Entry No. 69 — the Grand Junction file — filed under: hands-on
Pinspiration Grand Junction
A craft studio that goes well past the usual paint-and-sip menu, letting you walk in and pick from dozens of DIY projects on your own schedule. Options run from canvas paintings and chunky wood cutouts to a candle-making bar and their messier Splatter Room. Each person chooses their own project, so two people with different tastes can sit side by side and still make completely different things. Reservations are recommended but not required.
The story
Strip-mall paint-and-sip venues usually trap you in an assembly line where twenty people try to reproduce the exact same birch tree painting while drinking lukewarm wine. Pinspiration, tucked into a North Avenue storefront, breaks that gridlock. Owner Kristine Novinskie set up a studio where you walk in, open a menu of dozens of DIY projects, and pick your own venture—meaning you can pour liquid acrylic onto a canvas while your date mixes custom fragrances at the candle bar right across the table.
The real draw hiding in the back of Unit 117 is the Splatter Room. Inspired by Jackson Pollock, it is a sealed chamber designed for paint violence. You suit up in full protective booties, ponchos, and hair nets before flinging liquid acrylic at a blank canvas—or directly at each other. They offer a specific Splatter Date package if you want to turn paint slinging into a targeted romantic activity.
Because they run an in-house menu with beer, wine, and snacks, you can sip a drink without having to sit through a rigid two-hour guided class lecture. You operate on your own timeline, follow project instructions at your own pace, and walk away with something that doesn't look like everyone else's off the rack craft.
What it's like
Stepping inside Unit 117 on North Avenue, you'll find a clean craft space organized like a physical Pinterest board, backed by rows of supply walls and workstations. The main floor stays quiet and self-paced, but occasionally you'll spot people completely suited up in protective hazmat gear heading into the back room for splatter sessions. Walk-ins work fine for basic wood cutouts or candle making, but if you want guaranteed access to the Splatter Room or a spot during weekend peak hours, lock in a reservation online beforehand.
The move: Pick two different projects, like an acrylic-pour canvas and a custom-scented candle, and make them side by side, or book the Splatter room and fling paint together.
📍 Before you go Reservations recommended but not required; project selection varies, so check the current DIY menu (and whether the Splatter room needs booking) ahead of time.
- 📍 Grand Junction (North Avenue)
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 2650 North Ave. Unit 117, Grand Junction, CO 81501
Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Wrigley Field Sports Bar & Grill — Trade paint splattering for pinball flippers at Grand Junction's oldest sports bar, just half a mile down North Avenue.
- Stained Glass Works Design Studio — If you want to take hands-on craftwork from acrylic canvas to glass, this studio sits less than a mile away on 19th Street.
- Arcadia @ Colorado Mesa University Center — Keep the tactile, hands-on momentum going one mile down the road with analog pinball inside CMU's student center.
- GJ Oddities — Balance out the manicured DIY craft studio aesthetic with a trip down the road to inspect a taxidermied raven-bear chimera.
Good to know
Do I need a reservation to drop in?
Reservations are strongly recommended, especially if you want to use the Splatter Room or visit on a weekend, but walk-ins are welcome for standard studio projects if space allows.
What happens in the Splatter Room?
You are geared up in protective ponchos, booties, and eyewear, then led into a dedicated room where you fling, throw, and splatter paint onto a canvas (and walls).
Can two people do different crafts together?
Yes. Every person picks their own individual project off the studio menu, so you can sit at the same table while making entirely different things.
Do they sell food and alcohol?
Yes, the studio has a menu featuring beer, wine, non-alcoholic beverages, and light snacks to eat while you work.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · Facebook · shoutoutcolorado.com
last checked: 2026-06-23