Entry No. 50 — the Pueblo file — filed under: hands-on
The Fire Playce
A paint-your-own-pottery studio operating since 2012 (at this 5th Street location since 2018) with a large wall of unpainted bisque pieces and a deep toolkit of paints, brushes, stamps, silkscreens, and specialty glazes. Your price covers the piece plus glazing and firing, with no sitting fee, and you pick it up finished about a week later after it's kiln-fired. It leans toward an unhurried, customizable session rather than a guided group class.
The story
Tucked into Pueblo Metro Plaza at 517 W 5th Street, this studio has been running in Pueblo since around 2012 and settled into its current 5th Street space in early 2018. It completely bypasses the hyper-structured, teacher-led dynamic of standard paint-and-sip joints. There is no instructor up front with a microphone pacing your strokes or telling you which shade of blue to pick.
Instead, the studio relies on a simple, self-directed setup: floor-to-ceiling shelves stacked with unpainted bisque ceramics—from standard mugs and soup bowls to oddball trinkets—matched with a tool wall loaded with specialty glazes, stamps, silkscreens, and detail brushes. The price stamped on the bottom of the raw pottery covers the entire process. There are no sneaky hourly sitting fees or surprise firing surcharges tacked onto your bill at checkout.
What it's like
Reserve a table in advance—walk-in spots are strictly subject to whatever table space happens to be open. Once you pick your raw bisque piece and settle at a table, you get full access to the glaze racks and stenciling tools to work completely at your own speed. The catch is instant gratification: your glaze job has to go through the studio's kiln, meaning you leave your work behind and come back about a week later to pick up the smooth, fired finished product. Before you head out, check their Facebook page—they are closed Mondays and Tuesdays and occasionally close on short notice for private events or schedule adjustments.
The move: Reserve a table, each pick a mug or bowl, and decorate them with stamps and specialty glazes to swap as a keepsake once they're fired.
📍 Before you go Reservations are required (walk-ins only if space allows); closed Mondays and Tuesdays, and they occasionally close on short notice, so check their Facebook before going. Finished pieces are picked up later after firing.
- 📍 Pueblo (Pueblo Metro Plaza)
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 517 W 5th St #108, Pueblo, CO 81003
Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- The Clink Lounge — After spending two quiet hours detailing ceramics, head five minutes away to grab drinks inside a building that spent 70 years as Pueblo's city jail.
- Crystal Moon Witchery — Pair a quiet DIY painting session with a half-mile trip over to browse herbs and spellcraft supplies.
- The Breaker Arcade Bar — Trade your glaze brushes for joystick controls and draft drinks less than half a mile away downtown.
Good to know
Do I need to book a table before going?
Yes. Reservations are required to guarantee your table space; walk-ins are only accommodated if an open table is available.
Are there extra sitting fees or paint charges?
No. The marked price on each raw ceramic piece includes all your paints, glazes, tools, studio time, and kiln firing.
When can I pick up my finished piece?
Kiln firing takes roughly one week, after which you return to the studio to collect your finished ceramics.
What are the studio's days off?
They are closed Mondays and Tuesdays, and occasionally shift studio hours on short notice, so checking their Facebook page before arriving is recommended.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · visitpueblo.org · Yelp · business.pueblolatinochamber.com · Facebook
last checked: 2026-06-23