An overdue review based on the pottery wheel class and glazing option experience. For reservations, I made it for two people through their website. This was for a public class on a Saturday at around 4:30 PM. The class consisted of 8 people max and seemed to be all couples. All of the equipment was prepared like an apron, clay, pottery wheel, etc. We had an instructor that was very knowledgeable and explained everything from start to finish. Complex technicals were explained in layman's terms. We were given enough clay to create 3 pieces but could keep up to two. The instructor also frequently went around to check everyone's pieces and was able to troubleshoot as needed. It was a fun experience but be very prepared to get your hands dirty! The glazing portion was separate from the class. There was no reservation needed for that so I did it the same day that I went to see the ceramics. For parking, street parking could be hit or miss depending on the time. I'd recommend coming early to have ample time to find parking. Overall, I enjoyed the experience enough. It could have been perfect if the staff here remembered to follow up on when the ceramics were ready for pickup. I am happy with the end result though. read more

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The day after we were told our potteries were lost, we received notification that it was found. Just to clarify, we provided both my name and my bf's name when we went to look for our projects. They couldn't find it under either. Jennifer, the owner messaged me on the side and offered studio credit for when we come back to glaze. I appreciate that offer since my bf and I had to and have to coordinate this date to come to the studio. I live around half an hour away and he lives over an hour away, which made it that much more disappointing when we drove all the ways last time only to be told it was lost. I messaged and asked to see if it was possible to have our pottery ready this time for when we came to glaze to prevent further mishap. They were kind and had our pottery ready for when we head back. I was happy with how our pottery turned out. It was with the red clay so it looked tan. Ashley helped us with the glazing. She gave us tips and instructions. They have a ton of different colors. They have a color section that's easier to work well and good with designs. There's also another set of colors that have some details and undertones. I picked four colors and hoped for the best. It's interesting because the more special glaze are all shades of gray, even when you paint it on. It's really is trusting the process. They put our pottery on the rack and told us it would be ready for pick up in 2-3 weeks. I'm hoping the pick up this time goes better! This glazing experience went well and I appreciate, Jennifer, the owner, reaching out personally and offering the studio credit. read more

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Loved taking my first ceramics pottery class here. I am going back to glaze my bowl. I highly recommend mud hen! read more

Mud Hen Clay and Art Studio - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Tustin, California

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I signed up my little sister and I for the clay for 2 and we had a great time! We spent and isle on the wheel and an hour on the table to make two different pieces. It was a fun experience for beginners. We picked up our finished items about 4 weeks later. You don't get to pick your glaze or anything but they turned out great! read more

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Went to Mud Hen Clay and Art in Downtown Tustin, CA during the Tustin art Street Fair and had such a great experience. The staff was amazing and so helpful with my daughter, making sure she had the paint she wanted. What I really liked was that they didn't baby her -- they treated her like her own little artist. The woman working around noon was incredible. She was helping multiple people, setting up a group for the wheel, and still took the time to make sure everyone was taken care of. She was older but honestly working circles around the younger staff. You could tell she really cared about what she was doing. Everyone there was kind, patient, and had such great energy. Such a great place with awesome service. Definitely recommend checking out Mud Hen Clay and Art in Downtown Tustin read more

Mud Hen Clay and Art Studio - My daughter painting her pottery - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Tustin, California

Let's be honest, sometimes it's really hard to be creative for dates. A coffee date is a cute, casual one whether to meet someone for the first time or a good break from the routine. Museums are great but how many can you go to before it starts feeling mundane? And do people go to the movies anymore? Luckily, I saw a great deal to make pottery AND go on a date, a fun way to enjoy someone's company, be intrigued by their creativity, and if things don't work out, at least have something for your work. Let's talk about Mud Hen Clay and Art Studio. Location and Style This lovely place is located in Old Town Tustin and tucked in a corner away from the bustle of the space. With parking easily found in all adjacent streets walking in feels like a co-op of sorts. You have on the left hand side a gallery which has high tables and people designing already crafted ceramics. On the right is another room with tables but clearly set for a class for making ceramics. In front is the counter where you can check in for your class and if you peek behind them you'll see the room where you get your aprons and clay. Using earthen colors of beige, green, and white the neutral tones feel calming but accented with charm. Nothing hurts the eyes and it feels like a conducive space for learning and crafting. Instructions Once we were given our aprons the instructions given to us were quite easy to follow. From pounding the bare clay into a usable shape to how we were going to make a cup out of it I appreciated the patience, pacing, and assistance from the instructor for the entire process. The class wasn't too big either so it never felt like we couldn't ask for help or given enough attention. This I found even more hilarious considering I have an art degree and I was probably one of the worse in the class (I never took a sculpture class!). Class The class we signed up for was two halves. The first half had to do with already formed clay and then creating it into a cup using your own designs with stamps. For the second half of the class we went in front of wet clay and shaped it using a spinning table to form a bowl. I loved the second half better because it felt more visceral with the wet clay in my hands. Though both use your hands I guess I had more fun reenacting that moment from "Ghost". Unfortunately, no music was played, but I think my bowl came out pretty nice and I loved that this was the way the class ended. Overall I believe the class lasted about two hours and we had two pieces of ceramics we would be able to pick up in a few weeks after they kilned and finished the pieces for us. Be patient with them though cause it can take longer (it's been over 3 weeks and I just got the notice they're ready for pick up). All in all, I would be down to come here again and try my hand once more at pottery. I had a great time and I'm sure you will too. Also, your date too. read more

Mud Hen Clay and Art Studio - Neat - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Tustin, California

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Mud Hen was recommended to me by a friend and I was super happy we came out to try it! Definitely such a cute studio aesthetically and I booked the class for two for my friend's birthday and it was my first time!! I had a blast (albeit, nervous) and thought that the instructor was very friendly and informative. She made sure that everyone was attended to and gave clear instructions on the two pieces we created (on the wheel and off). I'm excited to see how our pieces came out, but we had a wonderful time at the studio and would love to come back to create more! read more

Sadly, I was pretty disappointed with my experience here. I had booked a Valentines painting, and although it was an early slot, they were out of most heart items. (They only had a mug.) I was expecting a bit more, considering they were pre-selling Valentine's Day evening slots. The lady was not helpful at all, and very rude quite honestly. The table was not ready or clean, so we had to wait about 15 minutes, which is fine, but then I felt like I was being rushed at the end because she still was insisting that we finish with the rest of the group that had been seated before us. I was also disappointed to find out most of the pottery that we were painting had been purchased, it was not made in house. Overall, it was a very underwhelming experience. I was interested in taking a pottery class here- but would not recommend this place for painting. read more

This is a great place to try out your skills in pottery. Classes are made online or telephone. The studio is small and so are the classes. They do not have parking structures, however, there's street parking that can be a bit challenging. My girlfriend's and I took the hand building - paint palette. It's 1.5hrs of fun for $45. Once we checked-in, we were taken to the back to put away our belongings and into the bin. We then chose our apron and then went back to the front for our class. The instructor was really nice, very patient, and knowledgeable. She walked us through all the details from step 1 to finish. I didn't expect the studio to get really packed and loud but we came on a weekend, so, I guess that's expected. Overall, we really enjoyed pottery as first timers and can't wait to get back in 2-3weeks to paint our treasures ( it's another fee $15/ HR). read more

Mud Hen Clay and Art Studio - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Tustin, California

This is a great place to try out wheel throwing pottery for any first-timer! It's very easy to make an appointment online and they are great about communicating. The studio and class is small, so you really get more attention when learning. Parking is street only, so might be tricky if you're coming on a weekend. We came on a weekday morning and there was plenty of street parking around the area. I had a group of 6 signed up but mixed up the times and we had missed our initial appointment. They were very accommodating and allowed us to reschedule, even though it was outside of their policy. I took their 2-Hour Beginner Wheel Throwing Pottery Class ($70). We got to make 4 pieces of pottery (if you can make it within the 2 hours) and we got to keep 2 of them ($15 additional per piece if you want to keep the others). It does not include the glaze -- they charge by hour for you to come back and glaze if you want. Jennifer was a really great instructor and really helpful to each student! I highly recommend if you're a first-timer and looking to try out wheel throwing pottery! read more

I love this studio with my whole heart!!!! All the staff are super sweet -- Dani rang me up for some handmade pottery and they were really sweet and thoughtful when packaging everything I'll definitely be back here for another class or whenever I just want to get a cute mug for myself or as a gift!!! Support this local business! read more

I've been here twice and loved both experiences. One visit was paint-your-own pottery, and another time I worked on the wheel. The studio is clean, well-organized, and has a really welcoming atmosphere. The staff was incredibly helpful and communicative, especially when it came to explaining the process and keeping everything tidy. They made it easy to relax and enjoy being creative. This is such a great activity for college-aged people or groups of friends as it is fun, creative, and a nice break from the usual hangouts. I'd definitely recommend it and will be back again! read more

Disappointing experience today. My son and I have been here twice. We took the pottery wheel class and the monster mug class. The classes were fun, although very fast and felt rushed in both. In the monster mug class, we were told we would need to come back in a couple of weeks after the clay hardened to glaze our projects and there would be no charge to do this.. We back tonight. They lost our projects and it took them 30 minutes to find them. It turns out they were grouped together with someone else's project and filed under the other person's name Once we were finished, we were told it was $30 ($15 each) for the glazing. I told them our teacher told us there would be no additional charges and that this wasn't specified in any of the material promoting the class. They need to do a better job of training their staff and disclose any additional charges when promoting their classes. I don't have a problem paying, but not when we were specifically told there was no charge and nowhere in the material about the class did it mention this, it felt dishonest. Sadly, the fact that they were so disorganized, we were given misinformation by the teacher and the way the staff poorly handled the situation, left me feeling like this is not a business I want to support. :( read more

I came here with a group of ladies, I'm not very artistic and honestly don't think I would be able to make anything. The instructor was fantastic, she showed us step by step how to prep. She was very knowledgeable regarding "throwing clay". She even helped us individually with our projects. We each made 2 "bowls". It was a fun and interactive class. We returned to glaze our projects after they were "baked ". It was explained to us how to go about choosing the glaze. ( there is an additional charge to glaze your pottery). You return to pick up your finished product. The only reminder is that you have to return to the studio 3 times, the initial session, the glazing session and then to pick up the item. The activity is extremely relaxing and therapeutic. Enjoyable with a group of friends or by yourself. It's very therapeutic. I would recommend a visit to try your skills !! You might surprise yourself!! read more

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Cute place to go to and found out they have a pottery class. About to live out my Ghost dreams Friendly staff and we like this place better than the color me mine places all over town. #supportlocal Only reason we gave this a 4 star and not a 5 is not knowing when to pick up or not being able to receive a call when it's ready. We had to guess and hope that it was ready for pickup. Overall great experience and we will go here again. read more

Mud Hen Clay and Art Studio - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Tustin, California

My girlfriend planned a pottery date for our six month anniversary, which was so sweet and thoughtful!! I have always wanted to try ceramics, but never got the chance through college due to COVID. I was so excited and loved the entire process. We took a group class and got to make two items. We were taught to make a bowl and then given free reign on the second item. We decided to not risk attempting anything on our own and just made more bowls lol. The instructor was very patient and did well when it came to showing how to do things. I do wish we could've made bigger pieces, as the bowls were the size of sauce dishes lol. The glazing process was the second step. The girl did not explain much before we started, so the pieces didn't come out exactly as we had wanted. That's okay because we still had lots of fun! read more

Mud Hen Clay and Art Studio - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Tustin, California

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I spotted this studio while walking past and immediately went inside. I just had to check it out because I've been streaming/watching The Great Pottery Throwdown on HBO/Max. This studio has both indoor and outdoor spaces. You can do various things here from just painting ready to go pieces to hand building or throwing your own pieces. They have a kiln on site and can fire items you create. They have open studio hours and classes. While I was there checking the place out, I chatted with an employee and later that day booked a class with a friend using their website for a few weeks later. I have to add that when I realized I wouldn't be able to make it to the class we had booked to a family event that got scheduled for the same day it was very easy to call them and get a studio credit which I was able to use to book the same class but on a different day. I enjoyed the class, but I was terrible at hand building. I mean TERRIBLE.... I didn't even let them fire the "mug" I had made, but I would do it again in a heartbeat because I really enjoyed trying and we had some great laughs too. It was interesting to experience how difficult it was to work with the clay. It made me appreciate the talent of the potters I watch in The Great Pottery Throwdown even more. I can't wait to go back and try again! read more

The location of this pottery place is definitely a big factor in me wanting to take classes here even though the prices are not cheap. It's in Old Town Tustin so grab a coffee at Morning Lavender which is a 2 min walk or White Sparrow which is a 3 min walk before or after. I felt like I was in a cute cottage. The proliferation of beiges gives a serene, bright, and open atmosphere. It's a calming environment. Our group started with hand building. We were given a chunk of clay that we molded into a cup and decorated with patterned molds. Then we made bowls on the wheels. The instructor gave a brief example of how to use the wheel but for the most part, we were on our own. The hand building instructions were definitely more in depth. None of the activities were hard though and I felt like most people were there to have fun and not necessarily to make a masterpiece. The only issue we had was that the lady had called to reschedule the class which thankfully we were still able to make. read more

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Attended a hand build class with a friend and it was so much fun! Definitely plan to go again

I have been coming to Mud Hen for a little over a year and it has been such a great studio and community to be around. I came in with 0 pottery experience and so far I have taken a few wheel classes, hand building classes and their monthly series. I now go in for open studio and really enjoy it as my creative outlet. Their pottery painting is fantastic and affordable (especially compared to competitors). Every employee I have interacted with has been so incredibly nice and they even get excited about my work and seeing my progress! I cannot recommend this studio enough, especially if you are interested in delving into the pottery world! read more

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Made two cups and two bowls on the wheel back on 5/04 as a date night. The cup making was fine but instructions were lacking and instructor didn't really go around checking everyone's pieces. As we decorated instructor should have said to really press our decoration into the cup, because after the firing and glaze, it's hard to see my cup patterns. Got to experience the pottery wheel for the first time, as well as many of the group. Instructor failed helping us make round bowls that were even all around. Didn't check on each person as many were frustrated their pieces were not even. Lastly, waiting to pick up was disaster. Website and/or email says 2 weeks, when truly it took up to over a month to get it. I kept texting the contact phone number and was ignored. Then I finally said in the text I would appear in person, and magically my pieces would be ready the following month. I would recommend this class nor would I attend again. read more

Had such a fun experience at the mommy and me clay class! I surprised my 8 year old son for his birthday and he was really in to it. The leader read a book and had the kids create a Christmas tree from a ball of clay which was inspired by the books theme. They learned some great skills like scoring and got to pick out paint colors. The gal leading the class was great with the kids, so patient and a good teacher. I plan to bring my 9yr old to a class sometime soon. Really great experience! read more

Very disappointed in how my pottery showed up. I came to do a coil tree pot and they completely smushed half the coils on her tree. I painted my tree a nice pink and it came out white. Why did it come out white? It wasn't supposed to look like that because their examples showed a nice pink, but it came out wrong. read more

I've been a loyal customer at Mud Hen for over a year, spending hundreds of dollars and bringing in friends to support them. Sadly, I can't recommend them anymore. On two occasions I've painted something and was never given the finished product. Most recently I painted a plate that was never returned to me -- it simply vanished. I followed up three times via message and in person, and although I got a voicemail once acknowledging it was missing, I was never offered any kind of refund, replacement, or solution. At this point, I've paid for items I'll never see, wasted my time, and have been completely ignored by the staff and owner. There's zero customer service or accountability. If you care about your time, money, or the artwork you put effort into creating, I'd recommend going elsewhere. There are SO many better options for ceramic studios in Orange County read more

Did the couples clay date and would highly recommend! This experience was unique, fun, and a bit intimate, perfect for a memorable date! The offering is for two and it included each person making a cup and a blow! Our instructor Malia was excellent! She was patient and very knowledgeable! + the space was clean and inviting, very zen and enjoyable room to work in! read more

Mud Hen Clay and Art Studio - Cup / mug and bowl - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Tustin, California

Fun date night! We really enjoyed. We would like to go back and do more with the pottery wheel. read more

Mud Hen Clay and Art Studio - Cute studio - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Tustin, California

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Update when I went to pick up my pottery: they mentioned 4 weeks wait time and then they would contact me when the pottery was ready. 6.5 weeks later, I got an email saying it might be ready and I should call to check? I wasn't aware I was supposed to check, otherwise I would have checked at 4 weeks :( Staff were all very friendly though. Unfortunately one of the pieces I made broke, which I don't think was their fault but I was very sad about. I also did feel like it was kind of expensive for what it was (amount of clay used/amount of time we were there) but I'm not familiar with pottery prices so maybe I can't accurately speak on this. read more

My wife and I came in for a couples pottery class. Great atmosphere and teacher! We had a blast and learned a lot. Our pieces came out better than I remember making them read more

Mud Hen Clay and Art Studio - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Tustin, California

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We had a party of eight and had a wonderful time creating our masterpieces! Unfortunately, the pickup process completely ruined the experience. The gentleman who answered the phone was unprofessional, and when I arrived, I was told I'd have to identify everyone's pieces myself. No one had told us to take photos of what we painted, and there was no receipt available even though the staff had written everything down. My granddaughters' items were hard to identify, and I worried about taking someone else's work. It's a shame that such a fun event ended on such a frustrating note. read more

Update: Jennifer did reach out to me as she wrote on the review page. She then proceeded to tell me that since she personally has no records of any messages there's really nothing to be done and our art had be thrown away for failure to pick up. Which is ridiculous since I left public reviews on her Facebook, Yelp, contacted her website and have sent emails multiple times. So whether she personally has messages she has seen the public postings I have made regarding my experience and she still never reached out. Instead of attempting to correct her error (perhaps by offering a makeup class or giving a refund) she placed the burden of correction on me. This isn't my business, I'm not the owner. I am not responsible for determining how her mistake should be corrected. Yet, she tried to make it my responsibility. Reading through the reviews I see other people have had similar experiences and have been met with the same poor customer service. I will never support this business again. read more

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such a cute little studio! great for beginners or intermediate! instructors and all employees are so nice and communicative. definitely frustrating if it's your first time, but patience !! also very good group activity hehe will be coming back/ recommending to friends and family :) read more

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We had a great experience at Mud Hen Studios! We took a Saturday pottery wheel workshop. The patient and informative instruction was wonderful. The workshop ended at a perfect time for us to head over to a locl r3taurant for dinner. We came back to glaze our pieces. Again, the instructions were clear and helpful. We are very happy with the finished pieces. The text message updates from Laura kept us up to date while we waited for our pieces to dry and go in the kiln. It was a wonderful learning experience. We hope to get back soon for another workshop or for a class series. read more

It was fun and cute but the instructor definitely rushed us, wasn't clear on instructions, seemed annoyed when we asked for help, and didn't care if the bowls were messed up and we needed help fixing it.... paid a lot to feel bad about myself and watched other customers look sad and upset when the instructor wasn't friendly or helpful. read more

Perfect activity for an afternoon with friend or date! All tools were supplied and the tasks were explained well by our super nice instructor Malia. Can't wait to pick up the finished project in a few weeks! read more

Mud Hen Clay and Art Studio - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Tustin, California

Took my first class at Mud Hen and had a fantastic time! Andy was our instructor and did a wonderful job! We started by learning to wedge our clay and the we went to the wheel. Andy showed us a demonstration and then walked us through the steps! Andy did a great job on giving one on one help to each member. You get 3 balls of clay but you take home 2. The third is just in case you mess up, or you can take it home for extra $. The studio is so cute and has a lot to offer! I can't wait to be back with friends and family. I go back to paint my pieces in a couple weeks. read more

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Such a wonderful, relaxing place! Great atmosphere and kind staff. My kids and I love the classes here and can even take them together :)

If you want a new and fun experience, this is the place for you! Today was my first time working with a pottery wheel. I signed up for the "Adult Pottery Wheel Class- One Class: Beginning and Intermediate." Playing with clay is something I wanted to do for a while, and let me tell you feeling that clay in my hands was just as satisfying as I had imagined. I will break down of the business: Parking: There is plenty of free street parking. Environment: The studio is small, but well designed. There is plenty of space to move around. Temperature is Goldilocks approved. Not too hot and not too cold. just right! Staff: Malia was our instructor and she was kind, knowledgeable and helpful. Jennifer, was able to provide more information about future classes and promotions. Everyone was welcoming and had calming vibes. This was my first class and I was able to make four pieces that will be placed in a kiln (special oven). They will text/ message me to let me know they are ready. That is when I will sign up for another class to glaze my pieces which will seal them for use. This studio allows you to purchase course packages or purchase individual classes that fit your schedule. If using the clay wheel is not for you there is always a prefabricated piece painting option. The choices are endless! I encourage everyone to try this studio! read more

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My friends and I came in for a class on November 18th 2023 and we are still waiting for all of our pieces. It's currently March 9th 2024. Almost 4 months... TLDR; Wind broke our pieces, went back and forth to fix the situation and they keep losing our pieces. Would not recommend due to lack of follow thru in getting this resolved. Tried being patient but it's been almost 4 months and going. They told us that the wind blew and broke a lot of the pieces from that class so Jennifer reached out and offered for us to come in to remake it or have them remake it for us. Cool not a problem, Laura tells me to reschedule in December for another session. Cool not a problem. Later Laura texts me a photo with some pieces they were able to save and asks us to identify which ones were ours. Cool, we circled what we thought looked like ours. But what if the other people from that class also circled the same ones? Weird, but we were just happy to get something back. (Since my friend drives over an hour to have this class with me) We aren't able to come back until Feb, Laura says it's fine and she will put it aside for us. Cool, not a problem. We come in Feb to paint our pieces, only 3 pieces out of the 5 we circled in the picture were there. The nice receptionist looked all over but couldn't find it. She let us know that she would let Laura know and/or we can reach out. Laura texts back saying they don't have it anymore. And that she thought we were going to come back to remake them ? But she sent us a pic and we circled which ones were maybe ours in December, hence no need to come back to remake. She sends another picture of pieces that look like the ones we circled in our Dec 2023 text. We circled 2 pieces and hope once we come back, glaze and pick up that this is done once and for all. My patience is worn out, it's been literally 4 months and their accommodations were all over the place and a mess because of lack of follow thru. My friends and I will not be rebooking or recommending this business. read more

There is such a welcoming atmosphere at the studio! We were lucky enough to experience a "clay date" at the original studio location and recently took a wheel class where we practiced centering and made a few pieces. Jennifer the owner and instructor was so great, she really takes the time to explain how to handle the clay on the wheel! By the end of class I got more comfortable with handling the clay on the wheel properly :) - still have a long way to go to be a ceramics expert but that is what will keep me coming to learn! What I love about this studio is through learning, I got unique ring dish/cups in the process :) and they provide such a welcoming, inclusive environment for all levels! Looking forward to getting a message once the pieces are done and coming again to build on my skills! read more

What an amazing experience! My BF surprised me for my Birthday with a private lesson with Jennifer at Mud hen. I've been dying to play with some clay for quite some time and it was a perfect interactive experience to spend time with friends or your spouse. We were able to create a tray together, choosing the designs and color to make a one of a kind piece. After we created our cute tray we moved on to created our own bowls/ vases. I'm not by any means coordinated or artistic but Jennifer was so kind to be patient and really show us the ropes. It's incredibly soothing and satisfying to mold clay. You not not only have the chance to create something of your own from a lump of clay but again you get a one of a kind piece. After we sculpted our pots/ bowls we were able to add ridges, stamps or whatever you heart desires and choose a color and anticipate your email from Jennifer to pick up your pieces. I whole heartily recommend Mud hen for any occasion! Support this small business and the beautiful work she provides. read more