Pick a piece of pottery
There’s so much to choose from at Clay Cafe, that this may be the most challenging part of your visit! We carry all of the latest new pottery designs, and new shapes arrive weekly. Whether you’re looking for a dinner plate, a vase, a fairy, or a frog, we’ve got all sizes and shapes of pottery to paint. When you’ve picked out your piece, come to the front desk to pay. If it’s your first visit with us, one of our staff will give you a “Paint Talk”. Which will explain how the paints work and where you can find all the design materials to create your masterpiece!
Decide on a design for your piece
Do a free-form design, bring an idea from home (magazine, wallpaper, a drawing) or use our design center for inspiration. We have pattern books from around the world! Images can be adjusted to the right size on our copy machine and traced on with carbon paper, and all pencils marks burn off in the kiln. Perhaps you’d like to choose from our large selection of stencils and stamps, or browse through our “technique tiles” – there’s lots of help with the creative process!
Choose your colors
We have over 100 non-toxic, bright colors to choose from, and our large tile color wall shows you what each color will look like with 1, or 3 coats, once it’s fired in the kiln. All our colors are compatible with each other, so you can mix and match. Try our “Bumpy Doodle” paints for a puffy accent, outlining bottles for creating a fine line.
Sit down to paint
You’re welcome to use as much paint as you like, and stay as long as you wish – it’s all included in the price of your pottery piece. It’s best to plan at least two hours for your painting experience, and we’ve got lots of colorful tables in the studio we offer on a first come basis. There are brushes on each table, and you’ll find our staff members are all experts in the painting process, and they’re there to help you with general instructions, painting techniques, and color suggestions.
Fire ‘em up!
When you’re finished – write a description for your piece, and we’ll give you a time and date for pickup. We’ll then dip your masterpiece in a clear glaze, and fire it in our kiln, and have it ready for you to enjoy! Our firing schedule varies from day to day, and it generally takes 2-5 days before your piece is ready for pickup. When your pottery comes out of the kiln, it will be completely food safe, and you’ll be able to put it in the dishwasher, or use it in the microwave.
You are welcome to leave your piece at the studio & come back to finish anytime during our regular studio hours.
*we are responsible for pieces for up to 6 months.
PRICES
Our price range from $8 and up. Example, mugs range from $15-25.
We also have a large variety of coffee, tea, juice, pop, slush puppies & snacks.