HOT TIP: Make a reservation online on their website, so you have a spot and are able to plan ahead. They do book up fast. I was going to be in the area visiting a friend. We were doing a little theme visit, arts and crafts. Earlier we made candles and then we headed to our afternoon reservation to make paint pottery at All Fired Up. Once we arrived we were instructed to pick out our piece we desired. We were seated at the front window, just the two if us. It was nice to sit with each other without others around. I chose two pieces, a topper for $13 and a strawberry container for I think $27. I felt the pricing was extremely reasonable especially since you used their glaze, they fire it, and they set up and clean up for you. They also offer a military discount, which handled around the cost of the tax. The staff were great. They were always making sure we were ok, without being to over the top. They kept things moving. . They do offer "private" parties and birthday parties. The set up was pretty nice, and quaint. There was a large table set in the back. While I was there there was two parties. Each party brought a cake and snacks. There are aprons available and an abundant selection of supplies available. It looks like they also do arts with glass. Parking can be tricky. So I suggest to leave time to navigate that, so you are not late for your appointment. We found street parking a few streets over. But, there was slot a lot where you paid. read more

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Had the pleasure of hosting a work event here for a group of eight to ten. Booking online was very easy, and the staff were friendly and welcoming. We were instructed to pick out any item we wanted, and they even had simpler options for those of us who aren't as artistic. Once we made our selections, we were able to grab our colors and brushes and start painting. The two-hour time limit was very reasonable, and the staff did a great job checking in and reminding us of our time. After finishing, we wrote our names on the bottom, and the staff took care of the rest. They glaze your finished piece, and you can return in about a week to pick it up. The space is small and simple, but it's a great choice for anyone looking for a fun activity or planning a group event. I also found the prices to be very reasonable. read more

All Fired Up - Pig - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I've been wanting to come here for a while. I love arts and crafts and have a lot of friends who also love these activities. My friend and I came here to paint and it was well worth the price. They have beautiful pieces that you can choose to paint. After you paint, they will glaze the pieces for you and you have to pick them up after 7-10 days, I just painted them and can't wait to see what they look like. For a fun day with friends, I highly suggest this place but make sure to have a reservation! It gets super crowded! read more

I was really excited to come back--the last time I came was in college. Unfortunately the service was very lacking--I was not allowed to paint anything because the worker said the tables would be fully filled in 30 min. She then stopped talking to me and did not say another word. I did not have a reservation and they made it seem like I needed one which I later saw was not the case. Even though I am not in the DMV area anymore, I would not have minded coming back if the service was better. However, the service was very lacking and off putting. It could be a tough day because of the heat wave but it was a let down since I was around the area for the entire morning looking forward to this activity. Otherwise, my experience years ago was great and I really enjoyed everything else! It's a great and unique activity for kids to adults. read more

We stopped in on Thursday, May 2, 2024, for an evening of inspirational painting for my friend's birthday. I was unaware that this place even existed and I am over in the Cleveland Park / Connecticut Avenue area all of the time. This place is not very big so it is easy to miss. Details about the establishment. * This place is small and doesn't hold many people. For the party size we had (11 people) we filled the rear of the establishment. There were other public people there as well painting at separate tables. * Rachel was super nice, friendly, has a great personality, customer service skills were A+, and even the new lady who really didn't want to be mentioned was cool too. She helped me when I was picking my colors because a certain shade of black that I wanted was quite low so she got a fresh bottle. * Instructions for what to do were clearly printed and laid out on the table. I love that. * The paint colors were organized so well. They're numbered and on the wall to display the shades of colors were tiles with paint samples. SN: I cannot tell you how happy this makes me. I love efficiency. * The display wall of the items you can choose from is fantastic! I spent at least 10 minutes browsing items and had a hard time selecting just a single item to start with. Everything from ceramic typewriters, honeybees, mermaids, beer / coffee mugs, skulls and a bit more. There is a good selection of items to choose from. * Prices vary on different items. Bring a minimum of $100 dollars to spend especially if you're a parent taking a child and both of you paint an item. * I would suggest getting here early in order to spend time browsing, choosing colors, and painting. Time moves quickly when you're having a phenomenal time with friends. * The good thing is that if you do not finish your project, then you can take it home, and bring it back on another day to complete. However, if you leave your unfinished project there it will be sent to the kiln. Your project will be baked as the unfinished product that it is. Sorry but those are the rules. I have nothing bad to say about the rules. * Overall we all enjoyed ourselves including my daughter. Rating for All Fired Up 5 Stars. Highly Recommend. read more

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My daughter was invited to a 6th birthday for one of her classmates. She had a chance to either paint a unicorn mug or butterfly jewelry box. These were two good choices. Jada was assigned to our group. She was terrific! She was personable and assisted the children. The con: The space is tight. It. I had to squeeze around the table to get to the restroom. I was nervous about knocking down a Ceramic on their shelves. read more

I held a college alumni event here and wow, was the experience fantastic. It was so easy to work with Liz, Rachel and Gvantsa. We rented out the studio from 6-8:30 for our event In which 15 people attended. For the event, we picked 2 large pottery pieces for our attendees to paint. We were able to order catering and alcohol to All Fired Up and then set the food and drink out in the front of the studio. Then, at 6:30, we took our seats in the tables at back and Liz guided us through the process of painting our pottery. Rachel put on a fun Spotify playlist and we set to work painting our pottery. It was great to see peoples artistic talent coming out. The pieces will be ready in two weeks. I highly recommend All Fired Up for a group event, birthday or even a date (it's BYOB!) read more

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Rest in peace to my plate:( they threw her away. Yes, you read that right. They threw away not one, but THREE of my pottery pieces. I have been here three times now. The first time I came, a group of 4 of us made a reservation. We were a little late (due to the severe lack of parking in the area). Because they were closing soon, they recommended that we come back another day to finish our pottery in time. We came back, and has an AMAZING time! One of the staff members was a bit rude over the phone when we let them know we were running a bit behind (parking AGAIN and I had just moved into my new home that day), but nonetheless, my friends and I enjoyed ourselves and made it a night to remember. Now, I was told that my plate would be ready in 10-14 days, so after that 14-day period, around 18 days later, and after reviewing a text that my plate and my friends' pieces were ready, I went to pick up our pieces. I commuted over an hour to get here, just to find out that my plate was not ready. Obviously, I was frustrated, but since I traveled so far I decided to make two more pieces with a friend and figured I'd just pick all of them up at the same time. Some time passed and I never got a text letting me know that my pieces were ready. So I called a little over two months later and asked if they were ready and if I could send a friend to pick them up for me (since he lives nearby and I live an hour and a half away). They told me that my pieces had all been thrown out. After I spent almost $200 of my hard-earned money patronizing their business. When I tell you I was LIVID! They agreed to refund me for the plate, but not the other two pieces. I asked to speak to a manager and they said she was not in and could call me in two days or so. I received a call from the manager in two days as they promised. She was clearly annoyed with me when I had every right to be upset. I made these pieces for my new home. She expressed that they had a 30-day pick-up policy, I can understand this, but when you are not told that your pieces are ready, how are you even supposed to know the 30-day frame? ESPECIALLY when you were lied to about the true status of your initial order. In addition, during that alleged 30-day frame, my grandfather passed away, so I was out of the DMV for weeks and wouldn't have even been able to pick the pieces up. The lady I spoke with claimed that they texted me, but I only received a text about my first order. And yes, the 30-day policy was stated there, but the plate I made had a different processing time, and as I said, it wasn't even ready, so it's very fair to say that it would have a different "discard" time too right? That doesn't even matter because I never even got the text. The manager got rude with me when I broke all of this down, which I could not believe. The practices at this business are elitist and predatory. So sad that I will never get to see the creations I made. That's what hurts me the most. read more

All Fired Up - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Very fun activity. Have to book in advance or you won't get it. The staff was very nice. My boyfriend booked for Friday by accident and we showed up on Saturday and they let us get a table. Very nice of them. read more

I was so excited to visit this spot for a friend date: I loved the idea of doing something unique and creative, and the location is adorable. Unfortunately, my friend and I both left disappointed. Although the shop is clean, spacious, and has a huge selection of paintable pottery in a variety of price ranges, the employees were not at all helpful. Our start time was delayed since I asked an employee if a certain piece was available in the back - she said she would check, but after some time had passed, I went to look for her and found her having a personal conversation with another employee, seemingly having forgotten that we were waiting to see if this piece was available to start. Similarly, every time we had a question, we had to 'interrupt' more lengthy, personal conversations, which were loud enough that the entire studio could hear. I don't want to feel like I am interrupting employees when I need assistance, so we eventually just tried to figure things out on our own. This is such a fun concept, but the employees need some professionalism. read more

A really cute place to spend a rainy day in DC. No reservations so getting a table was a bit of a wait, but were well equipped once we got seated. You only pay for the ceramic object you want to paint - from what I saw, prices ranged between $20-$50. All paints and tools are covered within that price. Spent about 2 hours here with my roommate and we got our pieces glazed and back in within a week. The store is BYOB so would be fun to come with a larger group to celebrating something! read more

All Fired Up - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Location is very small space, loud, and not adequate to fit the number of people they had painting. It felt cramped and hectic. A lot of the paints were basically empty. Four plus employees present and were not helpful; one of them literally sat in the corner painting her own item. I've been to other pottery painting stores and found those great so was disappointed this place was such an (expensive) disappointment. read more

I adore this shop! I come in a couple of times a year to paint Christmas presents for my family and the staff is always kind, helpful, and professional. It's a wonderful little shop that I'd recommend to anyone for family outings, catching up with friends, or simply taking yourself out for a treat. :) read more

I've been here twice, and it's been a blast each time. We came here both times during ladies night: on Thursdays, groups can receive 15% off. You pick a piece to work on on their shelves, sit at a table with water and brushes, choose your paints, and let your imagination run. The price on the bottom of the ceramics include the piece, paints, and firing it up. You pick up your pieces after a week. You can bring snacks and drinks; I've seen older ladies hang out with a bottle of wine in the middle of the table. This is a great opportunity to do something unique while having quality time to chat with someone. I think this would be great not only for girls night, but as a date idea too. Location is walking distance of food options and the Cleveland Park metro, so head over and either stop for food on the way, or eat before/after! read more

All Fired Up - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

My friend and I came here to paint pottery, but I was captivated by the mosaics. It's awesome how this spot has painting, mosaics, and glass making. (The glass is pretty pricey, though.) Great spot. All they need is more space given its popularity! They have lots of inspirational pieces, fabrics, stencils, and magazines. Suggestion - if you're going to grout your own mosaic, make sure to keep your area at home clean and give yourself ~45 minutes to do the whole process, because rushing makes things worse. (I learned this the hard way.) Also, I wish I had been told when I picked the mosaic clock that someone at the store would need to put the clock together, because I ended up grouting myself (to save the $15) but then had to bring it back to the store. When I brought my piece back to NYC, I noticed that the clock mechanism did not work. Thankfully, they offered to give me a new clock apparatus when I'm next in DC, which I thought was a great gesture. read more

All Fired Up - Mosaic clock - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Artistic, fun, relaxing,...day! I joined an event by an organization here. One of the best craft one;) Price: $2.5 really petit like chopsticks holder $15〜 cups $20〜 plates It says 'made in China' at the bottom but pricier... Facility: Good. They have many color paints and tools like stamps. Staff: Friendly and kind. Atmosphere: Casual family friendly. Parking lot: Hard to find free ones around here... It takes 1 week to receive your art works after baking them in a kiln. read more

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This place is a great activity to do for any special occasion or just because, as well as with or without wine ;) They've got lots of items to choose from, including: mugs, shot glasses, bowls, vases, etc. They can be a bit pricey where mugs ~$18 and vases ~$20+ but you are paying for the whole service and experience! ALSO. Your piece will come out looking waayyyy better than you expect it to... I promise! :) As for their special weekly deals: MW 12-3pm 15% off selected pieces Thurs 6-9pm 15% off when you bring a friend! Friday 6-9pm (Happy Hour) Spend $35 and receive 15% off per person read more

All Fired Up - My giraffe mug!! $20 :) - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This was a great date spot pre COVID and remains one post COVID. Easy fun and a great place to kill an hour or two painting.

My friends and I were walk-ins in a Friday day. We were seated right away. The staff didn't appear To know what to do... we wanted to make mosaic art and we were left to pretty much figure it out. I though the staff could be more inviting. The pieces for the Mosaic were pretty bleh.... They could definitely afford to buy more pieces for the mosaic art ( the actual wood boards and the small tile pieces were underwhelming). It could really be a cute date or friend spot ... maybe some music and interactive staff would be great read more

Had an amazing time while there. So what made me give a 2 star review. Welp-they can work on their customer service. I booked an event for my daughter's birthday party. The painting portion ran a bit for the time we booked. So we had to race the, cake part and food in the last 25 minutes of the event. So if it ended here- I would say it just logistically not a realistic place to book. You really need a solid two hours. Those items takes some time for little kids to paint. Then you need to sing happy bday,eat and clear out. Do so, all before their store opens -as its not a big space for their store and your party. We cleared out our set up, packed everything up, and thought we had done a good job of getting out of their way to make room for other customers. Our party had just ended, and we thought we made ourselves small to squeeze into the front, while the one or two kids finished up. Their lead person told us " You all need to leave the store now" to the parents, children who they were just angels to ten seconds before. We yanked the last pieces of cake out of little kids hands and was on the street --by 12:15 for an event we booked from 10:30 to 12pm. I fully concede they needed the venue back. And we had cleared out of those spaces. At that point we were just customers in the store. But they push you out to turn the entire space over. I have dealt with customs and border agents that were infinitely nicer about moving people than that experience. And to rent a space you just spent hundreds of dollars. It just may not be logistically feasible and the way they handled it just tainted the event. read more

If only it were possible to give establishments 6 stars! :) FABULOUS place, wonderful that the pottery price includes studio time, paint cost etc (i.e. no hidden fees). Staff is very friendly and knowledgable about different artistic techniques. Definitely one of the most fun outing venues in the District!! 10/10 read more

horrible not available in a tiny little studio. o come because my kid wants to paint. it's not worth wasting so much time just getting a table. then after all that everything is grossly over priced. avoid like the plague read more

My boyfriend and I recently came here for a fun date about 2 weeks ago. We went on a Sunday afternoon around 3:30pm. The shop was a bit crowded but there was room for us to sit and paint comfortably. There are a ton of pottery options to choose from at varying prices. We chose a dog dish and a dog bone tag and painted it together. The employees were very friendly and helpful. They explained how the materials and paint worked and which materials worked best. This place is also BYOB. My boyfriend and I enjoyed some beer and hard ciders while painting our pottery. (Just remember to bring a bottle opener and cups if you have wine) Clean up was easy; we left everything on the table and the employees took care of the rest. You simply pay for your piece before leaving. Your pottery will be put in the kiln and glazed and be ready for pick up a week from your visit. The date will be on your receipt. I went back yesterday, Saturday, around 10:30 and employees were again very positive and helpful. They were able to help me glue the dog bone tag we painted onto the dog dish with a special glue. Everything took less than 5 minutes. Overall, a really great experience and I look forward to our next visit. read more

All Fired Up - The dog bone tag they helped me glue onto the dish when I picked up the piece. - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Our pottery painting experience was wonderful as well as the younger woman who was helping us! The manger however was nasty throughout our painting experience.. We asked if we could have a bag to take our wine with us & she rudely remarked "why?" We told her we wanted to take our wine with us & she said "you can't take it with you." We said "oh we didn't know, sorry" and she said "you should have asked, it's on our website". She then told us she's spoke with a lawyer about it and it is DC law. We understand this is the policy, we weren't upset about that, we were upset about the way she spoke to us. She also was extremely rude to another family who came into the store inquiring about picking up their pottery... she then said "you don't have a receipt , then what am I supposed to do?" Again, the pottery painting was wonderful, although they had a selection on the smaller side.. the management was just extremely rude & that's no way to speak to customers when you are in a customer service position. read more

I don't do art. Or anything remotely having to do with art. So, when Holly H. repeatedly insisted that we go and "paint clay," I had no idea what she was talking about and wasn't exactly thrilled by the prospect. Finally, I went and painted clay, and had a great time. All Fired Up runs like a well-oiled machine. They take and hold reservations, they are helpful every step of the way, and they accommodate a large and diverse crowd. When you arrive, the first thing you do is select what you want to paint. This took us an embarrassingly long time...but in fairness to us, there is a wildly large variety of options, from kitchen supplies, to living room decor, to magnets, to a bunch of Judaica as well. When we finally chose (I painted a spoon holder for the stovetop. Random...but needed!), we got a full tutorial of the 1,000 ways of painting clay. They have an amazing number of supplies to choose from, and were very patient and helpful when I needed assistance figuring out what the hell to do. Then, we painted. This takes a long time. I figured we'd be outta there in an hour or so, but it took me about 3 hours...so...come prepared for that. One week later, we picked it up, "all fired up," and I was the proud owner of a new oven spoon stovetop holder. All in all, a pretty fun activity for a rainy day! The one thing that struck me most was the diverse clientelle. There were families with little kids, couples, a bachelorette party (!), artistic people there alone, and some sort of therapy session, all sitting in the same small room. And it all worked out well. So, when your girlfriend drags you to paint clay, you don't have to be too bummed out! read more

All Fired Up - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I'm happy I finally checked this place out. My boyfriend and I stopped in when we decided to have a impromptu date night. We ended up painting a Seder plate for his parents for passover. They always seem to have something special for each holiday. We picked a large item and didn't realize the time we were committing necessary to complete the plate. Thankfully we were able to pick up some alcoholic beverages 1/2 way through from the liquor store, it helped relax him and I discovered my new favorite hard cider. I love that they display the finished items so you can be inspired by other peons creativity. The staff is so very friendly, they answered every question and gave us helpful hints since it was our first time. They rushed the plate for us because obviously we hadn't planned on making it in time for the holiday. It was ready on time and all parties were happy! read more

All Fired Up - Before - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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My friend had her birthday party/celebration at All Fired Up in late March and I had a fantastic time painting, drinking wine (it's BYOB), eating cupcakes and cheese and crackers, and being in the company of good, new friends. It took me quite a while to choose what I wanted to paint - I had so many options, including mugs, bowls, plates, saucers, little figurines of frogs and angels, and even lawn gnomes! In the end, I opted for a heart-shaped candle holder (which I later gave to my bf, as is only appropriate). I really enjoyed mixing and matching up colors. Their color wall is quite helpful, and the people working at All Fired Up are super friendly. Just a word of advice - make sure to paint several layers for each color if you want a truly vibrant paint that stands out. My only qualm was that it was a bit on the pricey side ($20 to color the heart-shaped candle holder). But overall, it's a very fun, creative process, and your piece of art is ready and all fired up after just a week! I had an excellent experience at All Fired Up and I will certainly visit again in the future. read more

All Fired Up - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I really enjoy this store. I can show off my creative/artistic skill here or lack there of! I came here for my friend's birthday. I bought some "drinks" to cool us off on a hot summer day. We then picked our project (many products to pick from) then we started painting (too many colors to pick from). I picked a teapot and teacup set...painted that sucker with like 5 different colors (inside and out!) It came out actually not too bad. After you finished painting, the store fired it up for me...you can pick it up in a week. I like the fact that the product prices includes everything (no separate sitting cost, etc)...I also like the fact that you don't have to clean up. Cons - they went out the paint that I used.... Pros - - Many promotion deal - 15% off on certain day: http://www.allfiredupdc.com/specials.html - Location - right off the Cleveland Park metro...many parking spot on the street too. - BYOB - Great hang out alternative with girl friends (birthday party, bachelorette party, etc)...and you can get a product afterward read more

All Fired Up - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Do you know how difficult it is to find a place that lets you BYOB beer? I do! When looking for a place to hold a bottle share for my beer group, I started to get very frustrated. Then someone suggested doing one of those wine/paint classes, "Maybe they'd let you bring beer". They wouldn't. THEN, by sheer luck, I saw an ad on Facebook for All Fired Up. Sent an email asking if they'd allow us to bring beer in. Waited.... Success! This is now our go to place. And I'm so glad I found it. We've been twice and between setting up a reservation w/ Christina and dealing w/ Briana while there, our experience has been top notch. They're nestled in w/ a row of bars in Cleveland Park, in fact, you've probably passed it a million times. Christina has been so helpful, via email, in answering our questions and setting up/ reschedule our reservations. She's awesome. The 1st time we went in we had the sweetest, most helpful/ patient staff member (Briana) who explained the process, and helped us find things. We loved her so much, we asked for again the next time we went. I love that my ladies and I can relax and have our group meeting, eat , drink, and we can all paint a fun and different piece. There really is something for everyone's taste and when the price is between $6-$30, who can beat it?! We'll be back in a few months for our next bottle share. Until then, go see Briana and her awesome co-workers and get crafty! read more

All Fired Up - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

My friend and I went to try painting for the first time. We were greeted by Jasmin who was beyond helpful through out the entire experience, she really understood what she was doing and made us feel right at home. I definitely recommend All Fired up and have been bragging about the place and how friendly the staff is all week long. Now that we picked our things up, they look better than we thought!! read more

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My boyfriend surprised me and took me here about a month ago. They had so many options that it took us an hour to decide what we wanted to do! By then it was time for our dinner reservations. But the great thing about this place is that you pay for your piece when you get it and then you can bring it back (can't leave it there) as many times as you need to take your time to finish it! The prices may seem a little high, but when you consider the unlimited amount of time and materials you can use, it's definitely reasonable! They even have items that are seasonally themed. It took me about 6 hours in two trips to finish my large salad bowl. There are tons of books, stencils, tools, paint types/colors, textures, etc. to help you get creative! You're also allowed to bring drinks/wine and food to munch on while you're working. GREAT spot for friends, couples, families ... anyone! The staff is very friendly and helpful for sure! I believe you're only allowed to make a reservation for 4 people or more, and on the Saturday afternoon and Thursday evening that I went, there were quite a few people. Monday evening was relatively empty though. You should also ask about the loyalty card! I've already brought one friend here and am planning on bringing more! read more

It would be super helpful if your posted your updated "Fall Hours" on your website, or yelp, or anywhere in addition to your front door. I planned a date night for me and my bf, but upon arriving we were greeted by a store that said they were closed on Mondays, despite seeing they were open online. However, I planned this date at All Fired Up because I had a lot of fun a previous time and thought the concept and space was relaxing and unique. read more

Great!!! Went in to the store and spent 2.5 hours there. They have a wonderful set up and I love that the price of the item includes everything!! You don't have to pay for paint, how long your there, being fired/glazed, nothing!! It's all included in the price of the piece you choose to create! They also do glass work and mosaics pieces. It takes about a week turn around on the pieces. Easy to get to off the red line Cleveland park stop The directions on their we pad are accurate. Very excited about how the pieces look after their glazed. Looking for to creating the next masterpiece read more

All Fired Up - Inside the place - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

SO MANY OPTIONS and pricing is very reasonable!! I came with a group of friends on a Saturday night and painted a few pieces to give as Christmas presents. Lots of paint colors and fun tools to choose from. This would be a great date spot! read more

I've always had SUCH a great time coming in and painting pottery with friends, and I am so happy that take-home kits are an option in the COVID-19 era. Extremely friendly service! Can't wait to come back. read more

I'm probably one of four adults to actually have patronized "All Fired Up", and its competitive rival "Color Me Mine". They're virtually identical, except "Color Me Mine" charges you a certain price for the pottery, a painting fee, a kiln fee, etc. While "All Fired Up" charges you one flat rate. It doesn't make much of a difference, the prices came out about the same, but I suppose their system makes it simpler if math really scares you. And "All Fired Up" just happens to be down the street from me, which is why it is more likely to get my repeat business. Plus painting pottery here is fun. Here's how it works: you show up on a day of your choice and pick out a piece you'd like to paint. (if kids really, really annoy you, you may want to go on a school day, although with this activity they are usually so quietly consumed and focused it's like someone put a sedative in their Juicy Juice) It could be a relatively blank canvas like a mug, a vase, a plate, or something more specific like an animal or person sculpture. Once you've picked a piece of pottery, you figure out a design or color scheme for it. I like to go in with a specific design in mind, so as not to waste my precious painting time in this stage. Next, you go and pick your paints from their lush and vast palette of colors. And that's it, you sit down and paint just like you're at your old Summer Enrichment Program. After you finish, they 'fire it up' in the kiln, and call you in a few days when it's ready. The workers I dealt with were really helpful and nice. And I tend to badger them with a host of annoying questions as if they were Van Gogh or Picasso. "In your professional opinion, do you think A63 or A64 would be a better shade for the leprechaun's gold?" And "as an expert, do you think my Robot would look better eating a cupcake on top of a mountain or a skyscraper? Skyscraper right, that's what I thought." And don't worry if you don't possess amazing artistic skill to paint photo-realistic Robots like I do. Really, just about everything looks good painted on pottery, and you can always just do a "design". And it's fun to go around the studio and comment on everyone's pieces. "Oh, I like your mug. It's very colorful." And when a little kid comes by and says "you're GOOD", it's like getting a million compliments on Yelp at once. And whomever you are making it for is guaranteed to love their unique and thoughtful gift. Unless you're dating some big jerky asshole, or your parents were always disappointed by everything you've ever done. But then, you probably have bigger issues than a pottery studio review anyway. read more

Lookin for an interesting night out with someone you want to know better? Try here... 1. Scope out the bin where they have the damaged goods, there may be one worth sprucing up with some paint and it'll cost 40% less than full price. if one is not available, jus get one and you two can paint it together, of if you don't wanna be that close yet, get seperate things. the pieces range from 6 to 30 bux. Stick to the cheap ones for a cheap date. 2. Paint, chat, bring a few things to munch on like some fresh baked cookies or a sandwich while you paint.... she'll see your frugality in these tough economic times and think to herself some good thoughts about you that don't involve a stimulus plan..... y'all are in a recession remember?? 3. Finish your piece let them have it for a week and you can get a second date when you go pick it up in a week, and you guys can compare Picasso notes while you interpret each other's pieces. read more

I turned 23 this weekend. This was kicked-off by sleeping in and then coming here to paint some pottery. (There were activities at Atomic Billiards later in the evening...uhh, yeah...) I had always walked by this place but I'd never actually taken some time to come in and paint. So my friend and I came in after some food-age at Spices and were promptly greeted by the AFU staff. Friendly staff members explained what to do and helped get us set up. I picked a wavy long plate that I figured I could put tea lights on and my friend chose a medium cannister that you could use to store stuff or use as a cookie jar. They have a bunch of books as well as stencils and all sorts of things to help inspire and get the creative juices flowing. I used a small star pattern and did like 30 of them on the plate and used different shades of yellow. It took a pretty long time to paint these, actually...in fact, despite the fact that my friend's chosen piece of pottery was significantly larger than mine, we still finished about the same time because of the intricacies of all the tiny stars. Great place to come - byob or food and just paint. There were also some kid's birthday parties goin on in the back (we were sitting in the front). My friend and I apparently can't paint and talk at the same time so we just agreed to not talk and whip out our iPods and listen to music while painting. Pieces are available to be picked up in a week - during that week, they fire and glaze them. They also offer classes here on some projects - one we noticed was the adult mosaic class which looked really cool. Anyway, I think I've found my new addiction (which could prove to be extremely hazardous to my bank account) - where if I'm bored on a weekend and have nothing to do, I'll just come here and paint all afternoon. It's pretty therapeutic and it gives me something to look forward to the next week when I go pick up my finished pottery! read more

After spending the better part of two Saturdays here, this is my breakdown: THE POTTERY is individually priced and includes studio time and paint. And if for some reason you decide to paint an intricate pattern on a huge piece, they will let you come back and finish at no extra cost. Once you're finished painting (which should take about 2-3 hours if you're a normal person), your pottery is fired in the kiln and ready for pickup about a week later. THE SPACE isn't huge. Weekends can be busy and table waits can exceed an hour. You can call ahead to reserve a table. The staff gives you a time estimate and once your table is ready you have 20 minutes to claim it. All Fired Up draws a diverse crowd; there were families, kids of all ages, a bachelorette party (yes, you can BYOB), groups of 6, groups of 1, etc. THE STAFF are super helpful, especially if you have no idea what you're doing. They have a bunch of painting techniques that are relatively easy to execute and look cool (e.g., lace, doilies, marbleing). So even if you're no artist you can still come away with a really cool piece. Even though I was painting forever, the staff never made me feel rushed. read more

I'm giving All Fired Up 4 stars instead of 5 based solely on the fact that it is not open on Tuesdays. Huh? What? People want to be crafty on Tuesdays, too. That said, All Fired Up is something different to do with a bunch of friends besides going to dinner and drinking--although if you really want to, you can combine all three! After returning to Cleveland Park on Thursday, three friends and I got Mexican take out, a few bottles of wine (the liquor store down the street will give you cups...they know what's up), and set out painting. The staff is very very friendly and helpful; the guidebooks and stencils will make you feel comme artiste even if you can barely draw a stick figure. Your creations are done in a week, and the rest of your friends will be envious of your crafty skillz....yes, with a "z." Definitely worth it! read more