Where to Wednesday: Paint your own Pottery
My friend had a fabulous idea to take the kids to a place where you can paint your own pottery. A fun activity and a way to make some gifts that are from the kids – all rolled into one. What could be better! After a little research I found a large ceramics studio not far from our house – Alpha Fired Arts.
Here’s the way it works: for a small fee ($7 for kids, $9 for adults) you can pick out an unpainted piece of pottery which has been fired once already (called bisque), paint it, and pick it up later when it has been glazed and fired for a second time. The bisque is an additional fee, but you have access to as much paint as you need, brushes, and other materials to help you make a unique creation. When you are done the staff collect your artwork. After the pieces are completely dry they get dipped into clear glaze and fired a second time, to become the final product. Your items are ready to be picked up again usually within three days.
Here’s what happened: I took the kids into the bisque area, trying to head them toward a nice plate, mug, or ornanment. Of course, they passed these by completely in favor of a tractor piggy-bank, cat figurine, and a motorcycle. What grandmother wouldn’t be the proud owner of a small green and yellow cat? But okay, its from the kids so they get to choose. At the painting table an employee explained that to get something a solid color, it should be painted, allowed to sit for a while for the paint to dry, then repainted again. Ideally, three times. With only one coat, you often see the brush strokes and the color does not appear strongly. Getting the kids to go back and apply a second coat was nearly impossible. My two-year old didn’t mind me “helping” him put paint on, but there would be no way to try to sneak a second coat on any of the other kids’ items. Then the third thing I hadn’t considered… the cost of the bisque items. Many of the items were upward of $7. My kids are at the age where painting means slapping some color onto something and moving on to the next item. This can add up quickly.
What I might do differently: After relaying our day’s events to my husband, he suggested that if I am looking for gift items, just let the kids dip their hands in the paint and create their handprint on a plate. Afterwards let the kids each pick out one special thing for themselves. Wish I had thought of that earlier. Certainly having a discussion beforehand about how many items we can pick out might have alleviated me from drawing the “only two” line from within the store. If you are a planner you might find items and their prices listed online, and can make some decisions before walking around shelves of tempting pieces.
All in all, we had a really great time. The kids can’t wait to pick up their art and I’m sure will not want to part with it. Grandma, you have been spared the lime green tractor bank this year. But a gift certificate to spend a few hours together at a local ceramics store may be under your tree. May we all have such a colorful Christmas.
Places like that can be super fun! I first went to one in Mammoth Lakes to make xmas gifts for a couple folks.
One idea if you want some unique kid inspired gifts is to get there a day early yourself, pick out a few things and get nice solid coats on the items, then ask them to hold them for you. Then when you bring the kids, ask them to add their creative touch by signing, making little smileys or handprints. With the solid coat the item will last longer and the results should be groovy. As it happens I am drinking out of a mug that Lynn made me that day in Mammoth 2 years ago.
MT
We have a place like that here called “Doin’ The Dishes” and a lot of parents have birthday parties there. I have always thought it was such an excellent idea. One of those “why the heck can’t I think of ideas like this?” places. You’re right, though, not cheap.
[...] on my quest to find gifts that the kids can create, I decided to give beading a try. When I was young I remember having a tackle tray with beads in [...]
Thank you for the share!