By Irina Jordan
Directly from the source: in this post Lucy describes what it takes to make a ceramic cremation urn.
Ceramic urns are handmade at the potter's wheel. First the clay is weighed out for the proper size urn and then wedged, just like kneading dough. The clay is then centered on the potter's wheel. As the wheel spins, the clay is pushed forcefully so it does not wobble.
The next step is to open up the clay so you can place one hand inside the urn while the other hand pulls up the clay wall to create the desired form. The same process takes place to create the lid of the urn.
When the clay has dried to a leather-hard consistency, the urn is turned over to trim its bottom and to smooth away rough edges. The urn is then set aside to dry for a week or so. Once the clay has fully dried, it goes into the kiln for the first firing that lasts nine hours and is called the bisque firing. The kiln needs to cool for the full 24 hours before it can be opened.
The next step is to glaze the urn and put it back in the kiln for about 15 hours. The kiln will be fully cooled in about 30 hours. The glaze comes in a variety of color variations.