DIY Pottery Kiln (using a dog crate) for Raku/Saggar Firing

There’s something deeply satisfying about firing ceramics in a kiln you built yourself. Raku and saggar firing especially reward a DIY spirit—they’re fast, dramatic, and forgiving enough to let experimentation shine. You don’t need an industrial setup or a huge budget. What you do need is a clear plan, respect for fire, and a willingness to get your hands dirty.

This post covers the basic principles of building a small gas kiln for raku or saggar firing, followed by a real-world example of how I built mine using a dog crate (yes, really).

Why build your own DIY pottery kiln?

Once we had finished the mammoth task of building the studio, it became clear that I really wanted to explore alternative firing methods to create striking effects on my pieces. My lovely electric kiln is perfect for functional work and more traditional firings—but it is absolutely not designed for combustibles, smoke, or chaos.

I didn’t fancy ruining the elements by stuffing sawdust and newspaper into an electric firing, so a DIY pottery kiln felt like the obvious answer, utilising a framework that would otherwise have ended up in landfill. Something I could fire outdoors, experiment with freely, and generally play with fire in the garden—leaving my proper grown-up kiln safely indoors and untraumatised.

A bit of research quickly revealed that buying a “proper” raku kiln was going to be very expensive. So, in the spirit of saving money and making questionable decisions, I decided there must be another way.

The Dog Crate Idea (Because Obviously)

As luck would have it, a post popped up on Facebook Marketplace: someone was getting rid of a dog crate they no longer needed. And as we all know, when you look at a dog crate, the first thing you think is:

“Yes. That would make an excellent gas kiln capable of reaching 1000°C.”

And so, another slightly bonkers idea was born - this time, let's build a DIY pottery kiln using a dog crate.

The crate had a rigid steel frame, plenty of ventilation potential, and—crucially—was free. I grabbed it and started researching DIY kiln builds to figure out what fixtures and fittings I’d need to turn this very much not a kiln into something that might actually work.

Building the Kiln

A little internet shopping later, the equipment arrived: ceramic fibre blanket, bisque buttons, nichrome wire, burners, regulators—the usual collection of things that make delivery drivers mildly concerned.

Luckily, I still had space in the studio to build the kiln, as this was before I’d properly started working in there. Many rainy afternoons were spent wrestling with ceramic fibre blanket, carefully cutting and shaping it, and trying to persuade it to stay exactly where I wanted it.

The dog crate frame turned out to be incredibly useful as a rigid structure. That said, lining it without leaving gaps for heat to escape was… fiddly, to put it politely.

Bisque buttons were used to hold the fibre blanket in place, threaded with nichrome wire and tied to the outside of the frame. It wasn’t elegant, but it was effective, and everything stayed firmly in shape once tensioned properly.

The Moment of Truth: Test Firing

Once the structure was complete, it was time for a test firing.

Amazingly—and slightly terrifyingly—I managed to get the kiln up to 1163°C. That’s more than enough power for smoke firings and lower-temperature raku firing, and proof that even a deeply unconventional kiln can pack serious heat.

That said, this kiln is not for the faint-hearted. It is incredibly noisy, and the flames coming out of the top vent are quite fierce. This is very much an outdoor-only, full-attention, fire-extinguisher-nearby kind of setup. This slightly bonkers DIY pottery kiln is a very valued part of my set up - but it works.

And it means I can experiment freely with alternative firing techniques without risking my electric kiln—or my sanity.

If you would like to make your own DIY pottery kiln, click below...

Click here for instructions and equipment list to make your own kiln!!