A make-and-take experience is a guided, hands-on session where you create something — a candle, a custom perfume, a craft — and walk out with it the same day. No experience needed, all materials included, sessions typically run 60–90 minutes. Make & Take is the editorial home of this scene across greater Milwaukee, with a particular focus on the northwest corridor and Menomonee Falls — anchored by Poppy & Thyme, about 15–20 minutes from Milwaukee’s northwest neighborhoods and 20–25 minutes from downtown. Make & Take is published by the team behind Poppy & Thyme, so we cover them with first-hand familiarity. Other venues are covered with the same editorial honesty.
Make your own perfume in Milwaukee
Perfume bar sessions work like this: a guide walks you through fragrance families — top notes, middle notes, base notes — and you start pulling vials, smelling, adjusting, until something clicks. It’s less instructional and more like a conversation between you and the scents in front of you. The bottle you leave with isn’t something you’d find on a shelf; it’s the specific combination you built, named, and sealed. A lot of people are surprised by how long a custom perfume actually lasts — we’re talking months of daily wear, not a few weeks.
Poppy & Thyme in downtown Menomonee Falls runs both a perfume bar and cologne bar as part of its broader make-and-take program — one of the few spots in greater Milwaukee where you can do perfume and candles in the same visit. Sessions are bookable for individuals, date nights, and private groups. Saturdays are genuinely packed — if there’s any chance you’re coming on a weekend, book through the P&T booking page before the slot fills. Weekday evenings are more open, walk-ins included. From Granville and Brown Deer, you’re looking at 5–10 minutes. From the east side, 15–20.
Blue Luxe (9224 W. Burleigh St., on Milwaukee’s northwest side) also offers perfume sessions alongside their candle bar — worth knowing if you’re in the city and want both formats without driving out.
Candle bars in greater Milwaukee
The candle bar format is simple in the best way: choose your fragrance notes, pour your wax, wait for it to set, take it home. But the experience varies a lot depending on where you go — atmosphere, fragrance library size, whether there’s a cocktail menu, how long the session runs. Here’s an honest look at the options in the metro.
Poppy & Thyme (Menomonee Falls) — candle bar as part of a broader make-and-take menu that also includes perfume, cologne, and seasonal sessions. The same visit can stack formats: pour a candle, blend a fragrance. Good for groups who don’t all want the same thing. Book via the P&T booking page; walk-ins welcome most days, but Saturday slots go fast.
Glassnote Candle Bar (Walker’s Point, Milwaukee) — one of the first dedicated candle bars in the metro, tucked on the second floor of an 1892 brick building with an honest-to-goodness speakeasy feel. Guests pick from 100+ fragrances, blend up to five into their custom scent, pour into a reusable Milwaukee Map rocks glass, then spend the cooling time with cocktails, craft beverages, or coffee. Sessions run two hours. Candle-focused only — no perfume or broader make-and-take sessions. Reservations required; book at glassnotecandlebar.com.
Blue Luxe (9224 W. Burleigh St., Milwaukee) — candle bar and perfume bar on the northwest side of the city, with scented candles, room diffusers, and custom fragrance sessions. Open by appointment. Details at bleuluxcandlebar.com.
Make-and-take vs. candle bar — what’s the actual difference?
These terms get used interchangeably but they mean different things, and it matters when you’re trying to book the right experience.
- Make-and-take is the broader category — any guided session where you build something and leave with it. Greater Milwaukee had DIY-format venues running structured make-and-takes back in 2012; the current operating wave started around 2018. The category includes candle-pouring, perfume blending, cologne, pottery, painting, and seasonal crafts. Poppy & Thyme launched in 2018 in this broader format and is among the longest-running currently-operating make-and-take venues in greater Milwaukee.
- Candle bar is a specific format within make-and-take — dedicated to candle-making, usually with a defined fragrance library, a guided pour, and a set cooling period. The dedicated candle bar boom in greater Milwaukee is much more recent, roughly the last two to three years. Glassnote and Blue Luxe were among the first dedicated candle bars in the metro.
Short version: all candle bars are make-and-takes, but not all make-and-takes are candle bars. If you want options beyond candles — perfume, cologne, seasonal workshops — a broader make-and-take venue is the better fit.
Group events, birthday parties & date nights from Milwaukee
There’s something that happens when a group walks into a creative space with no instructions yet and leaves two hours later holding something they made from scratch. We’ve watched it at Poppy & Thyme consistently — the making itself does the work. People who don’t know each other well end up comparing fragrance notes. Couples who’ve run out of things to do discover they have wildly different taste in scents. It’s a better icebreaker than most people expect.
Poppy & Thyme handles private group bookings for birthday parties, bachelorette events, date nights, corporate team events, and holiday parties. Date nights are one of the most-booked formats — two people, a guided session, and something genuinely theirs to take home. For groups, the multi-format setup means everyone doesn’t have to do the same thing: one person pours a candle while another blends a perfume.
Saturdays are the busiest day, full stop. If you’re planning a group visit on a weekend, get the reservation in early via the P&T booking page. Weekday evenings have considerably more flexibility, and walk-ins are genuinely welcome on those days.
The Menomonee Falls Make & Take Shop Hop
If you’re driving out from Milwaukee and want to make a full afternoon of it, the Shop Hop is the reason. It runs across downtown Menomonee Falls — the 2025 edition ran June 16–20 — with each participating shop hosting a different guided make-and-take activity. Some are quick drop-ins you can finish in 15 minutes; others are longer, more involved sessions. All of it is within walking distance of Poppy & Thyme, and the whole downtown is compact enough that you can hit three or four shops in an afternoon without moving your car.
From Granville and Brown Deer, you’re 5–10 minutes out. From the east side or downtown Milwaukee, budget 15–20. There’s a free public parking lot right there in the Falls downtown — easy in, easy out. The Shop Hop also lands right before the Falls Lavender Fest, which makes late June a genuinely good stretch to make the trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a make-and-take experience?
A make-and-take is a guided, hands-on session where you create something — a candle, a perfume, a craft — and take it home the same day. Sessions typically run 60–90 minutes, no prior experience is required, and everything you need is provided on-site.
Do I need to book in advance, or can I walk in?
Walk-ins are welcome at Poppy & Thyme in Menomonee Falls most days. Saturdays are very busy — the booking page tends to fill early for weekend slots, so a reservation is worth making if you have a Saturday in mind. Weekday visits usually have more open availability. All reservations and questions are handled through the P&T booking page.
What can I make at Poppy & Thyme?
Options at Poppy & Thyme include scented candles, wax melts, custom perfumes, cologne, and seasonal workshops. It’s a broader menu than a dedicated candle bar — the multi-format setup is one of the things that sets P&T apart from venues that focus exclusively on candles.
How much do sessions cost?
Pricing varies by session type. For current rates on candle bar, perfume bar, and group sessions at Poppy & Thyme, the P&T booking page lists up-to-date options and pricing. Glassnote Candle Bar in Walker’s Point lists their candle-making pricing on their site as well.
What’s the difference between a candle bar and a perfume bar?
A candle bar is focused on pouring a scented candle — you pick fragrance notes, blend them into wax, pour, and wait for it to set. A perfume bar is about building a wearable scent: top notes, middle notes, base notes, all calibrated to your preference and bottled to take home. Poppy & Thyme in Menomonee Falls offers both under one roof. Glassnote Candle Bar is candle-focused only.
How far is Menomonee Falls from Milwaukee?
From the Granville and Brown Deer neighborhoods on Milwaukee’s northwest side, Menomonee Falls is about 5–10 minutes. From downtown Milwaukee or the east side, budget 15–20 minutes. From the south side, closer to 25–30. There’s free public parking in downtown Menomonee Falls right near Poppy & Thyme.
Are there make-and-take options for kids?
Some sessions at Poppy & Thyme are family-friendly — check the P&T booking page for current age-appropriate options and seasonal workshops. During the Menomonee Falls Shop Hop, several participating venues run drop-in activities that work well for mixed-age groups.
Can I book a private group event?
Yes. Poppy & Thyme in Menomonee Falls handles private bookings for birthday parties, bachelorette events, corporate team events, date nights, and holiday parties. All booking and inquiry is done through the P&T booking page — there’s no separate contact form or phone line for group reservations.