Nestled on Kingston Road in North Bossier is The Clayground, where their goal is to help you create not only beautiful pieces but memories and ways to relax and connect with the community. 

Tessa Hall and her husband, Chris, opened their first Clayground location in Shreveport on May 3, 2023. Since then, they’ve had demand to be neighborhood-oriented, and they’ve done just that, having branched out to Bossier Parish in December of 2025.

“We did intentionally put it where it’s located because of all of the additional development,” Tessa explained. “We thought it would be wise, and we didn’t want to be in a major center; we wanted it to feel like you are in your community pottery studio.” 

This quant studio is almost 2000 square feet, where you’ll walk through the front doors to be greeted by a small gift shop, a multitude of pottery pieces you can paint, and even the wheel room for working with wet clay. This space invites people to come as they are, whether it’s a date night or a time to get away and create by yourself. 

For those looking to celebrate, the studio also features a space for birthday parties, showers, and various group gatherings. While walk-ins are welcome, larger groups are encouraged to call ahead to ensure there is enough space to keep their group together. 

If you opt to paint a pre-molded piece, the process is simple: choose your piece, find a seat, and start creating. Pricing is all-inclusive, covering the cost of the paint and glaze. At each table, you’ll find a reference tile showing how the paint will look after it has been kiln-fired and even a QR code to a Pinterest board of inspiration.

“Some paint your own pottery studios are acrylic-based. Everything we do is not,” Tessa explained. “Everything is actually glazed with the same pottery glaze that a major manufacturer would use and then kiln fire it. So, if it’s a functional piece like a mug or a teapot, it is truly functional.” 

Behind the scenes, a professional artist, 10 spanning across all Clayground locations, is there to guide guests, whether they are first-timers or seasoned creatives. That level of expertise reinforces what makes this studio stand out and connect to its community. It isn’t just about the finished product but the experience of creating it. 

For Tessa, that belief is deeply personal. After Hall’s daughter suffered a traumatic injury, she found herself down south caring for her daughter and needed a way to escape and care for her mental health. She took her first pottery class and something clicked. This was not just an escape but a way to process, create, and ultimately cultivate a new career moving forward.

But Tessa isn’t the only one who has found healing within the walls of the studio. Over time, she has been able to see the space become a refuge for others as well. From those moving through grief or diagnoses, to making heirloom pieces that echo memories of something their grandmother once made for them growing up. 

One of the most impactful moments Tessa recalls involves a repeat guest who was a local emergency room doctor. Outwardly, she appeared to be balancing an intensely demanding career, but at home, she was also balancing being a wife and mother of three children under the age of 6. She would come to the studio, put her headphones in, and create. Tessa made a connection with her, but it wasn’t until later that a Clayground employee, Carrie, shared with Tessa just how much that connection meant to that mom who was in the thick of postpartum depression. 

“I take everything pretty lightly now, but I didn’t really understand. She was in the throes of it,” she recalled. “It didn’t fully register to me in that moment. I think she just picked up on my vulnerability, and I picked up on hers, and we just had a moment that wouldn’t have ever gotten validation had she not taken that, told Carrie about it, and Carrie told me about it.” 

Many have been able to come to the Clayground to create and connect. They’ve helped support local causes, silent auctions, and even fundraisers for places like Nina’s Road to Rescue. These opportunities to support the community drive Tessa in her business and passion for work. 

“That’s the stuff when days are hard that makes you get up and go, ‘Okay, we’re gonna do it again today,’” she said. 

Tessa aspires to continue to assist creatives and artists in the area for the next generations to come, with the long-term goal of passing the business into the hands of the younger generation. She often jokes that she’d love for their first customer ever to return to take on her first job. While that milestone may be a little far away, seeing that she’s only 10, it’s a thought that makes her heart smile and reflect on what she’s building, something that is meant to last. 

If you’re interested in creating memories, impact, and pottery, The Clayground is a great place to go with upcoming events like Mother’s Day Brunch, great for quality time with mom on her special day, Mud Day Sunday, which is a family friendly pottery wheel class, and The Last Bell Bash, which is designed to celebrate those hard working teachers as they kick off summer. 

One of the most playful, and arguably cutest, upcoming events is Totes McGoats, where you can paint pottery surrounded by baby goats in pajamas. Not only is it adorable, but it also serves as a fundraiser and way to socialize the baby goats from Farm Ranch Zoo in Haughton. 

All events are on their website, where you can register for spaces, book your own party, or see what’s coming up. Get connected and get to creating!