Isaac, 9, gets to grips with his work (above); below, manager Clare Kelly and employee James Lockett

Paint your own designs on to mugs, plates or whatever to give yourself something unique – or your children a great day out. By Tom Foot

Have you ever walked out of Habitat thinking their fancy swish-swash ceramics cost too much?
A few dabs of paint and a wash of glaze – “I could do that!”
Art4fun, one of the longest standing independent cafés in West End Lane, caters for those who want to test their creativity. Using the wide selection of paints, customers can put their own designs on a selection of mugs, plates, and other novelty items. And when they’re done, the crackpot designs can be glazed, fired and taken home.
And even if you are really no good at all things artistic, your end product will look as professional as anything you’ll see in the shops.
The activities are most popular with children’s parties – on average, ten are booked every weekend – but art4fun has hosted corporate team building exercises and raucous hen nights. And a few celebrities – including singers Nicola and Natalie Appleton and former Take That star Mark Owen – have popped in to offer their support, offering up their handprints on plates for customers to buy.
Assistant manager, Clare Kelly, said she enjoyed working at the café and particularly on hen nights.
“You get such a mix of people in here,” she said. “The hen nights are such a laugh – they always end up crafting phallic sculptures.”
But it’s not all fun and games at art4fun. Ms Kelly, who has a side business in designing her own plates for uninspired customers, believes the café provides an important resource for children. “When I was young there was nothing like this,” she said. “I remember being given a plastic plate at school but that was about it. It’s important for people to express their creativity.”
“I really can’t stand it when kids come in here and don’t have a go – it’s often the boys who think they can’t do it. But after a while they find they can.”
Stirring his vast vat of bright blue glaze, James Lockett thought the public got quite a good deal. “When you think how much these kind of things cost in the shops – and the best part is you can take home something with your own print.” Davide Berger, the entrepreneur behind art4fun, added. “It’s a unique opportunity for people who love to see children’s creativity and individuality expressed through various art forms. There have been teenagers thanking parents for giving them some quality time together; grandparents finding something to do with their spare time; friends, families, and couples sharing common, pleasurable activities; and business people and students unwinding.”
Saturday afternoon saw the staff busy with Cydney’s ninth birthday party. The children made plates and pots out of clay and decorated them with acrylic and glitter. Her mum, Sian Griffiths, said birthdays were always expensive but a trip to art4fun was a guaranteed success. “It’s very popular – they always enjoy it.”
n Art4fun, 172 West End Lane, NW6. Tel: O20 7794 0800.