TL;DR: This tutorial builds a Notion dashboard to track your porcelain collection budget, glaze inventory, and kiln firing costs—all in one view. You’ll create linked databases, a summary formula block, and a monthly expense tracker in under 30 minutes.
Step 1: Create the Master Database (Porcelain Purchases)
In a new Notion page titled “Porcelain Finance,” type /database and choose “Table.” Name it “Purchases.” Add these columns: Item (text), Type (select: clay, glaze, tool, kiln, finished piece), Cost (number), Date (date), and Paid? (checkbox). For a porcelain buying guide, log every raw material—e.g., “Porcelain Clay – 25kg” at $42.50, or “Celadon Glaze – 1L” at $18.00. Tip: Use the “select” property to tag “impulse buy” so you can spot spending habits later.
If you want to dig deeper, check out our guide on Top 5 Tech Tools for Buying Porcelain: Expert Guide.
Step 2: Build a Monthly Expense Summary View
Click “Add a view” on your database, name it “Monthly Totals,” and set the filter to “Date is in the current month.” Then add a Rollup property: create a second database called “Budget Goals” (simple table with columns: Month (text), Limit (number)). In the Purchases database, add a Rollup property that pulls the “Limit” from Budget Goals where Month matches the current month. Now, add a Formula property: format(round(prop("Cost") - prop("Limit"), 2)) + " over/under". This instantly shows if you’re over your porcelain budget—no manual math.
Step 3: Track Kiln Firing Costs Per Batch
Create a third database named “Firings.” Columns: Batch Name (text), Electricity Cost (number), Glaze Used (number, in grams), Total Pieces (number). Add a formula: prop("Electricity Cost") + (prop("Glaze Used") * 0.02) — the 0.02 is an average cost per gram of glaze. Link each firing to relevant purchases via a “Relation” property. Tip: For porcelain, bisque firing is cheaper than glaze firing; log both separately so you can compare energy costs over time.
Step 4: Create the Dashboard Header with Summary Formulas
Back on your main page, type /formula and create a “Total Spent This Year” number. Formula: sum(prop("Cost")) from the Purchases database, filtered by year. Then add a second formula for “Average Cost per Fired Piece”: round(sum(prop("Total Pieces")) / sum(prop("Electricity Cost")), 2). Arrange these as large text blocks at the top of the page. Tip: Use a Progress Bar via a formula with if(prop("Total Spent") > 500, "⚠️ Over", "✅ Under") — color-coded for quick visual scanning.
Step 5: Add a “Porcelain Buying Guide” Checklist
Insert a toggle list titled “Pre-Purchase Checklist.” Inside, add checkboxes: “Compare 3 suppliers for porcelain clay,” “Check glaze toxicity ratings,” “Confirm kiln shelf space,” “Calculate shipping cost per kg.” This turns your dashboard into a decision tool. Tip: Link each checkbox to a filtered view of your Purchases database—so when you check “Compare suppliers,” you see only your last 5 clay purchases.
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