The Clay Room

This was a fun experience for me, my little sister (the birthday girl), and even my fiancé (who isn’t much for arts and crafts). For a set of four coasters with container and a beautifully shaped mug, we paid ~$ 65. Granted, pricey if you wanted to just pick those up from any store, but you’re also paying for a great time, similar to going to an amusement park or a play. You get unlimited time to paint your pieces — yes, you can even come back a different day! We were there for 4 hours working on them and are very satisfied with how they came out from the kiln. The selection could be a bit better, but you’ll have this issue anywhere you go, as people have different tastes and styles. Ultimately, there is plenty to choose from if you’re wanting to paint a mug, vase, carafe, plate, or any other sort of food vessel — the end result is food safe! Our coasters have received plenty of compliments and I highly recommend coming here to design unique gifts for loved ones.

I had so much fun at this place! It really brings out the inner child in you but it’s not only for children. Plenty of adults painting away, working on their masterpieces. My friend made an owl mug and I made a cow bank. It’s pretty straight forward, you pick an item or two from the several clay moulds they have, then you select the colours you want to use, pick up your tools, and start painting. If you’re anything like me and need some time to get those creative juices flowing be prepared to spend a couple hours there. It’s on the pricier side so I’m not sure how frequently I would go back, but it’s a great experience so I would definitely recommend you try it at least once.

I’ve been to quiet a few pottery painting places and this one isn’t my favourite. Granted, this is Toronto so it will be more expensive than the places back East but this store takes it to another level. Never have I paid a «studio fee» on top of the price of the item. They have a small selection of pottery (back right corner) that doesn’t require a studio fee but no one mentioned that.
Call me cheap, but I was miffed at the price. I got a 10% student discount AND a 15% Unilocal discount, but even so, my «milk jug» cost me near $ 40! All I could think was «I could have bought a prettier one at Home Sense for half that!»
Oh and you have to clean your own brushes and mats. Again, I REPEAT, this is not standard at a painting place. The whole reason I would come here to paint and pay an atrocious fee rather than doing it at home, is to get some service!

I made a jug here with my girlfriend for our two year anniversary. A great place to go, and not just for kids.

havent gone in years but it was a blast

I’ve never had so much fun before! You’re probably wondering, «How can it be so much fun when all you’re doing is painting pottery?» Well, first off, there’s a lot of different things that you can paint! There are cups, piggy banks, flower pots, bowls, plates, etc. Once you picked your piece, you can get started with the painting! The staff is extremely friendly and helpful and you’re not rushed at all to complete your painting.
The best part is picking it up a week later to see your creation which was very exciting! I would love to come back here to paint something else but it is a bit pricy hobby.

My friend bought my friend & I a GroupOn voucher for the Clay Room. I had never been and it seemed like a fun idea for two crafty girls. We went back in July on a Saturday and I just picked up my Gnome today. I was very lucky that it was still there!
We presented our coupon and the helpful teen showed us the process: Pick something to paint, decide on the colours, pick your brushes, and how much paint to apply.
It was a nice to have some girl time. We had to edit our conversation because there was a little boy next to us with his Mom & Grandma. They were all having a hoot watching him paint a bowl for his friend’s birthday. He must have been about 4ish?
They have parties and lots of fun things to paint. When is the last time that you got crafty & made something for someone?

We came here with a Groupon voucher after making the decision that this could be an activity for the entire family.
The process is straightforward.
You choose something from their inventory (they have plates, cups, vases, decorative figures, piggy banks — all kinds of stuff!), then you select your colors and off you go.
We decided on a large plate and a salad bowl.
It took us about an hour to paint those 2 items with 3 coats of paint.
Then our son added his hand prints in a different color for the final touch and we were done.
It takes them about a week or two to burn your items in their oven, so they ask you to mark them with your name on the bottom and they give you a pickup slip.
When we returned, we were pleasantly surprised.
Our plate and the bowl have a glossy finish and look just great.
They told us the glaze is durable too and so far I can vouch for that.
Both items have been in use for the past 3 months and so far none if it has a scratch.
This is a great place for everybody who likes crafting.

A wonderful little gem for kids’ parties (they’ve got party packages), mother-​daughter outings, or girlfriends wanting to chill and do something crafty. (There were some fathers and daughters enjoying themselves too!)
Walk-​ins welcomed. (That’s what we did!)
I haven’t had experience at other ceramic painting shops before, so I can’t really compare to any competitors. So this is based on my first-​time experience — and it was really great!
My girlfriends and I wanted to do something artsy, low-​budget and relaxing. And thanks to great timing, there was a group deal for The Clay Room some months ago! So the 4 of us bought the deal of the day, and headed down to the Danforth for a girls day out.
The Clay Room was bustling with activity on that Saturday afternoon. Not packed and uncomfortable but it had a nice vibe and there was steady traffic. There was a private birthday party downstairs, the benches upstairs were about half full when we arrived.
The instructions for us newbies were a little confusing at first. There was an instruction sheet posted on the wall, but it was located in an awkward spot and hard to read from a distance. There was only really one staffer behind the counter (another was working the party downstairs, and another was at the kiln in the next room) — so she was kept busy with one group at a time.
The staff was friendly enough, and we understood that they had influx of traffic because of the group deal.
So, you get there, and you:
1. Pick up an order form (you need this to pick up your piece after it’s fired)
2. Choose a ceramic item (prices range depending on its size) and copy its code number onto your form
2. Select paint colours from the paint chip wall (kids only have choice of 3, whereas adults have unlimited selections) — right down their numbers on your form
3. Give your form to the staff and they’ll give you the actual paints in a bucket.
And you’re set to paint!
The store is equipped with stencils, hair dryers, sink, sponges and brushes for your use. There is a Studio Fee which covers your usage of all their space and equipment. It also includes the firing cost.
It takes a week for your item to be fired in the kiln. So plan to pick up your final artwork at a later date.
There is no time limit — which is great! But mainly because… it does take a LONG time to paint. Especially if you want a good solid coverage of paint on your piece. At least 3 coats of paint, and you need to dry each layer before continuing onto the next. Of course, a smaller piece of ceramic would take less time too. And depending on how many colours you’re using and how much detail you’re adding to it.
I painted a medium sized robot money bank (that’s right — a robot! They have a wonderful selection of ceramic pieces — not just the usual plates and vases, but some really fun pieces that make great gifts), with 4 colours. And it took a solid 3 hours. So be warned to plan around meal times and such. :P
My friends and I all agree we’d go back again!
Happy crafting! :)