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– compiled by Deanna Mingo
Note: This
story was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all details
directly with the companies before planning your visit.
Get artsy with your kids and visit a
pottery studio in your area. Painting pottery can be
a fun experience for your whole family. Projects can take anywhere from 30
minutes to two hours to complete, depending on the
size of your pottery piece and how it’s designed.
Staff is usually on hand to help. After you paint
and decorate your work of art, it’s fired in a kiln.
You can generally pick it up a few days later.
A few words to know…
Bisque: clay that has been fired but not glazed.
Ceramic: any clay material that is shaped and fired.
Firing: the heating process that changes clay into
ceramic.
Glaze: a material applied to pottery to make it
waterproof and enhance color.
Hand wheel: a revolving disk used to shape clay.
Kiln: oven where clay is fired to make pottery.
A Word from Local Pottery
Aficionados:
Let’s Paint Pottery:
The atmosphere is very kid-friendly. After the kids
finish painting, we try to keep them entertained
with toys, books and puzzles so parents can finish
their projects.
– Amy McElreath, Co-owner
Splatters:
My kids love Splatters. We’re there maybe every
couple of weeks. They will paint figurines, a mug
for dad, a necklace for grandma, whatever they want.
– Deana Hoffman, Johns Creek,
three kids
Simply Bisque:
The project that people get a kick out of is our
swirl technique using paint that gives a marble
swirl effect. It’s the messiest and the most fun.
There are different glazes and products you can use
to create different effects. Pottery glaze makes
your piece look old-fashioned with spots and color
bursts.
– Kim D’Angelo, Co-owner
Wired and Fired:
Wired and Fired is a really cool place where your
kids can express themselves. It’s a great activity
to do with the family and the prices are very
reasonable. The kids get to walk out with a real art
piece. They feel like artists and that’s important
to me.
– Lori Siegel, Atlanta, two kids
Most studios host birthday parties and offsite
events and have summer camps available. If you can’t
make it to a studio, many places will let you take
pottery to go; when you’re done, you can bring back
your painted piece to get fired. Check out our
pottery place picks for an artsy outing with your
kids:
All Fired Up
www.allfiredupinc.com
Two locations:
1563 N. Decatur Rd., Atlanta. 404-270-9048.
Mon.-Thurs. 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-11
p.m.; Sun. noon-7 p.m.
53 S. Main St., Alpharetta. 770-740-7800.
Mon.-Thurs. 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-10
p.m.; Sun. noon-7 p.m.
Cost: $5-$100
What’s Cool: Glass fusing. Make a piece of glass art
by cutting and designing pieces of glass. The glass
is heated and molded into a plate or vase. For ages
12 and up.
$18-$50.
Art and Soul
www.artandsoulpottery.com
4920 Roswell Rd., Atlanta. 404-303-9959.
Mon.-Thurs. 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-9
p.m.; Sun. noon-7 p.m.
Cost: $6-$70
What’s Cool: Glass painting. Use special paint to
design patterns on pieces of glass.
ART...from the HEART
www.fromtheheart4u.biz
1265-A West Spring St., Smyrna.
678-842-9700.
Tues., Fri., Sat. 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Wed.-Thurs.
11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sun. 1-6 p.m.
Cost: $1.50-$60. Studio fee: adults, $10;
children 12 and under, $6.
What’s Cool: Family Day is every Sunday with special
prices for families.
Ceramica Studios
www.ceramicastudios.com
3333 Buford Dr., Ste. 1000, Buford.
678-546-7399.
Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sun. 1-6 p.m.
Cost: $10-$70
What’s Cool: Special prices for Kidgit Club members
and any kids group.
Clay My Way
www.claymyway.com
Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sun. noon-5 p.m.
3685 Braselton Hwy., Ste. 107, Dacula. 770-904-6011.
Cost: $4-$100
What’s Cool: Over 100 pottery pieces just for kids,
including racecars, piggy banks, and sports and
Disney characters.
Color That
www.colorthat.com
6217 Hwy. 278, Covington. 678-625-2978.
Tues.-Sat. 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sun.-Mon. by appointment
only.
Cost: $2.99 and up. Studio fee: adults: $8,
children, $6.
What’s Cool: Kids can stuff teddy bears; $13.99.
Price includes stuffed animal, adoption certificate
and a T-shirt you can decorate at the store.
Creative ClayHouse
www.creativeclayhouse.com
593 Main St., Suwanee. 678-546-7806.
Mon.-Thurs. 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
Closed Sun.
Cost: $1-$140
What’s Cool: Shaving cream and bubble painting. Use
shaving cream and bubbles made from dish detergent
to create designs on your pottery.
Earth, Paint and Fire
www.earthpaintandfire.com
1432 Towne Lane Pkwy., Woodstock. 770-592-4114.
Mon.-Thurs., Sat. 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Fri. 10 a.m.-10
p.m.; Sun: 1-5 p.m.
Cost: $6-$60
What’s Cool: Pet paw painting. Bring in your dog and
have its paw printed on a piece of pottery.
Fired Works
www.firedworks.net
603 Atlanta St., Roswell. 770-641-9833.
Tues., Wed., Fri., Sat. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Thurs. 10
a.m.-10 p.m.; Sun. noon-5:30 p.m.
Cost: $6-$75
What’s Cool: Beading, jewelry making and painting on
a canvas.
Let’s Paint Pottery
www.letspaintpottery.net
1522 Dogwood Dr. SE, Ste. A, Conyers.
770-761-3440.
Mon.-Tues. by appointment only;
Wed.-Sat. 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sun. 1-6 p.m.
Cost: $2.50-$130. Studio fee, $8.
What’s Cool: Kids can listen to stories,
then paint a themed pottery piece every other
Thursday.
Naked Clay Studio
www.nakedclay.com
227 Sandy Springs Place, Atlanta.
404-252-9505.
Mon.-Wed. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Thurs.-Sat.
10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sun. noon-5 p.m.
Cost: Adults, $20-$25; children, $16-$18.
What’s Cool: Asian and European pottery pieces, from
sushi and saki sets to noodle bowls and teapots.
Paint Your Pottery
2820 Peachtree Industrial Blvd., Ste. N, Duluth.
770-232-9330.
Tues.-Sat. 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sun. 1-5 p.m.
Cost: $5-$70
What’s Cool: You can make crafts with plaster and
take your creation home the same day.
Simply Bisque
www.simplybisque.com
3894 Due West Rd., Marietta. 678-354-4205.
Mon., Tues., Thurs. 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Wed., Fri., Sat.
10 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sun. 1-5 p.m.
Cost: $6-$70
What’s Cool: Kids Night Out. Drop off your children
ages 5 and up for a fun evening of painting, pizza,
popcorn and movies.
$18/child.
Splatters
www.splattersrocks.com
5162 McGinnis Ferry Rd., Alpharetta.
678-710-0103.
Mon. by appointment only;
Tues.-Sat. 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Thurs. 10 a.m.-9 p.m.;
Sun. 1-5 p.m.
Cost: $4-$80
What’s Cool: Kids can create take-home
“Sandy Candy” edible sand art.
The Sweet Honey House
www.sweethoneyonline.com
5347 E. Mountain St., Stone Mountain.404-838-9866
Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sat. noon-6 p.m.
Cost: $10-$25
What’s Cool: Scrap-A-Plate makes your pottery into a
scrapbook page with a picture you bring in. Sweet
Honey Dolls are also available for $25; each one is
handmade and can be personalized.
That Pottery Place
www.potteryplacedecatur.com
412 Church St., Decatur. 404-371-4557.
Mon.-Wed. 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; Thurs.-Sat.
11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sun. noon-6 p.m.
Cost: $3-$60
What’s Cool: Over 60 varieties of “tots,” small
figures of animals, food, clothes, cars and more.
Wired and Fired
www.wiredfired.com
994 Virginia Ave. NE, Atlanta. 404-885-1024.
Mon.-Thurs. 11 a.m.-10 p.m.;
Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-midnight; Sun. 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Cost: $13-$30. Studio fee: $8/hour.
What’s Cool: Bring in a picture and have your
favorite snapshot added to a piece of pottery.
Plaster Places
Plaster is the perfect medium for pottery makers on
the go. With plaster, pieces don’t have to be fired.
You can decorate a ready-to-paint plaster craft
item, have it sprayed with a protective coating and
– voila! – your pottery masterpiece is ready to take
home the same day you make it. Here are a few
studios where you can master your plaster crafting:
Plaster Palace
www.plasterpalace.com
5075 Abbotts Bridge Rd., Ste. 500, Alpharetta.
770-569-7755.
Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sun. noon-5 p.m.
Cost: $5-$15
What’s Cool: Palace Pets. Stuff an animal and paint
a free tote bag. $14.99.
Plaster Zone
5675 Jimmy Carter Blvd., Ste. 590, Norcross.
404-668-5622.
Mon.-Thurs. by appointment only; Fri. 6-8 p.m.;
Sat., Sun. noon-7 p.m.
Cost: $5.90-$14.99
What’s Cool: Most pottery pieces can be hung
as wall art.
Note: This
story was accurate when it was published. Please be
sure to confirm all details directly with the
companies before planning your visit.
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