The Expressive Hand

Really cute little store/​studio! Everything is provided and they have a ton of colors and pottery to choose from! We spent a happy 3 hours painting two mugs, a frame and 2 tea bag holders here — by no means was any of it perfect (our artistic skills need working on!) but the time was so enjoyable! Love the concept of this store, and the service was very friendly and helpful! Very reasonably priced too!

I’d categorize this as the perfect activity! My friends and I were looking for something to do on a recent Saturday and I had walked by this place a few times. We decided to grab a bottle of prosecco and head on over. We had blast!
Where else can you paint and enjoy a mimosa at the same time?! The hardest part was picking out what to paint, there is a big selection. Some of the items are a little pricey (20 – 40) but all paint and things are included in the price. The painting itself was very therapeutic. It was great, we didn’t feel rushed at all. It was a great alternative to those paint nites that are so popular now.
If it is your birthday you get 10% off!

Really enjoyed my time there and the staff was very accommodating with my 18 month wild child. I was able to create a beautiful custom piece with some help in a cool and calm atmosphere. I had to come back the next day to finish and my piece was still ready one week from the day I started. I recommend to all. Next time I’ll bring a bottle without the kiddie since its byob.

I have painted pottery here for awhile now, and feel it’s time to write up a review.
The owner Marcie has greeted me every single time I’ve come in. She has a calm but inherently fun vibe to her. She has always been kind and welcoming. That’s really a nice touch.
Today I was taking my son to paint a mug for Father’s Day. He’s a toddler so my primary concern was how this tiny bull was going to behave in a shop with so many delicate pieces at his reach… well wouldn’t you know it, Marcie immediately offers me a book for his wandering attention and a high chair to keep him under wraps. This made our mommy son craft activity perfect.
I’m looking forward to a byob girls night there soon. It’s a nice activity for all ages. And it’s great that there are other craft options.

I love paint-​your-​pottery places, so I was very happy when I finally found one in the city (I’m pretty new to Philly) and I found out that they do all sorts of fun events.
I went for a date night with my boyfriend on a Thirsty Thursday. It was the coldest day of the year, but the shop was nice and warm and the atmosphere very pleasant. We brought our own bottle of wine, and the staff at the shop gave us wine glasses and provided yummy snacks. The shop provides paint with a very wide variety of colors, as well as brushes in many different sizes and stamps and sponges. We chose two different mugs since the beverage ware is discounted on Thirsty Thursdays, and I’m excited to see how they come out! Will probably be back in the future, I get the feeling my girlfriends will love this.

Cute, fun, fresh, unique, and exciting are just some words that come to mind when thinking about Expressive Hand! An exceptional business that is a great stop for absolutely anyone — little kids, couples, families, you name it.
It’s a pottery painting shop that provides a variety of ready-​made pottery items including letters, piggy banks, mugs, plates, little sculptures, and dog bowls among other things, all in different designs. They periodically swap in new pieces too, so you’ll always find something new to paint!
They provide all sorts of paints for you to color your pieces with and have stencils, stamps, and different brush sizes to help you along. Everyone who works here is incredibly nice and is always around if you need assistance like another color or more brushes.
I ain’t ashamed to say that I love that this place is BYOB lol. They have bottle openers, too! It’s the perfect date — pottery painting and wine, all you boyfriends out there better take notice!
They only take reservations for groups of 5+ and it can get crowded with a long wait so the best time to come is early afternoon. But, they are very accommodating and will shuffle around the tables to try and fit your group in. The larger pieces can take up to 3−4ish hours to complete if you use multiple colors since you need a few coats on it. All pieces are glazed and baked and ready for you in a week.
Most of the larger items are $ 20+, but you only pay for the pottery, and a check-​in on Unilocal gives you 10% off.
Love this place!!!:) Everyone needs to go here!

Expressive Hand has been a fantastic place for me to bring my son and a student I mentor. The staff is really nice and everything is easy. You pick out something to paint, there are tons of paints and brushes to choose from, and the staff can help with anything you need. The atmosphere is relaxing and friendly.
I’m a Big Brother through the Big Brothers Big Sisters program and the store is also very generous about giving discounts to Mentors and Mentees who come in. I’ve also seen them doing activities to help out the girl scouts. I love supporting businesses that do good.

There aren’t enough good things I can say about this place!
I went with a group for a friend’s birthday party and we weren’t the easiest group. We brought tons of food and bday décor. Basically, we made a mess. The staff was so incredibly nice and helpful. They just seemed to be happy we were having fun. I had such a great experience!
I also really liked their pricing set up. The price of the pottery is the full all in price, keeps it simple.

Expressive Hand is really cute, it is quiet big with a large selection of potteries to choose from. It gets you really creative, I have seen so many talented people here, my piece seems like elementary art work compared to them.
The staffs are so really nice and cool, it made me so comfortable it’s like painting at home. I love the atmosphere it presents to me, everyone is concentrated on their pottery and quietly chatting with each other.
I’m weird but I have to talk about their restroom, I like it so much ! I love the painting on the wall, it’s blue with under sea animals. It really caught my eye, the second I enter the restroom I immediately felt in love with the painting.
would definitely come back again.

Me and my bf wanted to give this place a try after we had decided to bring his mom to a PYOP for Mother’s Day and hadn’t been to one since we were kids. And after tonight I can say we have definitely found our spot (and have fallen completely in love with it!)
Atmosphere: We went around 6:00pm on a Friday night and it wasn’t crowded at all. The atmosphere was relaxed and fun — just a bunch of your grandmothers kitchen tables lined up on an original hardwood floor, and the room was lined with finished pottery pieces providing some awesome inspiration. It’s located on a peaceful block of the city, right next to an incredible coffee shop and one block away from a Froyo place!
Staff: The staff, especially Bryan ;), was incredibly helpful and welcoming: they offered us two coupons for a free coffee next door; they cleaned up for us when we were done and got us whatever we needed while we were working; the girl who was working (wish I could remember her name but I’m awful awful awful with names) gave me an awesome tip on how I could paint the seeds of my strawberry box and really saved it for me, and even though we were cutting it close to their closing time and I’m sure they had plans to get the hell out of dodge (it was a Friday night and they were young enough to know that haha), I never felt like they were trying to rush us out.
Pricing: Most of the pieces I liked fell within the $ 20-​$ 40 range. Some I felt were fairly priced, some were a little high, and there were a few pieces I had said «wow» to. Buttttttt THIS PRICE IS ALL YOU PAY the entire time you’re there, so the price covers your entire experience. There are no additional sitting fees or hourly charges creating time restraints, all of the painting materials you need are included, and the price also covers the finishing process of glazing your piece and heating it up in the kiln.
Extra Services: Having a six pack with us was awesome — love BYOBs!
The only thing I did notice was there were a lot of finished pieces on display that they didn’t have in stock (like my Mariska dolls that I became slightly obsessed with). However you have plenty to choose from so you won’t get discouraged.
Some of their fab available pieces: 1) the ever popular mustaches 2) a fortune cookie 3) tiny ceramic extras you can add to your piece 4) ice cream dishes with cone designs 5) pet food and water bowls 6) a wine topper you can hang four wine glasses from 7) martini, marguerita and shot glasses… The list goes on!
I chose a strawberry with the leaves as a lid and my bf chose a penguin. We get to pick them up in one week… And I have a feeling well be back a few times soon after!

Fun, relaxing afternoon with friends. Bonus– it’s byob. Don’t forget cups! The pottery is a little more expensive than other paint-​your-​own-​pottery studios, but we are in a big city, so it’s expected.

Lots of fun!
Three of us enjoyed a Saturday evening here — friendly and helpful employees, nice selection of paints and stencils, and a solid variety of pottery choices. The employees took the time to explain the process to us, including the different paint and glaze options, and the speckled paint option turned out just as cool as described. .
The prices seemed slightly high, but the other paint-​it-​yourself studios I’ve visited have been in smaller cities, which might explain the cost difference. That being said, it would be nice to have a few more pieces priced around $ 15 or $ 20. Additionally, if photos of available pieces could be posted to the Facebook page every once in a while, it would be easier to plan on a project or an idea before heading over to the studio. The quality of both the service and the finished product is terrific, though, so in that sense the cost is reasonable.
We were so excited to take advantage of BYOB pottery painting that we forgot a corkscrew — luckily the staff had one to share (thanks for saving the evening!) Pieces were well-​wrapped and ready for pick-​up right on time. We will definitely be back again! Such a great place to spend an afternoon or evening in Philly; I wish I had discovered it sooner.

I love the expressive hand. I have gone here on dates with my husband. Had a mini bridal shower with 2 of my closest girlfriends and spent a day painting with my sister in law for my soon to arrive child. Each time has been fun, relaxing, and creative. The people who work there are so helpful and we always sit with new people and get to spend the afternoon getting to meet new friends.

When you’re 4, the best gift you could ever give was undoubtedly made with love, and probably involved some popsicle sticks (often used), glitter (far too much) and googly — or however it’s spelled — eyes. But in your mid-​twenties, you’d be loath to give someone special a hand crafted picture frame assembled from decades old twine. That’s the type of «it’s the thought that counts» that might get you a one-​way ticket to single-​ville faster than you can say «I’m sorry.»
But if you’re looking to get handsy, have fun and impress a friend, lover or mother in-​law (your own mother would approve of popsicle sticks — she’ll love you no matter what), then come express your hand through a painted piece of pottery.
Though it’s a tad expensive ($ 20-​ish for a large wavy soy sauce dish), the plethora of paintable objects (and mosaic backgrounds) is impressive. As an artist for an hour, you have access to an infinite array of paints, brushes and other tools to bespeckle, smear and write your love onto a piggy bank, Star-​of-​David jewelry box or a mini tea-​kettle set.
Though I’m not sure if it’s true, I once heard that you must use three coats of paint to get a true, opaque shade of paint. So keep that in mind when dipping, dabbing and drawing.

Pottery painting and byob? Thumbs up for this winning combination! I wouldn’t recommend getting too sloshed in here, though, as the items are fragile and there are usually children at your table.
In all seriousness, I was very impressed by the set-​up here. When you select the piece you want to paint, the price includes everything. I like that there aren’t any hidden fees here. They give you full access to all of their paints/​products, so just let your imagination run wild. If you’re having issues coming up with a design or want to try a new technique, they have tons of books. You can also ask a staff member. When all is said and done, they’ll take care of the glazing and firing. Just show up in a week to pick up your finished piece.
Oh! And right now they’re running a 10% off special if you check-​in on Unilocal!Bring your favorite 6 pack or bottle of wine and paint your little heart out.

This place was a really fun time. I don’t consider myself artistically talented at all yet I felt comfortable and enjoyed painting a coffee mug for my mom.
What I really like about this place is that their setup is simple, approachable and easy to understand. They have kilned white pottery on the shelves. The quoted price includes the piece, all the supplies used to paint it and the glazing process. There is no upsell, no gimicky stuff, just plain simple pricing. I like that.
It’s BYO which may interest some people who need to tie one on while painting. Personally, I was happy with the coupon for a free cup of coffee or tea from Chapter House next door.
The space that you work in is full of natural light and you get to relive those kindergarten arts and crafts days which you may have long since forgotten. It’s a very wholesome experience and you have something you can touch, hold and show off when you’re complete.

I’m not going to sit here and lie to y’all. I freelance here as an arts and crafts instructor, but I was a customer first and I continue to be one!
I started coming here with my friend and it became a treat, «It’s Sara’s birthday lets go paint» or «I had a bad day I’m going to go paint». Marcie needed a new arts and crafts teacher for the summer and I decided to jump on board. I couldn’t have made a better decision. I have a new family. Marcie is practically my 2^nd Mom, and my co-​workers are like the younger sibs I never had. I am even on a first name basis with many of the chapter house folk! (By the way anytime you are painting at The Hand feel free to ask the staff for a coupon for coffee next door. The coupon is good for a free hot coffee or it’s 50 cents for an iced coffee).
Another beverage perk, The Hand (as we affectionately call it) is always BYOB. We even have a wine/​beer opener and cups! Thirsty Thursday is another great beverage minded day, Every third thursday of the month from 6pm till close there is a discount on painting beverage vessels (think beer steins, mugs, pitchers, etc) and a free spread of cheese, crackers, cookies and the like!
Just like nail salons, if you are able to come in during the day or week night it’s always slower and more relaxing. It is still fun on a saturday or sunday, but I prefer the less frenetic pace!
It’s a great place to bring kids as well. There are high chairs for really small artistes!
Marcie is also offering fused glass now, which is a really fun medium, you can make jewelry and all sorts of things like sun catchers and picture frames!
The Kids Night Out program on the third saturday has been a huge hit too, we fill up nearly three weeks before the next class!
It’s easily my home away from home!

Headed over to Expressive Hand on Saturday to paint some pottery and had a great time. The studio is comfortable and welcoming, and the staff was very helpful.
I’m giving the place 4 stars and not 5 because 1) I found it a tad tight inside. I was constantly hitting into the person behind me’s chair; and 2) I thought they could have had a better paint selection. I was looking to paint part of my item grey and only had one choice.
I personally think the prices are fair, especially considering the studio/​paint fees are included. I was able to paint a large mug for $ 30, and there were plenty of options for items between $ 20 and $ 30 (side note: I actually had a Groupon, so my deal was even better!). Plus, on my way out I was given a coupon for a free coffee or tea next door. Such a nice little perk!
Great little place in Bella Vista that I definitely recommend going to, especially on a nice day.

No more studio fees! Hooray!
Marcy — the former book-​keeper who now owns the place, is a doll and P’nina was lovely and helpful as well. We had a large event with 16 women there and the Expressive Hand treated us so well.
We could bring our own food — and Marcy even helped us find a Kosher caterer!
The ladies in the group all loved painting their creations. We can hardly wait to come pick them up.
Thank you Expressive Hand. We love ya!
(And they still teach ASL — American Sign Language.)
I preedict a childs birthday here in my future.

The Expressive Hand is one of the first family friendly things I found to do with my girls after we moved to Philadelphia in December. We have visited the studio at least 3 times.
The Expressive Hand offers a class for preschoolers and young kids in which they read a story, teach children signs associated with the story, and then the kids paint a figure that usual goes with the story. My 2 year old doesn’t pay a bit of attention to the sign language piece, but my 4 year old has learned quite a few signs through the experience. In fact, I wish they had a class that was more focused on the older preschoolers, since I think she would get a lot out of it.
The owner is always present and always beyond friendly. She has given us coupons, and has had someone go next door to get me a free coffee. My interactions with her and her staff has always been a 5 star sort of experience. The only reason my overall rating is 4 is the overall cost– it is expensive and I can’t afford to do it every week (or I would!). However, it’s worth it for the warm experience. Someday I hope to go there alone and paint something for myself!