NW Encaustics is an amazing little gem of a studio. It has…read morea fantastic set-up with all the tools, instruction, and house-made wax you'll need to learn this super fun medium. It's also affordable-more affordable than Pratt I believe. Also, the people who take classes there and teach are really fun. It's a laid back, relaxed, and welcoming atmosphere, which I really appreciate. Encaustic painting is easy to do, but there are some techniques that are really helpful to learn, and it's not a completely non-toxic art; the fumes need good ventilation. Also, you use blow-torches... so, having a studio to paint in is a necessity, especially for an apartment dweller like me!

I love both this studio and the community of friendly artists that instruct there. Laid back, yet…read moreprofessional; NWE is a great place to take beginner classes and beyond. Well worth the price if you are ready to dive into the wax!

Absolutely incredible!!!!!!! We had my son's 5th birthday there and it was amazing! The kiddos…read moreloved it and all the adults were jealous and wanted to get in there too! Oakley and Jules were wonderful with the kids! I cannot recommend enough!!!

Booked a session for my two granddaughters, ages 3 1/2 and 5 and Wicked Rae's exceeded my…read moreexpectations! The staff is engaging, knowledgeable about child development and encourages creativity. My granddaughters had fun exploring a unique approach to art where they had a full hands on experience. They decorated and left class with their very own canvas bag. We'll definitely be back!

We finally checked out Curious Kidstuff and I wish we would have come in sooner…read more The main reason we came in was for the art class they offer. For littles 18 months and up on Mondays and Fridays they offer an art class at 10am. The first class is free which is awesome because you can check it out without making a commitment. Then, classes are $12 or if you purchase a 4 pack, you get 10% off. It's drop in style which is great because our schedule can change suddenly with my 2 year old. The toy shop itself is also very cool with a wonderfully large assortment of toys. Art toys. Educational toys. Trucks. Animals. All the things. The prices are a tad higher than amazon, but I'd rather pay the additional $2 than have to add $20 worth of stuff I do t need to get same day shipping on amazon. The staff is very kind and friendly. This is a great shop in west Seattle. There is 2hr street parking and also a few close by public lots for the junction.

Good toy stores are very scarce. I brought my four year old grandson into this shop for his first…read moreexperience in a REAL toy store. The shop staff were so great. He had never seen so many toys in one spot. Department store toy "areas" are just not the same as a shop like Curious Kidstuff. He walked around the shop in amazement. I highly recommend grandparents to take their grandkids for this magical toy shop experience.

What can I say but wow! Besides this being the best idea ever (and well-executed at that!), the…read moreowner is super nice and has tons of great ideas ready to go. Her kids were there as well and were wonderful! Check out especially the splatter room. Seriously, the best. We don't live close enough to come every day, but we will be back every time we are down this way.

Great place to let your imagination take over. With little limitations and a bag of popcorn. You…read morecan have a party or just drop in. 10$ a hour. You walk in and sign in and pay when you leave. My sister and I came with her three year old son and I was super impressed. Some much painting and crafting for your kids. The owners are super sweet and down to earth. There are different rooms to different crafts. Check out the picture you and your kids with have a blast. Great place to have a party or play date.

I have been a student of Ruthie's for 3 years and she taught me to paint. I have been a student at…read moreSeattle Artist League since it opened and it is teaching me to be an artist. Ruthie meets the student where they are at whether a beginner or an experienced artist. She will provide tools, resources, information, and historical context to help the artist find a solution among options. Nothing is spoon fed, nothing is formulaic. (Unless of course you want that, and ask her directly, but this is not where the value in her teaching lies). Ruthie's goal is to help her students paint like themselves. If you want a class to learn how to paint just like the teacher, her classes are not for you. If you want a class that helps you navigate the struggle of seeing, rendering, and communicating so that each time you approach the canvas your intentions can be realized, her classes are for you. Seattle Artist League fosters a supportive, collaborative environment where students are encouraged to experiment in a group setting. Even when the lesson is hard, it is approached with a creatively playful attitude that does not detract from the learning but prevents anyone from taking themselves too seriously. Ruthie and Seattle Artist League deserve, and have earned, every positive review. They have created an inclusive and welcoming community of artists who have a shared goal of improving their work, making creative discoveries, and enjoying the process. The only rules are respect your fellow students, respect the model, respect the facilities.

TL;DR: SAL's pottery classes are quite good and the studio community/open studio hours are…read moreterrific. That said, the owners are such a negative force, you may want to think twice about supporting them with your money. The rave reviews here about the quality of Seattle Artist League pottery classes, instructors, community, and generous open studio polices are all to be believed. I took my first class at SAL in Fall 2022 and continued with classes and practice until this month. In my 2nd year there, I was hired to be a PT pottery studio tech. After 10 months, the studio owner directed the pottery studio manager to fire me and I returned to being just a student. I won't repeat the defamatory lies the owner invented to justify her decision. My allegiance was to the pottery studio manager, staff, teachers and community. I had positive feedback from them and didn't care about losing the owner's good opinion or the 8 hours a week at min wage. At the heart of all the goodness in SAL is a rot most repeat students and staff tiptoe around. It is the untethered, erratic, impulsive, and, often, abusive behavior of owner Ruthie V., enabled by co-owner, Lendy. It's responsible for high staff turnover, particularly among staff that must work when Ruthie is on site, as well as women who present as experienced, valued leaders who cared about student experience. Ruthie's administration of day-to-day operations is impulsive, with no view to process or consequences. Class spaces are double booked. Classes with low enrollment are canceled with no communication to teachers or students. Classes are announced and filled with no instructor scheduled. Open studio hours are suddenly pre-empted with no communication to staff or update of the calendar. Studio staff are left to manage the chaos Ruthie leaves in her wake. She has no tolerance for problem-solving and will deflect blame on the person who identifies the problem, using whatever lies she needs to shore up her story or justify their ouster. Staff walk on eggshells and the energy in the space when she's there is tight and anxious. We're living through a time when bullying, dictatorial behavior is being normalized. We each must decide whether we speak up, sometimes at great risk to ourselves, or stay silent and become complicit. SAL is a microcosm of that dilemma. Last week, while I was in my second volunteer shift during the annual studio deep clean, Ruthie found something entirely innocuous she could twist into a lie that served as justification to ban me from the studios forever. Lendy delivered the message, lying about staff in the process. Students are paying customers; I had prepaid for nearly $800 of upcoming classes. SAL refunded the money but it speaks to how impulsive Ruthie is that she would risk that loss and the reputational one based on some perceived slight to her fragile ego. I was not allowed any defense. Finally, SAL operates as a 501(c)3 nonprofit with fiscal sponsorship through Shunpike. Washington RCW 24.03A.490 requires nonprofits to maintain a Board of Directors. As a Board member of an arts organization for ~5 years, I know one of the oversight responsibilities is to set HR policies and be a resource for staff to address issues with management. SAL's website lists no BOD and I can find no evidence that Shunpike fills this role for them. SAL appears to be out of compliance as a nonprofit. There are many pottery studios in Seattle, with various offerings. Your choice of them is an investment of your money and a reflection of your values. I want SAL's pottery studios to prosper and, at the same time, I cannot be silent about the environment there even if my voice turns people away from the studio. Actions matter. Truth matters. Make your investment accordingly.

I have been a member of Rat City Studios for 4 1/2 years and a hobby potter for 10 years. This…read morestudio is amazing. It is in a beautiful garden setting, the studio is clean and organized, studio management is excellent, and the studio glazes are great. Deb Schwartzkopf, the studio owner is not only a wonderful ceramic artist, but a supporter of potters at all levels. I love this community.

Did the Sip N' Spin class and had a great time. I would recommend it for friends looking for a fun…read morenight out or a fun date night. It's a great first time on a pottery wheel. You get a 30 minute lesson and at least an hour to enjoy clay. Best part, it's all the clay you can spin. I took full advantage of that fact to keep trying. You only get to keep 2 pieces which they ship to you after it's fired. Amazing value! Amazing experience! FYI: You really don't have time to drink (sipping is the best you can do) and with your hands are covered in clay don't bother bringing snacks.

If you're looking for a unique team-building activity, Lawless Forge is it. Our group made gorgeous…read moresilver rings, and the entire process was seamless from start to finish. Sean and Alex were fantastic instructor! super patient, and encouraging. They made sure everyone felt comfortable and had fun. We'll absolutely be doing this again!

What an amazing experience!…read more I've never worked with metal before and I certainly don't know my way around an anvil. Or, I didn't. But step-by-step guidance in turning a horseshoe into a knife allowed me to push through my inexperience, to build confidence, and ultimately to feel joy in producing something uniquely mine. I lost track of time, but more important, I lost track of pain. Transported to a place of intention and supported learning, everything else melted away. Spiff, our instructor, was clear, direct, personable, and supportive. He knew when to direct, guide, let go, and step in with an encouraging word. Such a wonderful evening! I'll be back!

I can't believe I had never explored this store before!…read more Seattle recreative (the sodo location) has just about everything you could ever need for crafting. They had fabric, all aspects of sewing and scrapbooking, jewelry making, bulk paint and glue, glitter, and a wide selection of different containers. I don't think I could even write everything they had. The prices are dirt cheap: I bought 9 or 10 things for $5. If you (like me) are really into sustainability, I can't think of a better place to pick up your crafting supplies.

I was looking for craft supplies for a project and didn't want to buy all new stuff, but kept…read morestriking out at Goodwill. Somehow, I had never heard of Seattle ReCreative, but I'm glad I stumbled upon it! The store doesn't look like much from the outside, but it's much bigger than it looks. The front rooms have sewing supplies, knitting/crochet needles, fabric and notions, plus modeling clay, jewelry and beading stuff. As you go further back, there's a room with office supplies, a section of cards and stationery and paper ephemera. The biggest area is in the back, though, where the main warehouse is. That's where you'll find gift bags and tissue, floral supplies, wicker baskets and tins, paint, and tons more random stuff. The other side of the warehouse is a crafting area that looks like it can be rented out - they said they had had a bunch of kids in earlier for a field trip. You definitely have to sift through the piles of stuff to find what you're looking for, but the prices are very reasonable. I love that it's reducing waste and encouraging creative reuse - anyone with hobbies knows how expensive it can be to get started with supplies, and this is a good way to try things out inexpensively. (Or get rid of the evidence of an abandoned hobby.) Their hours are a bit limited, but similar to other small crafting/hobby supply shops. Overall, if you're willing to roll up your sleeves and hunt, there's lots of treasure to be found!

Looooved this shop! I found them on social media and knew I had to stop in during my visit to…read moreSeattle. Lots of modern fabric, notions, thread, and patterns. I wish I lived closer so I could check out their in person classes, but I believe they also have online based activities too. And I hugely appreciate they are so inclusive and transparent about their beliefs as an organization.

Its been on my list to check this place out and glad I finally got to visit on an early afternoon!…read moreFor there only being about 5 people in the store during my visit, it did not feel cramped at all. Tons of different selections of fabric. Unique patterns ane solid colors, all 100% cotton. Even appreciated the hemp fabric available as well as those are generally hard to find for me. Overall, definitely recommend!

Had a great date night here making a ramen bowl in a class with a group of people. Class was about…read moretwelve individuals but the lone instructor did a great job of explaining and demonstrating how to make the bowl from clay. Instructor was also available for one-on-one attention if you had questions or needed extra assistance. Fun experience in a loft workspace above the downstairs art gallery. Very busy with other classes and individuals all working on their projects. Parking is on your own. If you know downtown Seattle, then be prepared to give yourself extra time to find on street parking or a lot that's not full. Use transit if you can!

They butcher your Date Night pieces after charging extra to fire them. Six of the bowls we made…read morewere "trimmed" so savagely they wouldn't even stand on a flat surface. The wheel instructions given were vague and we were largely left to fend for ourselves. We made the best of the night itself, but as artists they should know how this kind of careless post processing will disappoint people who attended in good faith.