative moment for yourself.
Ceramics and pottery can be relaxing forms of self-expression that also give the creator something concrete – a physical object. Whether you want to make coffee cups, vases, plates, poke bowls or that weird animal statue that even you cannot not quite name - at Clayhem you can do it all. We have a wonderful setting, all the clay you need and the necessary tools and our beautiful pottery kiln.
Working with clay is a process that takes a lifetime to truly master. But it is about the journey not the destination. The more you practice, the more your skills develop and mind rests. What do you say: come and try clay at Clayhem!
Clayhem is a ceramics studio founded in 2022 in Kallio, Helsinki. The vision of our founder Emma Alftan is present in every corner of the studio. Clayhem aims to adapt to the needs of the clients of all skills and levels of artistry. Our goal is to make everything as convenient and relaxed as possible for the customer.
At Clayhem, it is easy for beginners to get excited about a new hobby in the spirit of experimental DIY culture.
For the more experienced customers, our wonderful studio offers an opportunity to practice according to their own schedule. We have tailored our practices and our wonderful studio space so that even the most demanding customer can find the methods and schedules that suit them.
Our Clayhem studio in Kallio is designed with the customer in mind and the inspiring space is adaptable to many needs and events
Naturally Clayhem offers a basic ceramics course for the very beginners. For the more experienced, we have planned a variety of courses in new techniques: for example, a hand-building course, a casting clay course and a pottery wheeling course. Our operations are constantly developing, and we take pride in the fact that members can influence this development.
The Clayhem ceramics studio space has six large worktables that can accommodate up to 40 artists simultaneously. The studio also has a smaller and more private space that can accommodate a group of up to 8 people at a time.
Our modern and functional studio is the perfect space for a successful and inspiring private event. You can hold your own course, party or inspiring company team day in our beautiful studio. The atmosphere of throwing a party will be captured as memories in the items you created – and take home. Stress has been found to be effectively eliminated at the pottery wheel.
We are happy to tell you more about the various possibilities for inspiring private events and plan a program with you according to your wishes. Read more about our events here.
If you visit once and are left craving for more, our membership program allows you to work according to your own schedule. Our founder Emma Alftan’s idea from the scratch was to create Clayhem as a community, where everyone can practice on their own terms. Clayhem membership frees you to create ceramics on your own terms and schedule. Read more and become a member here.
A truly inspiring hobby combines creativity, creating with your hands and relaxation.
At our ceramics studio in Kallio you can find your own, creative flow in a space that was designed for all our customers’ needs. For us, ceramics is more than a hobby – we think of it as a creative moment for yourself.
Ceramics and pottery can be relaxing forms of self-expression that also give the creator something concrete – a physical object. Whether you want to make coffee cups, vases, plates, poke bowls or that weird animal statue that even you cannot not quite name - at Clayhem you can do it all. We have a wonderful setting, all the clay you need and the necessary tools and our beautiful pottery kiln.
Working with clay is a process that takes a lifetime to truly master. But it is about the journey not the destination. The more you practice, the more your skills develop and mind rests. What do you say: come and try clay at Clayhem!
Clayhem is a ceramics studio founded in 2022 in Kallio, Helsinki. The vision of our founder Emma Alftan is present in every corner of the studio. Clayhem aims to adapt to the needs of the clients of all skills and levels of artistry. Our goal is to make everything as convenient and relaxed as possible for the customer.
At Clayhem, it is easy for beginners to get excited about a new hobby in the spirit of experimental DIY culture.
For the more experienced customers, our wonderful studio offers an opportunity to practice according to their own schedule. We have tailored our practices and our wonderful studio space so that even the most demanding customer can find the methods and schedules that suit them.
Our Clayhem studio in Kallio is designed with the customer in mind and the inspiring space is adaptable to many needs and events.
Naturally Clayhem offers a basic ceramics course for the very beginners. For the more experienced, we have planned a variety of courses in new techniques: for example, a hand-building course, a casting clay course and a pottery wheeling course. Our operations are constantly developing, and we take pride in the fact that members can influence this development.
The Clayhem ceramics studio space has six large worktables that can accommodate up to 40 artists simultaneously. The studio also has a smaller and more private space that can accommodate a group of up to 8 people at a time.
Our modern and functional studio is the perfect space for a successful and inspiring private event. You can hold your own course, party or inspiring company team day in our beautiful studio. The atmosphere of throwing a party will be captured as memories in the items you created – and take home. Stress has been found to be effectively eliminated at the pottery wheel.
We are happy to tell you more about the various possibilities for inspiring private events and plan a program with you according to your wishes. Read more about our events here.
If you visit once and are left craving for more, our membership program allows you to work according to your own schedule. Our founder Emma Alftan’s idea from the scratch was to create Clayhem as a community, where everyone can practice on their own terms. Clayhem membership frees you to create ceramics on your own terms and schedule. Read more and become a member here.
