My friend and I wanted to do something creative for my birthday and we found this place spur of the…read moremoment. It's a typical paint your own ceramics kind of place. You pick out the unfinished piece you want, gather your paint and supplies from the shelf, and then spend a couple hours painting them and turn them in for final firing. The pieces are priced reasonably -- it includes all supplies and the final firing. My friend chose a mug that holds a cookie on the bottom and decided to transform it into a likeness of her pug dog-- see the photo... Mine was much more tame-- I picked out a small geometric vase and ended up painting it an ombre shade of an earthy purple. We sat and enjoyed the experience and they offer a concierge type service-- they cleaned up everything for us! Very chill and fun evening- will do again .

I enjoyed spending some time here with my grandkids. It's very spacious and clean. The customer…read moreservice the day of our painting session was fantastic as well as the day we picked up our finished pieces . The available pottery options may not always be available. The selection was low the day we painted, but on the day we picked up the selection was plenty with well stocked shelves. Brushes and cups of water are already neatly set up at the tables. The only thing you have to do is get your paint in the bottled containers. Little hands may need assistance with this or leave it to the adults to prep the paint dish. I really like the space in the Art Cafe. There is plenty of room between each table. It may be different with more customers (we were the only ones on this weekday visit). But even then, I think there is more plenty of space you don't have to worry bumping into someone. I find all ceramic cafes to be a bit pricey but this is something to do once in awhile. I find it therapeutic and I love to watch the kids paint and be creative with their piece. Great bonding time with someone or good, quiet creative time for just yourself. Go check them out.

What a fun time! Really enjoyed the Pottery Date Night class! Lily was amazing & made the class…read morefun! Can't wait to see my finished pieces in a few weeks! We will definitely be back for another class!

This review was from my experience a year ago, highly overdue:…read moreNew at wheel throwing? Coffee and Clay is the way to go! My son and I had a blast trying our hand at a new art, and our sweet teacher had the patience of a saint lol. We were able to create multiple pieces without feeling rushed or feeling like a "noob." Clean, organized space with lots of fresh air and natural light. Will definitely revisit for more classes!

Agree that the items are outrageously expensive (especially since you can find the same for a…read morefraction of the price elsewhere), but I've come to realize that we're really paying for the experience, materials and time spent at the store. I chose a small sushi plate ($38) and ended up spending 3 hours choosing the colors, chatting and painting. The employees mostly leave you be (which I appreciate) and are super knowledgeable about the process if you have any questions. After you're done, drop off the item with the employee to fire up your items and you should get a call around 3-5 days later. Overall a pleasant experience and place to hangout and chill with your buddies.

Walked in to CeramiCafe on a Saturday night! It wasn't crowded and we found a nice table for our…read moreparty of 4. The staff were all friendly and helpful. The workspaces and glaze area were not as clean as I've seen at other spaces but it worked nonetheless. The selection of pottery was just okay as they had a lot of seasonal items still (holiday, halloween etc). I wanted to paint a plain mug but they didn't have any drink ware so I opted for this plain bowl. The bowl was about the size of a small rice or soup bowl but priced at $39. I know this includes the glaze and firing process but wow it's pricey! For larger or more intricate products it easily went up to $50-$60.

I'm sooo happy I stumbled across this art studio in downtown Vista Village while I waited to see a…read moremovie nearby. Going to Clay 'N Latte was a greaaat way to pass the time! I'm always trying to find ways to tap into my creativity and voilà, Clay 'N Latte. It's been up and running at this location since 2004 making its artful imprint on the community. When I entered the studio, the staff were very friendly and helpful creating a welcoming environment for art expression. One of the them checked me in. Another one walked me through what was on the table and where to find things. I appreciated their genuine assistance throughout my artwork. I can tell it's a popular place with the amount of people already there doing something creative for Easter weekend. All in all, I had a positive experience. I just looove my Easter egg!! I'll definitely go back for the adult events and strongly recommend this family-owned business to the Yelp Community :-) FYI - They don't have lattes.

Big shoutout to Amanda, she went above and beyond to help out girls bring out their creativity.read more

My wife just finished our ceramics class for my birthday and we had an amazing time! Emory was so…read moresweet and helpful. We will 100% be coming back for more classes. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a fun date night.

We have been a few times for date night! I like that they glaze. I really liked my class with…read moreEmory. She was very helpful and she brightens up your day.

What a charming create or paint your own pottery shop! I LOVED my experience. located in the heart…read moreof downtown San Clemente in the historic Hotel San Clemente Apartments lobby. There are table both inside and outside on the patio. Plenty of pottery options for painting. I really liked that there was no separate studio fee, that everything was included in the price of the pottery. The staff is super helpful and knowledgeable. I needed help with tool recommendations and the staff help me pick out the ones that would work best for my mug. I also was impressed with the final glaze. I have painted a few pottery pieces over the years and the glaze at Fired Up is the absolute best! I also loved being out on the patio on a warm-ish afternoon, chatting with friends and painting away. Highly recommend for a fun activity in San Clemente!

When providing estimates of costs and completion time, try to be a little bit more accurate. Be…read moremore organized with your staff so the job gets completed as requested. Stand by your work and be professional.

This is a great addition to the mall and something fun to do if you're just walking around…read moreshopping. They do allow walk ins, but you can book a reservation as well. You walk in and the employee will give you a run down on the process. If you want to take your ceramic home the same day, you can use acrylic paint, if you don't mind waiting you can choose to glaze it and there is a $5 firing fee. We chose to do glaze and wait a 1-2 weeks and they texted us when it was ready. (Only took a week) In terms of inventory, they have cute Knick knack ceramics you can make or kitchenware like plates, bowls, coasters, etc. I also saw people painting canvases so you really do have a lot of options if you're looking for a fun craft day. Pro tip: do multiple layers if you're gonna do glaze. I'd recommend at least 3, but 4 or 5 if you have the time.

Art Cafe is located next to Target. If inside Target, you would have to go to the 2nd floor and…read morethen walk a tad to the left. It is across from Victoria's Secret within the mall. There are no bathrooms and you would need to walk over to use Target's. Mckenna was working the cafe when we came in. She's only one person but quite knowledgeable about the two paints offered - acrylic and glaze. Acrylic paint can be taken home same day. They apply a clear coat finishing spray and it will dry same day but may take a few hours. Anything with this paint would not be safe to eat/drink on if you get a plate/cup. Glaze will need 3 layers and would be an additional week to 2. When you paint it, it will look a bit chalkier but with the glaze, will turn shiny. There is a $5 firing fee. I believe this is okay to eat or drink after they glaze it. You could first choose which piece you want to paint, could be a cup/plate/dish or a figure. Pricing fluctuates depending on inventory. Ceramic pieces prices range from $15.99 to $50.00. They also offer canvas painting which prices range from $15.00 to $23.00. It's perfect to just paint and let your creative side come out. We enjoyed our time here painting. We also saw a few others come in either for date time or family time. One family was clever in that they had several kids, so they had each kid paint a teacup. If you don't finish or want to come back another time, you can always leave your piece with them and return to continue painting. You will need to pay though so they have your number on file to contact you (if you are getting it glazed) and also for you to resume your painting piece there. My girlfriend who was visiting, enjoyed our time here as we caught up talking and chatting while painting our shells. She had to do hers acrylic as she had to fly back to NY the next day. We ended up staying close to closing hours, so Mckenna helped do a quick spray - put it in a box for it to dry (due to the fumes) and let her take a picture of the spray to give it another layer when she went back. I did mine with glaze and got a text message it was ready a week and two days that it was ready for pick up. Very satisfied with our visit here and may come again.

I had an amazing time at The Hot Spot in 4S Ranch!!…read more I took my friend for her birthday and we had a blast. A fun, creative art workshop where you can pick from a variety of options from painting pottery to making candles to building your own garden pot. The prices are clearly written on the item and it's all inclusive (the item, all materials, and use of their facility) so no additional fees other than tax. Most items were between $20-35. The owner was friendly and welcoming. There's plenty of free parking in the large shared lot. You're allowed to bring your own drinks and food as well. We opted to make candles and it was really fun. You start with picking out your glassware, then cutting up the colored wax pieces you want to use and fill them in your glassware, then choosing which glitter color and scent you want. They pour hot wax to mold it all together and the candles ready to go within 15 mins. A great activity for all ages including adults. This would be a great option for any type of celebration, date night, hang out with friends, or spending time with your kids. There's something for everyone.

I made a reservation here for me and my friends for my birthday and it was such a fun activity! We…read moreall did the ceramic painting pottery and chose our own ceramics and colors. The process was easy and there weren't many directions aside from picking out a piece and colors and the rest was left up to you. They do take about 2 days to fire so you'll have to come back and pick up your piece. The plates were roughly $27 which isn't terrible for the experience. I don't think I'll come back again unless there's a special occasion

Such a fun place!…read more Can be so fun to do on any occasion and is so easy too! I am not an artist, but I still enjoyed this a lot and would happily come back! There's so much parking at liberty station and the place is easy to find! There are so many different options to choose from with the prices directly on each item which is really nice. You do have to wait a few days to collect the pottery (they fire it up), so make sure you're not leaving town and can pick it up!

My fiancé and I came to paint our wedding cake plate on a Sunday morning. There were a lot of…read moreoptions for what we could paint, and I love that the price of the piece is what you pay with no other fees added on. We spent three hours painting and hanging out. The space is mostly catered to kids, but we saw people of all ages crafting and chatting. On a warmer day, we probably would have sat outside as it can get really crowded inside. We were never bumped, but sometimes kids would run by on their way to get paint. My only other complaint (which is more so my fault) was that we sat at stools at a shorter table so I was hunched over for a while. I'm just old. The staff was really friendly, and I like that there's a BYOB policy. I would probably suggest going later in the evening to avoid all the birthday parties as it was pretty quiet when we came to pick up our piece near closing.

My friend and I randomly stumbled upon this place while wandering around Carlsbad Village and…read morehonestly it was such a vibe! Super fun and lowkey therapeutic which was exactly what we needed. The staff were awesome, super friendly, and walked us through everything step by step. We got to pick our own vessels and scents which was honestly the best part. I mixed mango coconut and pineapple together and it smelled so good! We threw some glitter into the soy wax mix because obviously we had to and we even got to design our own labels which turned out so cute. The candle needed an hour to cool so we went off and explored the area and then came back to top them off with some stones. They turned out so pretty omg! The price was worth it! Oh and since I was giving mine as a gift one of the staff members tied a little ribbon on my bag without me even asking which was such a sweet touch. If you're looking for something fun and a little different to do you have to check this place out!!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Great time making candles! My friend and I picked out our vessel and scent, and even got to add…read moreglitter. You can also add decorations like shells and pretty stones on top of your candle. It takes about an hour for it to dry, and they hold it for you so you can pick it up later. I recommend grabbing lunch nearby and walking around. It's a beautiful area where you can walk to the beach and enjoy some tasty food. The staff recommends waiting two days before lighting the candle. They were super helpful, and while it cost a bit more, it makes sense for the area. It was a great experience overall, and the staff was really nice. I also wanted to mention that I forgot my Stanley cup, and they were kind enough to hold it for me until I picked it up.