I love taking tours and learning how things are made, and I love them even more when they are free, like the one today was.  We visited the DeKlomp Wooden Shoes and Delft Factory in Holland, Michigan.

The tour started with the making of Dutch Pottery that takes a week to make and is hand painted right in the store. The lady in the first window explained how they pour the liquid clay into the molds, and how they must sit for thirty minutes to two days before she can get them out.  She then sands, buffs, and checks to make sure there are no nicks, bumps, or indentations she can’t repair. Next (see the second window) the clay is fired at 2,000 degrees.  Finally, the piece goes to the artist who hand paints it.

I think my favorite part of the tour was watching the wooden shoes being made.  The shoemaker  used a block of polar wood and cut out shoes for us using authentic Dutch machinery. He explained how they make the shoe from start to finish.  The girls picked out small shoes for their American Girls dolls, and then we had their names engraved on them.

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The last part of the tour was a visit over to the Tulip Store.  I had no idea that there are so many kinds and colors of tulips.  We learned that in the South that you must put your tulips in the fridge with no onions or citric fruits, and you need to remove the bulbs when the leaves turn brown or it will hurt the soil.  They have over five million bulbs in the store and you can order online if you like. We did not see any bison but they have several on the farm as well.