I've been here multiple times and have usually had an enjoyable experience, though accessibility has always limited my options. (High tables, cramped seating, low movement space) My partner and I stopped in as walk-ins on Saturday around 2pm, fully understanding it would be busy and that there could be a wait. When we entered, there was no signage and no employees directing guests. Like others who walked in, we selected our pottery and sat at an open table. The table was completely clear -- no signage, no tiles, nothing indicating it was reserved. At no point were we informed that the table was reserved or that there was a waitlist. After choosing our colors, we asked an employee to quickly review the instructions. During that interaction, another employee approached and stated the table was reserved. I asked if we needed to move and was told, "No, it's fine, we'll figure it out," and the instructions continued. A few minutes later, after staff were visibly discussing the situation and staring at us, we were told we would need to move because the table was reserved and there was a waitlist. An alternative was offered, but it was not accessible for us, so we declined and left. We were later told that walk-ins are required to check in at the "front desk," which is actually located at the back of the store. This is not stated on the website, and there is no signage in the store explaining this process. We were also told reserved tables are typically marked with tiles -- however, the table we sat at was completely empty and unmarked. By their own stated policy, the process was not followed in this situation. The handling of the situation was disappointing, poorly communicated, and made for an unnecessarily uncomfortable experience read more

The Mud Room - This is their website - Art Schools Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

I went here for the first time recently with a group of friends and was pleasantly surprised with how much fun I had! I do not consider myself an artistic person at all so I was not expecting my piece to turn out good but I actually ended up loving it! We had a group of 5 for a "girls night" activity and made a reservation online ahead of time. I would definitely recommend to do it this way if you have a bigger group as their walk in area was super busy! We went at 630 on a Thursday around the holidays. They have multiple different things you can do here but my group was doing the ceramic painting. You get to choose which piece to paint from their selection in the front. Everything is labeled with prices which is great because you can choose to spend as much or as little as you want. I felt like everything was very fairly priced. My balloon dog was around $25 meanwhile they had large serving plates/bowls that some of my friends did that were closer to $50. Once you all pick your pieces and sit down at the table, an employee comes by to explain the process and answer any questions. She was thorough in her explanation and it was much appreciated! You can pick as many paint colors as you want and then get to work. It was a super chill activity and we hung out there for around an hour and a half. Once we were all done, you head up with your piece to the counter to pay and give them your information! Since it was busy around the holidays they told us it would be about 1.5-2 weeks till our pieces would be ready for pickup but mine was ready in exactly 1 week! I received a text when it was ready. I would love to do this again sometime :) read more

The Mud Room - Art Schools Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

See all

My daughter and I did walk in pottery painting on a Saturday morning. This was our first time. There were many options to select from to paint. The staff was very friendly and took the time to explain the process to us in detail. Other customers were also friendly and helpful to us while we painted. read more

Service was great. Very accommodating for my elderly mom. Also, took the time to help us with the process, clean up, etc. I highly recommend! read more

As a family activity, we took my parents here to paint pottery as an early Christmas gift. It was a unique experience that we'll cherish. When you walk in, you'll see lots of pottery options with seemingly steep price tags. Keep in mind the prices include studio time, supplies, guidance, and firing. As a family of five, we painted a mug, a pot, a jewelry holder, and a creamer holder. Ashlee on staff was super helpful and friendly. She guided us through picking paints, how to layer, etc. We spent around two hours as a family painting and chatting. read more

See all

Had so much fun at The Mud Room. Now my second time. The first visit was for the potters wheel class. Today, for the pottery painting. Nice selection of pottery to choose from. You can make a reservation or walk-in. read more

See all

So fun for a date or friend group activity. They have a nice selection of pottery and so many different colors & design options to choose from. As an artist, I definitely recommend this place! read more

The Mud Room - Pottery - Art Schools Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

Had a great time here! Lovely atmosphere and the employees are awesome! Will definitely be back!

5/5 for price and value. The pieces are well priced and the fact that there is no time limit for when you need to get up allows for all creative juices to flow. The selection of pieces to pain have variety and the staff is EXTREMELY helpful and knowledgeable. I had not been to a paint studio in YEARS and they took the time to explain everything and offer suggestions. I've been back 2x since I first went earlier this month. Keep in mind that during the holidays this place is PACKED. The waiting time for 2 people could be 30-45 min. Great for dates as well. read more

Fun afternoon. Great way to spend time with friends and expensive express your creative side.

We had such a great time going here for the first time! The staff is very nice and helpful. There is a lot of option to choose from, from all different price ranges as well. It's well organized which helped move things along quickly. We came first thing on Saturday morning when they opened, and there was a line at the door so make sure you plan ahead! They do take reservations online for $10 to hold a spot. My toddler had a great time, and definitely wants to go back! read more

Did a semi private pottery lesson and it was an amazing experience. The instructor was patient and knowledgeable. Highly recommend read more

The Mud Room - Pottery bowl and cup - Art Schools Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

love this place! have been multiple times. always enjoy myself. staff is always super friendly and helpful. there are many projects to choose from and, many paints/brushes and options for your art. they take reservations for tables and parties. they sell beverages on site. highly recommend! good for all ages! read more

The Mud Room - Art Schools Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

Went to the Mud Room Sunday afternoon with my two little girls. Granted, we were walk-ins which they welcome and they were busy, but we were told that the wait would be 30-minutes. So the nice lady placed us on the waiting list and told is they'd text when a table was available and I took the girls to get something to eat (El Burrito which was close by; review coming soon) to kill time. Well, 2-hours later, no text. I do understand that they were busy, but I would rather they had said, "we're sorry, please make a reservation for another day." But it's 2-days later and I'm still waiting on some kind of notification about that table on Sunday. Since I already told my girls I would take them, I made a reservation for a Saturday so we will try again. To be fair, I'll update the review based on that experience. read more

I came here with some friends one morning and we had a great time! The selections of the pottery were great. Since we came early, we were able to stay a little bit past our time slot. Staff was very friendly and helpful. We picked up our pieces a couple days later and they look great! Definitely a place to go! read more

I've never been to a wood plank craft studio so this was new to me. I came with my mom for a day out during open studio hours on a sunday. When we walked in it was a bit hectic because a birthday party was starting up, but we were quickly approached by an employee who explained everything to us. We were shown 2 huge books of designs to choose and were set up at a table. Staff explained every step to us and were there to help, despite it being pretty busy in there. With the party, it did get a little noisy but the party was in the back of the space, slightly closed off. We did 2 wooden plank signs that you paint in colors of your choosing with stencil stickers. Basically you can't really mess it up. When we peeled off the stencil at the end, I had quite a few splinters peel off, but the staff helped me fix this. Overall I'm pleased with how mine turned out for my first try, but next time I'll try some more artistic techniques I think! Overall I think these are far and away a better product than those "painting party" canvas paintings and allows more personal creativity. They also have tons of cool ceramics, but I felt those give way more room for messing it up!! Plus you have to return to pick up your creation and I didn't want to do that as my mom was visiting from out of town. The prices are a bit hefty, yeah. But you're paying for the product AND the experience. Each of our large wooden signs was about 45-55 and looked professional, I think. This wouldn't be too much more than you'd buy for a similar decoration at Hobby Lobby or something so I think it's reasonable. Not sure on the ceramic prices. We would come back for sure, and probably bring more people! read more

See all

Such a great place! There are several DIY fun things you can do to get your hands dirty and make something of your very own! We did the Potter's Wheel Class. It was just us two with the instructor so a full hands on experience. She did a great job with balancing instruction and encouragement. It was not easy at all but fun and we learned how to embrace the imperfections :). We already plan to return for a glass fusing class. read more

The Mud Room - Art Schools Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

See all

So, I was going to give the Mud Room a lower rating based on the pretty exorbitant prices for what you get, but two things changed my mind: the really friendly staff and the fact that my kids really love this place. There's a variety of craft activities to do, including pottery, glass fusing, wood paintings and others. My wife took my oldest there a few years ago and they came home with an unidentifiable lump of brightly colored pottery. He was really happy about it, so I was too. It was only later that I learned how much that lump cost us. Recently, I took both my boys to the Mud Room so they could do some glass fusion to make some Christmas ornaments. It was $17 each for one small (roughly 3 inch) piece. I was a bit irritated at first, but the kids were both so happy and having so much fun - and the young lady working there was so nice and helpful, I had to give it 4 stars. I guess coming here is not something you can do every day, but it's a worthwhile activity if you don't go too often. read more

Visited The Mud Room for my daughters friends 6 year old birthday party. They had a table with 4 girls which was quite perfect (could have fit 6 total if needed). The girls all got to pick out their pottery near the front of the store - items ranging from rainbow piggy banks to more adult things like deviled egg dish trays. Prices range from $17 upwards of $50+ depending on what you choose. The hostesses were very helpful and got everything set up. The paints are easy to figure out with cheat sheets on the wall. It took the girls about 45 mins to finish painting - but they were all 5 and 6 years old... attention spans vary. Once done the take your piece and fire them in the oven then you come back and pick it up at a later date. Parking is super easy and the place is right off the belt line near Meijer. read more

The Mud Room - Choices of pottery to paint - Art Schools Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

See all

What a lovely place! I made these pots with the help of my instructor and I'm so happy with how they turned out! Will visit again soon! read more

The Mud Room - Two pots glazed with light shining to show colors - Art Schools Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

See all

My daughter and daughter in-law arranged a private pottery wheel class for my birthday and my daughter in-law's mom's birthday. This outing was a surprise for us, but my daughter advised us to bring a cover up as it might be kinda messy. It was indeed a bit messy so you might want to bring along an old shirt or apron to wear while spinning. We had a great time and we all made cool pieces that were quite different from each other's. The gal that instructed us (I can't remember her name) knew exactly what she was doing and was very helpful without taking over the projects we were working on. We were able to choose which shape we were interested in and thankfully mine turned out just the way I wanted it to. After forming our piece we picked out the colors of glaze we wanted and were instructed as to how to apply it. Our names were carved in the bottom of our bowls and my daughter picked them up a couple of weeks later after they had been fired. I love my bowl and I use it for soup all the time. I think I need to do this again so I can make a bowl for my husband. read more

The Mud Room - As we were spinning - Art Schools Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

See all

I have not had a good experience here. The colors are limited, it's pricey, and you can't mix pottery glazes here unlike almost every other pottery store. I painted my piece over a week ago at the same time as my friend which hers was ready yesterday; however my piece is not ready until five minutes before they close, oh and they don't reopen until Wednesday. Keep in mind they told me verbally if not done Saturday it would be done beginning of Sunday. The management is very poor here. read more

Went back for my 2nd session of glass fusing today. I was given the piece I made last week and I absolutely love it!! We made 2 additional items today. I made an ornament & a pendant. Waiting a week to get them is going to kill me!!! This place is so much fun. A group of young kids were in today painting some pottery, it was so cute to watch! This place is great to go with friends, by yourself, with your family! Great way to get your creative juices flowing. Again, Stephanie was awesome today. Helping us figure out how to do what we wanted, making things that seemed difficult easy. Loved it. I might be addicted...... read more

See all

Enjoyed taking the pottery and ceramics classes. It is also wonderful to use the open shop time to work on projects of my own choosing. Super busy on weekends with lots of kids. I prefer early to mid-week for open time. Employees fun to work with and are extremely patient and helpful. read more

Fun for all ages. Me and a group of my 30-something friends (and one 6 yr old kiddo) went to the Mud Room and had a great time! It's something different to do! Highly recommend. As far as price goes, you pick your pottery and the price of the studio time, paints, firing of the pottery are all included in the price. I chose a large spoon holder (for by the stove) it came out to $30 after tax. Also, if you find a quote or design you like beforehand, you can print it off and the staff will show you how to transfer it onto your piece. Unfortunately we learned about this at the end of our session. read more

Recently, I rented the private room for a small baby shower (make the baby a keepsake). Mikayla was super helpful and sweet and the pieces did all turn out very cute. However, the order was delayed in being completed and when it was picked up (by the mommy to be), we found that there was only one wire/bead set (there were two hanging pieces) and it was unexpectedly left to her to "install". I thought that was strange as I have a piece that I did with my kids in 2011 that came with beads and wire adorably placed (see picture). I called to see what we could do as I live in Florida (and have returned home) and the other guests came from Muskegon, Lansing, and other not super close places. I was told that I could have the mom to be come back and purchase the wire/bead kit for "only $2.00". When I asked if I could buy it by phone and have it mailed, I was told "yes, but there is a shipping fee so it's better to have someone come in". We spent several hundred dollars AND I paid to use the space that night. It was offensive enough to tell me it had to be purchased for such a small amount (we either misunderstood or were incorrectly informed the night of the event that both hanging pieces came with the wire and beads) but the icing is charging shipping or make the Mom to be drive all the way back for it. I expected better customer service than that. Update: Rachel, thank you for the reply; however, I can assure you that there wasn't a misunderstanding. I was very plainly explained my options and at no time was an offer made to send the bead and wire even AFTER I repeated back what I understood as my options. Several hours after I made this review, the Mom to be reached out and stated that she received a call from your business to offer to send them. While I do appreciate you correcting it, I don't appreciate that insinuation that I simply misunderstood what I was told the night I called. It sounds like it's simply a customer service training issue that needs to be addressed is all As for the 2011 piece, there may be confusion. I was the director of a childcare center at the time where I was contacted by "the mud room" to hold an event at our center for parents to come in and make pieces. We also did this in 2012. So, if this was not a Mud Room piece, that is not what I was told when approached to host the event. Thanks again for your reply and for taking steps to correct what could be corrected with the beads and wire. read more

See all

I like the organization this company has - with regard to the "how to," however, for the price, I feel like there should be more consideration to the customers. I booked a potter's wheel session for me and my mother. Neither of us have done this before, so we were really excited. We showed up about 5 minutes late to the class because of some things that were beyond our control. There was a table set up with 6 wheels. The attendees were still putting on aprons and getting settled. The instructor told us we had to wait until the group was done to begin our pots. We waited and watched for 45 minutes. Finally we were able to make our own pots. I picked it up pretty quickly and would have made two pots had we been allowed to start with the first group of potters. I left disappointed. Fast forward to pick up our pots - I called the business around noon to see if we could come in that same night paint our pots and was told "sure!" When I got my pot that evening, I noticed my carved name on the bottom of the pot was misspelled by the instructor. (After spinning my pot, I'd placed it on a piece of paper with my name written in large letters in marker (as instructed).) For a $40 pot, I was not happy. I wanted to paint the pot that night at the studio regardless, but was told it was full. There was an event planned that night. As a busy mom, this was really disappointing. I contacted the owner via email, who happens to know a friend, who says she's a very nice person. I shared with her the whole story. She was kind to email me back with concern, and explained that they've changed their procedures to eliminate the misspellings from happening in the future. I suppose, that was all I was due. I've been in customer service many years, and I was surprised I wasn't offered some kind of discount or compensation of some kind for all the headache. We've only been back to complete the pots and paint a ($25) smiley face piggy bank. Searching for a place that understands the value of (an artsy) customer... read more

We were very excited to attend the potter's wheel class. However, we were disappointed within the first 3 minutes into the introduction. Our adult family was talked to like we were 1st graders being scolded and told where we could and could not stand. Direction is totally understandable, but the tone was totally demeaning. Then throughout the class the instructor would ask each individual to go was their hands so she could complete/correct EVERY pot. Personally, I wanted to see my imperfections as my own work. However, the instructor wanted ALL our pots to be her creation. What fun is that??? Might as well just go buy a pot at Meijer for a fraction of the cost. Her attitude ruined what could have been a truly fun event for my family. read more

Unbelieveably overpriced, and the owner is rude and unprofessional, would not recommend.

Fun outting with my daughter. The place is a little crowded and there are no private tables. The prices were a little high. I would hsve given 4 stars but right before we left a couple who had two little boys paid for their 4 pieces of artwork and as they were leaving one of the littleboys knocked over a bisque/unpainted piece of pottery and broke it. Despite the fact that this family had just spent $100 bucks there they were asked to pay 50% of the painted pottery price for the broken item. These bisque items cost about $2 each but they were forced to pay $10. So I took a star off for customer service. read more

Such a fun place to go for boys and girls of any age. The staff was so sweet and helpful. The studio was very clean and organized. Can't wait to return soon and use our completed pieces. read more

Took a couple of my grand kids here for a fun afternoon of craft and we had a blast. I really appreciated that they had many items to choose from. You could paint the pottery or wood. There is many colors to choose from and many helpers to give you a hand. This is really something to do if you are looking to get your craft on and spend a couple hours doing it. Don't just plan on running in and doing this quick. They also have classes set up which we might take advantage of at a later time. Thanks Mud Room read more

Even though COVID is bad right now I have to say the experience hasn't changed a bit! Even though we had to wear masks and couldn't get our own paints, we still had a great time. The employee, Nicholas, was very nice and helpful. He was happy to help in anyway he could! read more

My 16 year old brother asks me every time I am home if we can go to the Mud Room. It's been "our thing" for over 5 years now--he loves it, and so do I! Rachel, the owner, is super nice and incredibly helpful (along with the rest of the staff). There is a good selection of paint your own pottery pieces to choose from, and every color paint you could want--they even have speckled glazes now! I've only done the glass fusing once. It can be tedious depending on what you want to do, but it was a ton of fun and I still have the picture frame that I made. Overall, it's a really great space to relax and let your creative juices flow. It can get a bit pricey depending on what piece you choose, but it's absolutely worth it. read more

The Mud Room is amazing!!! So many choices to choose from - paint your own pottery, glass infusions, create your own piece on the wheel, and more. Great for all ages! read more

This is not a place for younger children. The studio fee of $1 on Mondays is misleading. You also have to pay a fee for whatever pottery you choose to create your art with. I did not see anything under $8. With two children my final fees were over $30 for one child to make a pair of earrings that took less than 5 minutes to make and another to paint a plate. Afterwards, I was told our projects would not be ready the next day for pick up, but instead we would have to wait 11 days for pick up. Beyond disappointed. Again, I would not recommend this activity for younger children. read more

This place is so cool! Our first time visiting and we enjoyed the crafts we made. The staff was friendly and the store has a huge selection of crafts to chose from. I would definitely take my daughter there again. read more

Walked in with my two kids, there was a birthday party currently going on. But I'm standing there fighting to keep my two kids from running off and they two adults there, not sure which one worked there just stared at me struggling for a couple of minutes until I left because I never got any service. There didn't seem to be a front desk I could go to. I gave it a two star because it seemed like a cool concept. read more

I have never experienced such poor customer service from a small business owner before! I have taken my children to The Mud Room on many occasions and have spent hundreds of dollars on hand painted pottery there. While the fees and costs for the pottery are very expensive, I was willing to pay the money because I wanted to support local business. However, on our most recent visit, when I picked up our two small pottery pieces (which I paid $50 for), I asked to have my punch card punched for our most recent purchase. The young worker told me that it was against company policy to punch cards after payment because customers were "cheating the system." I assured her that I was not trying to cheat the system and simply forgot to request a punch since I was not asked at check out if I had a punch card. The worker then told me they don't ask customers if they have punch cards because it takes customers too long to download the punch card app on their phones and they frequently forget their passwords. Another young worker then quipped, "that's why it's written on the chalk board behind the counter." At this point, I wasn't going to argue with the young workers and left my name and number for the owner of the business to call me. She never did. I was then in the area and decided to pop in to see if the owner was working. I knew if she saw me she would recognize me (since she was the one who checked me out and took my payment) and assumed she would be happy to punch my punch card. Unfortunately, the owner was just as rude and skeptical of me as the young workers! After explaining the situation to her she said she did recognize me and remembered checking me out, but didn't remember if she had punched my card. We'll I remember and she hadn't! She then said she looked in my "account" and only saw two purchases in 2015, hence my two punches on the card. I then started to list the items we had painted this past year and she quickly cut me off saying "they don't keep a record of the items painted," so I had no proof that I hadn't gotten punches for every purchase. I was so surprised and insulted by her response I couldn't even respond! I simply walked out of the studio. As I was leaving the studio with my three small children I saw the business owner and her workers rolling their eyes and talking about me behind my back. What a terrible experience!! I have never been treated so poorly as a loyal, honest, paying customer. Not only do I have the credit card history for all THREE purchases I have made at her studio in 2015, but I have the pottery pieces dated with the month and the year (2015) in HER handwriting sitting on a shelf in my house!! I will never paint another piece of pottery at The Mud Room again and I will certainly never recommend The Mud Room to anyone. read more