Make Meaning

Stopped here on a Sunday afternoon since we were just lounging around at the mall with our 12 yr old niece and 8 yr old son. We figured it’d be a great way to spend some time together while letting them get some creative energy going. Jordan explained that you can choose soap making, candle making or plaster painting. The kids chose the soap which actually looked really cool on the display. We were little confused by the pricing but I’ve never done this before so maybe that’s normal? Anyway after all that got sorted out Jordan helped them get all their pieces picked out and they had a great time making their soap bars. All in all its a great way to spend time with the kiddos! :) Also seems like a great idea for bday parties!

My niece and nephew made candles here and really enjoyed the experience. The staff person was friendly.

I was very disappointed in the selection of ceramics to paint, and the appearance of the place seemed to have gone down. I remember coming here two years ago, and it was great. Went in today and was surprised to see the place really go down in quality.

Nifty little art shop in the T.O. mall.
Kiddos like to pop in and paint while mom and dad shop. Different options available. Prices are reasonable. Birthday parties can be pretty expensive but at least each child gets something to take home.
We’ve always found the staff to be kind, professional and accommodating.
Be sure your kids aren’t wearing nice clothes because it IS an art shop and pain WILL get spilled!

I loved this place when it opened, but my friend was also the manager so the one time I went I got a huuuuge discount and it was during the week after work so no one was there. Nice and quiet.
I liked the idea but was upset that practically every other Make Meaning store had stuff that wasn’t at this location. No jewelry making, no glass, no paper making, and the cake decorating was barely an option. I love the housewares ceramics! I made a rice bowl and it’s my favorite.
The prices were stupid and confusing when it first opened but they changed it to a flat fee which I’m sure better served their client base. I’ll check them out again but the website is updated showing that the ceramics are gone and it’s just the kiddie plaster stuff now and the cakes are gone. Hmmm…

We bought the membership when they first opened, and WHAT A RIP OFF that turned out to be! A few months later, it’s open to everyone, and NO refund of any sort for the loyalty of people who bought the membership. Corporate could care less too. Oh, but when we go in to make a $ 30.00 candle we get a «free» wax form. Whoopie. And by the way, $ 30 for a candle… just a tad overpriced. Wondering who you paid off for all these five star reviews. ???

I will NEVER go back to this place. I just picked up ceramic items that I painted with my kids. The mug I painted had two huge chips in it. The skeleton my son painted and worked so hard on and was so proud of was literally broken in a million pieces. They just handed me the broken items like it was nothing. I pulled them out of the bag and was shocked. This place is hugely expensive, and they obviously don’t give much care to the items the customers have put a lot of work into. Never, ever again… Horrible!!!

Our Mommy Group really enjoyed making soap and painting ceramics. Our server, Amanda, was awesome! She didn’t mind when our group of 3 years old needed a break and ran around the store for a few minutes. Def coming back soon!

Last spring I came into this place and left annoyed and upset how expensive everthing was and over priced…
I chose to go back this past weekend with one of my kids, and had a whole new attitutde about it. I was informed there were no longer «walk in the door» fees per person. And the boy working at the counter was able to explain to us exactly how everything was. I was very pleased with my overall expereince here. It was much more affordable and will go back

If you and your kids are in an artistic mood, it’s a fun place to go, especially the first time. You can easily find yourself decorating bowls and jars for hours. The place is nicely decorated and inviting and the staff is courteous and friendly.
Pros: All if the above
Cons: items overpriced, membership fees, avoid if crowded.

I cant believe there are so many 5star reviews for this place. We have been there twice and both times it was such a waste of money.
First experience was right after the place opened. We were rushed through our craft and got literally no help. Then she came around to tell us our time was up, even though we were not done with our crafts (we made soap), so we had to quickly just throw stuff in and hope for the best. She talked us into all these extra pieces which ended up looking pretty ridiculous. It was the most expensive ugly soap ever.
Second try wasnt much better. Why did we go back? Thought maybe we hit the place on a bad day. Ok, we were the ONLY ones in the place. We decided to make a cake. Holy cow was it expensive if you want anything extra. I think it came out to almost $ 40 per tiny cake. Was it fun, sort of, but our helper was kind of annoying, which kind of ruined the whole experience. She was trying too hard to help, and we really just wanted to play with all the various tools. I dont know, I think its because we were the only ones in there or something. Just way too expensive for what it is.
Pros: bright and fun décor. Good for all ages. Lots of people around to help, if you want it. (and even if you dont)
Cons: super expensive. You dont realize how much the extras add up until you get your bill. The manager was yelling at one of the employees while we were there — not good!

I had the good fortune to be turned on to Make Meaning last year, and though I don’t consider myself the artistic type, the inviting, friendly staff at The Oaks’ Make Meaning store helped me feel right at home.
With a variety of craft types to choose from (ceramic items, glass, candles, even cakes — my personal favorite) there’s quite a bit to do, and you can easily fill an evening working on a project.
The store was clean and bright, with all the supplies I needed to make my creative concepts come to life. And whenever I needed help, their team was ready and willing to give tips and inspiration to help guide me.
Don’t be turned off by the prices, either. At first glance it seems a bit higher priced thank you’d expect, but that’s because they don’t charge «sitting fees» like some competitors, and you’re truly getting a memorable experience.
Date night, party for the kids, or just for a place to have some «me» time, Make Meaning has something for the creator in all of us.

I think this place is great! My mom and I made a 4 inch cake and it came out looking adorable! Plus it’s super easy! Sure the price is a little high but u get unlimited supplies so it’s not that bad. The cake actually tastes fine too. Sure it’s not gourmet or anything but it’s not cardboard either. Next time I’m in the area I think I’ll make some soap! Its a great place to let your creativity go wild for a bit. I totally recommend this place to anyone who is bored with some time on their hands!

I still have a headache! This is one of the loudest places I’ve taken my children. Very disappointed that the noise was generated from the employee assisting the party behind a curtain. Remember chuck e cheese or mc Donald’s parties? This was the «made meaning» party experience today. I will never return.
I am glad to have spent the afternoon with my daughter. She made 4 painted ornaments for gifts ($ 40) but even she said that the kids party behind some blue curtain was too loud. I told her we could go because art is supposed to be relaxing. I have never wished a place to close until this one.
Please save yourself and go to another painting place, there’s one at Simi Valley mall and michael’s craft store had candle and soap kits. Plus who in their right mind pays $ 40 to decorate a 6 inch cake? Are our kids so spoiled that we can’t say no to high dollar, loud and annoying places just because it’s made for children?

It’s not that convenient when you’re coming from Santa Monica, but it is a crafty person’s wonderland. Are you lost? Park by the Vans store to the left of the 2^nd Macy’s and you’ll be fine.
I could see this being a great birthday or family bonding activity for children and adults alike. This would even be an interesting date venue, co-​worker activity, bachelorette party for the right group. The staff was very friendly and helpful, and the space is modern and nice so it could play to different types of events and age ranges.
While there is something for everyone, I don’t know that I would recommend certain activities for children under say 8 – 10 years. We decorated a cake and it was very entertaining but it was NOT easy. Fondant doesn’t taste all that amazing but you can definitely manipulate it and have a really adorable result if you have pretty good motor skills and a lot of patience.
Their pottery painting options and results looked a lot less janky than some of the stuff you usually get at places like this. Again, if you have young kids, maybe stick to something easy like a plate or mug.
Next time I will definitely make the soap. It is waaaay cooler than it sounds and some of the finished soaps were incredibly cute and would make great little handmade gifts for others. This seems like it would be a very kid-​friendly option although frankly it was really appealing on an adult level too.

Wendy and Melissa rock!!!
This place is amazing! It brings back your childhood, thus it is great for children AND adults.
Things you can do:
–Ceramic painting
— Candle making
— Soap making
— Glass art
— Cake decorating
This place has endless amounts of fun and really cool staff! Definitely want to come back for glass art and perhaps cake decorating with my girlfriends!

My First Soap Making experience~ AWESOME!
Thank you Kimberly, Louie, Alicia, Katlin and Amanda for making this experience so wonderful!
All the staffs are super friendly and knowledgeable. They give great suggestions how to decorate/​design. They are also very encouraging! Give me confident on my first project~
Definitely coming back for more fun with my family & friends!

Pricey but understandable considering equipment and materials.
I loved it!!! I painted a Spider Man bank for a few hours. I felt like a little kid again when I wiped away some paint with my fingers and painted myself. I even got a glitter tattoo. I’ll have to comeback later to try other activities and another glitter tattoo.
GO ON A WEEKDAY. Preferably on Fridays for a glitter tattoo from the best.

First timer here. I brought my child for a private 7 year old b-​day party. There were 8 kids and 3 staff members. 90 minutes is not a lot of time for 2 activities, pizza & cake, especially for this age group. Soap making went without a hitch. For the 2^nd activity, the children painted a ceramic figure, and the issues began to arise. There were no aprons for the children to wear while painting. Each child had to carry an open tray of paint back to their seats. While the children were in line for paint, one employee literally tossed several brushes at each seat around the table. Rather than break into smaller groups and perhaps give the children a little guidance, the employees called out the remaining time left for this activity. We found out that 2 coats of paint were needed in order to get ideal results right before the same employee gave us the 2 minute warning.
Of course, the food order was botched which further sent my «affluent» friend/​host into a mental downward spiral. When the employee implied that the host’s last minute change to the food order may have been the cause of the mistake (there were no changes to the order since the reservation was initially made), I immediately Google basic first aid on my phone since I thought the host was going to rupture a major blood vessel. Btw, there was no wifi and reception was sketchy… but I digress…
Now for the birthday cake! Nothing like trying to sing «Happy Birthday» while Rhianna & Jay-​Z are being played @ clubbing volume in your private room. «You can stand under my umbrella… ella…ella.eh…eh…eh…Happy Birthday Day to you… under my umbrella… ella…ella.eh…eh…eh…Happy Birthday dear…»
What’s that? Can you have a doggy bag? Let me put 2 paper plates on top of each other and seal with masking tape… why didn’t I think of that?
Since no outside food is allowed, how was the food, you ask? If I paid what I think the host paid, it would be“THE BEST” pizza and bundt cake that I have ever eaten! What’s that? Maybe the food wasn’t that expensive? You should have seen the look on the host’s face when some of the children said that they weren’t hungry. «Hello, 911? Could you send an ambulance to…»
I didn’t recognize the pizza. I’m guessing the cake came from Nothing Bundt Cakes.
So the moral of this story is that everyone needs an «affluent» friend, like my buddy, or else your child would have been «deprived» like mine. While the brochure encourages private parties for all ages, I would have to say that the concept doesn’t work for younger children especially for the price.

I loved this place! Yes, it is a bit on the pricey side, i would agree with the other reviews in terms of what you get for your money. Most likely I would not visit too often with my whole family, but for something like a birthday party or a girls night out, it’s a great thing to do. The choices of things to create from jewelry to soap to cakes was amazing! The true value is in the experience, so if you are going to do it, consider it a splurge. My opinion is that it is truly a unique place and has something for everyone, from the creative to the not so creative. Enjoy!