• Clay Cafe Studios Family Fun

  • Ideas for School Auction Pottery That Will Net Your School Tons of Money

    It’s that time of year! Time to start planning for school auctions. #Fingerprintpottery is a great way to net your school a lot of money. Parents love anything their kids create, and bright, hand-painted pottery can help fund important programs. Let us show you how it works at #ClayCafeStudios.

    Step 1: Pick Out Your Pottery

    We have plates and platters with pre-drawn designs just waiting for you. So easy!

    unpainted donut teacher gift

    unpainted jar teacher gift

    Step 2: Take Pottery to School for Kids to Paint

    We will loan you several colors of paint to take to your school to have the kids fingerprint the pottery.

    Step 3: We Do Finishing Details

    Once you bring the pottery back to our studio, we are happy to do the finishing details, including any writing you would like. We will glaze and fire it in our kiln.

    Step 4: Pick Up Your Finished Masterpiece

    school auction final display

    You pottery will be ready for pick-up in one week.

    Give us a call or come by #ClayCafeStudios anytime and we will help you make plans to make your school top dollar this year!

  • Our Best Valentine Ideas

    Winter is here and it is time to start planning your Valentine’s Day gifts. Forget flowers and chocolate! How about the lasting gift of pottery? We have ideas for your sweetheart, child, grandparent, friend or whoever is special to you.
    Here are a few of our favorites:

    Hand/Footprint Pottery

    Hand and Footprint pottery

    Conversation Hearts

    conversation hearts

    Heart Mugs for Sweet Drinks

    heart mugs for sweet drinks

    Love Plates/Plaques

    love plate love plaque

    We have tons of creative ideas to make February 14 special. We hope to see you soon at #ClayCafeStudios!

  • 3 Date Night Pottery Ideas at #ClayCafeStudios

    Are you bored with the typical date night “dinner and a movie?” Whether you are on a first date or married and need a night out with your spouse, you are probably looking for something fun and creative to do. How about a #potterypainting date?

    Paint Something for Each Other

    Why not paint a mug or bowl for each other? You can personalize it with your pet name for each other or illustrate hobbies or things you like to do together. Later, use your pottery to drink your favorite coffee or eat your cereal and relive the great time you had together.

    Paint Something Together

    How about creating a one-of-a-kind platter together? A hand-painted gift is great for an occasion like your anniversary. It’s also fun to paint something quirky to document your fun date.

    Paint Gifts for the Holidays

    If you have a big holiday gift list, why not get started on your handmade presents? Paint a personalized ornament for every member of the family or something functional for everyone to share. Friends and family love personalized gifts and you can show off your painting talents by making some lovely keepsakes. Clay Cafe Studios staff can show you lots of easy techniques to create that special gift.

    Painting-your-own-pottery might be an unconventional date, but we guarantee you’ll have fun. Maybe you can even take a few #selfies to share your experience while making memorable #handmadeholidays together.

  • 3 Ways Clay Cafe Can Make Your Holiday Bright

    Yes, we know. It’s not even Halloween yet and we are talking about Christmas. Yikes! However, it’s never too early to get started on your #handmadeholidays at #ClayCaféStudios.

    Painting someone that one-of-a-kind gift that no one else has is definitely a labor of love. Here are 3 ways to create those special gifts

    Personalized Ornaments

    We have tons of ornaments just waiting to be personalized. Our ball ornaments have space for a name and the year. We have monogrammed ornaments from A to Z. There’s hundreds of ornaments, including #StarWars, sugar skulls and emojis.

    Handprint/Footprint Pottery

    Ball Ornaments are great for adding a child’s hand or footprint. Mugs, plates and platters also make good canvases. Parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles all love a collectible with a baby print. Clay Café staff is always there to help you express your creativity. We’ll even do the lettering for you.

    FUNctional Pottery

    Reindeer platters, gingerbread and snowman plates, and holiday-themed mugs will all put some pizzazz on your holiday table. Don’t forget a “Cookies for Santa” plate! Imagine your holiday table set with your hand-painted masterpieces.

    Our new lighted Christmas trees are a staff favorite. They come complete with a light kit and colorful lights. Make a new family heirloom by painting this tree together.

    Come in anytime and see our wonderful selection of holiday pottery. We are open every day (but Thanksgiving) until Christmas!

  • Halloween Pottery Preview

  • Sets Make Great Gifts

    Example of sets of pottery to paint

    Looking for a gift for someone special? Sets of pottery make great, functional gifts for family and friends. In addition, sets with multiple pieces give everyone in the family a chance to create their own masterpiece.

    Stackable Mugs and Cup and Plate Duos

    soup and sandwich set plate and mug

    Kitchen Tools

    sets of measuring cups and spoons

    Wine Coolers and Goblets

    wine cooler and goblets

    Bookends and Pet Dishes

    bookends and pet dishes

    Sets make nice gifts. They are also a great way to stock your own home with useful items. Come in today to see our great stock!

  • 5 Memorable Gift Ideas for Mother’s Day

  • 3 Ways Clay Cafe Studios Can Help with School Auctions and Fundraisers

    Spring is school auction and fundraiser time. Ceramic art is a creative and popular auction item that raises much-needed funding for schools. Here are 3 ways we can help you generate those fundraising dollars.

    Pottery Painted by the Kids

    You visit the studio and choose a pottery piece to buy, Clay Cafe Studios will loan you paint and you take it to your school to decorate. This is a great activity for students to participate in a community service to help raise funds for their school. After painting the pottery, you bring it back to us to glaze and fire. Handprints and fingerprints create cute and desirable art on platters, bowls and vases. Parents love to bid on pottery that their kids have helped to personalize. Clay Cafe Studios can help you with lettering and finish off your masterpiece. Perfect for a silent auction.

    Studio VIP Cards

    For every school that asks, Clay Cafe donates a Studio VIP Card. That card entitles the auction winner to 5 free studio sessions. No work on your part. You ask. We give. This is also a great addition to your silent auction.

    Group Fundraisers

    You buy the pottery and paint from us. You charge a marked up price to each painter. The difference between what you pay us and what you charge painters will be your funds raised for the school. This is a great way to contribute school improvements such as creating a tile mural or other display and earn money for your school.

    Please call Gayla at Clay Cafe (703-646-6007) if you have any questions or visit our website .

  • Family Night Out at Clay Café Studios

    Are you looking for a fun activity to try with your family? Pottery painting is a creative outlet that can also help your family spend more time together! See how much fun your family will have with a night out at Clay Café Studios:

    Enjoy Quality Time Together

    Spending time as a family is important for building strong bonds and creating lasting memories. It can be difficult to spend quality time together when you’re at home and have distractions like TVs and tablets, which is why it’s a good idea to get out! Take your family to Clay Café Studios for ceramic painting and other crafts. You’ll have plenty of time to talk to one another—especially when you’re complimenting each other’s pottery painting.

    Express Your Creative Sides

    You don’t have to be a professional artist to have a creative side! Everyone in your family has a little creativity they can get out when you visit Clay Café Studios. You’ll all be able to pick the pottery piece that you want to paint, allowing you to choose something you find appealing. Painting your pottery will help you express your creativity and leave you with a fun trinket to take home.

    Collaborate on Pottery Painting

    Each member of your family can work on their own piece when you visit Clay Café Studios, but you can also collaborate on your pottery painting! Collaborating on a piece is a great way to combine two different viewpoints and can be helpful for younger family members or those who don’t feel comfortable painting their own piece.

    Create One-of-a-Kind Gifts

    When you visit a ceramic painting place with your family, you’ll be able to make gifts that you can give to other family members and friends. Instead of purchasing something from a store and potentially giving the same gift as someone else, your family can present a loved one with a one-of-a-kind present.

    Clay Café Studios is a great choice for all members of the family! You can learn about our pottery painting near Falls Church, VA by visiting us online or calling us at (703) 646-6007.