This place is really cool! I found Five Monkeys through Yelp after searching art boutiques. I'm…read morefrom out of town and have been working in Des Moines for the last few months. I have started collecting local paintings from the places I visit and was desperate to find a piece from Iowa. Five Monkeys did not disappoint! This place is adjoined to a music store that sells vinyl records. Five Monkeys features clothing, paintings, jewelry, pottery, and other local trinkets. A lot of the jewelry is very unique and different. Many of the pieces from the various designers looked like one-of-a-kind items. I opted for a pair of glass earrings and a painting called "The Little One", which I could be wrong, but may have been painted by the owner of the boutique. She was very helpful and friendly. The painting was just what I was looking for! In the back of the store, there is a paint-your-own-ceramics studio, where people can pick out items to paint and then pick them up after they've been fired in the kiln. I thought that was really cool, and saw everything back there from unicorns to mugs to tiki shot glasses. I wish I had known about this place months ago, but I'm glad that I at least went there before leaving town. If you haven't been to Five Monkeys, then you need to go!

Really had a great girls day here! Pricing is reasonable, staff is friendly & helpful. They have a…read morehuge stock of available pottery for painting. From what we were told they get regular shipments allowing for a diverse range of projects to choose from! I can't wait to see my finished piece. They also ship, if you're worried about how you'll get your project after completion.

I was looking for something to do, and I found this potter painting shop! It was a relaxing way to…read moreget out my creative energy! When I walked in, they showed me where to get the pottery, how to use the glaze paint, and an instruction card with how to paint it! I chose a mug, and painted potted plants all along the bottom. I may not be a great or even good artist, but it was nice to try something new! You pay for the time and the piece, so prices will vary and they are labeled under the pottery pieces. I painted a regular mug, and for spending an hour and half, I only paid less than $30. Highly recommend!

I had a rough idea of a project to make for my granddaughter and the staff was thoughtful in…read morelistening to my questions and very helpful in creating my design. Big kudos to Matthew for taking an interest in bringing my vision to life.

I signed up for what I thought was going to be a cooking class, it was more like a culinary…read moreexperience! There were so many ingredients that I have never used in my cooking, and some that were completely unfamiliar to me. The group of students divided into stations to create and then enjoy 4 different soups. While Chef Cass provided some instruction, most of the experience was actually in digging in and preparing the dishes. The atmosphere was exciting and collaborative with each group working together and checking out the progress of the other groups (and helping with the tasting of course). Chef Cass expertly provided tips and hints for each recipe while more than a dozen of us dug around the full chef's kitchen to gather ingredients and tools. So much fun and I learned a lot in 3 hours. I highly recommend these classes as a fun date night, friend's adventure, or individual experience!

Took the Rustic French class with KP. It was so much fun. She gave a lot of helpful tips along…read morethe way too. we divided into 4 groups with each group making one of the courses. All the food turned out great and they were all things I would replicate at home. Love it! Will definitely take another class.

I'm so glad we stopped by to visit this fantastic business in the East Village!…read more There is an excellent selection of greeting cards, writing tools, notebooks, potential gifts, and stationery with good pricing in a terrific setting. The store feels good. We met Karen, a warm staffer with excellent customer service who knew the store well. I'm looking forward to my next visit!

Favorite Stationary Studio!! For so many reasons it's not…read morefunny!! I get so many compliments on the nature of the cards I buy there, that my family and friends say they love!!

This is such a great place to create! Families can walk in and pick a project right off the…read moreshelves and start creating. From simple projects like painting a piece of pottery (you take it home THAT DAY!), to projects that are more intricate, there is something for everyone! Owner, Stacy Schuurmann is so creative and offers many ideas for kids and adults to have fun with art!

We were so excited to come in and make our own pottery for a reasonable price. The class was fun…read moreand we were given the option of painting it then or we could come back at a later time and paint it with studio paints and make designs, so we chose that option this class was in November). We went to paint these on February 13. We did very detailed pieces with flowers and intricate designs. The studio told me that they would be done within two weeks to a month. After a month passed, I called to see if our pieces were done, they weren't. After this, I called every week as the studio never followed up with me. Our pieces were finally done on April 3rd. So, I went in on the 4th to pick them up at opening. I waited an extra 15 minutes after opening and they had no one there, I knocked on the door and no one came. They did not have it anywhere that they were closed. I finally picked up our pieces and this studio absolutely destroyed our pieces. They melted the glaze and did not heat them in the proper temperature and ruined all our work designing them. So after 6 months, our pieces are going in the garbage. There was no apology for trashing our pieces or offer to reimburse us or to come in and redo them. It was so unfortunate that the team did not care to make things right.

Chef Mary Jane and her husband Michael made us feel welcomed from the moment we entered her…read morekitchen. We learned how to make food from Greece from appetizers to dessert (Baklava! Yummm!!) The conversation was easy as if we were old friends and the food was delicious. She obviously has years of experience as a professional chef and has a passion to share it with those she welcomes into her space. 10/10 recommend for a fun date night activity!

From the owner: Cozymeal is an award-winning provider of cooking classes and team building activities with local…read morechefs in Des Moines. Consumers as well as small and large companies use us regularly for all their culinary needs, from couples cooking classes to team building activities to bachelorette parties to private dinners.

A must visit for bargain hunters!…read more "Once a month from January to June (except March) and October to December, you will find antiques, collectibles, home décor, jewelry, purses, bags and more at the Iowa State Fair Flea Market in the newly renovated 4-H Exhibits Building! New merchandise and vendors added monthly; dates and times as listed." Free admission. Make sure you check out the Iowa State Fairgrounds Events calendar for more details! https://www.iowastatefairgrounds.org/event-calendar

Disappointing used to have a lot of antiques and good stuff so don't go unless you like hot wheels,…read moreTupperware and key chains.

I have had this on my bucket list for a while. The other day, I caught an ad for naughty pottery…read morenight. I instantly grabbed some girl friends and got us signed up. There is a placeholder you pay when you sign up. I completely get that as it sold out quickly. The evening of the event, we brought our drinks and headed to get settled in. Greeted warmly by everyone in the shop. The entire work staff was in a chipper fun mood. We got to select the item that we wanted to glaze. We were given clear instructions on what to do. The room was full of excited adults all there to have some fun. The staff was around to answer questions. They drew tickets for fun give aways. My group of friends laughed, talked, glazed, and had a good time. We were there for about 3 hours. Between picking out the colors and how much time you want to spend on your project. It was really fun for an adult evening out. I really look forward to the next adult fun night.

A unique store with an exceptional owner (Rob Beers) in the heart of Valley Junction's 5th Street…read more It was such a fun first visit! I'm a techy person, but I love great writing utensils, and I enjoyed exploring Beers' shop because he is the owner and one of the Midwest's last pen makers. He told me of the store's history and showed me some available (and very cool) items. If I hadn't just been getting over pneumonia, I would have bought some items, but I was running out of energy when I arrived at Quill and Nib. Cool calligraphy, fountain pens, notebooks, and writing paper are in the store, but it is the service that cannot be matched locally. I'm coming back.

the guy is really kind and amazing to purchase from and he has top quality pens. So good that I'm…read moregoing to give it to my girlfriend for Christmas.

This is my favorite craft store around. They seem to have everything and their sales are…read morefantastic. I cleaned up on top quality wrapping paper after Christmas which is year round paper really. Since Christmas isn't my jam I always try to get neutral paper for wrapping. I have used a lot of it and people have commented on how much they like the paper... I wish it was more about the present inside. lol But I buy a lot of my frames there too. They always have some sort of sale so you don't have to pay full price too... You won't be disappointed... they too have a drive up option if you order oine!

First off, the positive ratings are all at least a year old…read more It was my first time at this store since moving nearby, and it was a nightmare. I was looking for some art supplies for myself, and for a birthday present for my granddaughter. Many shelves were poorly stocked - every color but white paint in one section. I had several items in my cart, and I could not find any illustration boards. I went up & down the art section multiple times. I found bristol boards, foamcore boards, and poster boards, but no illustration boards and no one to ask either. I went to the cashiers up front, and asked one if their is anyone on the floor to help. I was expecting her to pick up the phone, and call for someone, but she just laughed and said, "I doubt it!" my wife, who also had several items, and I left the cart blocking the exit door as we left. AVOID THIS PLACE LIKE THE PLAGUE!!!