Clay Cafe Paint-Your-Own Pottery Studio

Stopped by the Clay Café with some co-​workers for an art party. I hadn’t been to a Clay Café in years, so I thought it would be a fun distraction from our usual after-​work social events. We booked the party room, picked out our pieces and got the down low from the staff on exactly what the process was. There were SO many pieces to pick from, but I was really interested in finding a votive holder or some such thing — we found four, but not enough for everyone. I decided I wasn’t nearly as artistic as some of my co-​workers so I settled for a trivet/​hotplate and wandered the paints and stencils to see what I could create.
The great thing about the Clay Café is that they have stencils and stamps — it makes it much easier for us non-​artsy folks. I settled on something that I thought would be nice, but simple — polka dots. I grabbed a stencil and put a random assortment of them all over my piece in pencil and went to grab some bright paints. The paint was a little disappointing — they were out of several of the colours we were looking for, but we found what we needed and settled in. For a while. You need three coats of paint to have your piece show the colours displayed — and when you’ve got dozens of dots, be prepared for patience and some repetition. That was kind of my own fault, eh? Anyways, we got all our pieces done with little fuss and about 2.5 hours and left them to be glazed and fired. We’ll pick them up next week… and report back on my success. Overall, if you’ve got some time and want to do something artsy — Clay Café is a great place to head with some friends.

I think this may be a new favourite spot for me.
I went for the first time today after wanting to go for a long time. There’s so many gorgeous clay creations to choose from. I pondered for awhile and decided on a plaque for hanging on the wall. The prices are pretty reasonable for what you are getting. They have lots of paints to choose from in all colours of the rainbow, stencils and stamps are available. It’s a fairly quiet atmosphere as well and they play oldies on a record player which was cool too. I can’t wait to go in a week to pick up my glazed and finished piece.
Only complaint: GET BETTER BRUSHES! It’s super hard to do fine details with cheap dollar store brushes.

Went to the Clay Café with some friends for the first time and was pleasantly surprised. It has a wide variety of things to choose from, all the different paints you can imagine and then they fire it up for you to pick up later.
It’s a place to make memorable and personalised ceramics.
We had a great time.

Fun, affordable, and unique!
I went to Clay Café with my sister and mother recently. We decided we wanted to do something different for Mother’s day that would be more memorable, so we figured we would take our Mother to Clay Café to make something!
This was an excellent choice. The staff were friendly, the prices were reasonable and they provided coffee and tea for free. The prices of the items include the paint and everything and they will give you a run-​down of everything you need to know if you have never been there before.
I am definitely going back and I recommend this to anyone looking for a relaxing few hours :).

I have always been the crafty type, and my only regret is not coming here sooner. My first time there was actually with a bachelorette party (there were some younger girls in the group who couldn’t go clubbing, so we did something G-​rated during the day). We painted square tiles that would frame a mirror for the bride’s home. We had to do an easy design that all members of the group could do and it took us a couple hours. I was so inspired by the finished pieces adorning the walls and shelves that I couldn’t wait to return and let the creativity fly.
The staff were always friendly and supportive. While the atmosphere can be overwhelming when it is busy (especially with a troop of Birthday Party-​goers), it is generally a relaxing atmosphere with plenty of inspiration and vinyl records playing softly in the background. They have a great selection of pottery for all ages. I know some of the kiddy statues aren’t functional, but kids love them and you can’t beat childhood excitement.
As a crafty person, and a perfectionist, I have learned one thing that helps make a great piece: time. I typically start with a blank canvas, like a large plate, and paint my background colour. Then I TAKE THE PIECE HOME and work on the design until I am satisfied. Regular pencil will burn off, and you can always sand away your mistakes and try again. Once my design is perfected, I bring the piece back in for several trips until completed. If you want a plain-​coloured mug or something with a simple design, you can make it in one trip and leave it to be fired. I have found that my best «works of art» take several trips and some at-​home work.
This is a great place for catching up with friends, having a light-​hearted small party, or even sitting by yourself to delve into your personal creative zone. If you’ve never been there, you have nothing to lose by going in. The staff are very approachable: just walk in, tell them it’s your first time, and they’ll show you the rest.
Happy painting!

How awesome is it that this place is open late on weekends? I joked to my husband (who had a GREAT time here I may add, after months of heavy resistance) that if i ever enter rehab for drinking, it’s okay because i’d be pretty happy to party here on a friday night. With that said, wouldn’t it be fun if they served wine?
I found the staff really helpful. I enjoyed the atmosphere. It was heartwarming to see families with young kids, a bachelorette party (oy), and trendy 20-​somethings all in one room gettin’ down with the paint. Also, their music selection was f&*king awesome.
Some pieces are better value than others. I painted a tile for $ 8 but many items are in the mid 20’s. This is not expensive when you consider you get a few hours of fun out of it, though.
My one gripe is I would prefer if they offered fewer «goofy», «weird» novelty items (giraffe piggy bank, purposeless alien-​y looking thing) and more usable pottery: different sized bowls, differently shaped mugs, etc. And, better selection of specialty glazes would be great. With this said, the speciality glazes are extremely hard to work with. I followed the employees’ advice to the letter and still had major issues with my piece’s finish, including parts that didn’t hold onto glaze at all and hence looked unglazed and completely different than their glazed version (sorry if that was redundant and simultaneously confusing. can someone who knows about pottery help me out here?)

Clay Café is an art studio for everybody, and all ages and types of people use it. What a cool concept. You walk in, go over to the shelves of white clay bisque shapes, and choose something to make. There are literally hundreds of items and shapes to choose, so take your time! You could paint a personalized mug or margarita glass. Cups, bowls and plates come in various shapes and sizes. There are figurines, picture frames, vases, small lidded boxes, even tea kettles and soap dispensers. If you have a bigger or more adventurous project in mind you can paint your own tiles or work with raw clay and build something yourself. The sky’s the limit.
Sticker Shock? There is a wide range of prices. They are displayed or penciled in on the bottom of each bisque item. Some of the bigger pieces are quite pricey and some of the small pieces are really affordable, under $ 10. The price is all-​inclusive: Friendly staff walk you through the process and answer all your questions (Don’t be shy about asking!). They provide a wide variety of design ideas, stencils, a photocopier to reduce or enlarge sizing, hair dryers to dry your paint layers, a wide array of paints with different finishes and all the tools you need. Staff will fire your clay in the kiln.
Your studio time is unhurried. You can take all the planning, designing and thinking time you want. Many people store their unfinished pieces overnight and finish them over 2 or 3 days. Just be sure to write down what paints you used because all ceramic paints look very pale when they dry on your clay bisque. Only after they are fired in the kiln do they look like the colours you chose (from sample tiles on the wall). You’ll have fun imagining the end result.
One of the things I appreciate most about Clay Café is the atmosphere: relaxing, peaceful, fun, creative. I can go sit and have some me-​time, or take kids for an outing, or bring a friend and chat while we paint. They do group events and kids’ birthday parties. I have always felt welcome and relaxed there. As I said, there’s never pressure to pick something out, design it or paint it quickly (of course you CAN zoom through it if you want to!). You can bring snacks, buy something, and I even ordered a pizza in once! Like I said, it’s chill!
Once you’re done and you hand your item over to staff for firing. They are very gentle with your ‘masterpiece.’ The firing takes a few days. You can check in or they’ll contact you to say it’s ready. On past visits, I’ve made mugs, a light switch cover, and a serving bowl (circa 1999) that I still use all the time (photo).
Two thumbs up. Even if you have ten thumbs, you can do this!

As a person who can generously defined as less-​than-​crafty, my first visit to the Clay Café had me nervous. Luckily, I visited with a pro who was happy to walk me through the basics. Essentially, you pick your premade pottery piece — anything from bowls and mugs to figurines and piggy banks– and then get to work with the provided paints.
The options border on overwhelming but all in all, things are well laid out and organized. Staff weren’t exactly warm and fuzzy but they were helpful in offering tips for the actual painting process, like using the hairdryers to dry each coat before adding the next.
No matter what you’re painting though, everything will need three coats so it is a considerable time investment. So just be aware: completing your project may take multiple visits.
I did like the experience because I was with good friends but overall, parts of it left me wanting more. I feel like the staff last night were mostly hiding in the backroom, coming out only on the occasion that they noticed someone waiting at the cash. Not a huge deal, but it definitely took away from the experience for me.

I’m the first to admit I am not an arts and crafts person, even my stick figures look wonky, but even now and then I like to let out my creativity through color, which is when I turn to the Clay Café. They have a great assortment of pottery that you can paint, and I love that the price of the pottery includes the paint and the firing — no hidden fees.
They studio’s staff is friendly and they are happy to walk you through the process. There is a decent selection of paint colors and they have a lot of stamps, patterns etc that you can use and there are a ton of tiles that serve as inspiration.
The studio is a bit small so if it’s busy it can feel a bit crowded, and it can get noisy in there, especially with the hair dryers going constantly to dry the paint. I’ve come to discover that I like my arts and crafts time to also be quiet time. Also I wish they had a better process for picking up the pieces. You don’t have a ticket or anything so when you go back to get it, you’ve gotta describe the thing to them. «It’s a bowl. like a soup bowl? It has polka dots?»

We used to have paint your own clay places in my hometown as well but none of them compare to Clay Café. The staff is awesome! They clearly care that you enjoy your time there. The selection of what you can paint is large and diverse (and I love that they have so many ordainment during Christmas time). Also, so many varieties of paint and sprays. I love that they have stencils and stickers for those of us who have no artistic ability.
No matter your age, if you go here, you’ll have a great time.

I’ve been coming here for years, and I still love the smell of fresh pottery and the loud hum of a dozen hair dryers setting glazes to pots.
This is one of my favourite spots to frequent when I want to hang out with friends and do something low-​key that doesn’t involve getting blown away by the latest action flick. Bright, colourful tables are crammed together pêle-​mêle and can easily be moved around to fit your group size. Pots of brushes and plastic water basins are availble to turn that blank canvas (or wine glass or bowl or figurine) into your chef d’oeuvre. However, if you’re a more discerning artiste, I would recommend you bring your own brushes for more size options or less-​used bristles.
The staff is incredibly helpful, and know what they’re talking about. They’ll gladly give you tips and tricks to help you achieve the look you want for the serving platter you’re designing for grandma’s 90^th birthday (she’s such a party animal!). They also have plenty of books with ideas to inspire you, as well as stencils and stamps you can use.
Don’t be too scared by the prices, because it includes the pottery, the paint and the firing. If you’ve got patience, and a knack for art and detail, you can easily stretch your item over several visits as you put on the finishing touches, meaning that $ 20 can easily last you 8 hours of fun. The staff will gladly hold on to your piece between visits. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that they will only hold on to it for a limited time, due to space, so if you’re going to be several months between visits, you may want to take the piece home with you.
If you don’t want to be surrounded by too many kids, the place is a pretty happening place with a more mature crowd on weeknights, and later at night on weekends. They play great albums, and I’ve been there a few times in the past where they’ve had live performances.
This spot is also ideal for parties, and not just for the young’un’s; I had a birthday party here for myself a couple of years ago, and it was a lot of fun. They also have some of the most unique gift cards: actual painted tiles that your giftee can exchange for the value in pottery! It’s a lot more fun to receive than your traditional plastic gift card.

I haven’t done anything artistic in more than a decade, unless you count making funny pictures in MS Paint. Which you shouldn’t, although I have made some pretty awesome pictures in my day.
My lack of drawing skills were pretty evident back when I was a child and still had to draw as a part of my schoolwork. Now that I’m adult and don’t draw pictures of myself with dinosaurs on the reports I write, I’m much less practiced than I was, and was fearing the worst when I went there on a date. With someone who is a fantastic artist. Self esteem, prepare to get mangled.
This was my first time here, although she had been here several times. It was never something I was opposed to doing, it was just somewhat out of sight, out of mind way up on Quinpool, although it is seconds away from a stop of the #1. Luckily you don’t have to make your own item from clay as I first thought when I first heard of this business years and years ago. You just try to make one of their many items for sale pretty and then the staff will glaze and kiln it to preserve your work out of art, which will be available a few days later. I chose a regular coffee mug because it seemed like a fairly easy surface for someone of my skills/​lack thereof to paint on. After paying for your artwork-​to-​be, you go grab some pencils and sketch out what you want to draw, then get a small little palette to put your paint in, grab a brush and then get creative.
The better part of three hours later I had a mug with a winter scene of snow, a crisp blue sky, a couple trees and a random fox thrown in there to fill in space and look cute, which I was assured that he was. I think it turned out ok, although it was completely eclipsed by the detailed tree and fall leaves that my date painted on a light switch cover. And this is an eclipse you want to look at because it’s better than my mug, which although passable, could still be passed off as being the work of a 10-​year old and not someone who has spent most of three decades in this world.
This review basically turned into a story of my awful artistic skills, but you should definitely check out the Clay Café. It won’t be the cheapest mug you’ve ever bought, or the best looking, but it’s a great place where you can go out and have fun making something with someone you like. Or you could go with an enemy, but that would be awkward and less fun.

Love, love, love!
I’ve always loved Arts & Crafts. My mother, to this day (and I’m now 25) still buys me a colouring book and crayons for Christmas… and I still colour in them.
I love the concept. Buy some naked pottery, choose some designs/​colours and paint your unique masterpiece.
I find the key to this place is to take your time. I used to go and try and finish one piece every time I went — I ended up with some good peices, but not as polished as I would like. Now I go, purchase my pottery and take 2 – 3 trips to finish the piece. I now get quality work. And with a mug costing ~25 $, but providing ~12 hours of entertainment: this place is a great value.
Can’t wait until I finally have a whole set!

Now here is some good clean fun. Boys and girls, its time to get interactive… with pottery! The Clay Café is a spot for friends, lovers and loners to quit racking their brains, and just rely on provided instruction, supplies and facilities for good times and creative spunk.
Ceramics isn’t on the top of my list for artistic outlets, but it sure was something to try out. Without any real concept in mind, I attended with friends and blotted away under fine lighting and an enjoyable atmosphere. Laughs and happy times all around.
Music played in the background… and decent music at that. I’d say this is certainly a spot to try out if you’re feeling something fresh. Its all very straightforward, and there are no expert talents required. Customers have a few options to choose from, in terms of what they’d like to paint.
Perhaps you could even make a gift out of it. Why not give yourself the experience, and then give away your precious creation to a non-​judgmental pal. Home-​made is from the heart!

I’ve realized that I would be better off without ever painting my own mug again. Somehow, I lack any sort of skill that would enable a creation to amount to anything more than the work or a three year old with their eyes closed.
I’ve ventured into this clay shop on a few occasions, always opting to decorate the cheapest possible wares available: a mug, a little coaster thingy, etc. I enter the shop with top-​notch concepts and color ideas, and end up leaving with a muddled mess of incongruous hues.
This joint seems to be perpetually getting busier. They offer a student discount, which makes it more affordable and a great place to take a date to see what they’re creative side is like! Shelves are covered with precarious delicate pieces, so having a toddler run free is simply out of the question. Kids aged 5 and up are better contenders for painting than the younger kiddies with grabby fingers!
I understand that my piece must be fired, but I always feel saddened that I can’t just take it right away. I want instant gratification, not to have to deal with the idle time of wondering what my wacky piece will turn out like!
This is a fun shop and a unique way to spend some time. They’re spinning vinyl nowadays, so head on in to listen to sweet retro jams while you create your own personal work of art.

The Clay Café isn’t unique, by any stretch of the imagination. It’s a place to go where you pick out your unpainted ceramics and paint them yourself. They fire it and in about a week, you pick up your creation and pay. Dearly.
We wandered into the Clay Café one rainy summer afternoon, when the outdoor activity we’d planned was suddenly cancelled. It was summer vacation and I wanted something fun to do for a couple of hours. I’d used paint-​your-​own-​pottery stores before and thought I knew what to expect.
Instead, I found a crowded studio lined with shelves of breakables, all precariously close to the shelf edges, which were encroaching on the tables and chairs. We weren’t offered any guidance on picking out our pottery nor with the paints. It was difficult to find a place for the four of us to sit together (but that could have been because of the weather) and when we did, the setup was less than inviting.
In addition to the unwelcoming surroundings, we found the prices of the pottery to be rather high. If I want to pay $ 20 and up for a mug, I would have picked one out at Starbucks, y’know?
All in all, the Clay Café can be a fairly amusing past-​time when other options are off the table. Bring your wallet and a healthy dose of patience.

Now this is a place has a great concept. You walk in pick out from a wide range of pottery items that you can paint anything from a mug to small animals, boxes to some really great pieces that might take a bit of time and focus to paint. Price ranges are from anywhere between $ 7 to $ 20 or higher depending on the item. After you pick out what you want to paint you pick your colours and off you go. Staff are great help with colours as to what intensifies when fired.
I must say the chairs are not very comfortable having to sit there sometimes for 2 hours painting and depending on how picky that you are you might be there even longer. I took my niece there to painted a butterfly and I painted a mug. After you paint your piece you leave it there and they fire it and you can pick it up. It is great to be able to spend quality time together painting and talking. The more that I think it might be a good place to go onto a date with someone great way to see how they express themselves.
It is a bit expensive but you cant put a price tag on quality time spent with a loved one.

Who doesn’t like to embrace their artistic side every now and then? The helpful staff at the Clay Café on Quinpool make it easy to harness your inner Van Gogh (but thankfully not in the go crazy and cut your ear off kind of way).
A semi-​private section in the back I was told houses countless birthday parties for people of all ages, and the staff mingle throughout the studio to help the more creatively impaired patrons (myself, of course, not included).
The system is really simple; you pick out a clay template to decorate as you see fit. The café provides supplies that range from black outlining paint to glittery glazes of all colors. Once you are satisfied with your creation you fill out a form with your contact information and leave both at the front desk.
Firing the piece in the kiln can take anywhere from a few days to a week, so if you are under time constraints for it to be finished, be wary. The prices for the different clay shapes range from around $ 8-​$ 30 depending on size, but for a one of a kind piece of artwork, it is totally worth it.
Mom’s (well, my mom at least) love gifts from the heart. The Clay Café is a great place to create the gift that love forged… well, love and a kiln oven.

Clay Café is great for Birthday Parties. The kids have a ball.
They get to choose what they want, they paint it themselves, the staff is excellent. Expect noise, mess, and lots of fun. The whole process takes you and afternoon. It is great to get involved and be a kid again yourself.
They have neat gift certificates, they put them on tiles.
A great alternative to video games for the day!

Forget the movies. Take your date to the Clay Café!
Here are the reasons why:
1. You two can participate in a fun activity and talk at the same time.
2. It shows your fun side and that you aren’t afraid to bring out your inner child.
3. The staff are helpful and friendly.
4. You could find out you are the next Picasso. This one is a stretch but who knows?
5. If you don’t finish the clay you are painting, you can leave it there with your information and come back anytime to finish it off at no charge. You only pay for the piece of pottery you paint.
All of these reasons are why I go and why I give this place five stars. I have a fun time every time I go, and sometimes I end up with a «not-​so-​badly» painted gift I can give to my Niece or other family members. And if it turns out I did a bad job, I’ll give it to the family members I don’t like. Just kidding.