Event Information
Date: October 6, 2026
Time: 3:45 – 5:45 p.m.
Location: Hintonburg Pottery
1242 1/2 Wellington St. W, Ottawa
Price: $80 per person
What to Bring:
・Notebook and Pen
・Long-sleeved clothing
✒️ The registration form is at the bottom of this page.
Kintsugi is a traditional Japanese art and repair technique that restores broken ceramics to practical, food-safe use. Even today, despite all the advances in technology, kintsugi remains the only method of repairing ceramics that offers both the strength needed for continued use and food safety.
The kintsugi process takes at least two months and uses no synthetic materials. Instead, it relies on urushi—a natural tree sap used in Japan for over 10,000 years—to bond the broken pieces, fill in chips, and reconstruct missing parts. The repaired areas are then decorated with pure gold using a technique known as maki-e.
In this workshop, you will first learn about the materials, process, and history of kintsugi. You will then have the opportunity to experience the technique of “maki-e”.
Use autumn leaves and flower stamps to create beautiful gold-coloured designs on a small vase!
*Please note that the hands-on portion of this workshop focuses on maki-e and does not include the full kintsugi repair process.
Hands on Maki-e Workshop
You will decorate one side of your vase. Please note that you will not be able to decorate it all the way around.
Maki-e Option 1: Stamps
Maki-e Option 2: Autumn Leaves
Leaves will be provided. You are also welcome to bring a favourite leaf of your own! Please rinse it gently and allow it to dry beforehand.
Refer to the vase dimensions below and choose a small leaf that will fit on your vase.
Vase sizes
The vases are available in black and white. The shapes will be assigned randomly to participants.
Workshop Schedule
*Please complete check-in by 3:30 p.m. We have a tight schedule, so arriving early will help us begin on time.
Kintsugi Lecture Ⅰ
3:45-4:15 – The concept, materials, process, and history of kintsugi
Hands-on Maki-e: Stamping
4:15-4:20 – Instructions
4:20-4:45 – Creating designs on your vase using stamps or leaves
Kintsugi Lecture Ⅱ (While the urushi designs on the vases are left to partially cure.)
4:45-5:15 – The philosophy behind kintsugi
Hands-on Maki-e: Applying gold-colored powder
5:15-5:20 – Instructions
5:20-5:35 – Applying gold-colored powder
5:35-5:45 -Packing your vase into a container and closing announcements from Kintsugica
After the Workshop
Take your vase home carefully without shaking the container. Leave it in the container at room temperature (20–27°C) for 5–7 days. Then open the container and gently wash off any excess powder.
Do not put your vase in a microwave, oven, or dishwasher.
Caution
This workshop uses urushi, the same material used in kintsugi. Urushi is the sap of the urushi tree and contains urushiol, the same substance found in poison ivy, which can cause an itchy skin rash if it comes into contact with bare skin.
You will always wear gloves when handling urushi during the workshop. Urushiol causes contact dermatitis rather than a life-threatening allergic reaction, but please be aware of this risk before participating.
Hintonburg Pottery, Kintsugica, and the instructor are not responsible for any allergic or skin reactions resulting from participation in the workshop.