Love this place! I have been to a few different painting places and I have to say this one has the most pieces to choose from to paint which I love! It's very nicely set up, the staff is friendly and welcoming and it's overall a great vibe! We walked in and were given a table but soon enough they had to start turning people away so I would suggest a reservation on the weekends! It is pretty pricey but I'm okay with that for the experience and atmosphere there :) I painted a vase and my daughter painted a corgi and it was $100 before tax. There is a sitting fee for each person painting and then you choose your piece you want to paint which has its own price tag. There is so much to choose from I am sure anyone can find something in their budget! I personally really like the way they provide paint cups of the 5 colors you choose ( I think if you asked nicely they might let you have another color if you started painting and realized you needed another color). So it's not like we need painting trays or anything like at other paint studios! I can't wait to pick up our pieces after the glazing! We will be back to paint more treasures! read more

Artful Designs - My vase before glaze - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

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What an amazing place and people! I had my toddler granddaughter for a week and they helped me make a bunch of family handmade gifts. When one didn't glaze perfectly they invited us back to redo it at no cost. While we were doing this my teen signed up for one of their sculpting classes and it was amazing. Again the service and creativity are just top notch! Looking forward to our next project! read more

Artful Designs - Platter - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Bloomington, Illinois

I don't make pottery. I paint pottery. Step 1: Scope out the scene. Go and look around to see what kinds of pottery they have. It's lots. Walk around and get ideas for what you might be able to do. Step 2: Go on Pinterest. You know you're going to do it anyways. Get more ideas. Step 3: Combine steps 1 & 2 into a "OMG I HAVE TO MAKE THAT" short list. Step 4: Go to Hobby Lobby. Buy stickers that can help you make clean lines, designs and words. Trust me on this one. Step 5: Go back to Artful Designs. Select what you want to paint. Step 6: Apply stickers. (optional. See Step 8) Step 7: Paint. Layers. Paint layers. Light first, then dark. Step 8: Remove stickers. VERY IMPORTANT STEP! The stickers are like a stencil... remove carefully and it leaves a white surface underneath. You can paint that a color if you like or leave it white. I'm lazy. I leave it white. If you don't remove all of the stickers or the sticky goo you will ruin your pottery and will receive no grace from anyone working there. Stick at your own risk! Step 9: Place on rack and pay. Step 10: Wait a week then go pick up your masterpiece. Viola (french for ta-da!) you have awesome gifts to give or keep for yourself miss selfish. Great for big groups but call ahead to reserve space for that. Or great if you need some time with a friend or just by yourself. Me and my ear phones get a long just fine. *Note: You pay for each piece you paint AND a one time studio fee, regardless of how many items you paint that day. SO if you want to be a super saver... show up early and paint several things in one day to make your studio fee stretch farther. read more

Let me start by saying that this address is no longer accurate...Artful Designs is on Prospect now. Just a heads up so you are not driving in circles. This is a paint your own pottery studio. I started at Artful Designs over 9 years ago, when it was first starting...they were in a little space, but it had lots of character. Now, the space is MUCH larger and their stock is as well. It's a perfect place to take a group of kids or a nice day of relaxation, painting gifts. You are welcome to bring your own food and/or drink, so that is a nice perk. The staff are super polite and help whenever you ask. We went there today to get some gifts done for the holidays...a little over a week and the plates we painted will be out of the kiln and ready to go. read more

Great venue to spend a day at. For perfectionists (otherwise know as super cautious and careful) like me, it is a pleasant torture. I enjoyed painting my potteries and focusing on designing my pieces, but it can easily go up to hours. I spent 4 hours painting two small pieces today and ended up pretty tired. My suggestion for those like me would be don't try to focus too much on perfecting the edges of different colors. read more

This place is adorable! This was my first time painting pottery and I loved every second of the experience. The staff was incredibly friendly and helpful, and there were so many choices! Prices aren't bad either!! Definitely recommend. read more

Classes to teach new techniques, large selection of objects to paint. Decent studio prices with deal days offering a 2/1 or half off. Colors are labeled poorly, in my opinion. Some employees are less than pleasant but for the most part, it's a nice environment. I love the whole painting process. Very cathartic. I'd return more often if I could and I do when I can. read more

Loved this place I gave it a five because first the appeal of the cute decorations the super nice workers explained everything and of course my piece of work came out perfectly and on time I will come back very soon read more

I went for my first time with my mother as part of my birthday present. Before arriving at the studio, I looked up their website for ideas and instructions. There was little to no instructions, expect for "Look at our idea books in the store". When we arrived, I was impressed at the cleanliness of the store, knowing how messy art can be. The lady at the front desk was not helpful at all, even though we said it was our first time and we didn't know the drill. I asked about the "Idea Books" and she just looked at my dumbfounded and then showed me a messy bookshelf with books crammed in, in no particular order and just told me those were "the books" Already feeling overwhelmed, I decided to not sift through their mess of a bookshelf and just wing it. If it wasn't for me having art experience, it would have been a very very overwhelming experience. We had to ask other customers and just watch and see what everybody else was doing. They never checked on us or talked to us. Just took our money at the end. There is absolutely no system when it comes to handing your artwork over, so essentially you can walk in and say "I painted a brown puppy" and they will go find a brown puppy and give it to you. When we arrived a week later to pick up our items, mine was damaged. They had no explanation and did not seem to really care. I feel that if I spend 3+ hours painting a special piece, that I paid for, then it needs to be returned to me in the same condition (except obviously glazed and fired) that I left it in. If an item gets damaged in their care, in my opinion, they need to refund the money or provide a new item to paint. The painting experience was great, but the same can be had in the comfort of my own home. The staff was not helpful at all. The prices were decent. The studio was clean. The turn-around-time was a bit lengthy. read more