It's a shame that the owner is so strange because this would but a go-to if he wasn't there. He has a strange and slightly condescending sense of humor if he is attracted to you, and he's a total dick if not. He listened in on my conversation and commented when we weren't aware we were being listened to. It is a shame that he never leaves because he is really the only downside to this place, and unfortunately he's a significant downside. read more

My friends and I came here for my birthday and had the best time. its a byob and byof (bring your own food). We painted, we laughed, we drank, we had an amazing time. The staff explains everything and they are very friendly. When you paint your piece it looks a little ashy, but after its glazed, I hear it looks amazing. Make sure you call and ask if your pieces are ready, THEY DO NOT CALL YOU. I will definitely be back. read more

Took my toddler here on a whim for an afternoon activity. Painting was kid-friendly with close supervision, and Keith was helpful with color choices and advice. It took longer than I thought (we just did one mug and a handprint tile and it took an hour-plus) because you need to do multiple layers, so allow plenty of time. read more

Only giving it 2 stars because I had a good time with my girlfriend and she tried to make this day special for me. Other than that I was uncomfortable for the second I walked in. Completely unfriendly, and kept making shady remarks that we didn't have a reservation when online it says we don't need one... the boss was so rude!!! He made misogynist jokes and made very disrespectful comments towards me. I asked a simple question and he treated me like I was stupid. Like sorry this is my first time here ...? ALSO!!!!! They were not following covid restrictions the owner had his mask down the entire time and told me and my girlfriend we can take our masks off?!!? um. No. Anyways I'm literally never going here again and I'll take my business to somewhere else in the future because I literally never want to experience that again. read more

I wish I could have experienced this, because it does seem fun. I, however, was not able to because of their frivolous reservation policy. We reserved about a week ahead for a medium sized party, and were assured a spot. When we got there on time, however, we were told by the gruff man up front that the group ahead of us arrived late and so without us being made aware our reservation was just straight up cancelled. We tried to negotiate a number of compromises but the hard line was that despite our foresighted reservation we would not be able to come here. I'm not saying the service is terrible, but I'm warning you that reservations mean nothing to this business so don't expect much. read more

Came here for the first time with my SO and everyone was so nice and helpful! The only thing I didn't like was that they don't give you cups of water to clean the brushes. Other than that, I definitely recommend!! read more

I own a plant, Louie. When I bought him, he came in this crappy straw pot. Given my track record with plants, I figured it would do since I'd probably kill him in a week or two. When he actually thrived, I decided Louie needed a proper pot and asked a friend to make one. What I didn't know was that flower pots weren't her specialty; after waiting a long time for his pot, I started to suspect I'd never get it and bought a Groupon for Glazed Expressions. It worked out for the best; when I got Louie's pot, he had outgrown it. I wandered into Glazed Expressions one weekend, determined to make Louie a proper place to call home. They have tons of items you can paint - plates, dog bowls, coffee mugs, you name it. They were a bit light on flower pots, but I found one that would work and the person working got me started. They have a large selection of paints and brushes and will explain the whole process, including helpful do's and don'ts. I had fun choosing my colors, pondering my design and doing my best to transform it into a reality. Once you're through painting, you pick up the fired piece a week later. I'm happy with my piece, but let's just say no one would ever mistake me for the next Picasso. Now Louie not only has a proper place to call home, but a one-of-a-kind one. Without the Groupon, I think my creation cost $30; not bad considering it includes the supplies, piece and firing. It's $8 for unlimited studio time and supplies, the prices of the individual pottery pieces vary. Typically, you can walk in and make something, they also hold private events too. read more

It's best to make a reservation if you're going on the weekend. It takes about 2-2.5 hours so give yourself plenty of time to finish your project(s) before they close. My three friends and I made a reservation and arrived on time (as recommended) on a Sunday night. It was packed. I wanted to choose a large soup mug, but they ran out so I opted for a bowl ($14). Prices vary, but a regular mug costs $12, and a large seashell plate costs $20. There is an $8 studio fee, but you have to consider the fact they they do all the cleaning for you. After you're done glazing your piece (1-3 coats; let your piece dry between coats), fill out a form, pay, and come back after 7 days (after 4pm) and pick up your finished ceramic piece. They will NOT remind you so if you have a bad memory, add it as a reminder on your phone. read more

See all

Overall review: I had a great time here with my girlfriends on a Saturday afternoon. Parking was super easy to find. There is pay to park right outside and it wasn't very busy on the street. We were a bit late for our reservation due to the snow, yet it didn't interfere with the timing needed to paint. I will definitely be back, maybe with my little sister and cousin. Its a great place for all ages, and its a sure stress reliever. I was a little nervous after reading previous reviews about the staff, and I could kind of see where the remarks came from. One woman was extremely kind and helpful. The other young lady (the one that helped us) was very short with us and did not seem enthused to be there at all. The process: Once you are seated, you select the piece of art you would like to paint. Just about everything is available to paint. I specifically remember plates, bowls, cups, coin banks, and jewelry holders. You then select your colors and get to work. Once you're finished (or your reservation is finished) you play for your item and the adult fee. I believe the pieces were moderately priced. The average was about $15.00 per item. Your artwork is available for pick up one week from your paint date. read more

My gratitude journal told me I had to leave a review for a place that I really liked... weird, but Glazed Expressions came to mind right away. I was going to write the normal everything was great, I have been coming here for years, and always look forward to coming back and bringing new people. AND THEN I READ the reviews, and made me LOVE THIS PLACE even more! It's clear people who reviewed poorly are super sensitive and "need" some bubbly personality to feel good about themselves. So if that's what you need, STAY AWAY- been going for years, it's not going to change. This is not your typical Lincoln Park vibe (THANKFUL FOR THIS) it's just art and real people with real personalities. So if you're cool with a non-bougie art experience, read on. 1. MAKE A RESERVATION, its a small studio, plan ahead 2. If you don't make a reservation, staff didn't expect you there, so stay or go 3. Grab a ceramic, tell the person working you've never been before, and then paint - thick layers - plan to be there a couple hours 4. Let the appreciation for hand crafted work to sink in TIP - think of colors, patterns, or design ahead time read more

Employee was quite rude and unhelpful. We were completely ignored when we came in the door and got only very short, irritated answers when we asked questions. read more

OK, this is the best idea I have had! I painted something for my GF for Valentine's Day. Though I have some artistic skill, this medium is a whole diffferent ball of wax. Jennifer at the store was remarkably generous with her time, opinion and expertise. Even when you screw up making "happy trees!" she found an encouraging thing to say and helped straighten it out. She made a novice very comforatble, and guys, just come in here and do this. It's very inexpensive, and it's one of those gifts that forever changes the relationship. You pick the piece you want to paint (lots of selection), Jennifer helps you with picking and mixing colors and brushes, slap that shit on, they fire it, and in a week you have an uber extraordinary gift that'll get ya ....well....ya know, you stroke for her and the sentiment is returned. It's actually a lot of fun, and you can bring booze or something to eat if you like. This is a great concept when your woman is asking for a "thoughtful" gift! read more

Good place to spend the time on weekends with friends! The owner is nice and willing to help you! There are a lot of subjects you can choose read more

See all

My best friend bought a LivingSocial deal for this place, knowing that there would come a day when we would want to sit in relative quiet, methodically painting coffee mugs together. That day was yesterday. Having reached our limit with cold weather (and I'm still in this damn walking boot), it seemed a perfect day to hole up over ceramic goods and paint. She called ahead, and we were assured two seats. I was slightly annoyed by the assigned seats for a couple of reasons -- we were seated at a high top table (not digging that with the boot - it was hard to get up and down into the chair). While we were picking out our mugs, an employee who arrived for her shift dropped off her coat, phone, and iced coffee at my seat. That all got settled, though, and we started painting. Cody (I think that was his name?) was a fantastic tour guide and host, giving us the schpiel on what we needed to do and how to do it. Because of where we were seated, we were right next to the MacBook Pro that was playing music, which made it a little loud. It was also where employees gathered, which made it mostly hilarious. The staff at this place is awesome -- engaging, funny, and wicked snarky. And yet they manage to completely tone down the sarcasm to talk with kids and families. We'll be back (I mean, we have to go back -- our mugs won't be ready for six more days and we need to pick it up). But we'll be back anyway because sitting around gossiping while painting tiny polka dots on a mug was exactly what the BFF and I both needed yesterday afternoon. read more

Something fun and different to do on a Saturday afternoon - or any time. Perfect for any occasion - adults or kids. They accommodate parties with ease (byob or food - whatever you want to bring - just make sure your hands aren't greasy when you touch the pottery) I went for a friend's birthday with a bunch of girls. We brought stuff for mimosas and snacks. We had a great time - it is so hard to pick out what you want to paint. I picked a cute little octopus jar that will probably end up going to my niece or nephew. This is a fun time to be creative and if you're not creative - well... drink until you are. They have tons of options of things to paint. $8.00 studio fee (per person) which is really reasonable taking into account they clean for you, fire and glaze your piece, and have it ready for you to pick up in a week. The price per piece varies and can get expensive depending on what you want to do. My piece cost $16.00 and I think it's worth it. I would highly suggest going here to do something out of the ordinary :-) read more

Glazed Expressions - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Extremely rude and racist vibes throughout the entire horrible experience. The man working here made me extremely uncomfortable. Unfortunately I read the reviews after going, and fully saw what others have noted. I regret giving them my my money. read more

Keith, the owner of Glazed Expressions, is AMAZING. My boyfriend and I went to Glazed Expressions for our weekly date night. Keith explained the process and helped us with everything we needed. My boyfriend isn't the most artistic, so Keith was able to answer all of our questions. There was a lot of paint choices and we didn't think the price was too bad! It's BYOB and Keith even suggested we chill our alcohol in his fridge- what a nice guy! We had lovely conversation with him, a relaxing date night and really cool pottery pieces. Overall, a great date night and we will be back! read more

Great selection of pottery and paint. Slightly on the expensive side, but worth the money. It would be a wonderful experience if it wasn't for the unbelievably rude staff member. There is one staff member, possibly the manager who makes people feel silly if you ask a question. He made us extremely uncomfortable because every time we looked up, he was staring at us. He came over to our table multiple times and just stood there looking. He kept asking us for our names. I saw him speak rudely to a small child. I saw him speak rudely to customers. He was not wearing his mask. He was not following COVID guidelines. He was not social distancing. I have gone to Glazed Expressions many times in the past, but after today I honestly never want to go again. We were dreading going up to the cash register to pay because we did not want to interact with him face to face. Every other staff member that I have interacted with is completely professional, helpful, and kind. He seems to be the only problem with this establishment, but he is enough of a problem that I don't want to come back. read more

The ppl who were working at the time 2 young guys were super nice and the music was good and I enjoyed what I painted. -But the initial person who answered the phone was so rude I think he may have been the manager or something- not friendly and cold. Luckily I wanted to go here no matter what and there wasn't a place closer but what a horrible way to want to get a customer go spend money at your business. read more

Don't bother!! They're rude! They say reservations for 3+ but when I walked in with my son they said nope because they had reservations for over an hour later!! I said "we won't be that long and there's 2 of us!" Still said nope! Awful customer service, don't bother just go someplace else!! read more

I brought my niece to the studio on Saturday for some 1:1 time. We had an amazing experience. We arrived around 11:30 am and were greeted, Given the options of 2 tables, and pricing for studio time. One table was available until 1:30 pm and another was available until 2 pm. Larger groups had some tables reserved. Being our first time, I chose the 2 pm option this was far more time than we needed, but I am glad we choose this option.The ceramic pieces have the price on the bottom. So in the end the total is up front. Studio time for adults: $8, children $7 and the pieces we picked were $10 each. Our total was $36 w/tax. That's exactly what I expected and exactly what I paid. Although it may feel like nickel and dime-ing. It's will actually save you tax, since studio time is a service. I prefer to pay for it correctly as this studio does. The gentleman, (I'm sorry I forgot your name!) Was very helpful and also was not a helicopter helper either. I'm a bit more independent although I enjoy interacting with others. It was nice to be left to our own creative devices. He showed us the paints, brush supplies, and let us know that he would clean up our table. He was jovial with other clients as they came into the shop. We will pickup our items later this week. Looking forward to seeing the finished art. Overall this place is great and I am looking forward to going back. :) I also want to make a couple notes based on another reviews. 1- someone thought it was poor service that they didn't open their doors early, because they arrived early. As someone who has worked for businesses with a storefront. This is an, unfortunate, one sided argument. Hours are clearly noted online. If you're early you should expect to wait for the shop to be unlocked. In my experience, there were many things to do in preparation for my business to open its doors. That's their time to meditate and prepare for the day ahead - why hours are posted. If there are other reasons for a poor experience. Note them, this isn't a valid argument. - 2 - I feel odd noting this, but based on previous reviews I think it should be said. We see jokes all the time about resting B* or grumpy face. We laugh at ourselves for these traits. Unfortunately we're not always kind when others exhibit it, especially when they provide a service. Listening to him as he worked with us and other clients. There is no doubt in my mind he is very kind and has a dry, but IMO funny sense of humor. His face was not very expressive and I think that can be mistaken for impatience or rudeness. This couldn't be further from the truth. read more

Glazed Expressions - Bunny luv - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Like many other reviews this staff is so rude, unwelcoming, and unhelpful. I walked-in and right back out and will never be back. As a surprise anniversary gift I purchased the mug painting session for 2 people for my boyfriend and I off of Groupon. I booked a reservation about 1 month in advance. About two weeks before I called to confirm for 5:30pm on a Tuesday and the young lady said yes. Well we walked in that day and they claimed they didn't have us down in there book. There "book" is a planner with pencil reservations scribbled all over the place so of course they couldn't find me. They claimed they close at 7pm and would never book a 5:30pm reservation, but clearly they did. They said sorry but we can't stay because they are closing. How hard is it to let us paint a simple mug quickly and leave? They totally could have just avoided this by telling us to go ahead and paint so we wouldn't be inconvienced. The rude heavy set man who might be the owner is honestly the biggest jerk I've ever met. When I initially called to inquire he said don't book to late because all of the "good mugs" will be picked over. Like really dude your basically telling me don't come late or you'll have a crappy piece to paint. And then when I walked in he literally was arguing with me on how I was wrong about the reservation. Does he honestly think I'm going to drive all the way over to just try and walk-in? This guy was awful. Needless to say I was given a refund from Groupon and would never come here or advise anyone to. read more

The owner is friendly and helpful. The place lets you bring wine and host parties with your girlfriends! Maybe it is the "inner grandma" in me, but I would much rather spend 3 hours and $22 for a good time at this place than ANY bar! If you stop in tell Keith Julia said "Hi!" This place is the bomb-diggity-shiz-nit for the crafter in you that is dying to come out and PAR-TAY!!!! Oah, Oah! read more

Nah. Not a great place. I used a Groupon but their prices seem high, generally speaking - lots of "hidden" fees (studio fee + paying for the pottery itself + other fees). Keith (staff member, maybe manager?) was honestly the worst part of this place - he was super chatty and just wouldn't stop talking, and on top of that, he was rude! He kept micromanaging the way I was painting my mug. Like, dude, I came here to relax and attempt creativity and artistic release and all that, I don't need you to tell me that my paint brush needs more paint or that the designs I'm making won't look good after being fired in the kiln. RELAX. Also they don't call you when your pottery pieces are ready, and they don't seem to have a great system for finding your pieces when you do go to pick them up (1 week later - seems like a really long time, no?). They write down descriptors of the pieces on a slip and then spend awhile searching for them in back. (They also ask you to put your initials on the bottom of whatever you've painted, but like, a lot of people have the same initials). So the efficiency just isn't there. Meh. read more

Took the kids a week ago and they loved it.Cicelie was extremely helpful. She explained everything and was helpful picking out colors. She also mastered the art of stepping away and allowing your artistic juices to flow. Picked it up a week later. read more

Glazed Expressions - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Let me preface this review by saying that, really, due to pricing, I'd prefer to give this place 3 stars instead of 4 but, because the staff was so helpful, we'll bump it up, rather than down. We did the unthinkable: walked in on a Saturday night. ::: insert gasp here ::: BUT! With a little juggling, we were sandwiched between an all-female birthday party and a bachelorette party. Kudos to my daughter's boyfriend for grinning and bearing the estrogen overflow as he graciously checked his man card at the door. Having been to other pottery painting places, we already knew the basics of what to do. Even so, we were given a quick tour, told not to worry about cleaning anything up, asked to use different brushes for each color we chose, and then we were left alone with the promise that, should we need any help, they'd be happy to come over. Being the descendents of a long line of artsy-fartsy folk, we were very very happy with this arrangement. Once in a while, if we looked as if we were pondering something, one of the two people on staff would drift by, check on us, see that we were fine, and leave us to our creative endeavors. We loved it. The only thing we didn't love was the price tag. $90 for three mugs? Okay, one of the mugs was actually one of those "tea for one" thingies but still... $90? Yeesh. Other than that, though, we really enjoyed our visit. read more

I was thoroughly disappointed in my attempt to visit this pottery place. With friends visiting from all over, we decided to bring some drinks and head over for naughty Wednesday painting. We checked on the timing before we came and we were told we would need to be there an hour before closing. After rushing around the city all day and quickly stuffing our faces for dinner, we arrived an hour and half before closing, thinking we would have plenty of time to paint. After paying for parking we were told we would not be able to paint because they would be closing early. The door was promptly locked and closed before we could even reach our car. I was a loyal customer and spent a great deal of money on gift cards and was planning on bringing more friends and family, but I will be looking for other more accommodating pottery locations. read more

What's better than relaxing with a paint brush, a friend, food and drinks? Not much, at least not in my book. I came here with a friend and a six pack. They played Madeleine Peyroux and gave me tips for the over-elaborate design I chose. My friend made a few fun dishes, and I made a fruit bowl. It took me forever to come back to claim our stuff - but they stored our pieces for me without incidence or complaint. I didn't finish my piece on the first trip - the second trip was not quite as relaxing. It was fairly late on a weekday evening, and I was the only customer. The manager was training a new employee, and they did some glazing while I was there. (Soft jazz would have sounded better.) Still, they didn't rush me out of there, and I love my fruit bowl. It's $8/hour for studio time, and then you pay for the piece you paint. I think I spent about $45 all in, but I took forever. Since it also counts as entertainment and you get to show off your "handmade" creations to everybody who sees it ever, it feels like a decent deal. read more

Had a great experience, so funny and Bobby at the store was so great, fun and helpful. Now I just need to remember to go pick up our vases! read more

This place is awesome! Went here for my birthday celebrations, and loved the fact that you can BYOB :) The staff never rushes you here and they're always quick to help you out or offer advice. They have a decent selection of pottery to choose from, everything from litle figurines to dog bowls. They have a decent selection of paint and different supplies to use to create a special piece! They are a little bit pricey for pottery painting. I've been to my share of pottery painting joints, and this one is the most expensive of them all. The pottery pieces range in price from 5-100+, and the majority of them are $20-$40. On top of paying for the piece you have to pay a studio fee ($8 for adults, $5 for kids), if you pay more than one piece you have to pay an additional fee. read more

Pros: BYOB, decent selection of pieces to paint, plenty of seating Cons: customer service, fees on fees, not as many neat tools as other studios, strict on pickup of artwork This type of activity is pricey, yes. However, I was surprised that the sitting fee did not include the glazing + firing. I was here for a party (about 15 people) so we spent a good amount of $ collectively. The woman who assisted us was not very friendly and we definitely felt rushed (even though we showed up 2 hours prior to closing as suggested on their website). Not to mention, no one else was here on a Friday night so it's not like she was busy helping other customers. Also, there are buckets of unclaimed pieces for sale which shows how strict they really are about picking up your piece within the allotted time. I've left things for 2+ months at another studio and they were more than happy to hold on to it. I do love pottery painting but I don't know that I'll be back to this particular studio. read more

This is a really fun place to get together with girlfriends for wine and painting. I hadn't been to a place like this since I was a kid and really enjoyed coming back. At night it's only open for adults and you can bring in your own food and drinks. There are some mixed reviews on here, but I had a great experience. I was here for a few hours on a Saturday night with a group of 7 women who all loved it. Angela helped my group and she was fantastic, offering to help us with different techniques and very friendly. There are so many pieces to choose from it's hard to decide! You could come here over and over and never repeat the same thing. I think the prices are reasonable- $8 for the sitting fee and pieces that start at $12. I'd love to go back. read more

My little sister was in town so I wanted to take her to do something fun. I cannot complain about how fun painting our pieces were, because we all had a blast. My main complaint is with the hospitality of the staff. Upon walking in, we literally were not even acknowledged...and there was NO ONE else in the store. We were then told that we should have made reservations for 5 people because Sunday's are normally really busy. Again, no one else was in the store. Had we gone there without reservations and it was busy, we would have just found something else to do. We then selected our pieces and again sat there waiting for someone to acknowledge us and explain the process. We ended up needed to ask "What do we do now?"....we then got a quick briefing and were left to ourselves. During our painting two workers were literally arguing aloud in front of us and at one point we were told that we needed to quiet down because it was "relaxation time." It's pretty disappointing to have such a poor experience with the staff because the idea/concept is super fun...but I wouldn't return solely due to the way that we were treated. read more

I came here last night with a friend since I had two Groupons to use. It was slow since it's a monday night, which was nice since I needed a lot of attention to help me (I would fail at doodling). Overall, the staff was very helpful and even stayed almost 40 minutes past closing time for us. It is a bit pricey without a Groupon, but you can definitely find affordable pieces to make. Barbara was awesome in helping us out! read more

These people were so nice and helpful. They have a wonderful selection and clean and organized. And it was fast to get your products fired and back! read more

Terrible customer service. People that work here are plain rude. Dont think Ill go back here

I went here for a girls night with my friends and we had a blast. There are tons of things to paint (and most of them are functional) and they're not too expensive either. The fee to paint is just $8 no matter how long you're there. The staff was friendly and helpful yet also non-intrusive. That was nice because we were having a lit of girl talk. There was no one else in there but us, but we also went on a Thursday night so maybe that's why it wasn't crowded. It's fun and relaxing... give it a try! read more

Me and one of my best friends recently decided to have a date night, so we decided we'd meet up after our classes, even though we walked in after 5:30 on a Tuesday, we had the privilege of meeting the owner, and he let us paint and gave us the run down on how to do everything. I just read some of the reviews that were complaining about price, but I have no complaints. I thought they were fairly reasonable, people have obviously never tried to make they're own pottery before otherwise they would know it's pretty complicated also accounting for all the paints you are able to use on one piece and factoring in that people clean up there mess and glaze and fire pieces for them, I'd say it was reasonable. You are also able to sit and paint for ours and are able to relax and have a fantastic time. It's also a locally owned business, which I am in high support of. If there were more stars I'd rate them higher. They were helpful, nice, and quite entertaining. I can't wait to go back and make more awesome creations. read more

I was visiting Chicago a few months ago and my best friend took me here to spend some girl time together and just relax. I had no idea it would be so therapeutic! They had a decent selection of items ranging from cheap to expensive. I was bummed out they did not have a teapot, and were missing some other pieces like tea cups that would have been fun. My friend and I both chose cookie jars however and got to work. You pay a flat 8 dollar studio fee for unlimited time and paints, and whatever the price is for the piece you select. We spent nearly 4 hours there (until closing!) and even then the really friendly lady running the place let us stay to finish. I'd definitely visit again if I end up back in Chicago. read more

My 7-year-old niece visited me for a weekend. I was talking to friends about what to do with little kids in Chicago, and we thought maybe the paint-it-yourself pottery place would be fun so I took my niece there. She picked out a cupcake plate to paint. I painted a wavy squre bowl. We visited on a Friday during the day and there were a few other people painting when we arrived, but when they left we were the only ones in the studio for the rest of our time there. My niece really enjoyed this activity. Very age appropriate. The total cost was about $40. Kind of pricy, but we got hours of entertainment plus keepsakes that should last forever, so worth it. read more

See all