The Claypen — Attraction in West Hartford

INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE. Before today the last time I'd been in the Claypen was probably when I was 15, and I'd had a terrific time making gifts for people. 20 years later, I'm delighted to announce I'm even more enthusiastic about the place. Before I showed up, I was greeted on the phone with wonderful customer service regarding holiday timing. In person today, I was blown away by the friendliness and expertise of the people working there. Here are a few examples:

During my 6 hours slaving away painting, several families with 2-3 young kids each in tow came in to complete projects. The store associates keenly helped the parents juggle their excited broods by drawing with one or two kids on scrap paper while they took turns painting for the project - very smart, and above and beyond their job description, I'm sure. I was stunned. It's been a long time since I've seen that level of customer service, and this happened more than once in my time there.

What struck me the most is the community atmosphere they've cultivated at Claypen. The associates knew the projects people were coming in to pick up, which expedited the process immensely. Also, an associate even offered to wrap a project in bubble wrap and meet a customer on the street for a pickup so he/she wouldn't have to worry about the hassle of parking! Seriously.

The products offered for painting fit a broad range of budgets, even my meager one, and that was nice as well. The associates knew the stock of pottery very well and gave terrific insights to people who needed a little guidance figuring out what to do. I had lovely chats with the associates during some slow periods, and it just makes me want to come back and get more involved. I also found out that they have lots of events and some super sweet grown-up evening activities! They're also BYOB, so whether you're there for a date, an anniversary, or even just for an intensive project as I was, you can relax and enjoy creative vibes at its best. GO TO THE CLAYPEN. Make something personal. Have fun. This is a place...

Went to the Studio Ghibli night and was extremely disappointed. The staff were unorganized and it took forever to even get checked in, then even longer to get the paint to start our pottery. They didn’t have enough stencils for us and it was clear other tables were hoarding the supplies. I asked the staff member if they had any more and she kind of just shrugged and walked away. Not sure how you can host a “studio ghibli” night and not have enough theme supplies for everyone that PRE PAID to be there. The table behind us was SCREAMING and swearing at the top of their lungs the entire time to the point we couldn’t hear each other less than a foot apart and we basically had to scream to get word in, staff didn’t say a thing even though it was very obvious other tables were irritated as well. Then at checkout, it was the last day to use loyalty points, the staff did not apply them to my purchase or let me exchange them so all my points went to waste. I’m a frequent attender at these events so it’s extremely irritating when I have spent A LOT of money at both locations and couldn’t even use the minuscule amount of points I managed to get. I definitely prefer Firestone location better. Staff are way more friendly, organized, and just all around more functional. My anxiety was so high I ended up painting my piece as fast as I could...

I’ve been going here for 10+ years but I recently ordered a ceramic initial from here. I had one from many years ago. I stored it in the attic when we were repainting and renovating my bedroom. That was delayed due to covid so it sat in the attic and we also had to get our roof done during the renovation. Somehow when we had our roof redone it was damaged while it was in storage in my attic. I was so devastated. I called told them my story and asked if they still had them. They were so nice, understanding and helpful. They didn’t have them at the studio anymore but they were able to order one for me. They copied my digital design I sent in onto the letter V. I absolutely love how it came out! They also pre-drilled teeny tiny holes so I could hang it with wire. This made my day when I picked it up today! I am so grateful that they did this for me! It meant so much to me. Please support The Claypen and pay them a visit! The staff are amazing and it’s a wonderful environment. Some of my best memories were at the Claypen. Their sister studio called The Firestone is also really nice and has a big open space with lots of natural light and a cafe! I have been to both many times. It’s always fun. It’s great for spending time with family, friends or even date night! I 100%...