Hand-building guide

How to make a mug handle from a slab

By Slab Marks · Updated October 2026

The short answer: cut a strip from the same slab as your mug, let it firm up a little, bend it into shape and attach it with score and slip. For a flat strap handle that's 4.5 × 3/4 in after firing, cut the strip 5.11 × 0.85 in in mid-fire stoneware. For a shaped handle, a full-size bending guide tells you exactly how long to cut the strip.

The free Slab Marks template maker draws the strap or a bending guide for your mug. See how it works ↓

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Two ways to make a slab handle

A flat strap

The simplest handle: a rectangle cut from the slab, curved by hand and attached at both ends. Size it for the finished handle, then scale up for shrinkage like every other piece. A strap 4.5 in long and 3/4 in wide after firing is cut at 5.11 × 0.85 in (~12% shrinkage).

A shaped handle with a bending guide

A bending guide is a full-size outline of the finished handle. You print it, bend the strip to match it, and every handle in a set comes out the same. You decide how much room the handle takes on the side of the mug and how far it sticks out, and the strip length follows from the shape.

Handle shapes and strip lengths

For a handle that takes 4.5 in on the side of the mug and sticks out 3/4 in, with 1/4 in walls, in mid-fire stoneware:

ShapeStrip to cut
Round loop, classic5.69 in
Round loop, tall6.29 in
Round loop, wide5.13 in
Round loop, closed6.73 in
Squared, classic6.62 in
Squared, sharp corners6.78 in
Wedge, teardrop5.42 in
Wedge, narrow4.31 in

The strip is as wide as your wall is thick, scaled for shrinkage (0.28 in for a 1/4 in wall). Change the size or projection and the length changes too.

Shaping and attaching it

  1. Cut the strip from the same slab as the mug, so it shrinks at the same rate.
  2. Let it firm up slightly, until it bends without cracking but holds its shape. Too soft and it sags; too dry and it cracks.
  3. Bend it over the guide, or by eye for a strap. Smooth the edges with a damp finger or sponge.
  4. Attach it when the mug and the handle are both soft leather-hard. Score and slip both joins, press firmly, and blend the clay at each end.
  5. Dry slowly. Handles dry faster than mugs; covering the handle loosely with plastic for the first day helps stop the joins cracking.

How to do it in Slab Marks

  1. On the homepage, pick Mug and set its size.
  2. Open Handle. Keep No bending guide — flat strap only ticked for a strap, and set its length and width.
  3. For a shaped handle, pick a Round loop, Squared or Wedge style. Set Length (the space it takes on the mug) and Projection (how far it sticks out). The tool shows the strip length to cut.
  4. Click Print template. The bending guide and the strip print at full size with the rest of the mug.
The Slab Marks template maker with a round loop handle selected: the full-size bending guide and the strip to cut, 5.69 inches long, below the mug template
A round loop handle on the default mug: the full-size bending guide and a 5.69 in strip to cut.

Common questions

How long should a mug handle be?

Most mug handles take up 3.5 to 4.5 in on the side of the mug, enough for two to four fingers. The strip you cut is longer than that, because it curves out and back.

Why did my handle crack where it joins the mug?

Usually because the handle and mug were at different dryness when joined, or the handle dried faster. Join them at the same soft leather-hard stage, score and slip well, and slow the drying.

How thick should a slab handle be?

The same as the mug wall is a good start, so they dry at a similar rate. The template maker uses your wall thickness for the strip.