Throughout history, ceramic has kept tables free of cigarette ash, prevented geraniums from running away, and even acted as "oxygen mugs" during NASA’s poorly planned first trip to the moon. Discover the substance's artistic side with today’s Groupon: for $15, you get $30 worth of paint-your-own pottery at Crazy Glaze Ceramic Studio & Art Education Center in Fuquay-Varina.

Removing the hassle of digging up clay and spinning it on a glorified record player, Crazy Glaze stocks its shelves with a wide selection of blank bisque pottery and more than 200 glaze colors, giving artful daubers full creative control for a solo artistic statement or a massive group paint-a-thon.

Pottery Picassos can spruce up a diverse collection of plates ($7.25–$21, plus tax), bowls ($6–$32, plus tax), tiles ($2.25–$8, plus tax), and mugs ($5.25–$12.75, plus tax). More avant-garde tastes will prefer to slather color on figurines such as a monkey, an antique car, or Mark Twain’s mustache. After painting, the shop’s glaze gurus permanently set designs by firing the pottery in a kiln for 16 hours.

Not only does Crazy Glaze welcome drop-in guests, it also swings open the doors for a paintalicious array of events. During the monthly Parents’ Night Out ($35 per child, $5 sibling discount), date-nighters in need of a baby-sitter are encouraged to drop off the kids and garden gnomes for a four-hour supervised session of ceramic painting and children’s movies. The glazery also whoops it up for birthday parties, bridal showers, and clown funerals.