A make-and-take experience is a guided, hands-on workshop where participants create something from scratch — a custom candle, a signature perfume, a piece of jewelry — and leave with the finished item the same day. Greater Milwaukee has a growing scene of these experiences, from dedicated candle bars in Walker’s Point to full multi-format make-and-take venues just across the county line in Menomonee Falls. Make & Take is the editorial home of that scene. (Make & Take is published by the team behind Poppy & Thyme, so we cover them with first-hand familiarity — but we cover the full Milwaukee-area landscape too.)
Make your own perfume in the Milwaukee area
Perfume-making sessions have quietly become one of the most popular date-night and girls’-night activities in the metro. The format is straightforward: you sit at a fragrance bar stocked with dozens of scent oils, work through top, middle, and base notes with a guide, blend until the ratio feels right, and bottle a custom eau de parfum you can actually wear. The whole session typically runs 60–90 minutes.
Poppy & Thyme in Menomonee Falls runs both a perfume bar and a cologne bar — one of the few spots in greater Milwaukee where you can build a fragrance on either side of the scent spectrum. Poppy & Thyme launched in 2018 as a gifts, retail, and make-and-take party destination (candles, nail polish, perfume), making it among the longest-running currently-operating make-and-take venues in greater Milwaukee. The perfume offering is part of a broader program that has expanded considerably since those early days. It’s about 15–20 minutes from most Milwaukee neighborhoods — closer to 5–10 minutes from Granville, Brown Deer, and the northwest side. Walk-ins are welcome, though Saturdays get busy and the venue recommends a reservation for that day. Book a perfume session at Poppy & Thyme →
Blue Luxe on the east side of Milwaukee also offers a perfume bar alongside its candle bar — a solid option if you’re closer to the lakefront or east side neighborhoods.
Candle bars in greater Milwaukee
The dedicated candle bar format took off in greater Milwaukee roughly 2020–2022. The concept: you choose a vessel, select fragrance oils from a curated library, blend your own scent profile with help from a candle guide (sometimes called a chandler), pour your wax, and pick up a finished candle — often same-day or the next day after it cures. Sessions run about 60–90 minutes and work well for individuals, couples, or small groups.
Here’s where to find a candle bar experience in the greater Milwaukee area:
- Poppy & Thyme — Menomonee Falls: Added a dedicated candle bar to its longer-running make-and-take program. Part of a broader format that also includes perfume, cologne, and seasonal sessions. About 15–20 minutes from most of Milwaukee; 5–10 minutes from the northwest side. Walk-ins welcome; reservations recommended on Saturdays. Book at Poppy & Thyme →
- Blue Luxe — Milwaukee (Burleigh St. area): Candle bar and perfume bar. Guests can create custom scented candles, perfumes, and room diffusers. A well-established option on the west side of the city.
- Glassnote Candle Bar — Walker’s Point, Milwaukee: One of the first dedicated candle bars in the metro. Located at 524 S. 2nd St. (2nd floor), Glassnote has a speakeasy-style atmosphere, ~100 fragrances to choose from, and signature cocktails. Reservations are highly recommended.
Make-and-take vs. candle bar: what’s the difference?
The terms get used interchangeably, but they’re not identical formats.
A candle bar is a specific, narrower concept: a dedicated studio or bar setup focused almost entirely on custom candle-pouring. The experience is scent-forward — choose fragrances, blend, pour, cure, take home. Glassnote and Blue Luxe are Milwaukee’s best-known dedicated candle bars.
A make-and-take venue is broader. It’s any guided creative experience where you make something and take it home the same day — candles, yes, but also perfume, cologne, nail polish, painted pottery, jewelry, seasonal crafts, and more. Poppy & Thyme in Menomonee Falls is the clearest example in this area: it’s been running multi-format make-and-take sessions since 2018, which predates the candle bar boom by a few years. The candle bar is one part of that larger program, not the whole thing.
If you want purely a candle-focused evening, any of the three venues above will deliver. If you want options — or if you’re booking a group where some people want perfume and others want candles — a multi-format venue like Poppy & Thyme gives you more flexibility.
Group events, birthday parties & date nights from Milwaukee
Make-and-take experiences are genuinely good group activities — not just because they’re fun, but because everyone leaves with something tangible. That changes the energy in the room in a way that paint-and-sip or trivia nights don’t quite replicate. Groups who’ve done it describe a specific kind of creative energy that happens when people make things together — and it’s the reason many come back.
Common group formats include:
- Birthday parties — private or semi-private sessions where the group picks an activity (candle, perfume, cologne, seasonal craft) and the whole experience is centered on the guest of honor.
- Date nights — a couple building their own signature scents side by side. More interactive than dinner, more memorable than a movie.
- Corporate team events — creative team-building that doesn’t require anyone to trust-fall. Groups leave with something they actually made.
- Bridal showers & bachelorette parties — popular for the personalization angle; guests can make fragrance blends inspired by the couple or the occasion.
Poppy & Thyme in Menomonee Falls handles group bookings for all of the above. The venue’s multi-format program means groups can mix activities — some guests pour candles while others build a perfume — which works especially well for larger parties with varied interests. All reservations and questions are handled through the Poppy & Thyme booking page.
From the north Milwaukee suburbs (Brown Deer, Granville, the Mequon side), Menomonee Falls is about 5–10 minutes. From downtown Milwaukee or the east side, plan on 15–20 minutes. From the south side, closer to 25–30 minutes — but the drive is easy and the Shop Hop below makes it worth turning into a full afternoon.
The Menomonee Falls Make & Take Shop Hop
If you’re making the trip out from Milwaukee, there’s a strong case for turning it into a full day. The Menomonee Falls Make & Take Shop Hop is a multi-day guided-DIY event set in Menomonee Falls Downtown — candle bars, perfume bars, pottery studios, paint rooms, culinary stations, and more, all within walking distance of each other.
The 2026 Shop Hop runs June 16–20, 2026. Participating businesses offer workshops, guided classes, and hands-on activities for all ages. Whether you’re coming from Milwaukee, Wauwatosa, Brookfield, Sussex, or Germantown, it’s built to be a day trip — explore a few shops, make a few things, grab lunch in the village, and head home with more than you came with. See the Shop Hop event page for the participating locations list and schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a make-and-take experience?
A make-and-take experience is a guided, hands-on creative session where you make something from scratch — a candle, perfume, piece of jewelry, seasonal craft, or food item — and take the finished product home the same day. No prior craft experience is needed. Sessions are typically 60–90 minutes and are led by an instructor or guide who walks you through each step.
How far is Menomonee Falls from Milwaukee?
It depends on where you’re starting. From the northwest Milwaukee neighborhoods (Granville, Brown Deer, the Mequon side), Menomonee Falls is about 5–10 minutes. From downtown Milwaukee, the east side, or the Third Ward, plan on 15–20 minutes. From the south side, roughly 25–30 minutes. The drive is straightforward — no highway maze required.
Do I need a reservation for a candle or perfume session?
Walk-ins are welcome at Poppy & Thyme in Menomonee Falls, but Saturdays are very busy and the venue recommends booking a reservation in advance for that day. For Glassnote Candle Bar in Walker’s Point, reservations are highly recommended regardless of day. All reservations and questions for Poppy & Thyme are handled through their booking page.
What’s the difference between a candle bar and a perfume bar?
At a candle bar, you blend fragrance oils into wax, pour your own custom candle into a vessel you choose, and take it home once it’s cooled and cured. At a perfume bar, you blend fragrance notes (top, middle, and base) into an alcohol or oil base to create a wearable scent — bottled on the spot and ready to use immediately. Some venues, like Poppy & Thyme and Blue Luxe, offer both.
Can I bring a group or book a private party?
Yes — group bookings are one of the most common use cases for make-and-take venues. Birthday parties, bridal showers, date nights, and corporate team events all work well. Poppy & Thyme in Menomonee Falls accommodates groups across multiple formats (candle, perfume, cologne, seasonal crafts), so larger parties can mix activities. Book through the Poppy & Thyme booking page.
How much does a make-and-take session cost?
Pricing varies by venue, activity, and group size. For specific session pricing, visit the Poppy & Thyme booking page for their current rates, or check individual venue pages for Glassnote and Blue Luxe. Most guided candle or perfume sessions in the Milwaukee area run in the $30–$60 range per person for standard sessions.
What is the Menomonee Falls Make & Take Shop Hop?
The Make & Take Shop Hop is a multi-day guided-DIY event in Menomonee Falls Downtown where multiple businesses — candle bars, perfume bars, pottery studios, paint rooms, culinary stations — open their doors for hands-on workshops, all walkable from each other. The 2026 Shop Hop runs June 16–20. It’s designed for visitors from across greater Milwaukee and Southeast Wisconsin, and it pairs well with lunch or dinner in the village.