Walked in on a Saturday morning probably an hour after opening. They were already pretty busy and…read morehad a big children's party coming. Luckily there was space for myself and 2 gfs. Process is simple. You pick your already made ceramic piece off the shelf and someone sits down with you before you start painting. They explain all the dos and don'ts and show you samples of a good painting job and what happens when you don't later enough paint. Then you go and create your masterpiece! You're free to use whatever brushes you want and all the paint that you need. There also is no time limit of how long you sit and paint. I think my gfs and I took about 2.5 hours? All pieces are priced differently. They're very helpful if you have any questions so don't hesitate to ask! The only thing that my gfs and I didn't realize is that it takes about a week for the pieces to be "glazed". So if you're not from around the area it might be a pain to come back and get it. If you fail to pick up your pieces I believe after 3 months, they donate them. I came back at exactly the 7 day mark and they just finished glazing that morning. Thank god, because I would've been really disappointed if I had gone all that way for nothing. They also have a sign that says no need to call to ask if your piece is ready as it SHOULD be ready within a week.

I love this place and the people who run it. You can truly have not an artistic bone in your body…read moreand create a masterpiece. Ron, the owner, and his staff are fun and informative. We were so impressed we bought a year membership so the whole family can participate together. You come in, choose your piece, get a bit of instruction and then you are off to the races. The price includes all supplies needed and the glazing, and as many hours as you need to create your work of art. You can just keep coming back for as many hours as it takes, at NO extra cost, so that you can get it just right!!! Love that! Give it a try - bet you love it like we do!

Adorable little pottery painting studio on Grand island. The (owner? Manager?) Ashley makes bowls…read moreand mugs in the back and also purchases cute trinkets and items to paint. She helped us so much when we hosted a birthday party here. She closed it down for our party, let us set up our own decorations, picked out music for us, set up tables for our food and gifts, and was generally quite kind and easy going. The prices were very fair as well. We loved it and will definitely be going back. Highly recommend!

From the owner: Paint your own pottery, clay classes, parties.read more

GO TO CROCK A DOODLE INSTEAD (723 Gerrard St East). My family has gone to The Clay Room for more…read morethan ten years. I've completed many pieces there, including a yearly handprint ornament for my daughter. This time, after choosing our pieces and following their six-colour guideline for children, I was confronted by a clerk who told me my ten-year-old "only needs four colours" and that "it's four when we're busy." The tone was hostile, and the reasoning made no sense. Customers pay for the piece, the studio time, and the firing. Colour limits serve no purpose beyond making it easier for the establishment to handle customers. The same employee who was rude and hostile later called to say she hadn't realized we had more than one piece and that we could use six colours after all. By then, the experience was already compromised, so we did not return. Crock A Doodle was a direct contrast. Seven minutes away. Transit-friendly. Every table stocked with the full set of thirty colours. The price of the item covers everything: paint, time, and firing. It was straightforward and worth it.

A wonderful little gem for kids' parties (they've got party packages), mother-daughter outings, or…read moregirlfriends wanting to chill and do something crafty. (There were some fathers and daughters enjoying themselves too!) Walk-ins welcomed. (That's what we did!) I haven't had experience at other ceramic painting shops before, so I can't really compare to any competitors. So this is based on my first-time experience - and it was really great! My girlfriends and I wanted to do something artsy, low-budget and relaxing. And thanks to great timing, there was a group deal for The Clay Room some months ago! So the 4 of us bought the deal of the day, and headed down to the Danforth for a girls day out. The Clay Room was bustling with activity on that Saturday afternoon. Not packed and uncomfortable but it had a nice vibe and there was steady traffic. There was a private birthday party downstairs, the benches upstairs were about half full when we arrived. The instructions for us newbies were a little confusing at first. There was an instruction sheet posted on the wall, but it was located in an awkward spot and hard to read from a distance. There was only really one staffer behind the counter (another was working the party downstairs, and another was at the kiln in the next room) - so she was kept busy with one group at a time. The staff was friendly enough, and we understood that they had influx of traffic because of the group deal. So, you get there, and you: 1. Pick up an order form (you need this to pick up your piece after it's fired) 2. Choose a ceramic item (prices range depending on its size) and copy its code number onto your form 2. Select paint colours from the paint chip wall (kids only have choice of 3, whereas adults have unlimited selections) - right down their numbers on your form 3. Give your form to the staff and they'll give you the actual paints in a bucket. And you're set to paint! The store is equipped with stencils, hair dryers, sink, sponges and brushes for your use. There is a Studio Fee which covers your usage of all their space and equipment. It also includes the firing cost. It takes a week for your item to be fired in the kiln. So plan to pick up your final artwork at a later date. There is no time limit - which is great! But mainly because... it does take a LONG time to paint. Especially if you want a good solid coverage of paint on your piece. At least 3 coats of paint, and you need to dry each layer before continuing onto the next. Of course, a smaller piece of ceramic would take less time too. And depending on how many colours you're using and how much detail you're adding to it. I painted a medium sized robot money bank (that's right - a robot! They have a wonderful selection of ceramic pieces - not just the usual plates and vases, but some really fun pieces that make great gifts), with 4 colours. And it took a solid 3 hours. So be warned to plan around meal times and such. :P My friends and I all agree we'd go back again! Happy crafting! :)

My friend and I took the pottery wheel class and it did not disappoint! We received so much support…read morefrom staff and we had a blast. Would definitely recommend as a fun project with a friend!

I held my daughter's 9th birthday party here this year. Tanya (owner) hosted the painting portion…read moreof the party. She was great with the kids, encouraging them every step of the way. She kept them and the timing of the party on track. The girls had a wonderful time and all left with smiles! The cost of the party included all paint, use of brushes as well as packaging for transport home. I was so pleased with this experience that I purchased a custom, in-house made snowman ( he lights up!). Pricing was very reasonable and included use of the studio, paint and brushes as well as the firing to complete the piece. My friend and I went in together to complete our projects. Tanya was very helpful. She answered all of our questions about what to tackle first and gave us her opinion when asked about colours etc. The experience was relaxing and we can't wait to come in to do our next project. I highly recommend this company. Thanks Tanya!

It was our first time coming here and had a great experience. We were camping near by and decided…read moreto take the kids to paint some ceramics while the weather was bad. It's a friendly and nice atmosphere.

Great place to go to craft as a family! Lots of ceramics to select from. We went on a weekend…read moremorning and it wasn't too busy. Would definitely recommend and we will be going back!

Wow!! So much fun. There are even pottery classes here…read more Brings out the artist in you. Painting pottery is a nice little activity that you can do with your family. I love glaze craze.

I would leave no stars as I have been there three times and all three times before 4 pm and they…read morewhere closed every time. Will not be going back for a fourth time

Great place. Many items very reasonably priced and great customer service. Definitely will be going…read moreagain. Yes I could spend a couple hours just looking.

I came here for a graduation party in June 2018…read more The venue itself is lovely, the inside is clean, each room is pretty accessible and the views are beautiful. I attended a party in the Blue Room, where they were able to comfortable accommodate 6 round tables of 10 people each. Additionally the staff were very polite and attentive, and the food was delicious! The only gripe I had was that the bar didn't have the best soft drinks, a lot of the pops we ordered were flat, so we had to request canned drinks. I would definitely recommend this venue for a party or wedding.

I attended a function here over the weekend. I have to admit the view is spectacular, especially…read morethe 2nd floor patio. It was quite a hot and humid day, but being slightly elevated and close to the lake, it was a perfect breeze and an amazing place to chill and have drinks. The food served was pretty decent too. I wouldn't say it was amazing, but it was fresh, which is all that matters (at least to me). Cons: Parking is slightly limited. Verdict: Decent banquet hall, fresh food, but amazing view.