Incredible art store. I was blown away by how well stocked the store is. I loved the top floor with…read morecool crafts and unique art gifts to purchase. The second floor had every art supplies I could dream of, and the bottom floor was an amazing selection of paper and canvas. Truly a great art store for all

Incredible place, but dangerous at the same time as you could easily spend a lot of money in here!…read more The first time I popped in was when I needed a few items for an event and I thought I'd gamble on Fred Aldous having the stuff I needed - they did! Anything you need for arts & craft or decorations they have it and with some good choice! I've now been in a few times when I need to pick up bits and bobs or essentials for work i.e. scissors etc. Loads of interesting present and gift ideas in here as well so if you're out and about birthday shopping or it's coming up to christmas - I'd say Fred Aldous is a great option with some similar style stuff to Oklahoma! Most of the stuff here is well priced and I've always been fairly surprised that my total wasn't higher when purchasing as I think the interior and style gives off an expensive vibe but really it's good value for money! A short simple review for a top NQ shop!

This business has closed down and is now a fast food store. Which is a great shame and will be…read moremissed greatly

If you ever take a ride on a bus, you are bound to overhear little old ladies rant on about: A) the…read moreprice of a good piece of tongue ( cow tongue from the butcher's you mucky lot) and B) the lack of haberdashers any more. They obviously haven't discovered Bon Fabrics in Urmston Town Centre- perhaps one of the last of a dying breed. This is a proper material shop where reams of cotton and voile are cut to order in front of your very eyes. And there are buttons!! Now, buttons are the bane of my life; I don't know why but if there is a button around, you can guarantee that it will pop off in my presence. Maybe I am the David Blaine of the haberdashery world? Perhaps I just magic them off clothes by mind control and without laying one manicured finger on them. Well whatever it is , I ALWAYS need buttons and Bon Fabrics comes to my rescue. There is something strangely comforting about standing around yards of fabric and bales of wool. It might be a latent repressed memory of being a contented baby stuffed into home- made matinee jackets and bootees by my talented Aunty Joyce. Who knows? It is certainly not my intention to patronise the older generation at all. Knitting is now a Hollywood craze and a birdie tells me that Gwyneth is a bit partial to a knit one pearl one. Bon Fabrics does not just cater to those in the twilight of their lives, it has a whole array of fancy-dress outfits for children and adults. You can barely move in this shop at Christmas and Easter time when harassed mothers are forced to make outfits for their little darlings' school plays and Easter Bonnet Parades. I particularly like Bon Fabrics at Halloween when my inner vamp ( or vampire) starts bearing its fangs. Whether I require a wig, facepaints or other accessories, this shop will have it. Service can be quite slow as the ladies who run the shop like to give their undivided attention to their customers for as long as it takes, and no disrespect, but it CAN take a long time. This can be a touch frustrating when all you need to buy is a yard of ribbon for 50p. I would not say that the owners are brimming over with amicability either. They are serious sewers who rarely crack a smile. However, I have returned here again and again- well I always need buttons. P.S. try saying haberdashery when you have had a few drinks- I seem to say have a daiquiri. Odd that!

Have you ever seen the pottery scene in the film Ghost? Well, I read after this steamy liason…read morebetween the late Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore, numbers in pottery classes soared. Ever since then, pottery has been given a new lease of life and although the Pottery Corner is less of a pottery class and more of a place to retreat with the children in half term, it is still a lovely experience (albeit without the steamy scenes). Pottery Corner sells ready made pottery mugs, bowls, plates, egg cups and piggy banks all sitting clean and untouched on shelves waiting to be dressed. You make your choice then select some paint colours and, like an artist with his palate, you squirt your paint onto a little tile and start decorating. When your masterpiece is complete, you have to wave it goodbye for a week while the shop glaze it in their kiln. When you return to collect it you feel a rush of pride as it stands in all its glory. I have taken children here many times and making hand prints on tiles makes for a lovely Christmas present for the Grandparents. Pottery Corner is not just for the children, it is a therapeutic getaway on a rainy Thursday afternoon for grown ups too and the shop has a range of stencils that you can use to create more intricate decorations. I saw a sign in the window recently that said the Pottery Corner was for sale but I hope this is no longer the case and this lovely little den stays open for ever.

This place is a fabulous little find for a day when you want something productive to do with…read morechildren, or without! You can buy a piece of pottery ranging in price from around £2.50 for an egg cup to the more expensive items such as a pig money bank, or a plate. Then you sit in the pleasantly light and airy shop to decorate it with paints. The staff are very friendly and they also provide a party booking where you can bring many children. It is a great way to spend a wet day, and children really get a sense of acheivement from creating such a professional looking piece of artwork. (The pieces are put in the kiln and you collect them a few days later). You don't have to have children to go here. They've examples of wedding plates guests have signed for the couple and pieces that adults have clearly spent a lot of time on. It's great when you go to collect your finished piece as it tends to look better than you remember once it's been glazed and you do get a fleeting glow of "I made that" pride.

You can't go wrong with Blythes. A Manchester art student staple, this store has saved me countless…read moretimes. The staff in here are extremely knowledegable and will even order in special materials and papers if they're out of stock. They've got just about type of paint from Winsor to Newton and Rembrandt paints, brushes, chalks, gouaches, water colours and graphic supplies and a large range of papers and canvases. I've bought specialist 300gsm paper in here for a menu project and special mounting glue. I had help with the measuring and cutting free of charge and advice of mounting my images. I highly recommend this store.

Blyth Art Shop…read more Blyth's Art Shop seems like a serious sort of art shop for serious sort of artists. Everything is very ordered, neat and clinical. They've got great ranges of paints, pencils and pens, as well as a downstairs section with artist accessories like folders, paper and even natural light bulbs so you can paint in natural light late into the night. There's two or three staff around to help you with any queries you might have in my experience they've usually got the time and patience to help you out properly. I can't help feeling that Fred Aldous across Stevenson square isn't just lots more fun, more well stocked and generally more exciting though.

If you can't afford the outfit you want from Retro Rehab, Oxfam Originals or American Graffiti -…read moreyou can always get your ass over to Abakhan Fabrics, buy a couple of yards and make your own! Spread over two floors, it's a fabric paradise with dozens of crates filled with off-cuts, cheap rolls and unusual fabrics. As well as kitsch, quirky and colourful cottons, there's fake fur, nylon, denim and all kinds of material. Upstairs and in the room at the back of the shop, they also sell patterns, buttons, zips, rolls of cotton and everything you'd need to make your own cat-suit or hot pants! Even better, almost everything they stock is cheap as chips.

If your an art student, into arts and crafts, fashion, sewing atc this is the place for you. Huge…read morevariety of fabrics and cut offs. A word of warning: make sure you know what your looking for or have a vague idea otherwise you will spends hours sifting through what looks like a little bit of a jumble sale. Prices are really decent and staff are really friendly and willing to help you choose/ measure any number of rolls/ cuts.

When you visit the Lowry complex, don't neglect to look-around the gift shop. Aside from the more…read morepredictable items on offer, there's an appealingly quirky and well-priced selection of fridge magnets including the purple- rectangular:You don't need brains to be a painter, just feelings quote from LS Lowry, himself. You'll also find a good range of notebooks and other stationery items together with jewellery and practical-but-pretty fabric bags. Children - and those harking-back to their childhood - will be tempted by the nostalgic confectionery choice (with Parma Violets as my personal highlight) accessibly priced at just 40p. It only seems fair to raid your piggy bank and make a purchase here, after your free entry to the galleries, as the money you spend will be re-invested to keep the complex going and available for all to enjoy. The staff here are helpful, approachable and happy to let you browse freely.

This will be quite a quick review…read more The gift shop does have some quality product but they are ridiculously overpriced for what they are! I am not a cheap person and this isn't a charity shop so why are the prices so high?

This shop is definitely worth a visit. Located in the Royal Exchange Theatre it really is a hidden…read moregem for unusual gifts from local artisans and includes jewellery, ceramics, contemporary glass, wood, metal and textiles and cards. It's been here since 1981, that's almost 30 years of trading, they must be doing something right! Everything looks so stunning and delicate in here that I almost tiptoe around the showroom. The glass cabinet filled with jewellery is probably my favourite section and the main draw of the shop. You can find some remarkably reasonable items from designers like Cloversoul and Kate Hodgson in oxidised silver, some of the nicest designs I've seen for months. You MUST give this shop a visit.

The Craft Shop in the Royal Exchange is often mentioned as an aside to the theatre but I think it's…read moreworthy of a mention in its own right. Trading since 1981, the shop has a reputation for attracting the best design talent from across the UK, including new and emerging makers as well as established names. Disciplines range from ceramics, glass and wood to jewellery, textiles and art. Prices vary and the shop runs the 'Own Art' interest-free loan scheme for purchase between £100 and £2,000. A rolling exhibition programme is in operation and artists' work is displayed in glass cases around the theatre, under a chosen theme. The Craft Shop is definitely worth a visit, whether you're browsing before a play or out shopping in Manchester.