Meet the glamorous ‘pottery girl’ taking TikTok by storm thanks to her mesmerising videos in the studio – and it’s set to turn into a very lucrative business

• Silk Castellas-Cartwright only started pottery at the beginning of 2021 
• The 21-year-old was bored while in lockdown and turned to the new hobby 
• Today Silk, from Melbourne, dubs herself as a part-time ceramicist 
• She makes unique vases, mugs, plates and bowls to sell on her website, By Silk
• After sharing videos on TikTok she now has more than half a million followers  

A young Australian who fell in love with pottery after her travel plans were put on hold due to Covid-19 restrictions has captured the attention of close to half a million people on TikTok.

Silk Castellas-Cartwright, from Melbourne, started experimenting with clay at the beginning of 2021 then enrolled in local pottery classes to improve her skills.

The 21-year-old dubs herself as a part-time ceramicist while working on her business By Silk where she sells her creations online.

‘I make pieces that are modern and fun, and that can be used functionally but also as a piece of art on their own,’ Silk told FEMAIL.

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Silk Castellas-Cartwright, from Melbourne, Australia (pictured) started experimenting with clay at the start of 2021 when her travel plans were put on hold due to Covid-19 restrictions

‘I planned to travel for the year after finishing my Arts degree, but found myself with a lot of spare time in and out of lockdowns,’ Silk told FEMAIL

‘I planned to travel for the year after finishing my Arts degree, but found myself with a lot of spare time in and out of lockdowns,’ she said.

‘I bought some clay and started hand building pieces and then enrolled in a few classes at a local pottery studio to learn wheel throwing.’

From there she bought herself a pottery wheel and set up a home studio.  

Silk turned to TikTok to create and share videos for ‘a bit of fun’, but it instantly ‘blew up’ and over the course of the year she has gained 500,000 followers.

In the short videos, Silk records the process of making ceramic vases, cups and jugs, and she admitted ‘about 50 per cent’ of her attempts are an ‘epic fail’ as she’s still learning.

One video shared earlier this year has exceeded 20million views. 

‘I get inspiration from contemporary art and sculpture, and also a lot from fashion trends,’ she said.

The 21-year-old dubs herself as a part-time ceramicist while working on her business By Silk where she sells her creations online

Silk turned to TikTok to create and share videos for ‘a bit of fun’, but it instantly ‘blew up’

In her latest video she demonstrated how she made six patterned ceramic cups and began by ensuring she used precisely 400g.

‘To make the shape of a cup, I make a whole in the centre of the clay and then slowly bring it outwards,’ she said.

‘Then I use both hands to pull the walls up, so it’s really important to keep the clay wet for this entire process otherwise it can get stuck to your hands and can knock the piece off centre.’

Customers can purchase Silk’s creations on the By Silk website and choose from colourful handmade bowls, matching mugs, unique vases and plates.

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