A method of making ceramics is provided. The method comprises preparing a dispersion of a nano-material. A slurry of a ceramic matrix material is prepared. The nano-dispersion is mixed with the matrix slurry to form a nano-dispersion/slurry mixture. The nano-dispersion/slurry mixture is dried. The nano-dispersion/slurry mixture is pressed into a final manufacture comprising a granular structure including the nano-material bonded within and uniformly distributed throughout the granular structure. The manufacture comprises an increased fracture toughness compared with a conventional manufacture produced without bonding the nano-material within the granular structure. The nano-material has a size on the order of tens of nanometers. The matrix material has a size on the order of several micrometers. Five percent of the nano-dispersion/slurry mixture comprises the nano-material dispersion. Sintering is performed on the final form using a sintering process following the pressing step. The sintering process includes a hot isostatic pressing process.