This is a gem of an experience and something great to do whether visiting LB, on a date/hang out or just wanting to learn something different. Totally unique and fun! Thank you to Dan for sharing his experience and artistry with us!!! read more

I came here for the beginner 2 hour class via Groupon with my girlfriend. Everyone in the class with us was a complete noob at pottery and our instructor, Teresa really went out of her way to make us comfortable and to help us along the clay making process. Teresa explained the methodology and the reasons behind them extremely well and made sure we were all on the same page the entire time. Pottery making has been something I've been wanting to try for a while now, and Clay really was a great spot for me to break into the hobby. I will forsure try to be back in the future to try more of their classes! read more

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Parking can be found on the streets with meter and free on Sundays. Walked into class early and explored the space a bit. It can be tight but luckily my class had four people. Deal was found on Groupon for a beginner class in which we made four different types of ceramics from clay ranging from vase to cup to bowl and the last one was up to our own interpretation. The instructor Sara was very friendly and helpful. She was thorough and had good energy. If you wanted to keep a pot you would have to purchase one for $5. The wash sink section was very small and you do have to clean up your space after the work is complete as they were on time with their two hour schedule. Overall a fun experience and good teachings. read more

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I went here at the peak of COVID to pick up clay because I was trying to support local businesses! I also emailed them to see if I could pick it up instead of them delivering since I knew it would be easier for them. However, my experience with the staff during pick-up was very uncomfortable and disappointing. There was a group of people giggling and chatting in the back so, I waited up front for someone to help me. Eventually, someone from the group came up to me and asked what I needed help with rudely. Made it seem like I was inconveniencing her for being there. I got my clay, then asked her about classes and she said there aren't any and turned away and walked back over to the group of people. I will not be taking my business to Clay anymore. I suggest if you are looking for a ceramics studio and can make the drive try: Costa Mesa Ceramics. Wonderful staff, clean studio and welcoming environment. read more

This studio has everything I need. It's well run, the staff and members are helpful, Turn around time is fast. I have been a member of many pottery studios and this has been the best. My work is always improving. read more

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Overall ... kinda meh. To start things off they double booked our session, which was totally fine, but they did that thing where they asked us in front of the other group if we'd be ok sharing --- and we were, but that's a social no-no. Even if I didn't want to share, you can't ask me in front of the people I'd be putting out into the streets (figuratively and literally). Anyway ... I get that you're not paying tons of money for this, but the organization of the class is kinda all over the place --- it felt rushed at times, and I didn't feel like I got any real direction. Add to that the fact that we had to clean everything ourselves AND that anything you make you have to pay $5 dollars to keep (and come back in 6-8 weeks to pick up) ... and I don't think i'll be going back. Stay Cheerful ;) read more

I got a studio membership to Clay back in September and I absolutely love it here! I'm so happy to be able to pursue my passion for ceramics here and strengthen my skills as well. All the other members and staff are extremely friendly and knowledgeable. They supply wheels, tools, glazes, and much more. They also offer classes if you're interested in taking ceramics up as a new hobby! I also really appreciate that they enforce covid-19 precautions (masks and social distancing). read more

CLAY IS AWESOME. I've been wanting to try my hand at the spinning wheel ever since I was a little kid..and I jumped at the Groupon deal and did it in June and let me tell you, it was amazing! Alex was the best instructor ever. She was great at describing the physical steps and making sure no one got too far behind during the lesson. I got pretty lucky-- only two other people showed up to our class of 6. You essentially get enough clay to turn into 4 balls that you throw onto the wheel. We did a bowl, then a cup, then a vase, and then had free-will. Everyone in our group was able to make something they wanted to keep, and I actually kept all 4 of my pieces for $5 each. Afterwards, you get to choose which glaze you want and they have plenty of pretty colors with neat names i.e. Teadust, Angel Eyes, Pinky. I can't wait to see how they turn out! But wait I must, because it takes approximately 6-8 weeks for them to be ready. Sunday is the best day to go because you don't have to worry about the parking meter! And wear casual clothing because it's about to get messy. I called 6 weeks afterwards, and they said my items had been completed ahead of time! Yee. I finally went to pick them up and I was so pleased. read more

Clay - Turned out pretty great :) - Arts & Entertainment Near Me - Long Beach, California

I am handicapped when it comes to the pottery wheel. My first creation, which was supposed to be a bowl, ended up being a weird ashtray-like object that fell over to one side. Clay actually requested a moment of silence from the class to pay our respects for my dead creation. How sad! I tried really hard to make a nice bowl, but in the end, all I got was a couple of bumpy pots -- HA! I paid the extra $10 to fire and glaze them anyway. Maybe they'll look better after all is said and done. I took my mom to the class using a LivingSocial deal. We had a great time, even though nothing my mom made panned out. :( Out of everyone, I was the only one who left covered in clay. My pants, front and back, were decorated with the stuff. A lady on the street actually pointed it out before realizing it was all the way around. A little while later, I found some on my forearm, and a little while after that, my mom asked if my glasses were broken, because she thought I had taped them back together. It was actually clay. Oh my! I was thinking about taking a series, in order to improve my skills (or lack thereof), but I'm holding off for the meantime, since I'm not sure the wheel is my friend. I'm blaming it on my nails, since they make it a much more difficult process. :) read more

Clay on First...dont hesitate for a second! Of all the spots i visited while i was up in Long Beach, i spent the most time here! I rolled in one day to see what was up with the studio and what classes i could take to learn the art. I jumped at the chance to take part in one of the "open sessions" and, it was like, as soon as my mound of clay hit the wheel, i was hooked! The machine, had instantly become an extension of myself. After some basic instruction directly from the expert owner Clay, it was time for me to get dirty! I threw a bunch of different items on the wheel while i was there and got schooled in various pottery techniques...everything from the creation, to the glazing, firing, and finished art-pieces. So much to learn so quickly, but Clay was a great teacher and dudes really on top of his game! Once i had some of the techniques down, i then, could really get down to exploring my creative inner workings! The more i practiced, it was becoming increasingly difficult for me to pull myself away from actualizing this art! It got to the point where i had to have Clay lock me in the shop overnight! Like a true "crazed" artist! Seriously, i was so thoroughly in the zone, that i had to construct and compose---until the damn sun came up on a new day! And then, i finally, ran outta clay! As my head rose up to a new day, after passing out on a mound of clay---still stuck to the pottery wheel, i hear....kids? I open my eyes and look towards the front of the studio and remember; oh yea, they do a kids pottery day camp! So, being the kid that i still am, i run out to grab a coffee (kids shouldnt drink too much coffee!) and rush back to the studio to kick it with the kids for a while and to fine tune my newly learned craft! Before overstaying my welcome, i realized, i had to make moves up outta there and at least get some food in me! But not before signing up for the next "wheel workshop" class which is starting soon! Cant wait for that! Thanks Clay for putting up with me and my "crazed artist" mentality! Much obliged, i'll be seein ya soon! read more

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thanks to living social i got to mark something off of my bucket list. for a cheap and affordable price my bf and i got to try something new. warning: wear clothes that you dont mind getting dirty. especially the lower half of your body which includes shoes. Mines sure did get dirty. girls bring a hair tie. when you're molding your clay don't place your hands too close to the bottom because you'll injure your hands like i did and now i have a scar from it. They provide towels but that doesn't do much. employee of the month is clay's dog chopstix. clay is a pretty funny guy! he'll make jokes and would make you laugh. there's a bathroom you can use. they offer summer courses for kids. clay and his side kick [who i forgot his name] likes to golf as well. He is pretty patience at teaching. They get lots of comments in reference to the movie "ghost". So don't say anything in correlation to it lol it's pretty hard to mold your clay into what you want. i kept wanting to make a nice vase but it ended up being a cigarette tray. which is epic fail on my end. after my third try i got better at it but it was definitely challenging. clay made it look super easy. i paid extra to get my product glazed and fire so i can't wait to see what it looks like. since i have to pay an wait like 6-8 weeks for it. it took me a long time to create something semi-decent. it was a nice new experience. i'm not quite sure if i'll do it again any time super soon. but i enjoyed it. it was memorable and definitely took a lot of patience and concentration. make sure you find deals on livingsocial.com then print the voucher go to his website and check of openings, email him to reserve your spot. it took me 2 months before i was able to find a time slot and availability for the opportunity to take the course. Please come early or on time. My bf and I had to wait like 20 minutes for one chick. When most of the RSVP shows up he'll start the course. Try to keep your work space as clean as possible because the mess you create is the mess you'll have to clean up afterwards on your own just FYI! Remember that clay is an expert and anything he does will look amazing. Street parking which is metered. I came on a Sunday so no fees for street parking thankfully. The decor of clays could be improved slightly. Happy creating!!! read more

Clay - Working station - Arts & Entertainment Near Me - Long Beach, California

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Daniel was a wonderful instructor. We did the valentines clay package and it was a blast. I was pretty nervous at first but after asking for help we had a lot of fun with it and learned from Daniel. Emaanat (I hope that's how you spell her name!) was also very sweet and helpful. read more

Awesome staff, and the class was absolutely interactive and easy for a newbie . You will need $5 per price you want to keep and you'll need to wait 6-8 weeks for the price to be ready. I paid $135 for three people for the Groupon 2 hour class. read more

Clay - Arts & Entertainment Near Me - Long Beach, California

I purchased a deal on Groupon for a private 2 hr session of up to 5 people. I took my family here for Mother's Day. Parking was easy to find as there was plenty of street parking. Unfortunately, I don't remember our instructor's name but she had a pixie cut and was so freaking awesome. She was very helpful in every way and answered every question that we had. We all had so much fun and learned a lot. Throwing is NOT a easy thing to do! It costs $8/piece that you want to take home. We decided not to purchase anything because we wanted to improve our skills before purchasing, but we did purchase a bowl from one of the artist's shelves. I highly recommend taking a class here if you're interested in throwing! read more

Went here tonight on a Groupon deal and it was so much fun. I took my wife out for a date and really enjoyed the outing. Neither one of has or should I say had any experience working with clay but Zach made it so much fun and was truly an asset to making our evening an enjoyable one. The class had only 6 students but can accommodate up to 10 so the attention he gave us was nice. We had 5 pieces that were 'good enough" to have fired, so we thought. Hope my Mom enjoys her key/candy dish LOL... Give it a try and you will want to go back again. Side Note: Each item will be $5 to have fired. read more

Clay - Making a piece of art - Arts & Entertainment Near Me - Long Beach, California

I honestly had a blast!! Loved it ! I took the beginner class with my hubby and the class had eight people which was perfect . The instructor was so friendly, kind and upbeat! She made us feel so comfortable ! We did three pieces and had the option to purchase them all or one for 5 each. And they trim and fire it which will take 6 to 8 weeks. Overall I definitely want to do this again! read more

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Purchased the deal on living social, which included a two hour wheel thrown ceramics class. It was a great class for beginners and Clay was a very patient and very good at explaining constructor. It was my both me and my friends first time making pottery and we loved it! I recommends taking clothes that you don't mind getting dirty because you really do get messy with the clay and wear comfy shoes. Don't worry, the clay doesn't stain, it easily comes off. We each did about 4 potteries and after the class you have to clean up your area. If you want them to glaze your pottery, it's $5 each and you just leave your name and number for when it's ready for pick up which would be in 6-8weeks since the glaze is a process. This place is AMAZING! You must try, it's definitely an activity out if the usual.(: read more

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This rating isn't for the class , but for the pick up process and end result. We went to pick up our two pieces that we made for our special Valentines Day Class, which was $210, with this price we got one free piece and paid extra for a second piece. Upon picking up our pieces, one of them was not ours. When we brought it up to them they said " well it has your name on it " , first of all we didn't put our names on it, they do before firing and glazing our clay pieces. We then had to show video proof of the actual pieces we made for them to care and realize their mistake. As we waited for 45 minutes ( having to put coins in the parking meter for this time ) for them to dig through boxes to find our piece, they finally found it, it was glazed the wrong color and had someone else's name on it. They sanded the wrong name off and handed it. We kindly asked if we could get a refund for this one piece, since it's not what we asked for as far as color and for the inconvenience of it all, also our other piece had our name spelled wrong as well. They didn't care and said these were personalized items so no refund could be given (personalized to something we paid for that was made wrong ? )They then said we could paint it to fix it ... sure let me spend more of my time and money on something that you shouldn't have messed up on. The class experience was so nice, it's unfortunate once they get your money they don't care about service anymore. read more

This place is awesome! I took the intro class with Savannah, who was funny, helpful, and warm. My throwing skills definitely need some work, but I got a really good taste of what throwing pottery is all about and had a lot of fun. If I lived in the area I think I would become a regular. There's plenty of metered parking (careful, my friend got a tix for letting his meter run out!) and good food options nearby (like Asha on Broadway) if you're hungry after all that wheel action. read more

As for learning a new technique, There no actual modeling on how to mold the clay after your first attempt. You just figured it out on your own after one time of them showing you what's it's supposed to look like. But like I said the class itself was enjoyable. I wouldn't do it again due to the hidden fees and the long wait for your final product. What I dislike is how they charge an extra $5-$7 to glaze your final product. And if you don't pay it, you can't take it home. That seems a bit ridiculous after paying so much the class itself. People should at least be able to take their art work home without having to glaze it. And when you do glaze it, it takes super long to get it back. I mean months. It is not worth to pay for the glazing at all. I'm a supporter of small businesses. This is just my opinion on how to improve the experience. read more

Didn't meet my expectations... the instructor was late and we didn't get our full 2 hours of private class. She didn't give good instructions and rushed thru the class really quickly. Our group was disappointed with the experience at clay. We will look for other classes some where else. The price we paid should have included 1 piece of pottery to take home, then charge more for any additional pieces. read more

I called beforehand to ask if they accommodated kid's parties, so I think it's fair to review it according to how kid-friendly and well set up it is for a child's party. I brought a few kids to celebrate a birthday. I asked on the phone BEFORE I ever booked for a teacher who was patient and liked to work with kids. Our instructor did not smile or seem to enjoy being there......or encourage the kids at all. Not one nice word, encouragement, compliment, atta boy .....nothing. Sorry, a kid's birthday is all about fun. It comes with the territory, and is part of the job. She seemed to be a nice person who just didn't put much effort into it. When it came time to clean up, the instructions were given once, unclear and incomplete. I listened very carefully. So the girls were sent off. I got up and directed the kids and checked their cleaning. The instructor sat and checked her phone. Okaaay. I helped organize the cleanup for 20 minutes, and instructor came at the end to let us know what still needed to be cleaned. I was surprised that there wasn't a CLEAN place to eat....table and seats isn't expecting too much. Again, I asked BEFORE I booked.Now I realize that when I was told, "There's a table.", that's ALL there was. There were work stools that were very low that couldn't possibly work at the work table that was very high. Also, room was cramped, and we just bumped into each other. There were only 10 people. On the upside, there were two very nice young ladies in the reception area who were friendly and genuinely made us feel welcome! They even brought us the three tall stools that they had and set the music for us. I wish they'd been our instructors. Also, we were there 15 minutes after our time, so I really appreciated that as it gave us time to eat cake. But clean up could have gone a lot faster with the instructor's help, and then we wouldn't have run late. The actual space is too small for a party. I only had five kids and five adults, and we were bumping into each other and squished into a tiny area to eat. It's pretty comical now, but when I invite people somewhere, I want them to be comfortable and be in a nice space with some room to move around. I realize it's a pottery studio, with dust and clay, but I seriously assumed there would be a clean area off to one side. They said I could bring decorations....lol!! Is it so wrong to assume that there would be an actual nice area to decorate? To be fair, I called the manager before I wrote this review. She was nice and apologized. She said that the instructor should have supervised the clean up. I wanted to speak specifically to the owner about not having a clean enough or big enough area to eat. I asked to speak to the owner, but she told me that, "He doesn't get involved in the day to day running of things." Okaaaay. So if there is a problem, you will get an apology. Update...5 months later, and the owner never bothered replying to this review. I guess you can't reply if you don't talk to your customers (What???) or you're not going to offer a solution. Went from 3 stars to 2 stars. There are other places to do the pottery wheel with kids. In fact, there's one in Santa Ana. I'd recommend you check that one out instead. read more

Olivia who helped me out was absolutely incredible. So so kind and just made our experience

This is my favorite Clay studio. If you take a class here ask for Cole he's really patient and understanding. He helped me take my centering skills to a new level. The studio plays great music and there's no pressure to perform. Sign up for a membership today. read more

We originally had a terrible time the first time we came.... Ariel was our instructor and she wasn't patient enough to allow us to learn and we only ended up making 2 pieces and spent a long time cleaning up... I won't go into too much of that because it was really rough. Fortunately the owner offered us a redo class and we had an amazing time the 2nd time around! Teresa was our instructor and she is so dang sweet and so patient and very helpful, all the noobs in my group, including myself made some pretty nice pieces! She explained everything very clear and showed us techniques in areas we struggled in. We got to use up the whole time slot and made all 4 pieces. I'm really glad that Eloise offered us the redo class because it was a complete 180!! We really had an amazing time and what a difference compared to our first. I hosted a private party here. There's 11 seats which means it's enough room for 10 students and the instructor. Its hard to eat anything as your hands are dirty most of the time, so you can bring a small fruit platter to pick from before everyone starts. It's not too difficult to drink while spinning... and they allow you to bring your own wine! They offer a kids class here that we haven't taken yet... I'm not sure I'll be sending my kids to that class since it's kinda pricey... but I'd most likely come back for a class for myself again! read more

One of my close friends got us a Groupon for a 2 hour pottery class. The first time, we showed up super late & had to reschedule for almost a month and a half later! (Classes get packed quick!) The girl at the front desk (didn't note her name :() was nice enough to reschedule us. I took pottery in High School years ago so it had been a really long time since I got my hands dirty. Our instructor was Cole and he walked us through the necessary and fundamental steps when starting to work with clay. You get to work on your own wheel which is really cool. Expect to get dirty so wear casual stuff. I wore white sneakers and got a little wet clay mark on them (ugh). My friend had super long nails which was a no no, she couldn't follow many steps because her nails would poke and cut through the clay. Cole was nice enough in that he would walk around and help you with your stuff enough so that you could continue to take it over, if you were struggling. The class is two hours long, and you make 4 projects, one of your own choosing. If you like any of the stuff you made, you can buy it for $8. You choose the glaze before you head out and then return to pick it up. The only reason why I didn't give this place 5 stars is because I felt like Cole could be more personable for an instructor. This doesn't mean that he doesn't know what he's doing or that he doesn't know how to project how to go about something. I just felt he lacked a bit in personality (and obviously this is very subjective) for someone who is teaching a class. Maybe he does this so much he's over it, but I shouldn't have to get that vibe, you know what I mean? Overall though, it was a nice fun experience. I enjoyed getting dirty again! read more

I have been going to Clay On First for about 4 years. We go there mainly for private parties. Clay and Eloise and their instructor Teresa are awesome. Clay's staff members knows how to host a great private party. Don't be worried if you are a novice or have not touch clay since high school because they host the Ceramic party in a way in which you could learn the basics in one day. Best of all, they order drinks and appetizers and the cost is reasonable as they have various packages. If you are looking for a unique private party or event Clay should be one of your first choices. read more

We can't recommend Clay on First's summer camp enough! My 6 year old enjoyed their Wednesday donation based kids classes so much we decided to sign her up for the week long summer camp and ended up signing her up for the following week! Kendal and Hannah were both great teachers-they challenged the kids but also made sure they had fun while they were learning. They work on a new technique each day-hand building, pinch pots, sculptures, and even throwing on the wheel! Excited to see how her pieces come out when we pick them up! If you're looking for a camp that prioritizes fun AND learning new skills-definitely sign your kid up! read more

I found out about this place through Groupon. My instructor was none other than Ariel! She was a phenomenal instructor. Ariel was very thorough, patient, and hands on in her teaching. She made the experience easier than it should have been. I would come to another class taught by Ariel. Thanks for the experience!! read more

So much fun!!! Had tons of fun making my bowl! A few times I had to restart and the manager was super helpful with helping me catch up to everyone else. read more

Clay - Arts & Entertainment Near Me - Long Beach, California

First time making clay art here! We had a private lesson with Teresa. She is really nice and patient. There were a few times that I nearly screwed up the whole thing, but she managed to fix it for me. It's definitely a good experience for couples and families! read more

It is such a great experience! I came here with 4 of my friends and we all had a blast!!!! We definitely want to come back again. Teresa was being very helpful, patient, and supportive during the whole process. One thing to warn you, making clay is just like life, once you decided on something, stick to it and, stop once the result has arrived. Do not change your goal since it will RARELY work (unless you're a genius or a master in wheel-pulling, of course). To master something, be patient and you'll be there. Practice makes perfect. Parking is just street parking, fill up the meter, 2-hour limit (just go out and refill it again in the middle of the class) read more

So much fun! I got this for a birthday gift and what a blast. Jackie was very kind and helpful in her instruction. read more

Clay - Arts & Entertainment Near Me - Long Beach, California

My boyfriend and I took our first Intro to Pottery class at Clay this past weekend. We completely fell in love, and plan on coming back for the monthly version. The instructor was attentive and sweet, and the overall experience was amazing. Highly recommend the intro class at Clay, I promise you'll be hooked! read more

Came to the open session, to learn for my first time. I did pretty well if I must say. The teacher was very knowledgeable and patient. It was a group of 4 including myself. By my 3rd try I was zoning out to the music doing it on my own! I would recommend this place. 5 Star definitely! read more

Clay - Arts & Entertainment Near Me - Long Beach, California

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Great for beginners who want to give pottery a try. Time flew by so fast making four different shapes of pottery. I wish I could have gotten more practice... hopefully the finalized glazed peices come out good read more

Clay - 4 different shapes - Arts & Entertainment Near Me - Long Beach, California

Had a great 1st lesson! I wish I didn't press my hand so hard onto the wheel because I scraped after the 1st pot. Will be picking up a couple of the pots my boyfriend and I made later on. Definitely recommend coming here to try out a lesson if you haven't before. read more

Clay - Arts & Entertainment Near Me - Long Beach, California

Clay is affordable, unique, amazing, and hilarious. You'll learn more here in two hours than in an entire year of most other pottery classes, and you'll probably have more fun doing it. The night started with a juggling act, and got more entertaining as the lesson progressed. I can't believe these small classes are so affordable. Here are the steps I remember for making your own bowl/vase/mug/creation: Step 1: Beat up the clay. (+4 upper body strength, +2 aggression release) Step 2: Drop the clay on the wheel. (+1 aim) Step 3: Add water and Center. (+2 zen mastery) Step 4: Make a hole in the center. Laugh. Widen the Base. Make a mess. Laugh. Raise the walls. Make a mess. Make some new friends. Shape the clay. (+ 6 entertainment) Step 5: Repeat until you have a creation that you want to keep. (+5 creativity) +20 skill level, and a bowl for soup and ice cream. Protips: Wear clothes that you don't mind getting dirty; don't be afraid of the clay, people pay good money for it in the beauty world; when you're done, District Wine (2 blocks away) will still be open, and won't care that your jeans are covered in mud. You can also rent studio and kiln time here for very low cost, or simply browse through the creations from resident artists at the front of the store. We'll be back tonight for the second Saturday art walk and sale. read more

I've been a member at Clay for 2 years and it's a fantastic place for experienced artists and first-timers. The staff is always fun and friendly, and the instructors make sure that even if you come in for 1 time class, that you are able to create something memorable. For people looking for membership, you have 24-7 access and it's a great place to be around creative people. Advice for people interested in 1-time open session class: Wear clothes that you don't mind getting dirty (clay washes off) No long fingernails or jewelry. Don't expect your pieces to be ready right away. Because of the trimming, firing and glazing process, it will take 5-6 weeks until your piece will be ready. It's up to you if you want to keep your pots (they charge a reasonable $5 per a pot for finishing and firing) but if you do, it'll be a while until they are ready for pick-up. read more

Teresa was superb! Loved this class, perfect date with my boyfriend... and learned so much... Teresa made every move feel like I mastered it even when I made rigid edges and fumbled along... constantly laughing and smiling, keep her because She's awesome & made us so Feel so comfortable can't wait to get my bowls. Also, totally affordable! read more