Utah Valley likes to make things. On any given weekend evening, groups of friends are blending fragrances at a candle bar in downtown Provo, couples are learning watercolor washes in an Orem arts center, and families are sanding and staining a wood sign for the front porch. The make-something night has become one of the valley's favorite ways to celebrate a birthday, plan a date or just get out of the house, and it suits a valley where many people would rather do something than go out drinking.
This guide covers the valley's craft studios and paint nights: The Wick Lab's pour-your-own candle studio in Provo, SCERA's monthly Paint the Night and ceramics nights in Orem, Provo Recreation's paint-along, and the nearest Board & Brush wood-sign studio, just over the Point of the Mountain in Draper. It also covers how to choose a craft for your group, how booking works, what to wear and bring, and how to plan your own craft night at home. It draws on each studio's and program's own pages.
The Wick Lab: Pour-Your-Own Candles in Provo
The Wick Lab is a pour-your-own candle studio with a location in downtown Provo, at 271 North University Avenue, and others in Draper, Sugar House and Ogden. The idea is simple and surprisingly satisfying: you create your own scented candle from start to finish, with staff guiding each step.
The centerpiece is a wall of 100 fragrances. You choose up to three and blend them into a scent of your own, then set your wick, mix your fragrance oils and pour your candle. The studio posts photos of candles decorated with add-ons such as glitter, wax medallions, pressed flowers and dried leaves, so a group can turn a simple candle into something personal.
The Wick Lab keeps evening hours on weekdays and longer hours on Saturdays, and it is closed on Sundays. It takes reservations, which are the safest bet for a group or a weekend evening, and it offers private parties. It describes the experience as appropriate for all ages and occasions, which makes it one of the few craft nights in the valley that works equally well for a date, a girls' night and a family outing.
Paint the Night at SCERA
SCERA Center for the Arts in Orem runs a monthly paint night. Paint the Night takes place on the second Friday of each month in the evening at the SCERA Center, and it teaches participants to paint their own watercolor piece. SCERA says most sessions run between 90 minutes and two hours, and they are for ages 16 and up.
SCERA pitches Paint the Night to couples and groups of friends, and it is an easy, low-pressure introduction to painting. You do not need any experience; the instructor walks everyone through the piece step by step. Register online through SCERA, since sessions can fill.
SCERA's arts program goes well beyond one night a month. Its art studios, at 340 East 720 South in Orem, in the building behind the parking lot east of the SCERA Center, host a monthly ceramics night on the third Friday, called SCERAMICS, and a newer tiny-wheel pottery class for ages 16 and up. They also run adult oil painting classes, classes for children and teens during the school year, and camps in the summer. For families, that makes SCERA a year-round craft destination, not just a date-night stop.
Provo Recreation's Paint-Along and Art Classes
Provo's recreation department runs its own art program. Its monthly paint-along teaches watercolor painting skills through a seasonally themed tutorial, with materials provided, and the city pitches it as a date night, a girls' night out, a family outing or a creative break after a long week. The city also offers adult classes such as oil painting and printmaking, and it charges Provo residents less than non-residents.
Because it is a city program, the paint-along is often cheaper than a private studio, which makes it a good first try for anyone curious about painting. Dates and fees are posted on the city's art classes page, and registration is online.
Board & Brush in Draper: Wood-Sign Workshops
Board & Brush is a chain of do-it-yourself wood-sign studios, and its nearest location to Utah Valley is in Draper, at 121 East 12300 South, just north of the Point of the Mountain. For north-county groups, it is a short drive.
Its instructor-led workshops turn raw wood into a finished piece of home décor. You choose a design ahead of time, then at the workshop you sand, distress, stain, paint your stencil and wax the finished sign, choosing your colors in person. The studio says workshops typically run about three hours and that no experience is needed. It also hosts private workshops for birthdays and other celebrations, and it describes its format as sip-and-paint.
A wood sign makes a good gift and a practical keepsake, and the longer, more hands-on workshop suits groups that want something more substantial than a single painting.
Clay and Pottery Painting
For crafters drawn to clay, Utah Valley has pottery studios offering wheel time, hand-building classes and paint-your-own pottery. Our guide to pottery and ceramics studios in Utah Valley covers them, and SCERA's monthly ceramics night and tiny-wheel class are another way in.
What a Candle Session Is Like
A pour-your-own candle session moves at a relaxed pace, and most of the time goes into choosing a scent. At The Wick Lab, you start at the fragrance wall, smelling your way through the options and narrowing them down to the three you want to blend. It helps to think in terms of a main scent and one or two supporting notes, such as a warm vanilla with a little citrus, or a woodsy base with something floral on top, rather than three strong scents competing with each other.
Once you have your blend, staff walk you through the process: setting the wick so it stays centered, mixing your fragrance oils into the wax, and pouring. Then come the add-ons, if you want them, from pressed flowers to glitter. The last step is patience, since the candle needs time to set before it travels.
Caring for a Candle You Made
A hand-poured candle burns best with a little care. Trim the wick short before each burn, and on the first burn let the candle burn long enough for the melted wax to reach the edges of the container, which helps it burn evenly instead of tunneling down the middle. Burn it away from drafts, which cause uneven burning and smoke.
Never leave a burning candle unattended, keep it away from children and pets, and set it on a heat-safe surface, clear of anything that can catch fire. Stop burning it when only a small amount of wax remains at the bottom.
What a Paint Night Is Like
A paint night is a guided class, not a test of talent. Everyone paints the same subject, and the instructor breaks it into stages, demonstrating each one before the group follows along. With watercolor, the medium SCERA's Paint the Night uses, those stages usually include laying down broad washes of color, letting areas dry, and adding layers and details on top.
The most common advice from paint-night regulars is to stop comparing. Every painting in the room will look different, and the differences are what make yours your own. Take a photo of your work at a few points along the way; many people like the middle stage as much as the finished piece. And give the paper time to dry flat before you stack it or put it in a bag.
What a Wood-Sign Workshop Is Like
A wood-sign workshop is the most hands-on of these crafts and the longest. At Board & Brush, you pick your design when you register, and at the workshop you work through each stage of turning raw boards into a finished sign: sanding with the grain, distressing the wood to give it an aged look, staining, applying your stencil, painting, removing the stencil and finishing with wax.
The process rewards patience, since stain and paint need time between steps, and the instructors guide the group through each stage together. Expect to leave with a sign that looks far more finished than you thought you could make, and allow extra drying time at home before you hang it.
Displaying What You Make
A finished craft deserves a place in the house. A watercolor from a paint night looks much better in a simple frame with a mat, which also protects the paper; standard frame sizes from a craft or home store fit most class-size paintings. A wood sign may need a hanger attached to the back, and a coat of clear sealer if it will hang outdoors or near a door that sees weather.
Candles make easy gifts, but label a blended scent before you forget what went into it, especially if the recipient loves it and wants another.
Choosing a Craft for Your Group
The right craft depends on who is coming.
A date. A candle studio or a paint night works well for two people: both give you something to do with your hands and something to talk about, and you leave with a keepsake. SCERA's Paint the Night is pitched directly at couples, and our guide to date-night activities in Utah Valley has more ideas.
A girls' night or a birthday. Candle making and wood-sign workshops are both popular for groups of friends, and both studios offer private parties. Choose candles for a shorter, lighter evening and a wood-sign workshop for a longer, more involved one.
A family outing. The Wick Lab's all-ages format makes it an easy family choice. SCERA's youth classes and summer camps suit children who want more than a single night.
Teenagers. SCERA's Paint the Night is open from age 16, and candle making works for any age, which makes both good choices for a group of teens or a youth activity.
A work team or a large group. Private parties at a candle studio or a wood-sign workshop handle groups well and give everyone the same shared project. Book well ahead.
Booking, Costs and Timing
Most craft studios work by reservation, especially for groups and evenings. Book as early as you can for Friday and Saturday nights, which fill first, and for the weeks before Christmas, Mother's Day and Valentine's Day, when crafted gifts are in demand.
Prices vary by studio and project, and most include materials. City and nonprofit programs, such as Provo Recreation's paint-along and SCERA's paint nights, often cost less than private studios. Ask about group rates, deposits and cancellation policies before booking a party.
Allow the full session time and a little more. A candle needs time to set before you take it home, and a wood sign needs to dry, so plan your evening around the studio's schedule.
What to Wear and Bring
Wear clothes you do not mind getting paint, stain or wax on; many studios supply aprons, but spills happen. Closed-toe shoes make sense at wood-sign workshops, where there are tools and wood, and long hair should be tied back around wax and paint.
Bring ideas. For a wood sign, choose your design in advance. For a painting, a photo on your phone can help if the class allows a personal subject. For a candle, think about the scents you like, since choosing from a wall of 100 can take longer than you expect.
Organizing a Group Craft Night
Craft nights are a staple of youth activities, clubs, bridal showers and office outings in Utah Valley, and a little organizing makes them run smoothly. Get a firm headcount early, since studios book by seat and many ask for a deposit to hold a group. Confirm the studio's age limits against your group, arrange rides for anyone who needs one, and collect money ahead of time rather than at the register.
Ask about sensitivities. A candle studio's fragrance wall can be a lot for someone with scent sensitivities or asthma, and a wood-sign workshop involves stains and paints; the studio can often suggest adjustments. For a youth group, bring enough adult leaders to help at each table, and plan a short break if the session runs long.
Finally, think about the finished pieces. Candles need to set and signs need to dry, so decide in advance whether everyone takes their project home that night or picks it up later.
Crafting With Children
Children can take part in many of these activities, with some care. At a candle studio, hot wax calls for close supervision of younger children; follow the staff's instructions and keep little hands away from the pouring station. At a wood-sign workshop, check the studio's minimum age before booking, since tools are involved.
For regular creative time, a class or camp gives children more than a single session can. SCERA's children's and teen classes and summer camps, and Provo Recreation's art classes, are the places to start.
Crafting for the Holidays
The weeks before Christmas are the busiest of the year for craft studios, since a hand-poured candle or a custom wood sign makes a personal gift. Book early, and consider a group gift-making night with family or friends. For buying handmade gifts rather than making them, our guide to Christmas boutiques and craft fairs in Utah Valley covers the season's markets.
Hosting a Craft Night at Home
A craft night does not have to happen at a studio. Many families and friend groups host their own, with a simple project, a table covered in paper and a stack of supplies from a craft store. Watercolor painting, simple candle kits, wreath making and holiday ornaments all work at home with little equipment.
The advantage of a studio is expert guidance, materials sized for the project and no cleanup. The advantage of home is cost and flexibility. Many groups do both: a studio night for a special occasion and a home craft night for the rest of the year.
Making It a Night Out
Downtown Provo makes it easy to pair a candle session with dinner on Center Street, and Orem's SCERA sits near restaurants on State Street. A craft night followed by dessert is a classic Utah Valley date, and our guide to cheap date ideas in Provo has more ways to keep the evening affordable.
The Short Version
Utah Valley's make-something nights include The Wick Lab's pour-your-own candle studio in downtown Provo, where you blend up to three of 100 fragrances and pour your own candle; SCERA's monthly Paint the Night watercolor sessions for ages 16 and up, plus a monthly ceramics night and a full slate of classes in Orem; and Provo Recreation's monthly paint-along and art classes. The nearest Board & Brush wood-sign studio is in Draper, just north of the county line, with three-hour instructor-led workshops. Book ahead for weekend evenings and holiday seasons, wear clothes you can ruin, and choose the craft by who is coming.
Related Guides
- Pottery and Ceramics Studios in Utah Valley
- Date-Night Activities in Utah Valley
- Cheap Date Ideas in Provo
- Indoor Activities in Provo
- Kids' Birthday Parties in Utah Valley
- Christmas Boutiques and Craft Fairs in Utah Valley
- Bachelorette and Bachelor Party Ideas in Utah Valley
Frequently Asked Questions
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