Waukesha County’s guided-DIY scene has grown fast over the last few years — and for residents looking to pour candles, blend a signature perfume, or host a hands-on birthday party, the options now span both downtown Waukesha itself and the nearby Menomonee Falls corridor. Make & Take is the editorial home of that scene, and this page covers the best of it — anchored by Poppy & Thyme in nearby Menomonee Falls, just 20 minutes from Waukesha. (Make & Take is published by the team behind Poppy & Thyme, so we cover them with first-hand familiarity.)
Make your own perfume near Waukesha
A perfume bar is a guided fragrance experience where you choose a base and layer individual scent notes — florals, musks, woods, citrus — until the blend smells like something you’d actually wear. You leave with a finished, labeled bottle that’s entirely yours. No chemistry background needed; a good guide makes the process feel instinctive.
Poppy & Thyme in Menomonee Falls runs one of the most complete perfume and cologne bars in the greater Milwaukee area. Sessions cover both women’s perfume and men’s cologne, which sets it apart from venues that only offer one or the other. You pick your notes, the staff guides you through the blending process, and you walk out with a custom fragrance to take home. It’s a genuinely personal experience — no two results are the same.
From Waukesha, Menomonee Falls is about 20 minutes up I-894 and Highway 45 — an easy drive that doesn’t feel like a big commitment. Walk-ins are welcome most days; if you’re planning to go on a Saturday, Poppy & Thyme recommends booking ahead since weekends fill up. Reserve your perfume session at Poppy & Thyme →
Candle bars in Waukesha County
A candle bar lets you choose your vessel, pick your fragrance blend, pour the wax yourself, and take home a finished candle — all in a relaxed, social setting with a guide on hand the whole time. The format has exploded across Waukesha County in recent years, and there are now solid options both in Waukesha proper and in the surrounding suburbs.
Poppy & Thyme (Menomonee Falls, ~20 min from Waukesha) — Runs candle bar sessions alongside its perfume bar, making it the broadest multi-format make-and-take venue in the area. If your group wants to do both candles and perfume in the same outing, this is the place. Poppy & Thyme has been operating make-and-take experiences since 2018 and is among the longest-running currently-active venues in greater Milwaukee. Book a candle session →
If you’re looking for a candle bar inside Waukesha, Waxed Candle Bar (126 W Broadway, downtown Waukesha) offers walk-in and reservation candle-making experiences with a range of vessel sizes and fragrance options. Worth checking for anyone who wants to stay local.
Group events, birthday parties & date nights from Waukesha
Guided make-and-take sessions are tailor-made for groups — the format keeps everyone at the same table, gives people something to do with their hands, and sends them home with something real. Birthday parties, girls’ nights, bridal showers, bachelorette weekends, and casual date nights all work beautifully in this format.
Poppy & Thyme handles private group bookings for parties and events at their Menomonee Falls location. A private session means your group gets the space to yourselves, the staff is focused on your crew, and you can mix and match formats — candle pouring, perfume blending, or seasonal sessions depending on what the group wants. For Waukesha residents, the 20-minute drive becomes part of the experience: you’re headed somewhere with a real downtown feel, not a strip-mall studio.
Corporate groups and team-building outings are also on the table. Creative sessions tend to work well for teams that spend most of their time in meetings — the tactile, low-stakes nature of candle or perfume making gets people talking in ways a conference room doesn’t. Plan your group event at Poppy & Thyme →
Curious what a group session actually feels like? The creative energy of making together in Menomonee Falls is something groups consistently come back to — it’s one of the things that makes the format stick.
The Menomonee Falls Make & Take Shop Hop
If you want to turn your Waukesha day trip into a full afternoon out, the Menomonee Falls Make & Take Shop Hop is worth planning around. The event runs June 16–20, 2025, spread across multiple shops in downtown Menomonee Falls. Each location hosts its own hands-on activity — some quick drop-ins, some more involved guided sessions — and the whole thing is walkable from shop to shop.
Poppy & Thyme is a natural anchor for the Shop Hop, given its central downtown location and multi-format lineup. But the event is designed to encourage you to hop around — you might pour a candle at one stop, make a pressed flower bookmark at another, and finish with a perfume session at Poppy & Thyme. It’s one of those rare local events that’s genuinely better with a group.
Specific participating shops and individual activity details are announced closer to the event date — check the Menomonee Falls Downtown site for the current lineup. For Waukesha residents, the Shop Hop is an easy excuse to make a day of it: drive up, hop shops, grab lunch or dinner in the downtown district, and head home with something handmade.
What else is in the Waukesha County creative scene?
The broader Waukesha County area has a growing collection of make-and-take and creative workshop venues worth knowing about:
- Poppy & Thyme (Menomonee Falls) — Candle bar, perfume bar, cologne bar, and seasonal sessions. Multi-format, group-friendly, 20 min from Waukesha. Book here.
For a deeper look at specific formats — candle making, perfume blending, pottery, painting — see our category guides covering the greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County area.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far is Poppy & Thyme from Waukesha?
About 20 minutes, heading northeast on I-894 and Highway 45. It’s a straightforward drive with easy parking in downtown Menomonee Falls once you arrive.
Do I need a reservation, or can I walk in?
Walk-ins are welcome at Poppy & Thyme most days. Saturdays are the busiest day of the week, so a reservation is recommended if you’re planning a weekend visit — especially for groups. You can book online through their booking page.
What can I make at a session?
Poppy & Thyme offers candle pouring, perfume blending, cologne blending, and seasonal make-and-take sessions that rotate throughout the year. Each session is guided — you don’t need any prior craft experience to end up with something genuinely good.
Can I book a private event or birthday party near Waukesha?
Yes. Poppy & Thyme in Menomonee Falls handles private group bookings for birthday parties, bridal showers, bachelorette events, girls’ nights, and corporate team-building. Visit their booking page to explore group options and check availability.
What is the Menomonee Falls Shop Hop?
The Make & Take Shop Hop is an annual multi-day event in downtown Menomonee Falls where participating shops each host a different hands-on, guided activity. The 2025 Shop Hop runs June 16–20. You can hop from shop to shop throughout the week or visit specific locations on a single day. Check the Menomonee Falls Downtown site for participating shops and activity details as the event approaches.