Canny Crafty Review

This is an advert for July 2022. Any shares or edits beyond this date have not been asked or paid for. This post has been published by Bethanie and Sam. Please check with Canny Crafty direct for the most up to date information.  

If you are looking for something a little bit different for a birthday party, gathering with friends or simply looking at ways of keeping the kids entertained, I recommend a visit to Canny Crafty.

We visited in the middle of July and had a lovely morning of getting creative while pottery painting. 

In this blog post I will share with you everything you need to know to help plan your visit to Canny Crafty. 

Who are Canny Crafty?

Canny Crafty are an independent, family run pottery painting business. Offering space for birthday parties, hen-dos, baby showers as well as pottery painting for families or individuals. You can also go here for hand and foot print capturing which make for lovely keepsakes. 

The original studio opened on Salters Road in Gosforth in December 2017, by Lucy and Karen. Since then, the business has grown to include a second studio at Wheelbirks Farm, Stocksfield, which opened in March 2022. 

Address: Canny Crafty @ Wheelbirks. Wheelbirks Farm North Cottage. Stocksfield. NE43 7HY. 

How to Book and Prices 

Sessions can be booked in advance via the Canny Crafty Website here. It is free to make a booking and you simply pay for the pottery you paint on the day at the end of your session. 

On arrival, you can choose an item to paint from a huge selection including mugs, bowls, animal figurines, vases, tea pots, plant pots and more. Prices are clear and items are priced between £10 and £35. Prices include all paint and materials, firing and glazing. 

Items are ready to be collected within 7-14 days once they've been glazed and fired or can be posted out to you for an additional charge. 

What to expect from your visit…

We received a very warm welcome from a lovely lady called Sarah. She engaged straight away with the children and showed us to our table which had already been set up to include a highchair for our youngest. 

If you have read any of my previous posts, you will know that I have been apprehensive in the past about taking a one-year-old pottery painting. But if you go somewhere that is clearly child friendly, then there is no reason why they can’t join in. Their “creation” may be a little abstract but that just makes it all that more special, doesn’t it? 

Canny Crafty is inclusive and it doesn't matter about your age or ability level, it's the chance to be creative during a fun activity that's important. 

Once seated at our table, we were then told to go and select what it was we were wanting to paint and introduced to the best techniques and given some top tips for that all important finish. For example, you need to be applying three coats of the paint to really make the colours stand out. 

It was brilliant having an expert on hand should we have any questions. 

I chose a bowl which will be used for snacks at home. My son chose a lizard (his favourite animal), whilst my middle daughter selected a rather handsome piggy bank. For our youngest we chose a simple heart. 

We then set about painting. There are stencils and felt tip pens which burn off in the kiln, to help with the planning of your design which is brilliant if you'd like a polished finished product. Or, you can just free style and create your own design. It really is up to you what you do. 

It was a lovely relaxing environment, with a few other large groups booked in, you are all spaced out so not on top of each other in any way. It was the perfect setting for pottery painting, set in a lovely barn building with a high ceiling. 

When our one-year-old had had enough, which was before any of us had finished, my husband was able to take her outside and explore the farm next door. This great location meant there was plenty to keep her entertained outside while the older two and I could finish off our masterpieces! 

Once we had finished, we handed over our pottery and were handed a ticket. We then return in ten days to pick up the finished product, once it has been in the kiln or this can be posted out for a small additional charge. 

By this point we were all hungry, so headed next door to the Wheelbirks Parlour for ice cream and a fantastic toddler platter for the little one. 

Helpful information:

• Parking is free at Wheelbirks with plenty of spaces including an overflow car park. 
  
  
• The farm is accessible by public transport - the Hexham 613 bus passes the farm but there will be a walk along the farm track from the bus stop.
  
  
• Sessions can be booked via the Canny Crafty Website here. It's free to book and you pay for the pottery you paint on the day (items are individually priced between £10-£35)

• Sessions last 90 minutes and booking is essential over weekends and school holidays. Walk ins are welcome during term time 
  
  
• Canny Crafty is accessible for wheelchairs and pushchairs 
  
  
• Blue Light Card Holders will receive a 10% discount - please mention in the notes on booking and when paying your final balance. T&Cs apply 
  
  
• Whilst Canny Crafty is on the premises of the farm, it is very much separate to Wheelbirks Parlour. However, you can grab takeaway drinks from the parlour to bring back into the craft studio, which I think is great, adding to the relaxed vibe. 
  
  
• Canny Crafty Newcastle is based in a quirky space, formally an old sweet shop on Salters Road, Gosforth. 
  
  
• Both studios are open Tuesday to Sunday with 3 sessions a day which are bookable via the Canny Crafty website. (https://www.cannycraftynewcastle.co.uk/ )
  
  
• If you are looking for an adults only night out, they also host an evening the first Friday of each month just for grown-ups!
  
  Bring a bottle and enjoy an evening caching up with friends while painting pottery. I love this idea and think I will bear it in mind for future birthdays or even our wedding anniversary. Something a bit different! (Adults only evening excludes August.)
  
  
  
• If you are looking for something a bit different for a child’s party or perhaps a family members milestone birthday, I recommend booking with Canny Crafty for an unforgettable experience. And the best part is, you will have something to show for it at the end. 
  
  
• All occasions are welcome including hen parties, team building, scouts and guides, retirements or big family get togethers. 

Baby Prints at Canny Crafty 

Canny Crafty also offer a baby print service where you can capture your baby's handprint or footprint on a range of ceramics including baubles, coasters and mugs. These make a wonderful keepsake or gift. Just book as normal and add a note to your booking that it's for baby prints. 

Credit: Canny Crafty 

Someone will assist you in the studio to do this and capture the perfect print but there may be a short wait within your session time. Find out more about Baby Prints here. 

Children's Parties at Canny Crafty 

I love the idea of a Canny Crafty Birthday Party. At their Northumberland Studio, prices start at a very reasonable £14 per head including an animal figurine and all materials.

Canny Crafty will even clear up the mess! Party food / ice cream sundaes can be provided by Wheelbirks Parlour next door and exlusive use is also available. Find out more here. 

Parties are also available at Canny Crafty's Gosforth Studio and you're welcome to bring your own food along to the Gosforth venue with prior arrangement for no additional charge. Find out more here. ]

Visiting Wheelbirks Ice Cream Parlour 

Canny Crafty is an independent business located in a studio on Wheelbirks Farm. The studio is next to Wheelbirks Ice Cream Parlour and in my opinion, is definitely worth popping into before or after your crafting session. I mean it would be rude not to.

It's a lovely space and facilities include: 

• Ice Cream Parlour (with takeaway) 
• Orchard with Play Equipment 
• Indoor Play Equipment (may be closed for private hire) 
• Farm Animals 

The Orchard at Wheelbirks Parlour

You don't need to book Wheelbirks Parlour - simply pop in for an ice cream during opening hours. 

What to do Nearby 

Canny Crafty sessions are 90 minutes long. If you're looking to enjoy a full day out, I can recommend the following places which are all around a 10-20 minute drive from their studio at Wheelbirks: 

• Strawberry Picking at Brocksbushes 
• Kids Fun Zone (with unlimited rides) at Brocksbushes 
• Cirque du Hilarious at Brocksbushes 
• Tyne Green Park, Hexham 
• 14 Things to Do in Hexham 
• Corbridge Roman Town (English Heritage) 
• Chopwell Wood (wellbeing trail is currently closed)
  
• Cherryburn (National Trust - must pre-book)
• Prudhoe Castle (English Heritage) 

Canny Crafty is a fantastic place to spend some quality time with family and friends with plenty of options for things to do nearby.

It's one of those places which is brilliant for multi-generations too and as it's indoors, is ideal as somewhere to hide from the rain (we'll be adding this to our What to do on a Rainy Day in Northumberland post) or to shelter from the sun.

Let's face it, in Northumberland the weather can never make up it's mind so it's a good fail-safe all-weather option for an activity with kids. 

Find out more: cannycraftynewcastle.co.uk