THIS WAS SUCH A FABULOUS EXPERIENCE! My sister and I went here together and spent HOURS painting pottery for our family - what a cheap way to take care of all the Christmas presents! And so personal... The prices were exceptional, and you are offered all of the paint, brushes, stencils, etc. that you need right there, for only $4 every half hour. The pieces change with the season, so you never can run out of possibilities. Every Friday they fire the pieces for you, so the most that you have to wait for them is a week. We had such a great time - the staff are so friendly and helpful. If you want to be creative, have children, or want to take your little sister somewhere really fun... this is the place! I am going back again next week! read more

I had a great time painting a piggy bank. Staff was so nice and friendly. It was a quiet Saturday afternoon with a birthday party going on downstairs. There were only a few people upstairs painting, so it was nice and quiet. You pay by the piece and then a small fee per 30 minutes of painting time - but you can sketch and design for as long as you need for free. I'd love to come back with a group of friends because it's a really great way to destress! read more

I am not what you would consider the artistic type, but I saw Made By Me on a walk and decided to go back and give the concept a shot. I like the place, cosy and very helpful. Great selection of pottery and ceramics that you can paint. Can get more and more expensive depending on what you select and how slow you go. The trade off between speed of painting and cost is clearly laid out. I think this could be a great place to go with friends and have a fun night. Add some wine and this could be a ton of fun. read more

Cute little pottery place on a Mass Ave. corner. This place is calm and inviting, providing a little break from the hustle bustle of the world. There are plenty of options to paint including mugs, plates, and little figurines. Prices are very reasonable. I went into the store mid-day, mid week and found the lady working there (I think the owner) to be very helpful. I didn't know anything about it but figured it would be something fun to do on a day off. She explained everything and within minutes I was painting. I found the ease and comfort of the painting experience to be welcoming and inviting to come back. Definitely a place to check out if you have a spare couple of hours. read more

I went here the other night with a friend of mine and had a *weird* experience! The price is fairly comparable to other places - price of the pottery + $8 an hour to paint. The selection was also pretty standard and had everything from plates and bowls to little statues. The staff, though, was another story. The one employee working was rude! She spoke to my friend and I as if we were children, though it was not our first time painting, and as soon as we started chatting she turned on the music loudly. She also talked on the phone in a loud voice nearly the whole time. I'm not sure I'll come here again so soon. read more

It's really cold in here. Ceramics are pretty pricey, and I hate the charge per half hour... also I wish there were more one-of-a-kind type stuff, but this place seems more geared toward kids. Oh well, didn't stop me and my older sister from painting! read more

I've been to a lot of paint your own places all over the country and this is by far my favorite. For one it's not always filled with tons of kids. Yes there are often kids and it has a play area (for kids done painting) and is very kid/parent friendly but there are also adults chatting with friends too so if you aren't with a child you don't feel like you shouldn't be there as I have with similar places. Second it's friendly. The staff seem happy to work there. I found out it's family owned so that might have something to do with it. There are lots of examples to look at and the staff were helpful in explaining how certain effects I liked can be done. I love the big windows that give lots of natural light and the music, at least when I've been in has been up beat but not so loud you can't have a conversation or think. I also saw folks there with a snack to munch on and the girl behind the desk was clearly nibbling chocolate as she worked. Lastly the prices seem about the same as other places I've gone. There's the same variety, kitchen ware, boxes, little critters, piggy banks, clocks etc. Also check out the mini animals you can add on. I made a mug with snow man in it for when I drink hot chocolate! You can also leave work you don't have time to finish and come back and later. Not a bad deal if you are busy. Absolutely worth checking out if you need a place to get crafty or make a present. read more

Came here because of an incredible groupon deal and am considering buying at least another one. It was a flashback to middle school art class. Once you enter, the process is all explained: from getting an item of choice to paint (They have bowls, banks, spoon holder, flower pot, and many other options) to the process involved in decorating your art piece (getting paint, using fun techniques, etc). There's nothing like this in the area, at least that I know of, and it's the ideal place to get crafty. My three friends and I were there painting and chatting along side a family. It's a fun activity for everyone. Note, if you bring snacks, you'll get distracted from painting and may take longer than expected. I experienced this problem today. Too many snacks, not enough time for the third coat! read more

great fun for people of all ages, shapes and sizes, with varied interests. atmosphere is comfortable and cute- staff is nice and extremely helpful. not too expensive, and you can come back and finish if you don't have time to do it the first time around. good for getting the creative juices flowing. read more

Really nice place. Obviously not something you want to do for cost effectiveness but if you want to make something personalized. Have now been there twice. First because I was looking for something to do with my 3 y.o. on a cold afternoon. The place is quite inviting for toddlers although there are so many breakables around. They have a little play area in the back so if you come with multiple kids and one of them gets bored with 'painting' you can take him/her to the back and still keep an eye on the kid. My son enjoyed painting a bowl but he sort of lost interest after 15 minutes but I got into it and ended up buying a small gift to paint myself. The second time I went on Mother's Day and got a plate with my son's hand imprint on it. It was pretty easy to do and I got a nice memento. They had a deal on the day where Mom paints for free. I would go more often if the prices were a bit lower. Also it is a bit crammed on weekends. read more

My boyfriend, his little girl and I headed over for an afternoon of painting. I called to see if there was space available and the owners told me that there was no need for a reservation. They were completely filled when we arrived but they were kind enough to set up a table and chairs pretty quickly. They hae a great variety of paint colors, good brushes, and good pottery pieces to choose from. The trouble was no one explained anything about the painting, the brushes, the pottery, how to do anything at all. We had to get our own brushes from another table, set up our water, etc. It was extremely "do it yourself." Luckily, I've done a lot of pottery painting, so it was fine. I just explained to my BF and his little girl how it worked and set everything up for them. It was very expensive. $4.00 per 1/2 hour of studio time plus the cost of the pottery was on the high side. My two ornaments and tiny Christmas tree came to $42.00. For a novelty, it's fun, but you should certainly know what you're doing yourself and come with a heavy pocket of cash. read more

WOW! What a great place! I can't believe some of these reviews, I live around the corner and have brought my kids a million times and never had any complaints. There is a great selection of things to paint and colors to choose from and MBM caters to all ages very well. When I come with my kids I guide them towards the less expensive pieces and they're done relatively quickly so it's not usually more then $10 per child (less than a movie ticket and popcorn plus a nice creative bonding experience- WIN!). Though some people have complained about the $4 per half hour I think it's great! My 6 year old doesn't have the patience of an adult so I'm glad I only have to pay for his short attention span instead of a flat rate! As long as you monitor your children this place is not unreasonable and the MBM staff is very forthcoming about how pricing works. When I go with my hubby for date night we stay much longer and take our time so that can get more expensive, however as the MBM staff member explained, the studio fee clock starts when you start to paint, so you can draw with pencil and plan as much as you want without being charged! That's the part that takes me forever so that really saves a lot of money. Also the studio fee is totally something you can control yourself which I love- as long as you don't try to do the most intricate picture in the world it will be reasonable, and if you're the detail oriented type stream line your design or be prepared to pay for your time. The MBM staff really caters to all different skill levels. They know what techniques are easy enough for children (ask about the bubble technique.. SO COOL!) and know how to make more complicated looking things easier for the less artistically inclined adults. All you have to do is ask for some advice and the staff is more than willing to offer several creative solutions. I love this place! Everyone should check it out! read more

I finally came by here with a few co-workers as a group outing last night and it was really a lot of fun. The pieces you get to chose from to paint are reasonably priced and the charge for the painting starts once you pour the colors you are using. You can plan and sketch and get everything else out of the way for as long as you want before hand, which is super helpful. The woman who was there (the owner I believe...) was really friendly and helpful but let us do our own thing and encouraged us to make ourselves at home. If you don't obsess over your piece and have an idea of what you want to do before you begin, you can get out of there without spending too much and with something you are happy with. There are tons of examples of simple techniques they are happy to show you how to do as well. I will definitely be back - it was also really relaxing! read more

I have been meaning to go here for a while, and finally ventured in with a friend a couple of weeks ago. We had a great time, choosing our pottery item, painting them, there was good music and plenty of space and lots of colors to choose from. The staff offered ideas to help my friend try to achieve a particular 'look' on an item, and offered general advice about the painting/firing process. Our stuff was ready to pick up a week later and they look great! We had a genuinely fun experience here, I would recommend it to anyone who might like to get a little crafty with no pressure. read more

Used a groupon here and had a great time. There is a wide selection of items to choose from and an even wider variety of paint colors to use as well. Good music playing, quiet, and relaxing. The girl working at the front desk was friendly and helpful. There were also some already painted pieces for sale that were very beautiful and well done (by the owner). There is also a Starbucks right across the street which was a plus. :o) read more

Came in on a Weekday, Owner/worker didn't even turn her head to say "hi". She continued doing whatever it was she was doing over by the sinks. The place was empty so one would figure she would happily greet a customer especially since she clearly wasn't busy. I had to ask her if she worked there after spending 20 min looking at the pieces. She replied "yes" with no further info. I then had to ask her if she could explain to me how this works and she did so dryly. Throughout my stay she made me feel unwanted and uncomfortable. Upon paying for my piece ( that was overpriced) SHE DIDN'T EVEN THANK ME FOR STOPPING BY! If she owns this shop she might want to think about taking a course in small business customer service. I would never give her a dime of my hard earned money again! read more

A very fun experience. The only thing that isn't so great is the location. It says it's about 6 blocks from Harvard Sq, be warned those are LONG blocks. read more

I went to "Made By Me" with my daughter today. We had nothing to do so we found this place and decided to try it. I don't not like Plaster Fun Time because they do not use a kiln so this place was perfect. The place is small but cosy, and is nicely decorated with whimsical art. The tables are perfect for painting. And the staff was helpful. A very good selection of paints. They also had a good selection of painting options It took my daughter atleast 25 minutes to choose. Desisions...Desisions. By the time we started to paint we had to pay a fee per half hour. I thought it was a bit ridicoulous but It was worth it. Over all we enjoyed out pottery day, and she said she had a blast we hope to return again. read more

Ok, so I wrote a review of this place, gave it one star and then it got filtered! I was really upset by the fact that my pottery was THROWN AWAY so I am going to re-post my review and hope that it does not get filtered again. I was VERY dissatisfied with this place and will never go back! I spent way too much money to paint a tiny piece of pottery, but at first this did not bother me because it was fun at the time. I never got a call to let me know my pottery was ready. I never got a call when my overpriced pottery was being thrown in the trash. When my friend went back after the 3rd time to pick up our pottery (because the first 2 times they were closed when the hours online said they would be open) the employee was not very helpful. She suggested that maybe our parents (who live over an hour away) may have come in to pick up our pottery. Come on now... read more

Great selection and really nice place to stop by on a bad weather day. However I agree with the other reviewer that the studio time is pricey - if it was cheaper I would come more frequently. read more

Same experience as Melissa L! Do not fall for buying a Groupon here! Clerk clearly could care less, and treated my fiancee and I like we were trying to shoplift. We had 2 vouchers for 2 people - their own website even says "Each voucher is good for One Painter Per Visit for in-studio paint-your-own-pottery". What really struck me was the rudeness of the clerk! read more

I had a Groupon. I bought 2. I called first and talked with a cold, couldn't be bothered clerk but I already bought the coupon so I went anyway. My friend who is here to have cancer treatment and is bald and gaunt was not allowed to use her coupon because only one person at a time is allowed. The place was empty. It was a Thursday afternoon. It was almost 90 degrees outside, the STREET was empty. There was no getting around the RULES here. It was supposed to be a fun time in a fun place. I felt like I was trying to break into the Vatican. We got our money back from Groupon and painted someplace else not too far away where the prices were much better. That is what you should do too. read more

I LOVE Made by Me!! It's such a fun place to go. I've painted lots of pottery there over the years. I even had my bachelorette party there! It sounds a little unconventional, but it was super fun. We were allowed to bring wine and snacks. So we had some wine, cheese, cookies, etc. and painted some pottery! It was the perfect bachelorette party for me. The people who work there are super nice, too!! read more

This was the first stop on the bachelorette party I planned for my best friend. I rented the downstairs room and we all had a really fun time here! We painted and designed a platter and many of us chose individual pieces of pottery to paint as well. We were able to decorate and bring food and beverages for our time here. I ended up getting lost in Boston and encountered heavy traffic on the way to the pottery place and arrived 2.5 hrs late! They were still willing to extend our time when we asked for no extra charge, which I considered very lucky. Overall, a great experience and a fun time! read more

Such a great place!!! The staff is super nice and helpful. They have an amazing selection. Bring a bottle of wine and it's amazing Friday night! They do have summer hours so be sure to call ahead. read more

This is a wonderful place. The staff is friendly and very willing to explain the process and answer questions. The studio is pretty and has a laid back atmosphere. While the studio time is a bit pricey , it had a great variety of paints , brushes, pieces and stencils. And while the studio time is expensive, the actual pieces are fairly priced so it evens out. In fact, I was impressed with their selection. It's great for children, adults, or groups. read more

Here's a tip for businesses: Do not participate in a Groupon if you don't want to accept Groupons! Long story short, I purchased two Groupons: 1 for myself, and 1 for my husband. We each came in together and selected our items. I finished mine pretty quickly, went up and paid with my groupon, and waited the additional forty-five minutes for my husband to finish. When he went up to pay, the woman was like, "Oh... do you have one with his name on it?" When I looked confused, she said, "We're only allowed to accept one Groupon per person per day." To which I responded, "Right, one for me, one for my husband." "But it has your name on it," she says. And then just stands there and stares at me. Both my husband and I spent less than the Groupon was worth - I was in NO WAY trying to scam them! So she wrote a nasty note on my husband's receipt about "trying to use two groupons" - a gross misrepresentation of the experience - but was never contacted, so I assumed all was fine. WRONG! When I went to go pick up our items, my husband's had not even been fired. So it rolled over to Groupon - where I got a refund, THEY were great about it - but my husband spent almost two hours painting a wedding gift for me which I never received. Sorry, Made by Me, I had a great time, until you screwed me. read more

If I were you I would stay away from Made by Me on Mass Ave in between Harvard and Porter. My daughter fell down their staircase last week (thankfully she walked away with only some bruises) and the owner did nothing to help and did not even ask how she was after the fall. I suggested she gate or put a chain across the staircase to keep other children safe and she completely blew me off. Not to mention the reason we were in their shop in the first place - they gave away my daughter's piece of painted pottery to the wrong person, even though it was clearly marked with her name. This place needs some serious help. read more