Review: Make Something Studio
Published 10:40 pm Friday, February 7, 2020
February started off cold, wet and dreary. But that didn’t stop me from keeping my weekend date with my children, ages 12 and 6.
After spending an hour searching online for an indoor destination to take them, away from the video games and out of the house, I stumbled across the website for Make Something Studio in North Suffolk.
I had seen the paint-your-own-pottery places before but had never tried one. So this dreary day, I decided to take my mini monsters to test their creativity.
We have painted before, mostly rocks that get hidden around the city, but this was different. This time, I wouldn’t have to worry about the mess or the supplies.
When we first walked in to Make Something Studio, it was apparent that this was a place of creativity and fun. There were various types of art everywhere. Although we were there to paint ceramics, they also offered wood signs and canvases to paint. I also spotted beading kits and metal punch sets. It appeared that this place caters to all forms of creativity.
One wall was filled with ceramic creatures and objects of all sizes and shapes. We were immediately greeted and welcomed to look around and find the project that called out to us.
Ceramic pieces ranged in price from $4 up to more than $50 based on the size and detail of the piece. There were no other fees, which made it very easy to stay within a certain budget.
Once we found our creatures — a hedgehog for my 6-year-old, a skull bank for the preteen and a little fox for myself — we got situated at a table. The glazes were all set up in a very nice display cabinet with sample tiles. Each color had a number, making finding the correct color very simple.
We were given simple instructions that included painting only one color at a time and painting 3 coats of each color. Then we were set free to do our thing.
The shop is very kid-friendly. The tables can be painted, because they wipe clean without any hassle. The paint palette is merely a piece of tin foil, making clean up a breeze. And according to the owner, the glaze washes out of everything — clothes, hair and skin.
We spent about 2 hours painting our creatures and even chose a couple of other small ones to paint as well. Once we were finished, they marked our initials on the bottom and set them aside to be fired. I was told they would be ready in about a week.
We are all waiting eagerly to see the outcome of our painted creatures. But already, both children are asking when we can go back and if they can have their birthday parties there.
While we were there, the shop hosted two parties — one painted acrylic figures and the other was preparing to paint wooden llamas. I was told in addition to parties, they host church groups, Scout groups, do art camps and have adult paint nights. I am already trying to figure out how I can fit one of those paint nights into my schedule.
What started as a simple solution to getting my kids out of the house on a dreary day turned into an afternoon of creative family fun. I would definitely recommend checking out Make Something if you are ever looking for a way to express your creative side or just looking to entertain kids for a few hours.