Tariq taught my friends and me (group of 5) on a Saturday at 5pm. We appreciated the clarity of his instructions and ability to identify what to correct in our technique (we were all beginners haha). I am inspired to try to take more classes after this session! read more

Handled Pottery Studio - Plates and bowls - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Had an amazing time with my daughters on Mother's Day weekend with our first pottery throwing experience. All the ladies there were very friendly and our instructor was very helpful! Definitely inspired us to continue our pottery journey! Thank you again Handled Pottery!! We even brought our own custom aprons! read more

See all

What a fun time! Really enjoyed the Pottery Date Night class! Lily was amazing & made the class fun! Can't wait to see my finished pieces in a few weeks! We will definitely be back for another class! read more

Handled Pottery Studio - My clay creations - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Carlsbad, California

See all

This review was from my experience a year ago, highly overdue: New at wheel throwing? Coffee and Clay is the way to go! My son and I had a blast trying our hand at a new art, and our sweet teacher had the patience of a saint lol. We were able to create multiple pieces without feeling rushed or feeling like a "noob." Clean, organized space with lots of fresh air and natural light. Will definitely revisit for more classes! read more

I went with my girl group on Saturday morning and it was all of our first time working with clay. It was so much fun, the instructor explained all the steps clearly. The vibes were perfect and enjoyable. We can't wait to return to pick up our pieces, and definitely we will get together for another class. read more

Handled Pottery Studio - Perfect pieces - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Carlsbad, California

See all

What a fun date night! My husband and I signed up for the date night wheel class and we are so glad we did. It was one of the best date nights ever. Tiriq was our instructor and he was amazing. Such a great teacher and so patient. We made 4 pieces in the short class. I was very intimidated by the wheel at first but under his patient and explicit instruction I got the hang of it! I can't wait to go back. I read the other reviews before attending and got nervous. I don't know what those other people are talking about. The studio was so nice and the vibe was spot on. You won't regret trying it out. read more

Handled Pottery Studio - Our pieces - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Came here for a class and made two bowls. It was fun to learn more about the wheel and possibilities to take more classes. Our instructor was so sweet and made the class enjoyable. My only feedback would be that it would be fun to be able to pick the glaze for our pieces, I still liked what was chosen but having a few options would be nice. (Maybe too much of a pain which is also understandable). I felt that for the class and pieces it was a good deal and was happy to see how my pieces turned out! read more

What a hidden gem! I took a trip to Carlsbad, CA and specifically booked all my activities with small businesses. Not only did Handled Pottery Studio add a class to their schedule to accommodate me, but Michelle was so friendly and informative and stayed in touch with me as my ceramic was being fired and glazed. My bowl was shipped back home to me and was packaged extremely well, arriving safe and sound! I will definitely take another class on my next trip. Thank you for a great experience! read more

Handled Pottery Studio - Ceramic bowl - painted & glazed - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Located at the edge of the village of Carlsbad and a 10-minute walk to the beach, this crafty spot is a hit for locals and tourists. I always walk past it on my way to grab coffee or when I'm on my lunch break, and I decided to stop by and see the studio. It's a quaint shop that offers everything ceramics! I booked a class for my partner's birthday back in November and we had so much fun. It was a couple's pottery class where we were able to meet other couples and create a couple of bowls that would be ready for pick up in about a month. Overall, the experience was incredible and Olivia was such a great instructor. She built rapport with each of us and had solid banter throughout the class. Could not recommend enough! read more

Handled Pottery Studio - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Carlsbad, California

See all

They never contacted us to pick up our glazed creations. When I called to check on this, they told me they threw them out and were quite cold and uncaring, my daughter was devastated. I support local businesses but they also need to follow through on their promised services such as contacting customers to pick up their items. read more

I never post negative reviews of small businesses, but this place has been so frustrating to deal with, that I have no choice. TL;DR: they'll try to double charge you AND you'll never get the pottery you paid for, and don't expect any customer service. My mom bought us a "date night for two" gift card. When we arrived to our December class, as we were about to start and with a full group of people waiting, the teacher told us we only had paid for 1, and if both of us wanted to take the class, we had to pay another $70. Not wanting to cause a fuss and delay the class for everyone else, we agreed to pay the extra money, assuming my mom may have made an error when buying the gift. After class, we double checked and found that she had correctly purchased a class for two. For the next 2 weeks, we called countless time trying to reach someone. When we finally reached someone, she confirmed "this happens all the time" and told me I'd get a refund, in the next couple days. That refund never came. I kept calling, finally reached someone, and after another explanation, they left a check for me to come pick up at the store. Meanwhile, at the class (which was fun! And the teacher was great!), they tell you they'll paint and fire the pottery for you and call you when it's ready in a couple weeks. They noted it could be longer due to the holidays. So we waited. When I went back to pick up my refund, I asked and they said the pieces weren't ready. That was 5-6 weeks after our class. I continued calling, rarely able to reach anyone, but the couple times I got ahold of someone, they said it would be ready soon and they'd call me. Finally today, 5 months later, I was told everything from classes before February had been thrown away. No calls, texts, or emails. I was essentially told it's too bad, and there was no apology of any kind whatsoever. If you want to pay $70 per person for a night of throwing clay, have at it. Just don't expect to ever get what you make. read more

This place is boring! I took the coffee and clay class, and there was no coffee. The vibes were dull, and the instructor was uninspiring. I literally felt like I might fall asleep while I was there. On top of not having coffee, despite it being promised, the girl teaching the class didn't give me a heads-up to take off my jewelry and smartwatch. I ended up with clay all over my jewelry, and now I can't get it off. I took off my jewelry and put it in my handbag, but now my handbag has clay all over it, too. I will never be returning to this place. Even the music was terrible; what's with this "Yellow Submarine" 70s song playing? This place is definitely for old people. read more

Wonderful activity to do with friends and family. Me and my friends had a wonderful time together, the studio is quite welcoming!

I had a really nice time at the handled pottery studio in one of their coffee classes. The instructor was wonderful as well as the new hire Jane who was very personable and gave me some good advice on my pieces. What I found to be offputting was the auto gratuity when I booked the lesson at the time of checkout, having not even stepped foot into the studio they are already asking for a tip?! Yikes and gross. It made me second-guess wanting to go there and I found it so very unpalatable. When there's an auto gratuity like this I always wonder if it's not even getting to the instructor - which I prefer to do in cash anyhow. It just left a really bad taste in my mouth. I would highly recommend to this owner to take off that auto gratuity, let people make that decision for themselves at the end of the experience after actually experiencing something they would tip for instead of applying for an 11% auto gratuity on a $75 class (you have to opt out not to pay a tip ) read more

This studio is not a good choice for those with no experience making pottery. The instructor explained entire process at beginning of class instead of explaining in steps so that it was frustrating and confusing. Students are required to do all of the cleanup at end of class after paying a hefty price for class. They even lost my friends pottery items. Owner refused to acknowledge or consider that my complaints were valid and refused to give me a refund. Very arrogant! read more

The pottery class itself was a good experience. Our group had fun & created nice pieces with the instructors help. The problem was with the picking up of our pieces. Not sure if this woman who is pictured on your business card hanging on your front door is the owner or staff. She was BEYOND RUDE & disrespectful to me to where our group will not be returning. She needs serious customer service training as I've never had a business customer service staff act that way. read more

LOVE. I started coming here via a private work event and was hooked. Every instructor has been patient and kind with teaching. I started at the work event, brought people to a few coffee and clays, then started taking the beginner classes. Now I'm taking my second intermediate class. I never thought of myself as creative or artsy until I came here. It's such a beautiful, supportive environment to learn in. I love seeing my progression over time, although I felt like my efforts were appreciated and supported from my first class over a year ago. Full of gratitude for this studio and the instructors who hold space for us there to create read more

See all

The good is that It was a fun experience. I went with my daughter as it was a birthday gift. The bad is when it came time to pick up our pieces they were not available till sometime after 4 weeks. My daughter, however only got one of two pieces she made and has never gotten the second. We took this class at the end of April and it's now July. Also you have no choice for glazes. They just make everyone's the same. read more

I signed up in March for a beginner wheel throwing class, and by the end of that first class, I not only threw a couple bowls, but I also ignited a new passion! I continued on with the intermediate class and it's the highlight of my week. Everyone is so supportive, encouraging and friendly. A big part of the joy comes from being a part of this community of potters. My instructors were/are Tariq and Micah. I've learned so much from both of them. I appreciate that they continue to attend workshops, adding to their repertoire and bring it back to share with us! read more

See all

My kids and I had such a fabulous time at Handled Pottery! We took classes with Micah who made us all feel really comfortable at the wheel (even though none of us had any idea what we were doing). Micah knew just what to say when my kids (who are 11 and 12) got a little frustrated because it wasn't going quite the way they wanted - Micah gave them just the right amount of advice and encouragement to get things going in the right direction. When we collected our pieces a couple of weeks later, my kids were grinning from ear to ear - they are SO proud. Thank you for being so kind and welcoming, and being willing to share your craft with us - we will be back soon, and can't wait! read more

I had the absolute best time here! My siblings and I took our dad here for his Christmas present and we did the Coffee and Clay class. It ended up just being us four in the class so it was like a private class! The studio is very spacious and decorated with previously made pieces that really help give you some inspiration. All the tools and supplies are set up before you arrive so you can just grab your coffee, sit down, and get throwing. They give you two pieces of clay so that they can demonstrate how to do each step with the first one and have you follow along. Then once each step is taught you can go through the motions on your own with the second piece. We had a blast taking this class! They played good music the whole time and our instructor Olivia was super personable and willing to help us out. This class made for a great present and our dad really enjoyed it. He's even thinking of taking another one of their classes! You don't need any prior experience to do this class but it definitely helps if you have some previous knowledge. My sister struggled to make the pieces she intended to make, but Olivia helped her turn her failed pieces into more abstract bowls. read more

Handled Pottery Studio - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Took a class and made two items. Class was fun and instructor was great. Never received the items. They told everyone it would be ready in a few weeks. Called a few times for the next 1.5 months and was told it wasn't ready. Called them back and they said it must have been thrown out because it's been so long. They never called and let me know when items were ready for pick up. Feels like a scam. You can come here if you just want to work on pottery if don't mind never getting your work. Would not recommend. read more

This Saturday I surprised my girlfriend with a date night pottery class here and it was worth every penny. If you're not sure you'd be able to actually make something I recommend signing up anyways. I'd never worked with clay and neither had my girlfriend but we were able to make somewhat successful bowls. We're excited to come back to pick them up and hopefully make this a regular thing. If you're debating about doing this take this as your sign to just do it! Complete beginners can even do this. read more

See all

went for a class with my boyfriend. we made our pottery which was so fun. We were a bit annoyed the instructor would come "fix" our bowl or cup and make it completely into his own leaving us with things we didn't really make. we got the email a couple weeks later that they were ready for pickup. We drove an hour there to pickup and were told they weren't ready yet due to a kiln down. We never received an email telling us of this. They negotiated that they would cover the costs to ship our items to us once they were done the following week. It's now been 2 months. No answers to any calls or emails. It was an expensive class and not worth it. we are very disappointed. don't waste your money. so many other good studios... read more

I can't even rate this place one star And my only regret is that I didn't check Yelp because I would never had made reservations Check out all the 1 and 2 stars We all have similar stories I wonder how many people didn't do a Yelp review that was unhappy I was sick and had to cancel ... and they wouldn't let me reschedule They said they would need 3 days notice when I contacted them Really ? How would I know 3 days prior that I would be sick No sympathy at all And very very nasty response too I am a member of a woman's club and will make sure they all know my story Do not recommend supporting businesses that have this attitude It's too bad for them ... I was going to take more classes but now I will go elsewhere read more

Came for date night June 17 and I would say to set expectations that you aren't going to accomplish that much in 90 min. If you haven't worked with clay and a wheel before it's pretty tough to get a hang of. One thing that could have helped was changing the format of teaching. The teacher had spent 1 min flying through a 5 step process and then sent us off on our own to try. I noticed we were all asking him the same questions and he kept repeating himself one on one. This probably could have been avoided if we went through the process step by step all together (explain step 1, wait for us to complete step 1, then move on to explain step 2, etc.). Overall the idea is fun for a date night and got me intrigued to take proper lessons but for your money this date night was just not quite worth it if you're trying to absorb new information and take home usable/passable works of pottery. read more

Tariq was amazing! very knowledgeable and insightful! I have taken many pottery classes and nothing compared to this experienc! highly recommend! read more

PLEASE DO NOT BOOK HERE unless you are absolutely 100% sure you will attend. I am writing this bc I want to give those that are thinking of booking here an honest review. The owner is NOT accommodating AT ALL towards refunding, rescheduling and booking, even if they are the ones having computer issues (like their website being down and not allowing you to reschedule in a timely manner) and/or not answering their phone lines during business hours in addition to a dysfunctional voicemailbox that wasn't allowing me to even leave a VM the week of 7/10. So then I physically had to go-in and spoke to a young new hire girl there named Sarah that also couldn't help me bc she is new, but she took down my info to have the manager/owner call me back, but the manager never did. So then I emailed, and the manager/owner was huge B**** reciting policy over people/customer satisfaction. PLEASE DO BOOK HERE. The owner clearly does not care about her community or her reputation IN the community. SO INCREDIBLY disappointing... $75 wasted and I was really looking forward to attending a class so I could write a positive review! Writing this to save a potential customer the grief! read more

I have done two classes at Handled Pottery and have had a great experience both times. My first class was the building class where we cut out pieces of clays and molded them into a vase. I loved that we got to choose our own glaze for this piece as well. The instructions were very easy and the class was very beginner friendly and my friends and I had so much fun with the instructors. The snacks and drinks were a plus too! My second time was the pottery wheel class. I went with three other girlfriends and we all enjoyed it so much! We had two instructors that day, Micah and Michelle and both were super attentive and helpful. The instructions were clear and the class was beginner friendly as well. We were able to make as many pieces as we could in the 1.5 hours we had and at the end choose 2 to fire. We did not get to choose a glaze for this one but the glaze that was chosen for us was beautiful. There was also coffee and donuts for us to snack on :) Overall both experiences were great and I will continue coming back and bringing my friends along with me. read more

While on vacation in Southern California this summer, I was excited to attend a Date Night class at Handled Pottery Studio! I studied art in college, but had not had my hands in clay for several years. I wondered if could still do it, and was eager to give it a try. We were walked through the process by the owner, who worked on one of the wheels next to us so we could see what the clay was supposed to look like at each stage, and compare our work to hers. If my clay looked different (and it often did, lol) she gave some further guidance to getting back on track. At the end of the night, each student had three pieces to keep. I'm posting a photo of mine, as I'm very proud of them! Even after a few decades away from the pottery studio, it didn't take long to get right back into the groove. If I lived closer, I would love to attend regularly...especially the Clay and Coffee sessions. I would highly recommend Handled Pottery Studio, whether you're wanting to make some pieces of your own, purchase some of the incredible pottery on display, or commission something unique. Five stars! read more

Handled Pottery Studio - My best work! - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Carlsbad, California

I think my 7 year old daughter and I were in the class when Ryan M.'s interaction occurred. It was extremely awkward and completely makes sense now that I've experienced my own issue with the company. Onto my issue... My wife went to pick up our pottery that was long overdue for pickup. She was greeted by a lady that literally said (in front of my 7 year old daughter) that if they weren't picked up before they moved buildings, then it was thrown away. Wow. She made my daughter start crying and didn't feel bad about it. Have some empathy for people, especially for kids that come in to try art out! When questioned whether they attempted to contact us, the lady claimed email communications were sent multiple times. Just checked all 3 of our email inboxes and there's nothing from this company. Show me the proof. I wasn't in a rush to pick up the pottery because the instructor told me to come by whenever and they'd be there. We actually tried multiple times to go pick up our masterpieces (ha!) within the last month, but they were always closed! All in all, the instructor was helpful and the class was fun, but the extremely poor communication and nonexistent customer service left this experience as a complete waste. Look at the most recent reviews and you'll see they're trending downhill. read more

I signed my husband and I up for date night pottery class and I cannot tell you how much fun we had! Not only did we get to spend nearly two hours learning and throwing clay on the wheel, there were only six people in the class total (3 couples) so it was a very personalized experience. Olivia was an amazing instructor, that made us feel so comfortable, even when our pieces didn't come out so great. We also arrived early just in case parking would be difficult, it wasn't, we found parking on the side of the road right away. There was also a street fair happening on Saturday when we showed up, so we got to enjoy walking around looking at vendors before our class. Really fun community and a class that I will be back for again! read more

Handled Pottery Studio - Date Night with my Husband - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Carlsbad, California

See all

I loved this place! Took a Monday 1.5hr pottery class and had so much fun. Great environment, nice people and the teachers were helpful and so kind. Will definitely be going back! read more

Handled Pottery Studio - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Carlsbad, California

See all

Was really excited for Coffee and Clay, such a great idea in theory. I was mentally prepared to bring out my best Patrick Swayze, when instead the reservation got screwed up (even after confirming multiple times when the reservation was made for 4... it was only made for 2, one couple, not two couples... so much for the 45 min. drive up from the downtown area), and we were instead met with passive aggression (told we were late and there wasn't enough time to join, after making us wait for 15 minutes). So much for the sheer ecstasy resulting from combining tactile, messy art and caffeine. And when the friend who made the reservation called back to get a refund, she got stiffed and now has to file a chargeback on her card. read more

My wife and I had a super fun experience attending the "date night" event. Neither of us ever worked with clay before so didn't know what to expect yet by the time the evening was over, we were smiling ear to ear. We both struggled a bit with the process but Maddie was super accommodating and attentive - she was an awesome host! We ended up with one piece each so we'll see how they turn out when we pick them up. Highly recommend this event and don't forget to bring a towel! read more

Handled Pottery Studio - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Carlsbad, California

You'll feel handled, all right. Instead we recommend the intro pottery wheel class at Fire & Mud Studios in San Marcos (separate review). Handled left us feeling totally scammed. They were rude & pompous & tried their best to keep our money while denying us entry to any class. Yes, their draconian tardy (what is this, high school?!) "policy" is hidden away, way, way down at the bottom of their webpage, after the endless litany of classes, where chances are you won't notice it. And don't try appealing to the angels of their better nature, reminding them how polite & apologetic you were, how you left immediately after having the situation explained so as not to disrupt the class in session, how you were only (?) 17 minutes late after fighting Friday night traffic on the 5 & the lack of parking in downtown Carlsbad. They will just offer you one (1) single reschedule option even if you're open to ANY OTHER Saturday night ALL SUMMER; & if that one substitute date does not work with your schedule, they'll inform you in the most judgemental of tones that, oh well, they can keep your $130, because it is their POLICY to do so. Why, how admirably community-minded! NB hubs called his cc company & they were quite courteous & prompt about reversing the payment (which Handled had even more promptly taken out (& probably spent already) as soon as we'd reserved the class -- so, 2 weeks before providing any service for that money was anything more than a note on their schedule. Bottom line: unless you've never, ever been late for anything & know for certain it can never happen to you, or you just want to donate your money to this place, I'd steer clear of Handled. read more

Booked a date night and made two pieces each and had a nice time. Our pieces were fired and glazed successfully and we picked them up two weeks later. A really fun experience creating some useful art pieces for our home :) read more

Exceptional experience!! I booked a session for a first date and it was a big hit! She can't stop talking about how fun it was and what a unique and creative experience it was. Score! Micah and Michelle were our instructors and could not have been more knowledgeable, friendly and accommodating. From the moment you start, your hands are in the clay and getting step by step instructions. For a beginners the end result was impressive. Which goes to show that you get a lot of value out of this class. Highly recommend! read more

What a fun time I had playing with clay here. You only get to "keep" 2 things you make which is fine but you will only get 1 thing back and you don't get to pick what glaze color you'd like. Came for a private event and EVERYONE only got 1 thing back even though mostly everyone had made 2 pieces. My piece I received back happened to have many shards of someone else's exploded piece stuck in it. I can't use it for anything. Maybe I can Dremel all the sharp edges off and I've got a key dish but I shouldn't have to. It appears they put 1st firing process pieces in with glaze dipped items into the kiln. Pottery can break in that 1st firing process which is why these shards are stuck in the glaze. I hope you receive all your items back and you don't have this happen to your pieces if you go or have gone. I'd still say give it a go but I'm disappointed given the cost and what was returned. read more

Handled Pottery Studio - Cute plate full of someone's shards - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Carlsbad, California

I signed up for a beginner's adult wheel class. The first session no one contacted me to tell me the class wasn't happening due to a blackout. Which was fine. The correspondence had been very pleasant. When I couldn't make the next two classes, the owner said that I could let her know the next time there was a 5- session series that I wanted to take. There was no number to call but I emailed about the class and never got a response. I then happened to recently walk by the new location and spoke with a really nice young woman working at the studio who took down my information and said the owner would call me. The owner never called me. I paid a few hundred dollars for these sessions. I would really like to either have my money refunded or have the opportunity to take the classes I signed up for. read more