unpainted ceramics
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6 Things to Look for in a Paint-your-own-Pottery Store by Lauren Goulski
My husband and I like to go out on a date night every two weeks and we take turns organizing it.
When my turn was coming up, I decided to try to find one of those paint-your-own-pottery places I had heard about.
I looked online and found a few stores near us. From their web pages, I could see the following things in common:
- They all have a selection of unpainted pottery that you pick from. It could be a mug, plate, bowl, etc.
- They all supply the paints and give you some instruction.
- After you finish your work of art, you leave and go back in a few weeks to pick up the finished glazed and fired piece.
But when I looked at some online customer reviews, I discovered that not all paint-your-own-pottery places are made equal. So here are some things to look for:
Big Selection
The main purpose of your visit will be to paint a ceramic piece that you can take home. So you really need a shop that has a big selection. Some of the shops were just small to begin with, but others had the shelf space for a lot of inventory. The problem was they weren't quick to restock when a particular piece ran out. In fact one woman wanted to have a bridal party there and specifically called ahead to find out if a certain piece would be available for her large party. Even though they told her it would, it wasn't.
Glaze for You
In most of these stores, your involvement is finished once your piece is painted. The capable staff glazes it and fires it for you. However one shop I read a review for made the customer do the glazing after the painting was finished. This could ruin your piece if you won't know what you're doing.
Bring your own Food
Let's face it, there are a lot of decisions to make in this endeavor: what to paint, what colors to use, what technique to apply, etc. If you're anything like me, you're going to be there at least 3 hours. During that time, it's likely you'll want something to munch on or drink. That's why many of these places allow you to bring in your own food. For some people this could be as fancy as wine and cheese, but for us it meant a tasty latte (caramel decaf for me). After all, Dunkin Donuts was right next door.
Hours of Operation
If you're going out for a date night, you'll likely want to go on a Friday or Saturday evening. Some of these shops are only open during normal business hours. (I'm not quite sure how they stay in business that way—all the business people who just have to get their paint-a-mug fix at lunchtime?)
Priced by Item, not Time
Some places charge a flat fee based on the amount of time you're there regardless of what you paint. This means you always feel a little hurried and in a rush to finish. But the place I found near me had prices according to the unpainted item. Each piece had a sticker with the cost right on it, so you could take the amount into consideration when you are picking it out. The bigger the piece, the higher the cost. This seemed more fair to me. After all, if you are going to use more paint and glaze on a larger item, you should have to pay more. And this way we could take our time.
Helpful Staff
If it is your first time, you really do need someone to give you advice and tips. The staff at the place we went to were extremely helpful. They showed us samples of the different painting techniques and had a big plate with color swatches of the paints after they were glazed and fired (yes, the color does change; it gets darker).
So if you're thinking of creating your own work-of-art, make sure you go to a place that has some of these helpful features. And don't forget to check customer reviews online first.
About the Author
Lauren and her husband often go out on date nights. She has a website of cycling water bottle products and information called http://www.cyclingwaterbottle.org.
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Ceramic bisque unpainted modern mug ck7015 3.5x4 case of 6 $29.99 This is a case of six mugs... |
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LumenEssence Unpainted Bisque Large Lantern Wall Sconce Description: The Ceramics Collection, LumenEssence Family, incorporates either translucent shades or cut-outs in ceramic fixtures to offer a subtle, warm glow of light. Large Lantern shaped ceramic Open top & bottom Bisque which is an unfinished ceramic surface that can be painted (Easy to follow finishing instructions included) White Styrene Shade Dimensions & Notes: 12.5" high, 7.75" wide, 6.25"... |