we went during our valentines day date and it was a super cute experience. turnaround times for our finished pieces was fast and the whole process was super straightforward. leaving this review because my boyfriend had an amazing experience with the owner, jean. she was incredibly kind. will be coming back definitely! the other staff could definitely be friendler. hard to speak to them or ask any questions without getting dirty looks. read more

Paint This! - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

My friends and I have been to paint this a few times now and we love it every time! They have so many options of pottery you can paint, all reasonably priced. There is a one time fee for painting, but it is relatively cheap and then you can pick as many items as you want to paint. They have endless colors, stencils, and stamps that help with your painting. They don't take reservations, so I recommend getting there right as they open to ensure you get a table! read more

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This is such a cute little spot, even for adults that makes for a fun girls day out or a cute date with a partner! Location is centrally located in the heart of King Street in Old Town Alexandria. They do not take reservations (unless you have parties of 6 or more I believe), but the wait time is minimal to none depending on what day you go. I went with a friend on a Saturday in the middle of the day and it was pretty crowded, but we still didn't have to wait long which was great! The staff was extremely friendly and helpful in explaining to us how the process works. I found the pricing to be pretty inexpensive, which was pleasantly surprising! The studio fee is $8 an hour and anything over an hour is $12 maximum for the day. They offer a wide variety of ceramics to choose from as well as a huge selection of paint colors. My friend and I spent around $10 per item and spent a few hours there. It took us a bit more time than expected by the time we decided on our ceramics, picked out our paint colors, and actually got to work on them, so I would suggest to plan accordingly and allow some extra time just in case. Once you are finished you leave the ceramics with them to take care of the firing process! The turnaround time to pick up our pieces was only two weeks. The pick up process was very organized and smooth and our pieces turned out amazing! This was such a fun experience that I would highly recommend for any activity whether that be a kids birthday party, bachelorette party with the girls, family bonding, or a cute day date! read more

Paint This! - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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What an odd experience we had. My friend and I stopped by for a walk-in as the website says no reservations for parties that are less than 6. When we arrive they said it would be a 90 minute wait despite the empty tables. The staff stated that they were waiting for their reservations to show up, they were being held for them. They stated that they could add us to the wait list but likely would not be able to fit us in before closing. Just for reference we came in at 3:30pm and they don't close until 6pm. They told me they had a wait list since opening. I found this to be a very poorly run operation, especially considering their website states no reservations yet they're holding tables. I would not recommend wasting your time to drive down as it appears you likely will not be served. My friend and I took our business elsewhere to another crafting studio down the street that was able to take us as a walk-in. If you're not able to take walk-in's, then don't advertise as such and make your space reservation only. i now understand the other 1 star reviews. read more

We had a fun time painting. They had a good variety of ceramics and paint colors. I recommend. read more

Paint This! - Painting station - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

They don't take reservations and when we went on Sunday around 1, we were told there would be a possible 1-2 hr wait. We went to get lunch while we waited and I think they called us in 45 mins. Perfect timing. The place is very small and tight to walk around but it's a cute little place. Everyone was so nice and helpful but they don't explain the process to you which some might like. They leave you alone and allow you to be creative. You can paint as many as you like and there's no time limit. It was the perfect activity to do with my friend! read more

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A fun alternative and something to do in old town. No reservation needed and lots of space. I thought the prices were very reasonable. We really enjoyed ourselves. My only tip is to start small it's pretty time consuming. We spent $70 for 6 small figures and two hours of painting. Cant wait to see the finished products. read more

Paint This! - The paint and a ceramic egg and bunny for Easter - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

This is a lovely studio--peaceful space, good materials, and a great setup for painting ceramics. I spent time creating a piece I was proud of and appreciated how relaxing the environment felt. When I turned it in for firing, a staff member quickly picked it up to remind me to sign the back. In the process, she almost dropped it and the glaze smeared. I know she meant to help, but that moment broke the calm rhythm of the experience and left a mark--literally and figuratively. A small pause or quick question ("Is it still wet?") before handling would go a long way toward protecting both the art and the moment. I'll definitely come back, but I hope they add that extra bit of mindfulness during check-in. read more

Great customer service as well as great selection. Ian very glad my friends and I visited on our stop through Alexandria

I've been to many businesses similar to this and this is the best one by far! Everything was so peaceful about my experience I felt very attended to and got everything that I needed. I had one of the best dates with my girlfriend at paint this! Highly recommend!! read more

Fun place, great concept and good price! I've been there twice and both of my mugs turned out nice. Lots of other options for things to paint as well. Kind staff and easy pickup. Parking isn't the easiest on that street but there are free buses in the area if you want to park further away. read more

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Loved this place, literally so cute and a fun activity to do with friends and family. The staff was nice and very helpful and even broke down the process of how things worked. It is very small place so if you have a party of 6 or more you need to call ahead and reserve but if not you can walk on in. They charge by the amount of time you take and ceramics you choose to paint (they have a LOT OF OPTS). The only downfall was the last minute info regarding other opts they offered other than ceramics, the payment opts, and lastly the amount of time it takes for them to finish your piece for you (heat it, etc. to be final product). It was also jarring to find out once they take your info - name & #- they DON'T notify you when your project is completed on there end. They just tell you to make sure you get it by the end of the year . read more

My daughter and I had a great time. Good for bonding and teaching patients. No reservations needed for a small (just us 2) party. Can't wait to see final pieces... read more

Paint This! - Working on one of her projects - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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I don't recommend coming here at all. The atmosphere was off as soon as I came in. We waited as THEY told us and in the end, they told us that they didn't accept walk ins after 5 after we spent 15 minutes waiting which was very disappointing. Better places to go to honestly. It was the girl with the beanie and dyed hair. read more

Took my bestie there for her birthday, and we did a fun piece together. We were told it would take longer than usual for pick-up and to expect an email once the item was ready. Paid, received an email receipt. Never heard from them again - no email notification. I called today to inquire if it was ready. I was asked for the End date on the receipt (dated a month ago) and was summarily told that because I missed the end date, the item was unavailable. I asked if anything could be done, and the person on the line mustered all the sympathy contained in "sucks to be you" without actually uttering those words. I love to support local businesses, but this is one place I will never recommend. I get it: I did not call before the End date, but I never received the email that my item was ready. read more

We had so much painting our ceramics! Prices will vary based off of what item you want to paint and how long you are in the studio for. We went a little over an hour and spent about $12 on the studio fee and about $10 on each object. This was such a fun date. It does get very busy and they cannot make reservations for small groups so I would recommend keeping this in mind. There's plenty of cute shops and cafes around the block to check out while you wait if needed. I would love to come back! read more

Paint This! - Owl - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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called 2 weeks and couldnt get a reservation. went in and said "hold on" waited infront of her for 30 minutes and no help.

My boyfriend took me here for a cute paint date! We waited about 25 minutes for a table but we just sat a coffee shop nearby to pass the time. There were tons of paint colors and pottery you could choose from. The pottery was also very reasonably priced! We had so much fun doing this together and we will definitely return to paint more stuff soon! read more

I thought I wrote a review but guess not! I was surprised by my bf for my birthday 12-02-24 to come here! I wasn't really confident because of my temporary vision impairment. I did bowl and he did a skeleton shot glass. The place wasn't too packed when we were there but very well organized and welcoming !!. In the back is where the ceramic pieces to choose from are , in which vary in price because they have small to large pieces and home countertop pieces as well. its 8$ for an hour and $12 for over that I believe check the website!. I was really surprised and happy I got to come here it's been on my list but with the pandemic and then my vision surgeries never made it out.. I'd totally recommend this spot for a date, friends, children & parents bonding time etc it's so chill . Finally when I picked up my work 1-03-25 it was amazingly beautiful!! I think for my vision issues it came out fantastic!! ...I'm coming back to do something else soon!! read more

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I really enjoyed my painting session here! My partner and I showed up on a Saturday, it was a full house. Luckily they had a wait list so we could be notified when our table was ready. Since their studio is small, they don't allow you to wait for your table inside. Instead, we walked around Old Town till we were notified. If you don't like waiting (40+ minutes for the wait list or a loud atmosphere) I would suggest going during the weekdays when its slower and more quiet. The staff were really helpful on giving directions on how everything worked and were open to answering any questions we had. The turn around time is a bit longer than we anticipated but that's to be expected in such a busy and popular studio. They are very strict about pickup times, they only hold onto your items for 2 months and write the last day for pickup on the receipt so you remember. Luckily, we made it back to the studio in time to collect our beautiful vase! read more

Paint This! - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

What a cuteee spot!! I love doing stuff like this so this was right up my alley. The staff was super friendly and they told us there would be an hour wait but it actually ended up only being 15 minutes which was nice. They had lots of color options and lots of design options however, I wish they had a more diverse array of objects the paint. For example, they primarily have mugs, plates and bowls. I think they could definitely diversify their selection and offer more unique household pieces. It was also a bit odd, that my group and I never got a tutorial of how to paint and use their products even though all the other groups around us did. Luckily we knew what to do because we've been to places like this before. Overall, so much fun! read more

Paint This! - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Love love love this place! So many options to paint. The atmosphere is very calm and staff was friendly!

I REALLY enjoyed this place. Paint This has a welcoming atmosphere where you are greeted and feels as though your inner artist is about to be released even if you are not artistic. They have a wide variety of paint colors where you are free to paint whatever you want on your object (I painted the large travel cup and by no means am I artistic but it is supposed to be a beach ). something that is really cool about painting the travel mugs is that it comes with a silicone lid where you pick from their color selection! There is also a variety of paintbrushes set out for you at your table and you will have access to other painting materials as well (i.e. stencils). It would be helpful to check out their website as it has some information about pricing. To summarize, you will be paying for the object you are painting and then by the hour...the employees will have more details upon arrival. Another piece of information that I wish I had known before arriving is that if you are doing mosaic (they also have glass fusion, but I am only writing a review from the mosaic perspective), it will take at least 10 days for your masterpiece to be completed where they glaze it, heat it up, and etc. to finalize your project. If you are in Old Town visiting, this is an integral piece of information to know. It is one that can catch you off guard if you are not aware of it. I will definitely be returning to this place! read more

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We came to this place after other plans didn't come through. They do not require reservations unless you are a party of 6 or more( although the lady on the phone said 10, so not sure which is accurate). It is a small place and if you are not paying attention as you go past it you may miss it. Since it was our first time, the guy told us to pick our ceramic and come to a table so he could tell us what to do. The selection is pretty good and has a range of prices. So if you want to make mutiple small pieces or a larger piece you have options. They have mosaic option or ceramic pieces, since we did ceramics im not sure the process of the mosaics. The colors are posted on the wall so that you know what you're going to get and there's plenty of them. They also have multiple utensils, such as stamps and stencils to add anything extra to your pieces. They have aprons available to keep your clothes clean, because it can get messy. We had a good time and actually do plan on returning. One thing to know, there is a stand near the door (that we did not notice until we were done) but if you come in with multiple people the payment all has to be done by one person. There's no splitting checks, so if that's not something that you're okay with then this is not the place for you. I don't know if it has always been this way or possibly something new but it's good to know before you go! Also something else I wish we were told beforehand, your initials and the date go on the bottom of your piece and if your piece contains 2 parts it goes on both! I was left struggling to fit my date because on the bottom of my piece, which was a shot glass, I had already wrote my name and "22" on it. Oh and also if you sit at the table near the paints and tools be prepared to have people constantly around you and possibly touching you, especially if they are busy, as they are told the process or just picking their supplies. read more

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It's nice that this is an option, but definitely have been to better spots in the area. Felt a bit rushed, wait time for firing is crazy long (two months! Normally it's two weeks), it's odd that you have to call to see when your items are ready (they don't call you), and a lot of their paints were dried out. Staff didn't seem super enthusiastic and were a bit cold, but overall it was nice to be there. I haven't had to pay a studio fee for pottery painting before either. read more

So fun! Unicorns, mugs, bowls, me and my husband painted an entire kitchen set for the kiddos and my youngest loved all the options! Long lasting memory. read more

Made an account just to say this: amazing! so much fun! I'm pretty sure I was there for over an hour but I still got the minimum fee. Lady at the desk was lovely and helped me out since I went alone. Building was overall beautiful inside and lots of options of animals and bowls and mugs to paint. Would recommend again! I'll update if I can when I pick up my finished mugs. read more

this place rocks! Went on a date here, definitely fun even if you're an adult! The workers were so friendly and gave us quick instructions and tips before letting us paint on our own. Good selection of ceramics and your project will be ready for pick up in ~10 days. Highly recommend!! read more

Paint This! - Frog ceramic - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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A chill spot fs. If you want to sit with your friends paint cute little pottery then this is a great choice. Lots of pottery in their selection including safe choices like mugs and silly choices like a T-Rex my friend painted like a superhero. read more

The customer service is trash. I have gone to these type of places for years...had much more pleasant experience at All Fired Up where the people working are engaged and enthused and helpful. At Paint This, they seem very disinterested, are disengaged, not very helpful and don't add to the experience in a positive way. No matter what, these places are great activities for a date, group outing, or for parent/child dates...but the workers make the experience happy and Paint This needs to work on that. I do think their prices are better than others though, but can't be sure as I haven't been to others in a long time. read more

The painting was a fun experience but the pickup process was disappointing. I was in to pick up pieces from my birthday and unfortunately one of them was lost. When picking up, they were unsure about the description of the missing pottery piece. When I described it, I was brought one that looked very similar but luckily I thought to check the initials on the bottom and it turned out it was someone else's. It seems to me it would be very easy to walk out with the wrong item, which I believe is what happened to my original piece. After waiting for 30 minutes I was offered a refund for the pottery piece, and only got a refund for the studio fee after asking. I get that these mistakes happen, just upsetting because I knew this was going to happen. Hoping this reaches the right person so that the pickup process can be easier for others. read more

Definitely would not recommend or return here. My experience here was extremely unpleasant considering the staff members were rude and just made the whole experience feel rushed. The store was closing and while waiting in line to check out, I was doing finishing touches, one of the staff members snatched the paint brush from my hand...while I was painting. 30 minutes from the store closing the staff is taking paint bottles from peoples tables and just telling everyone to hurry up. There's a professional way of letting people know to be mindful of the time. Honestly was hoping for a relaxing and fun time, but didn't get that. This could be such a fun experience so hopefully staff members in the future could be more respectful and foster an environment that's more welcoming for customers. read more

The staff was very friendly and lots of pieces to choose from to paint. My partner and I had an amazing time. So the only thing is if you go on a Saturday in which we did you will want to go when they first open because it doesn't get busy and crowded. But you can put your name on the waiting list. But I can't wait to go back again read more

It was a good experience however, the person that charge us told us the wrong information. We spent a lot of money on our pieces and they "donated" them. They said that they will call us when it was ready and that we can pick up after the "deadline" day. The deadline, we were told was for them to get it done and when I called, they told us that the deadline was for us to pick up. When I asked they told me that because of the holiday it will take that long to get it done. I called three times to see if it was ready and no one picked, i left a message and no one called me back. I asked to speak with the manager. They said that there was nothing they could do. TERRIBLE, money stolen on expensive pieces and expenses. read more

An amazing little spot for day-dates for grown ups, and birthday parties for kids! It's conveniently located about half a block away from a $5/day parking lot on N.Henry (GASP!!!) The selection of paint colors and ceramics is great, the staff is attentive, encouraging and helpful. They have a loyalty program where you get a free session and/or 50% off an item when you've amassed x number of visits!!! 3 hours of fun for $23?! Seriously??? Last year, my husband and I came here for my birthday, the when the owner found out what the occasion was, she went out and got us cupcakes for the occasion!!! I mean...?!?! We will come here for low-key celebrations on special occasions for as long as this place exists. read more

Paint This! - Kitty dish! - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

I just went for the first time today to paint my own pottery, and I loved it!! This studio was wonderful, they had so many choices of pieces of ceramic to paint, it's hard to decide! I decided to stick to the classic, a coffee mug and saucer. That cost $16, not as bad as I was expecting. On top of buying your potter you'd like to paint you pay for studio time. Your first hour is $8, and extra hours after your first one is $12, this felt a little pricey to me but I didn't paint anything too complicated, so an hour was enough time for me. They have everything you can think of; colors, stencils, puffy paint, paint pens, any thing you could imagine! Their color selection was very large and they had a very helpful display of colors and amount of layers. The staff was very friendly and helpful! Today was very busy for them and even with all the chaos they remained polite and helpful. read more

Paint This! - Some of the choices for you to paint! - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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I've been to a couple places like this. It's not a wildly unique concept, but it is rather rare/uncommon; so it is worth checking out. There seem to be 3 typical/target markets: 1) Couples and dates 2) Parents or babysitters entertaining their kids 3) Girls day/night out For $12 (or $8 if you're out within 1 hour), you can use any of the materials in the studio. The only other cost is the item that you're painting/grouting/staining/etc. For two of us, we finished with a tab of ~$60. It's probably not the best thing to do as a hobby (might as well purchase your own materials from a place like Michael's). But every here and there, it's a nice activity. So what did I end up making? A tiled and grouted version of my family's awesome catdog, "Sunny." Which btw...not bad, huh? read more

Paint This! - Before... - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Paint this is the perfect date spot for my wife and me!! We love to go, pick out different ceramics from the huge variety they stock, and paint different creative things! We go here for birthdays, anniversaries, and Valentine's Day! The staff is amazingly helpful at choosing tools, explaining techniques, and keeping us painting. As a bonus, I started a painting and wasn't able to finish months ago on my birthday and was sure it was gone this most recent trip. I took a chance to ask and they remember us, our previous art, and shocking still had it!! We were blown away by their memory and that they hung onto them for us! We will continue to come here as long as their is art to paint! Thank you so much for offering such a fun little hobby that my wife and I get to enjoy together! read more

Paint This! - Paint this!! - Paint-Your-Own Pottery Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Giving this place one star is a stretch- zero stars are more appropriate. Whatever you do- do NOT count on this business to support you and your family. We booked this place for my daughters birthday and confirmed in person twice- on the day of the event no one showed up. The shop didn't call me for four hours and when they finally did they admitted to the mistake, but offered no help or resolution. I cannot recommend this business based on their lack of professionalism, organization, and gross lack of respect. They ruined my 6 year olds birthday party and left me scrambling at party time to figure out what to do with 15 little girls. Do NOT plan a party here- I am so frustrated and disappointed and hope others don't have to make the mistake of choosing this place again. read more

Took my girlfriend out on a date here and we loved it the service was nice and we had a fun time