When I went to visit my parents and sister back in June, we had a few things planned. My sister’s high school graduation was the main reason I was there. Then to go to the property my parents purchased in Ontario and visit other family. But one thing that my sister and I did that was so much fun was the Clay Cafe in Fredericton, New Brunswick.
The Clay Cafe is a paint-your-own pottery studio. With over 300 different pottery options to choose from, and so many paint colors, it was a tad overwhelming when I first walked in. There were mugs, bowls, vases, plates, statues, and tons of other fun things to choose between.
I spent a lot of time choosing between a mug or a bowl. I have a lot of mugs. Like, a lot. I have no more space for them but I just love mugs so much. I need to stop buying mugs.
In the end I decided to choose a bowl. Perfect! But now, which size to choose from? They have tiny bowls that would be perfect for dips and sauces, to huge bowls big enough for a party. I knew that I wanted something like a snack bowl or a soup bowl. I finally found the perfect sized bowl. Now to choose the paint and decide what to design.
At the Clay Cafe there is a whole wall with different paint colors and stencils, so that way if you are not so talented in art, like myself, you could still look like a pro.
After spending some time sitting and just staring at my bowl I finally had an idea. A Mickey Mouse head in the center of my bowl! Now I would like to add that my sister is awesome at art, and I am not. So I was using pencil to draw my Mickey head, and it wasn’t too pretty. I begged her to help me out a bit. Thankfully she did. When it was time to choose my paint I grabbed a little paint tray, some brushes and chose my colors. The Clay Cafe has SO many color options. Who knew there were so many variations of black in the world.
The cool thing about the Clay Cafe is that they have a party room in the back for rent, so there were lots of kids there on a school trip. I would have loved a school trip like that when I was a kid. They also had small snacks for sale, but I was too busy trying to create art to be worried about eating a Snickers bar.
I designed my Mickey head and added some little extras on the outside of the bowl. I spent the next half hour or so painting my masterpiece. I had a few hiccups, which are evident, but that’s okay! I had loads of fun painting and wanted to buy more pottery pieces to keep painting more.
Now, after you finish your painting you bring it up to the counter, where am employee will take your info down. They then take your piece and dip it into a clear glaze and fire it up in the kiln. This process takes 2-5 days, so you won’t be leaving with your piece. As we were headed on to another province my parents had to pick it up afterwards and mail it to me.
Things To Know
- Prices vary depending on which pottery piece you choose
- After the painting process it can take 2-5 days before you receive your piece from the kiln.
- Pieces are food safe, microwave safe and dishwasher safe
- Hours are Monday – Friday 11-9
Saturday 10-9
Sunday 11-9 - Address 356 Queen Street Fredericton, New Brunswick.
- Check out their website to see the different products they have, or to book a clay party!
This was so much fun and I need to see if Vancouver has something like this!
2 Responses
This is such a cool and fun idea. Love your designs! Nikki x
Nikki|www.thoselittlemoments.net
Awe thanks Nikki, you’re so sweet! It was a fun time! 🙂