The gift of an experience: Local businesses offer hands-on holiday fun

In a season when the best gifts aren’t always things, experiences are stepping into the spotlight, and Tompkins County offers no shortage of memorable ones. Whether it’s crafting a custom scent at Poured Candle Bar or creating a constellation of light at Gourdlandia, local makers and creative businesses have turned hands-on fun into thoughtful presents.

From pottery wheels to axe throwing to carpentry workshops, the region’s studios and classrooms make it easy to give someone not just an object, but the gift of time together.

Find your signature scent at Poured Candle Bar

Those seeking a truly unique fragrance for their home or to give as a gift can create it at Poured Candle Bar in Press Bay Alley in Ithaca, where an expert will guide you through making a handmade candle and oil for reeds and diffusers. Anyone who is interested, from parties of one to gatherings of up to 14, can book an experience at Poured and know that they are creating something truly one-of-a-kind.

Those who purchase an olfactory experience from Poured can expect individualized attention from a specially trained chandler like Tatiana Rollins, who welcomes everyone into the calming Poured space with a smile and an open attitude.

“We’re walking them through the whole process as they’re doing the mixing, the smelling, the pouring,” Rollins said. From solo customers to couples on date nights to bachelorette parties, Poured caters to a wide variety of groups.

It would be hard to recreate exactly the same scent twice, even if you tried, said co-owner Ricky Tiscareno. “The chances of you getting the exact percentage [of oils] is so rare,” he said. “It just makes every time you do something so unique.”

For Rollins, the element of discovery is one of the best parts of her job.

“I had someone come in — and you would never guess this — they made a scent with teak wood, eucalyptus and cinnamon,” Rollins said. “I was like, ‘Oh I’m writing this down,’ because it was so good.”

Poured Candle Bar first launched in 2020 in Hudson, New York, when co-owners Tiscareno and Dennis Green moved to their weekend house there full time at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The couple had always planned to open up “some sort of experience” within 5 to 10 years. “We were working remotely and basically just moved up our plan about 5 years,” Tiscareno said.

They were drawn to candle making in search of a custom scent for their own home. They discovered that very few businesses offered customers the chance to mix something for themselves. “We thought it was a cool opportunity to do it ourselves,” he said. “We thought: if we like it, other people will probably like it.”

It turned out they were right — people were attracted to the idea, and some return seasonally to craft a new scent.

When Poured proved to be a successful concept, the owners started thinking about a second location. Ithaca’s mix of business and tourism felt similar to that of Hudson, Tiscareno said, and they soon decided to launch their new store in Press Bay Alley.

The experience of making a candle at Poured is designed to be relaxing. Customers are encouraged to be creative and take their time figuring out what smells they are drawn to and which combinations are their favorite.

Those who do not have time this holiday season to sit down and make a candle can stop by Poured and purchase a Poured New York handmade candle. Poured New York is a separate company, launched by Tiscareno and Green, and their candles can currently be found in 400 retailers. Right now, they also have a pop-up at Macy’s in New York City, as they were invited by the department store to be one of around 30 retailers at Holiday Square in Herald Square.

At the shop in Ithaca, Poured New York is currently offering a “buy more, pay less” sale: one candle sells for $40, two for $60 and three for $90.

Visit pouredcandlebar.com for more details and to purchase gift certificates or book your own olfactory experience for yourself or a friend.

Discover Gourdlandia

Ask Graham Ottoson to describe Gourdlandia, and she’ll likely give you one response: “You just have to see it for yourself.”

Ithaca’s wonderland homage to the humble, common vegetable-turned-art is a destination offering an experience that visitors surely won’t find anywhere else. Some people come to view the gourd art. In the summer, a walk through the gourd garden is popular with visitors, and some people come to purchase the gourd table lamps, hanging lights and other gifts carefully handcrafted by Ottoson herself.

This time of year brings visitors seeking special gifts. If you have an hour or two to spare, Ottoson’s gourd nightlight craft is a crowd-pleaser. Not only do you get to leave with a functional, one-of-a-kind nightlight, but you get the Zen experience of creating a pattern in a gourd using a tiny power drill.

“It is so satisfying to drill holes in a gourd,” Ottoson said. “You start with a blank one that’s all set up. It’s dried and stained and opened up; it’s a nightlight, minus the holes.”

Pay $40, choose a pattern, and you’ll soon have a glowing work of art.

“People come in saying, ‘I’m not an artist. I’m not creative. And they leave so happy,” Ottoson said.

Gourdlandia first opened 11 years ago. “It’s hard to place what’s happening here, but somehow there are lots of Gourdlandia fans, so that’s good,” Ottoson said.

Ottoson recommends that people check her business listing on Google and/or the calendar on Gourdlandia.com to confirm that she is open, but at this time of year her usual hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday and 1 to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Anyone who wants to make a nightlight can walk in and make one during open hours, no appointment or registration necessary.

Those who want to invest in a more time-consuming project can sign up to make one of Ottoson’s other gourd crafts, such as a globe light. Participants learn how to transform an ordinary cannonball gourd into a glowing light of their own design, whether they want to use their own pattern or borrow one of Ottoson’s.

With a provided LED bulb, the designs shine beautifully on nearby surfaces. Glass beads can be inserted into some of the holes for a little accent color. 

“It’s a noisy, dusty, fun project, not suitable for people under age 14, or those who would have difficulty with repetitive motion,” states the Gourdlandia website, adding that the project takes three to four hours to complete. It costs $70, which includes all materials and hardware. The class happens mostly on the weekend and is held on demand, so those interested are asked to fill out a form at Gourdlandia.com/classes, where visitors can also sign up to make a pierced pendant or a box, basket or bowl.

The Monday before Christmas, Dec. 22, Gourdlandia hosts its annual Singing Sale.

“If you bust through the front door of Gourdlandia with a holiday song, sung with gusto, you get 25% off,” Ottoson said. “But it has to be with gusto.”

For the holidays, Ottoson makes tree ornaments. “What I do is I find the essence of the Christmas carol, like an old song, and it will say something like ‘why this jubilee,’ and I’ll write ‘jubilee’ on the ornament,” Ottoson explained. “So I take that kernel of the Christmas carol and put that on the ornament.”

Gourdlandia gift certificates can be purchased digitally on the website, providing a code to use at checkout, or Ottoson can mail paper gift certificates, if preferred. 

Those who purchase a gift certificate at Gourdlandia have another, special option.

“If you pick it up, I can write a gift certificate out on a little scrap of gourd, to hang on a tree,” Ottoson said.

To learn more about Gourdlandia’s crafts, check on hours or purchase a gift certificate, visit Gourdlandia.com.

Find your creative safe haven, Claybird Pottery

Claybird Pottery is in its third year on Main Street in Dryden, offering those with artistic inclinations an opportunity to try their hand at throwing clay.

“Pottery classes are certainly booming and filling up pretty fast,” owner and operator Beth Wright said.

Those who sign up for one of Claybird’s beginner weekly workshops will end the six-week course with a finished clay pot and skills that they can practice at Claybird during open studio times. 

The workshops come with some free studio time, as well, said Wright, who last week was busy preparing her studio space for a holiday pottery sale, which was held Dec. 6.

John Vorstadt, local artist and Claybird instructor, was mounting some of his paintings on the wall, and instructor Mark Roberson, of Common Bowl Studio, was busy putting letters on a sign to advertise the sale.

Normally, Claybird does not function as a retail store at all, focusing instead on its workshops. 

Wright and her small team of instructors hold intermediate classes for more experienced potters as well. 

“You can do anything from bowls to plates to platters,” Wright said. “Once you’re more advanced, you might move onto teapots, but it’s not limited to any one thing. We really like to allow students to get into it and use their own creativity and ideas. If they have things they like, they can bring in suggestions for what they want to make, and we’ll help them figure out how to make it. We want them to find their own creative voice.”  

Roberson said he enjoys teaching and creating a space where people can forget their troubles for an hour or two each week.

“This is about people who share a common vibe,” Roberson said. “They come here to feel not encumbered. … It’s a very therapeutic place.”

Gift certificates can be purchased on the studio’s website, and they can be used to pay for a class, private lesson or workshop.

One new venture that the studio is trying out: Painting premade clay figures and other items. Claybird just soft launched this new program with a class earlier this month. For an $8 sitting fee, people could pick out an item and stay for as long as they wanted. Wright said she plans on hosting more painting opportunities in the future, making painting a staple of Claybird’s offerings.

She said her classes are a way to build community, which is one of her main goals.

“It’s not about the art, necessarily, though that’s a wonderful part of [the experience], and you get to be creative and work with your hands and do something outside of maybe what your normal routine might be that day,” Wright said. “One of the things that warms my heart the most is that a lot of the students, they’ve become friends.” Many of them sign up for classes together over and over again, she said.

Wright said that she is pleased to be a part of the small but growing community of small businesses in downtown Dryden.

“I feel like it’s just started to come to life over the last three years,” she said.

Across the street is another new creative venture — Connected Stitches Yarn & Fiber Shop — and friends and family members who take a class together at Claybird can cozy up to a cup of coffee at one of Main Street’s two cafes: Corner Brew or Protagonist Books & Coffee.

Visit claybirdstudio.com for more information about classes and events.

Asempe Kitchen
www.asempekitchen.com/
This catering, pop-up and culinary experience company specializes in providing great plant-based options in traditional West African cuisine. The chef teaches private lessons, and cooking classes make a great gift for foodies looking to expand their culinary horizons.

Blue Door Studio Ithaca
www.bluedoorstudioithaca.com/
Blue Door’s art adventures include group lessons and team-building retreats for clubs and organizations. With classes in drawing, abstract painting and acrylics, this studio has something for you, whether you want to learn something new, continue to improve your skills or resume where you left off back in junior high art class.

Circus Culture
www.circusculture.org/
Ithaca’s own circus school teaches myriad disciplines, from juggling to trapeze, partner acrobatics to tight wire. Curious to try a class before committing? Check out their drop-in trial classes.

Clay School Ithaca
www.clayschoolithaca.com/
Classes available at this local pottery school include “Beginner Wheel” and “Clay Basics” for those just starting out and “Pitchers and Mugs” and “Pots and Lids” for more experienced students.

Community School of Music & Arts
www.csma-ithaca.org/
Have you always wanted to play guitar or create an oil painting, or do you know someone who does, but doesn’t know how to get started? CSMA is a dynamic community space for artists, community members and educators to explore ideas, artistic expression and creativity together, currently offering classes in dance and theater, visual arts and music.

Feel Goods
www.feelgoodsithaca.com/
This locally owned clothing store and maker space hosts workshops in ice-dyeing fabric, stained glass and block printing.

Hammerstone: Carpentry for Women
www.hammerstoneschool.com/
Learn basic carpentry skills, make a cutting board, take a course in woodcarving or learn a whole host of other skills taught at this school, whose mission is to empower women and gender minorities through craft trades education.

The Knight’s Den
www.eastlakerecreation.com/the-knights-den/
If you’re ready to experience the thrill of being a medieval knight, step into The Knight’s Den, where they combine the ancient art of ax throwing with a medieval theme to create an unforgettable adventure.

SewGreen
www.sewgreenithaca.com/
SewGreen hosts classes in intuitive stitch with Japanese fabrics, garment screen printing, jewelry making, embroidery and more. It also offers classes for children.