The Lollipop Road

Posts Tagged ‘pottery shop’

Last fall a local pottery shop came to our son’s school to help them make a decorated pottery plate for Thanksgiving.  It was a great project and he was so proud of his accomplishment that he wanted to use it all of the time.  Enter his one-year-old brother (aka Hercules)…and before long the plate had been destroyed. 

That gave us a great excuse to venture into the shop with the entire family, partly to re-create the plate destroyed by Hercules and also to work on a new project that we could create together.  So, we headed out to Art Attack in Flemington, NJ with much anticipation.  I was shocked to see the extensive collection of pottery items waiting for a young decorator’s touch.  In addition to the simple (plates, bowls, cups), there were also more advanced projects like banks, racing cars, vases and even holiday ornaments.  This place is a crafters dream! 

Projects start at just $5 and you’ll also find a markdown shelf with slightly imperfect items.  We were able to make two plates for less than $28 including tax.  There are no studio charges, so you’ll only pay for the pottery. 

After we chose our plates, we decided on a theme from the idea books and then chose colors accordingly.  The staff member helping you will dispense your chosen colors into small trays and provide paintbrushes, sponges and lots of paper towels to keep your little ones clean.  We were ready to go! 

The first step was tracing some designs on our plates.  Again, if you’re a novice, the crafter on duty will be more than happy to help you get started.  Now, you’re ready to start painting – you can use your thumb (as we did for the turkey), a brush or one of the many other application methods.  Our turkey had the kids making lots of thumb prints before applying the trim with a sponge.  Daddy carefully painted some legs and eyes and the masterpiece was finished. 

Our Easter plate was a bit more complicated, but the kids had a blast lending their thumbs and dotting paint here there and everywhere.  Once you’re done, it’s ready for firing.  You’ll have to part with you’re special creations for a week or so, but when you return, you’ll have a shiny glazed masterpiece that is food and dishwasher safe!  This really was an awesome way to spend an afternoon together as a family.

If you’re in the area, Art Attack is open Wednesday-Friday from 12:30PM-5:30PM, Saturday 10AM-6PM and Sunday 11AM-5PM.  No appointment is necessary.  Weekdays before 3PM are the quietest and you’ll receive the most help and attention from the staff.

If you are not in the area, you can easily find similar shops in your area through a simple Google search (try – pottery painting “my state”).  That was easy – the kids will be thrilled to know that there is a great shop just 12 minutes from our new home…hooray! 

If you enjoyed these photos and would like to see more, visit Photo Friday at Deliciousbaby.

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