FAQs

Do you make everything yourself? 
We do! Right in our basement in Louisville, KY. The kiln, the wheel, the glazes, it’s all there.

Is your work food/dishwasher/microwave safe? 

Yes, unless otherwise noted on the listing. Clays we use are listed as food safe, and glazes are lead free and food safe also. Gold luster pieces shouldn’t be microwaved, as they contain real gold. Metal + microwave = bad. 

Do you take commissions or customs? 
We don't, usually. We make what sparks joy for us, and we hope you love it! Taylor occasionally has blank mugs which can be painted by us with your cat's likeness. If those are available, you'll see them listed on the website. 

Do you sell wholesale? 
We are a small batch hobby pottery studio, so it's not cost/time effective for us to offer wholesale orders.

What are your shipping and packaging policies? 
We always try to ship out packages within 3 days of ordering.
You may notice that the packaging isn’t brand new, or that there’s a mix of padding materials inside the box. This is because some of our boxes and most of our interior packing materials are graciously donated by community members and local businesses—which saves everyone money AND helps the planet. 

What if my piece is broken in the mail? 

Please take photos of both the piece and the packaging it came in, and email them to us at backyardkiln@gmail.com. We will be glad to refund your purchase. 
Packing is something we have studied and honed over years of selling online, so this doesn’t happen often; however, every now and then, things can go wrong, and we would never ask you to pay for a broken pot.

What are “seconds”, and why are they cheaper?

”Seconds” is the term potters use for pieces that are still functional, but may have a cosmetic defect. Examples of this may be a small crack that doesn’t go all the way through the piece, a glaze chip or run, or a color that didn’t come out quite as intended. We only sell pieces that are safe to use. We know our seconds are functional because they make up 50% of our own daily use kitchenware. :)