Mermaid Factory

Attended Mermaid Factory for a birthday party. It was such a fun concept to have a kids birthday party here. The kids can't paint, be creative and eat cake. It was best of both worlds. There were a huge section of paint, decorative add-on and glitter. It really catered to the creativity of little kids. We really enjoyed our time here. Will definitely look into throwing a party here for my daughter too.

The staff is so nice. You can paint whatever you want and you have no restrictions! The only thing is it can get a little expensive. Other than that it was a wonderful experience. 10/10 recommend!

We had so much fun during our session today! The best part is that if you mess it up you can just cover it in glitter! There's no way anyone can not feel like a little girl again here. We had a great time painting and covering our projects in ALL.THE.GLITTER.

I'm a horrible crafter who loves to craft. I start something, buy all the things for it, plan it all out, then move on to another craft/interest before I finish the craft that I started/bought materials for. This is why activities like the Mermaid Factory are perfect for me. They give you everything you could possibly need. From a rainbow of paint colors to glitter to seashells. You don't have to buy any extra materials "just in case" you might want to take your craft in a different direction. You can plan it all out or make decisions on the fly. I recommend making reservations if you plan to come on the weekend since it is an excellent place for birthday parties. I'd imagine smaller groups would be fine as walk-ins on weeknights, but since you get discounts starting at 6 or 8 people, you might as well bring everyone and make a reservation. You start off by gathering your group (you need to have everyone there to be seated.) They will let you pick a mermaid or dolphin. They also have larger wall mermaids and sometimes a unique limited-time creature available if you've been here a few times and want to mix it up. During my most recent visit, they had a few sea turtles. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for any limited edition creatures. Then you take your paint palette and pick out any color your heart desires, or all of them if your heart desires many many colors. You go back and paint your dolphin/mermaid. You can also grab some complimentary wine to get your creativity flowing. When the paint is dry, you can add glitter or sand (included in the price) or head over to the rock and accessory wall and pick out some things to bedazzle your creation. I opted for shiny rocks. They will give you a small cup for $1 and access to Elmer's glue and a hot glue gun. The hot glue gun station was a little crowded, but everyone was friendly, patient, and open to sharing the space during my visit. You can even add a tutu to your mermaid if that's your style. Our time went by so quickly as we painted, glued, and chatted the afternoon away. It took our group of 6 about an hour and a half to finish all of our designs. If you have younger kids that need more guidance, I'd plan for extra time closer to two or maybe even two and a half hours. The staff was friendly, although they seemed a little overwhelmed on a busy Saturday, and I suspect they could have benefited from an extra person helping them out. They were literally running back and forth at one point but still maintained excellent customer service. Great way to spend an afternoon or evening with friends!

Love the atmosphere! And service was great! Me and my friends are visiting the area and decided to try it. When we got there we were at bit early and they told us just give it a minute and we could be seated. We had trouble using the hot glue gun and they were pleased to help and very helpful explaining and giving tips! Lots of inspiration around!

This review is for the "To Go" kits they are offering right now. It is technically my kids Spring Break this week. They have been at home quarantined for weeks and they were sad they were going to be stuck at home for their Spring Break. I decided to try and come up with fun things for them to at home. I saw these kits on their website and thought these would be perfect! I ordered them online. You choose which model you want to paint, choose 8 different colors, and any add-ons you might want. They call you when it is ready. It was packaged nicely in a box with everything in it. There were instructions and it comes with one free paint brush. I purchased an extra brush kit for $5. I recommend that. It helped to have different size brushes to use. My kids has a great time painting them and they turned out super cute!

This was a great experience!! We were a group of 6 and made a reservation. However, the night we went wasn't busy at all. There was one guy working and he explained exactly how the painting would go. Basically you can pick either a mermaid or a dolphin and pick from tons of colors to paint them! They also have ribbons, buttons, glitter, sand, glass an tons of other things to really make your mermaid unique. The paint dries REALLY fast too which is nice and different than other painting things I've done. They give you wine too if you are of age which makes for a fun time. Once everyone in your party is done they mount them on the stands and put them in a special box that fits the mermaid perfect! I would definitely recommend this as a fun group activity or date for two. It was relaxing and leaves you with a beautiful piece to decorate with.

Cute place, fun times! Went in w my daughters for a little girl time. Sales person was very sweet, showed us to clean well organized workspace. Made sure to explain everything to us including all of the available supplies and accessories. Our mermaid came out amazing! When we left, the sales person made sure to box each one up securely so we could get them home without damage. Only suggestion I would give is maybe complimentary water or wine (wine comes w purchase but not water). Definitely recommend this place! Cute idea for date nights, girls nights, family time, etc.

"There are a million fish in the sea but I am a mermaid" Did you know that the Hampton Roads region was ranked as one of the most least creative/artistic cities in the nation? That is why I am thankful for small, local stores like the Mermaid Factory. They bring a creative outlet to the area that is definitely unique!I purchased a few gift certificates as Christmas gifts this past year and finally made it out to make one myself. Not knowing reservations are encouraged, we luckily we were able to get in right away. The store is absolutely precious! Upon arrival, you are able to select from a Mermaid or a Dolphin. Next step is to choose your paint colors and embellishments. They even have glitter, shells and tutus available for an additional small cost. They even have wine for purchase (wink, wink) I took it to the next level and made a Pinterest board ahead of time so that I could have some inspiration going in. I was inspired by a Lilly Pulitzer pattern that I saw and use that as my motif. It turned out amazing and couldn't be happier with my craft considering paint is not my medium. Heck, I was so proud of my mermaid I posted it on Instagram, Yelp, Facebook and now she lives on my office desk! Overall I would allot about 2 hours and about $35 for the project. Chloe was very helpful and made selecting colors a breeze. I highly recommend the Mermaid Factory for a party or small get together. My girl friends loved the experience and already want to make more mermaids! Shop local and support the arts!XO

It was a rainy Saturday and all I wanted to do was craft! So I picked up one of those "To Go" kits that are available at the Mermaid Factory, and it was the best idea. I picked up the Mermaid kit, which includes 8 colors of your choosing, which can include colored glitter, and one paint brush. It even came with directions on how to paint your mermaid and what paint to use first. It was super easy to fill out the Google Form (from their facebook) and then it was ready 3 hours later! Other To Go kit options include a sea turtle, dolphin, or sea shell. I love the Mermaid Factory and I can't wait to go back in the studio and create some more fun decor!