All craft roads lead to Playtime--an unassuming yet remarkable arts and crafts supply store in…read moreArlington Center. As a gifter, I don't fully understand how I didn't know about this place before, but I'm so glad I do now. I went for a family project recently when closer craft shops didn't have what we needed. There's an abundance of arts and crafts supplies here, housed in two interconnected basement rooms, along with an impressive paper and picture frame selection (among other items) on the first floor. The atmosphere is one of a kind--more like an arts-and-crafts boutique curated by the owner, with items you won't easily find together elsewhere. Because of the sheer breadth, some categories (like fabrics, for example) have a smaller variety, which is just an observation, not a critique. Ribbons are unrivaled. If you don't have time to wander, ask--the best part of our experience was the owner, Carol, and the staff (thank you, Lilly). They are wonderfully kind, patient, and creative, offering thoughtful, gentle advice for your projects and genuinely care about their customers. Tip: There's a parking lot in the back or bus 87 drops you off right in front, literally. Highly recommended local business.

How in the WORLD have I lived in Boston, Brookline, and Cambridge for decades and not known about…read morethis place. A friend recommended coming here w/ my mom to look for yarn for her knitting projects and my friend prefaced that this place was the BEST for any type of arts, crafts, decor, etc. Well, WOW!! And funny enough, my mom used to go to this store when she was a little girl in the late 50s-60s to get Nancy Drew books. She said it was EXACTLY how she remembered as a kid. I was awe struck by everything this store had. I will definitely be making this place a regular stop for gifts for people and for fun. Forget going to places like Michaels. Come to this local, family-owned business which I guarantee will have whatever you are looking for. It's an incredible place.

I did an online pick-up order this morning for 3 identical items for Easter, and while I was not…read morethrilled about having to go to Cambridge my usual store (Newton) was sold-out. It was raining, it is the week of Passover and Easter and the parking lot was a mess. I ran in, grabbed my order and thought "what a cute red bag they put it in" and ran out. My mistake was not checking to see what was actually in the bag..... Not the colors I ordered and no, I did not say that substituting the items was OK (because it wouldn't have been). Complete waste of time since I now need to return them and feel like a weirdo returning Easter stuff AFTER the holiday when I have time (and will not be returning to Cambridge). I always use pick-up and have never had a problem, lesson learned! Thanks for wasting my time (and $3.98 gallon gas)!

Large double room space with PLENTY of inventory. We usually stop into Michael's obviously for our…read morecraft supplies. For me I look for painting canvases, paint markers, acrylic paints and brush kits. They literally have everything and new sales and deals weekly. Ample parking in the lot...FREE!

This place is THE PLACE to go for clay painting in Boston. Super cheap ($10 studio fee plus the…read morecost of the item. Whole session can be $30ish or more if you buy a big item). They book out quickly so make sure you make a reservation! Week nights they're less busy though and it can be fun to hang out with friends or bring a date here. There's a great variety of colors and the turn around for firing is only a few days. Also they've been doing a free pizza Tuesday deal that is awesome! I love painting here. Plus great people watching/listening if you ever want to paint alone and just enjoy the community and bustling room of artists

10 out of 10 recommend. This place is so awesome and so amazing. They have so many colors for you…read moreto choose from, a lot of them was passed out I wish they did have more solid colors. But still the cool place to go.

Terrific store. The lady in the framing section was very helpful…read more and smart. Thank you for your competent services.

Stopped by Michael's to pick up some metal weaving supplies after getting a lesson at a YES event…read more The store was a bit disorganized - lots of stuff around, messy, and not very many staff to help out. I was directed to the proper aisle and found a few things. I was hoping they had a book for jewelry making but couldn't find one. I decided to use self checkout cause the people at the front were getting balloon orders ready. Be sure to look online for the coupons!

Awesome place for a fun crafternoon!…read more I came with a few friends on a rainy day to do a project, and had never done anything with mosaics before. We bought about 3 hours of time which is really the minimum amount of time it will take for a project. They had all of the supplies and colors and textures you could ever want and helped us every step of the way! It was about $15/hour plus the cost of the actual item you are putting the mosaics on. And note, you will need to let the tiles dry for 24 hours and grout it at home (if you are not local and can't return) The staff was incredibly friendly and helpful, and it was a great experience.

Nice teacher, good glass selection, good choice of shapes for making fused plates and bowlsread more

Had a very fun time making my rug. The team was so positive and energetic, and were helping during…read moreevery step of the process! I was shocked how "easy" it was to make the rug-I attribute some of that to the staff hosting such a strong tutorial. I can't wait to go back!

Employees were very attentive and came over immediately if you had any questions or need…read moreassistance. They had you practice a few methods prior to starting. We went with the rug tufting activity, which was fun and I learned I don't quite have the patience for it. However, I'd try it again now that I've made one rug. It definitely can be tiring on the hands and takes a few hours so not something that can be rushed. You can choose any design you'd like as long as you have a photo and they can project it from your phone to outline. At the end they put a non-slip backing. They offer other activities too, great place to go on a rainy or cold day or whenever one is feeling crafty!

Went with a friend for a fun activity as I wanted to do something other than the typical quick…read morebite. I found the painting place and thought it would be fun. We grabbed the quick bite and then headed over. Place was kind of hard to find - it's on the backside of the "plaza" it is in and for some reason the GPS doesn't know how to get on the other side (or maybe it was just us) - but since we knew we were in the right area we drove around and found it. They offer a lot of different craft services - pottery painting, mosaic building, candle making, and other kid friendly activities. We opted for the pottery painting. They had a decent selection of pieces to pant - lot of bowl, plate, cup, jewelry holder, planter, etc. types that are functional. The pottery pieces themselves are a little on the pricey side but they do not have a studio fee like other places, so the cost is all inclusive. They have a lot of paint colors to choose from and it's kept pretty organized, so it's easy to find what you are looking for. At the paint station, they had a display of the colors painted three ways - one coat, two coats, and three plus coats and a number for each color. The bottles were numbered accordingly and they had another little color display below the spot for that number. This was VERY helpful! You use the little paint plates (I forget technical name) and can get as much as you need and want as many times as needed. All of the workers were very friendly, ready and prepared to answer any questions, and were happy to walk you through the process, setup, and instructions. They had several table setups all of which were prepared with various brushes and water bowls. There were a lot of other supplies available too. We had a great time. It wasn't extremely busy which was good - I can see this place filling up, but I will say they have a lot of space to accommodate. The turnaround time given was a week, so I will pick up my piece soon and add an after photo. I made a coffee mug and my friend made a display like plate/tray - can't wait to see the results! Would definitely consider going back here for more pottery painting!

Staff here is very welcoming and friendly. Explained the process thoroughly…read more The setup is very similar to other pottery painting places I've been to. They even had pre-made paint palettes as an option. They also have some pottery pieces and things you can paint and take home the same day, but you can't eat from those items as they don't go thru the kiln. There wasn't a ton of variety in the pottery pieces to choose from, and the prices were a bit high compared to what I've seen in the past. We enjoyed our time. There were only two other parties there so it was very quiet and peaceful. Tip: if you use GPS for directions, it'll point you to the building across from theirs. They're right across from the Russian School. Their sign is a bit hidden. They do have a free parking lot.

A group of friends and I recently took one of the beginner classes and it was so much fun! Our…read moreartist instructors were very encouraging, patient, and personable. The class was very well organized with easy to follow instruction. We will definitely be going back for another class.

This is an awesome Artist run glass studio specializing in classes that teach flame working . I…read morehave done various projects with them for a long time and they have hit it out of the park every time. A very friendly and welcoming studio that is also very well run. Highly recommended!

Harvard Square's Holiday Craft Fair isn't just a great place for those who live in Cambridge…read morebecause it is conveniently located right across from the T. Small but filled with unique, homemade local items, it's perfect for gifts for loved ones during the holidays or even treats for yourself. With so many creative, local artists gathered together, it's hard not to give the craft fair five stars. Yes, it's on the tinier size and it's in a cramped basement in an old church in Cambridge, but I don't think that detracts from the point of the fair: to encourage community spirit, to strengthen the local economy and to support locals in their business opportunities.

I stopped by the Harvard Square Holiday Craft Fair on Saturday afternoon, and I was impressed by…read morethe selection of items available. The fair is now both in the church basement, and in a few outside booths on street level in front of the church as well. It's at the corner of Church Street & Mass Ave, across the street from the Harvard Sq. MBTA stop. The vendors are varied, from clock & wind chime creators, to jewelry makers, glass artists, book makers, and even some jam purveyors. I had a great time browsing, and even found the perfect pair of earrings for a hard to shop for friend. (I usually get her a Christmas gift at the Bazaar Bizarre in Boston, but that craft fair isn't happening this year. Chain mail earrings from the Harvard Square Holiday Fair helped me fill the gift giving void.) I recommend stopping by if you're looking for gifts both for others and yourself.

Made by Me is a fun activity to do with friends, a date, or solo! The small studio is off Mass Ave,…read morenear a ton of good food spots and ice cream (shoutout to Barcelona Wine Bar). When you go in there are a ton of items on the wall to choose from, which have a base price. Some of them can be quite pricey but there are also some solid options that are $20 or less. I got this cute mushroom bird feeder that I plan to use for jewelry (I believe it was around $20?). Once you start paying there is a rate per hour that is charged on top of that item price. I will say that the studio has a very zen and relaxing vibe... until I remembered I was being charged per hour HA. There are stencils and a variety of colors to use for your artwork. I loved the stencil books because they helped so much, especially with the time constraint. When you're done with your piece they estimate about 7 days before it is ready for pickup. The staff were all super kind and helpful and the place itself was kept tidy. Overall, I had a great experience there with my friend and would go again. BONUS: I don't live in the area anymore and my friend dropped the ball on picking up our artwork. I recently went back to visit and since I was right across the street I decided to try my luck and see if my piece was there, and it was! I painted my mushroom bird feeder in December 2024 and it was still there 5 months later in May! AMAZINNGGGGG, really made my day.

Wonderful pottery studio! Friendly and welcoming staff. Such a fun activity for all ages! Thanks!read more