So, at the risk of sounding creepy, I've been stalking Hammer & Stain for a while. My mail box is…read morenext door to them, you see, so I've been admiring the projects in the window like a shy voyeur. My super-fun SIL and I love to get crafty together, so by sheer luck (or fate, if you will) I happened upon a Super Sunday promo and booked us both for a belated Galentine's night out! First, let me say that boss lady Sydney is absolutely the life of the party! She graciously accommodated a customization request for SIL and both our projects came out great! The workshops are quick, unique, and extra fun thanks to sassy Sydney! If you've been there, done that to the canvas paint & sip places, switch it up and come get hammered at Hammer & Stain!

We went to Hammer and Stain for a work event. It's not your average craft and sip. You actually…read morefeel like you made something unique that no one else could make. I was terrified the whole time that my piece would turn out awful! But the staff walks you through it and makes sure that you're doing everything correctly. I liked seeing how differently everyone's piece turned out. Thats what set it apart from other activities like a paint and sip. You're able to personalize it, so no one walks out with the same picture. You also can use power tools! What's more fun than that!? The staff was so friendly even when our group got a little rowdy. They helped me figure out color schemes and even brought out the glitter! Definitely want to go again.

A girlfriend and I came here on Sunday. Just an FYI, Sundays are family day where this is a…read morediscount for being with family or a big group. There happen to be a birthday party there when we arrived. We had to wait about 5-10 minutes for tables to clear out before we could get started. You are able to make reservations so that's good to know for the future ! We didn't really get a rundown about how the process worked when we arrived but there were signs and directions on the table that we followed. You pick out the piece you want and once finished, you pay for everything at the end! It looks like each piece takes about a week to process. You're told they will not contact you when your piece is ready unless there is something wrong. You are able to go in and pick it up whenever that day Pick up was very easy. We checked in at the front desk and provided our last name. Easy! They give it to you in a cute little bag and that was that.

A good variety of clay products and affordable. Place was quiet (less people) when we went and they…read morewere playing 80's music, which is the best :) employee was helpful and nice. Good variety of paint colors and painting equipment. Will definitely go back :)

This is always the first stop for me when visiting Truckee! It's two stores in one! A home goods,…read morebooks, jewelry, gift store in the front... And an awesome arts and crafts store in the back! It's on the main street in downtown Truckee and it's awesome. They have GORGEOUS hand dyed yarns and tons of crafting books. Some of the other art supplies: embroidery supplies, watercolors, calligraphy, wool felting, crochet, drawing.....and on and on. Really unique finds here. They have the Colorio separate pans and palettes so you can create your own collection. I really love the yarn area.... If you're a crafty person you need to stop in!

I had so much fun at one of their workshops! They have a separate location for arts and crafts, and…read moreI went to decorate pumpkins for fall. Everyone was so sweet and helpful, and the overall vibe was fun & laid back. I recommend both their art supplies for your own projects, and also the workshops they do with what they sell. I love that I can just buy a chunky knit blanket, but I can also learn & make my own!

3.5 - A solid spot, but has potential to be so much more!…read more This has taken up as the only toy store toy on the main street of Truckee. Do expect quite a lot of kids roaming around perusing legos, sunglasses, coloring books, puzzles, game, stuffies and more. No sales or discounts here, these are all straight retail and for such a small store, they do have quite the inventory. No rhyme or reason on layout and definitely the old-school aesthetic of a variety store, that some may call tired. It's a little bit in between. Staff isn't the friendliest, they are mainly high schoolers, seemingly. They do have some old candy? But how great would it be if they updated and had a "penny candy" section where kids could fill bags with candy? I'm imagining this spot has been around for a long time and has it cornered for toys and odds and ends in town. It has a lot of potential, but a solid spot for when the grandparents come to town and want to buy the kiddos something.

I put the stars in the middle because I'm unsure, however my son is adamant that the 9 mega…read moreevolution Pokemon packs he just opened had been resealed. He showed me but I don't know what to look for. He's opened cards for over fours years from Japan, and from NY TO FL to SANDIEGO, San Francisco and most states in between. He's never said that. Plus this is the first time he's never pulled at least one or many nice cards. And they sold them at $9.99 a pack!!! We won't be going there again. If you're reading this now you have a bit of info

I love this little art studio and can't wait to take more classes here! I participated in a Dutch…read morePour Class (offered through Artown) and had so much fun making a set of coasters. The class size was perfect for this activity, allowing for the teacher to adequately share instructions, demonstrate the process, and work one-on-one with students as needed. The instructions were organized on a print out with all the materials and supplies needed to replicate the activity at home and referenced during the instruction portion of the class. The materials for the class were well-maintained and organized at each place setting for each student. I've taken other art classes elsewhere and I felt like this was a step above with regard to organization, instruction, and take away materials. I loved the experience so much that I'm going to take another class in October, and this time I'm bringing a friend! In addition to the art classes and studio, Copper Cat also has a delightful little art/gift shop with items made from the artists in studio. Most are in the front shop, but some pieces are scattered throughout. Take your time looking at all the wonderful pieces... so many great art gems for sale at very affordable prices. This little shop is now on my go-to for gift shopping.

Finally made it out to visit Copper Cat Studio! What a beautiful shop; so much larger than I ever…read moreexpected. Spacious and well-lit classroom space. I'm not a mosaic or stained glass artist, but even to my eyes, the supply they carry looked amazing. Also local artists' works (including the owner Katie's) throughout; perfect for gift shopping. Yes, original art makes great gifts, while supporting a local woman-owned business! Everything is so tastefully, lovingly displayed. Just very lovely space. Hope you'll come visit.

My friends and I stopped here for a friend's bachelorette weekend, to make mosaics. We were a few…read moreminutes late running to this place as we were figuring out parking after rushing back from lunch (that's on us). Staff here was super accommodating and very friendly, was great to chat with too! Everything here is very neatly organized and quite a lot of choices for mosaic pieces. We used paint as the base for our pieces (had super cute water bowls for paint brushes we used), I think paint drying took the longest. It was a little funny we all basically hounded over our pieces to dry a bit before we put tile pieces on it. Little mirror pieces, pretty stones and such were plentiful to use. Elmer's glue was used to secure the pieces and surprisingly holding great. Each piece had a price on them when we were choosing them off the wall. Prices weren't unreasonable, on top of studio space and materials that we were using. It was a fun activity as we love our arts n crafts. I think one of my friend's made the appointment/time slot online, everything was smooth sails and we basically stayed till closing time. Final Thoughts: Thank-you for a fun experience and we'd so recommend this place for others visiting here looking for activities that aren't outdoors!

Lots of fun!! Super cute local business!! Great activity for…read moreany time of year, when the weather isn't good, or you just want to do something a little silly and creative. Not just a kids place!! Lots of fun for adults too. You can grab a glass of wine a couple doors down and then have fun painting a personal creation. I made a coffee mug to give as a gift. I thought it would turn out a hysterical mess but it actually turned out better than expected ( still made for a lot of laughs). Perfect way to spend an hour doing something fun. Great spot to know about if you've got kids you are looking to entertain, or need a creative date idea, or want to host a little pottery painting party with friends. Go have a little fun making something! Prices are really reasonable ( painting a large coffee mug was about $30).... They have a lot of options to choose from too! Cups, plates, bowls, animal figures.....

Fun time tonight with my daughter and granddaughter, craft and a movie!…read moreFreaky Friday a favorite movie of mine on the screen and fun dried flowers and resin heart dishes to create. A few snacks to start with and we got to choose our colors and go at our pace choosing the design we wanted to make a unique take home project. My first one didn't cure right leaving air bubbles so I was able to make a second one at Ambers insistence and with the help of my granddaughter made it in blues and whites which I really liked. Amber said I could try to leave out the one that didn't cure right in the sun for awhile and the bubbles might go away. We enjoyed browsing in the shop a little bit too and my daughter bought some earrings and a hair clip. Would love to try another class soon!

Attended a wet felting class and made a cool wool bowl. The teacher was very informative and…read morepatient. The class setup was great! I will be back for more classes !

ive always been meaning to come back here after my first trip to squaw where i only had 1/2 an hour…read morebefore the place closed! this time was a success! the make you get a clipboard, and fill out your name, with the shape of candle and the scent, and any add on already made shapes (price accordingly) if you pay $1/candle you can get it rushed into 1.5 hrs instead of the 3... definitely worth it! there are tons of scents you can choose from, me and bf chose orange(hexagon) and pomegranate(daisy shape) we were allowed to each have a spatula that would split the wax chunks into the desired shape we wanted (no smaller than a gummy bear!). there were a spectrum of colored waxes to choose from. note: when you are making your candle, it is actually upside down! so plan accordingly! when we were down, the mixed in the white wax/filler + scent .. and cooled down. and finally into the awesome fountain waterbath! when we came to pick it up, the lady was already ironing it out to make it smooth and even, and then wrapped in tissue paper and we were on our merry little way back to the bay area :]

Ever wanted to make your own candle? This place is quick,…read moreeasy and you get beautiful results! There are a variety of candle shapes to choose from and you also get to choose your own scent. After a short lesson, you get to work putting together cold pieces of wax in a mold to make your candle. There are also lots of "speciality shapes" to choose from (they cost a bit extra), if you want to do a theme. I love to make the breadpan 3 wick because I get lots of space to add big blocks of color. The pyrimid is a fun shape and burns forever! After you're finished, it takes 3 hours for the candle to cool down and be finished. This is a great project for kids (under 7 will need adult help) or for a first date. Waxen Moon also sells a lot of pre-made candles, candle holders and other accessories so you can shop as well. They have some big, beautiful candles!! And they make Serenity Bowls, which are so cool. I have 4 of them, plus I have bought them for friends and family and they are always a hit! The Waxen Moon staff is really friendly, helpful and accomidating. I love this place and always hit it up when I am in Tahoe!

The day we check into Northstar, we like to meander through the village and just chill. My son…read moreneeded an activity after playing in the snow for hours. So after walking past this candle making shop several times, I decided to check it out. It's a great time!! We did a $27 candle and my son had the time of his life, picking his wax and scent. They have a build a bear and a ceramics painting station. The price was fair I thought for the experience and the final product. My son picked the mint mojito scent lol. The smell is nice, not too strong. The darker candle wax colors turn out better in my opinion. A family runs the business, give them some support and swing by. Really a great way to kill some time and do an activity that is relaxing. The shop is next to the beach inside the village. Have fun friends!

Second time we attempted to bring my granddaughter from TX for the build a bear activity. The…read morewebsite posts they are open Fri-Sun. The voicemail confirms they are open. We went to Northstar specifically for this experience, had to park far out (very busy day) to only discover that once again, they were not open. This is incredibly rude and thoughtless of the store owners to not update their voicemail to advise potential customers that they are not open. WILL NOT TRY AGAIN - they don't deserve any business.