Looking for a way to turn an ordinary afternoon into an inspired adventure without the annoying hindrance of pre-planning anything? All it takes is dropping into one of the following imaginative spaces in Woodland Hills to channel your inner Picasso – or the inner painters of your little ones. Future Michelangelos will have a blast painting, sculpting and playing to their hearts’ content, and we have a sneaking suspicion you will too when you discover that they can make a giant mess…and that you don’t have to be the one to clean it up.

 

It’s a win-win for everyone!

 

CReATE Studio, located at 31840 Village Center Road in Westlake Village, was established in 2009 and began, as many things do, as an idea – one that focused on creativity being a part of our innate nature to express ourselves. The business was launched as a way to connect with that aspect of human existence and to share it with others amidst a setting where everyone is “WOW worthy,” and to that end, CReATE Studio provides an open-minded space for a creative outlet or for when you are seeking a positive environment for the kids, enabling them to experience a free flow of artistic expression – in all stages of life. Here, you will have the opportunity to explore art-making while engaging in an effort to lighten the carbon footprint, as the minds behind CReATE believe in inspiration through recycled items.

 

Bead Lounge, located at 4873 Topanga Canyon Boulevard, was established in 2005 to offer an extraordinary collection of distinctive, custom-made jewelry designed to inspire women, men and children so that they may discover and express their own individual style. For over a decade, this Woodland Hills-based business has remained the go-to source for all locals interested in exploring, collecting and creating beautiful, unique pieces while providing unparalleled repair service and fun private classes. Learn to create your very own original jewelry to drape yourself in, gift a special someone or even sell your own designs – the sky is the limit at Bead Lounge, so let your creativity run wild.

 

 Color Me Mine, located at 23641 Calabasas Road in Calabasas, is a paint-your-own-ceramics studio where you can create your own unique ceramic pieces. Indeed, everyone is a Picasso at Color Me Mine – from kids to teens to adults – and the process is absolutely fun and simple: First pick the ceramic piece you’d like to paint, plan your one-of-a-kind design, select the colors to paint with, begin painting and finally have your masterpiece glazed and fired by the staff. The studio is open every day except for Monday, and table reservations as well as private studio parties can be booked.

 

Craftiness, located at 21746 Devonshire Street in Chatsworth, represents one of the few sources for paper crafts and mixed media supplies in the Los Angeles area, the business also offering classes, clubs and workshops amidst generous workspace. Open Tuesday through Saturday from 12 to 5 and by appointment, Craftiness is the brainchild of Angharad Caceres, a former Seattle resident who moved to L.A. 18 years ago to teach her expert crafting to budding artists eager to create magic; her first shop, the Urban Craft Center in Santa Monica, supported a variety of different crafts from sewing and knitting to paper activities, but since opening Craftiness, she is now focused on what inspires her the most: Art journaling and paper arts. The San Fernando Valley-based store boasts a beautiful studio with a sweeping variety of paper crafting tools such as die machines, hundreds of paper dies, cutting tools, punches and more.

 

Needle Hearts, located at 18900 ½ Ventura Boulevard in Tarzana, carries quality supplies for every type of needlepoint, the shop residing in the same spot since 1970. Each of Needle Hearts’ retail team members and teachers bring with them no less than 25 years of experience in needlepoint, and are available to provide knowledgeable assistance in everything from canvas and thread selection to the ins and outs of decorative stitching. The business also offers a vast selection of supplies and specialty threads, a full line of custom finishing and picture framing, classes, trunk shows and much more.

 

Los Angeles is a mecca of arts and culture, and experiencing this city’s artistic side doesn’t require stacks of cash. Although the businesses in this roundup are more kid-friendly than others, they all provide services to help the Woodland Hills-based-artist – young or old – hone his or her craft and make things of beauty.