You can break clay blocks with your hand, but using a shovel works best. Breaking clay blocks always drops 4 clay balls, regardless of Fortune.
Make sure you smelt the clay balls, and not the clay block. Smelting the clay block will give Hardened Clay/Terracotta which can’t be turned back to normal clay.
Bricks (the item not the block) can also be used to craft flower pots.
Stone Masons houses can naturally spawn as part of a village, but you can also convert an unemployed villager into a stone mason by placing a Stonecutter close to them. This method is recommended for large projects as less time is spent just looking for clay. For a smaller project like this you shouldn’t need to trade with too many villagers, but for a larger build, its a good idea to invest in a trading hall.
If you want a fireplace escape route make the fireplace either 2x1x3 or 2x2x3 (these dimensions are: height x width x length/back) with a hallway that leads somewhere safe (like a hidden bunker) and a minecart behind where the flame will be. (it will work even if the fire is. . . flaming, but just in case dig a 1x1 hole in the hall and place a bucket of water)
