Do It Yourself Crafts pottery painting shop opens a new clay studio

Since 1999, Do It Yourself Crafts has been a destination for pottery painting, parties and art classes. The Homewood shop attracts visitors of all ages and walks of life — the owner, Julia McNair, recalls all kinds of celebrations in her space, from birthdays to baby showers to girls’ nights.

But the shop was “busting at the seams,” she said. When the opportunity arose, she knew it was time to expand her store’s footprint. 

The owner of the space next door, Backstage Dance Centre, retired, leaving the area vacant. McNair was able to lease that spot, allowing her to effectively double the square footage of her business.

Now, there is enough space to accommodate classes or events while normal business operations take place next door. 

“Typically, [our classes] are always sold out, and people enjoy it. It’s a bucket list item for most people.”

Julia McNair

She said she hopes that her store can become a “third space,” offering customers a place to socialize and make memories outside of home, work or school.

“I love the idea of creating that community here. I think that’s something that we can do. 

I think we’re in a great place for it, because we’re in the middle of Homewood, Mountain Brook, Birmingham, Vestavia — we’re right here at the crossroads — so there’s lots and lots of opportunity for people to do stuff.”

Take a walk on the ‘Clay Side’…

Thanks to the expanded space, Do It Yourself Crafts now offers a membership for folks who are interested in taking advantage of the studio space for their own projects. 

The “Clay Side” memberships include: 

All memberships include:

• 5 AM to midnight access, 7 days a week
• Use of wheels, slab roller, tools + more
• Shelf space for storing your work in progress
• Supportive community + creative energy

There are a handful of membership options to fit your needs: 

• Unlimited: $189/month
• 10-hour: $89/month
• Student 10-hour: $69/month (valid for high school, college students + grads within one year)

Each membership has a “startup fee” of $59, which includes your first 25 pound clay bag, glaze use, two tiles to use as kiln cookies, a pottery journal and a template pack. 

Interested in becoming a member of the Clay Side? Tap here to learn more about the membership or get in touch with Do It Yourself Crafts.  

McNair said she is going to cap memberships at 48 people while the store gains their footing with the program, so act fact if you are hankering to get in the studio.

Get ready for the grand opening! Do It Yourself Crafts is hosting a Clay Side Grand Opening event where there will be a tour, class demonstrations and more.

• Date: Thursday, Aug. 28
• Time: 4-8 PM
• Address: 1909 Oxmoor Road, Homewood, AL 35209

Activities for all ages and skill levels

Of course, using the pottery wheels isn’t the only thing to do at Do It Yourself Crafts. 

Their premier craft is paint-your-own pottery, where customers can choose from the largest selection of pre-fired pottery in the area — ranging from $11 to $75 — and paint it however they like. Options range from mugs and figurines to large platters and decor items. 

A small selection of pre-fired pottery that can be painted at Do It Yourself Crafts:

McNair said that their holiday selections in the fall and winter tend to be popular: decorations for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Everything from tiny pumpkins to large, light-up Christmas trees are ready to be painted. 

The prices are all inclusive, so you know what you’ll be paying before you even put a brush on the pottery. 

“We just have all sorts of silly stuff that you can paint.

We’re very much geared towards every age — little bitty to grown — and we’re here to help. All of the samples in my store are examples of things that you can do.”

The studio frequently has some sort of class or event going on. Here are a few examples of upcoming options: 

• Short “Try It” sessions for the pottery wheel
• Introductory and intermediate clay classes
• Glass fusing
• A “spooky” Halloween platter
• Clay handprint Turkeys

To explore those options and more, visit their website, doityourselfcrafts.com. 

• Do It Yourself Crafts: 205-868-4346 | Website | Facebook | Instagram
• Address: 1909 Oxmoor Road in Homewood
• Hours: Monday-Thursday: 10 AM – 6 PM, Friday-Saturday: 10 AM – 9 PM, Sunday: Noon – 6 PM

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