Are you a creative person? An artist? A painter? Someone who loves craft or just a good ol' doodler…read morelike me? If you love getting lost in your craft and you live in the South Yarra/ Richmond area, get acquainted with Arthouse on Swan Street. It may not be a large store but it sure does have a pretty good range of materials from pencils to inks, crayons, paints, pastels, clay and modelling items, canvasses, sketch pads etc. The funny thing is, every time I go into this store, I feel inspired to create something original. Whether it's a collage, homemade cards, a sketch or painting, just being around the creative materials and energy, makes me feel like I can take on the world - artistically. And that's what I do. Sometimes, this results in a really good art piece and other times, it's plain ugly. But the important thing is I have a good time creating and getting lost in my choice of art. Call it creative therapy if you like and with Arthouse just near my house, I can do this anytime.

Lovely store with a good range of art supplies and often has really useful specials. Recommended!read more

Tucked down a side street from RMIT's maddening architecture, Melbourne Artist Supplies can feel a…read morelittle like a bat cave. The artificial light contrasts with the sunshine streaming in the roller door, so your eyes may take a second to adjust to the wonder that awaits. All manner of art and craft supplies inside, with friendly staff who know what they're talking about. The prices march the quality, and every now and again a sale will have the place crawling with crafty types.

As a child I was not allowed near scissors. Not even the plastic safety ones. Not because of the…read moredanger aspect, it was because I held them so awkwardly that it drove my Mum insane. "How is it that you were smart enough to read and write at 4 but still can't cut paper?!" she would lament. Ok...so I'm not crafty. I still can't cut or sew a straight line to save myself. I didn't get that gene passed down from Mum. So she's the real reason why I come here. This place is like craft-mum-crack. She can't get enough. Yarn, ribbons, thread - I see 10 types of string and Mum sees all the possibilities for the beautiful things she could make. For the grandkids that I also haven't produced for her (sorry Mum!) Still, I can see that the things here are beautiful and unique. Having been invited *cough* dragged *cough* to visit many a craft store in my day, none have been filled with so many vintage knick-knacks and girly delightful things. So if your Mum gave you the craft-gene or you're present shopping for something unique, navigate your way through the Nicholson Building and check out L'Uccello.

Where do I start? If you are in to any form of craft,…read moresewing, fabric or paper design - you need to pop in to this place. Head up the stairs in the Nicholson Building on Swanston, you will not be disappointed. L'uccello stock a huge range of goodies from Liberty, Winterwood, and real vintage Parisian markets / couture suppliers. Everything here is beautiful as well as useful, you will not leave empty handed - You have been warned!

Located right in the middle of one of Melbourne's key shopping districts is the trendy little gift…read morestore Universal. I stumbled across the Universal Outlet one day when I was looking for a birthday gift for a friend. Luckily Universal came to my rescue. The stock is a mixture of chic decoration type items like photo frames, flower vases. wall fixtures etc. coming in a range of modern patterns and colours there is lots to choose from. I wandered around the store trying to refrain for purchasing items from myself! Finally I choose a large white sculpture that spelled the word "peace," the letter a had been coloured in a soft blue, it looked elegant and modern and had a nice price attached too. The store itself isn't overly large, but I would definitely recommend a look through Universal if your stuck for gift ideas or even wanting something special for yourself.

Senior Art Supplies is the ideal place for anyone interested in art. It doesn't matter if you are a…read morepracticing artist, or someone who's looking at taking some drawing classes, Senior Art Supplies is a great place to either stock up or get some inspiration. Inside you'll find sections devoted to mediums. I personally love browsing through the pastel range with tiny little pencil-sized tips to the large chunky oily pastels. The pencil section is enormous and like the pastels, features every colour you could ever think of. Towards the front you'll find the paintbrush section, which again has a huge range, and the canvases at the side come in all different shapes and sizes. It's easy to get overwhelmed in a place like this, especially if you are new to the store. Have a chat with the sales assistants (the counter is in the middle) and they'll work through the store with you.

I went in here to see if I could find some hanging alternatives for works on paper that I was…read moreexhibiting. I didn't want anything that would damage the paper and I didn't want to leave the paper unframed yet somehow attached to the gallery wall. That might sound like a difficult request but it wasn't for the staff here. They stocked a magnetic hanging system that was perfect for what I wanted as the powerful magnets would hold the paper to the small metal plates attached to the walls without leaving a mark on the paper. This many not be the largest art supply store in the city but they do have a good range of quality materials and the staff are very helpful. They are also conveniently located on the ground floor of the CAE building so if you run out of art supplies before your class.

Sticky is an artist-run and focused initiative that facilitates and promotes zine culture in this…read morecity. It's an amazing concept: you can go in, use their resources, pick their brains and be blown away by the wealth of incredible artists and artisans working in the zine realm. Sticky have a lucid idea of who they are as a collective. Their mission statement says: "By bypassing the conventional gallery system, Sticky redefines the notion of a retail environment as a non profit arts space dedicated to Australian and international zine culture." And in doing these things, the institute allow the proliferation of this otherwise underground and often off-kilter art practise -- a great thing for any city. Any gripe with the place would be that it is cramped and can feel a bit exclusive at times. I've had slightly mixed experiences with staff, but they're mostly volunteers, so there's no shortage of passion.

Zines, the DIY behemoth that excites photocopiers, writers and artists alike has a home in…read moreMelbourne. Situated beneath Flinders st as one enters the train station, one will find every surface adorned with self-made paraphernalia, complete with badge machine, stapler and photocopier for the budding Zinester in all of us, Sticky is an institution.

I am just learning to knit and the staff was so welcoming and helped me find all of the supplies I…read moreneeded.

Morris and Sons are a bit of a one-stop-shop for your yarn needs. They do have one of the most…read moreextensive ranges of Noro yarn around. The upsides of Morris and Sons: - great sales! You can get some real bargains - great membership program - knowledgeable staff The downsides: - city location doesn't have a cozy vibe - they can get super busy so you may need to wait for advice - some of the yarns are pretty pricey - wait for the sales! They have a new updated website that offers online shopping too!

Great little market on busy St Kilda Road. There are lots of local crafts on offer, jewelry, bags,…read moreclothes, wooden boxes, everything you'd see at your local market but the food I find especially nice. Gourmet mac and cheese, churros, tacos and a few other food stalls made us linger a bit longer!

Needed a strap and buckle solution for my camera pouch and was wrapped that I went to Lincraft…read more Ashley was amazing and the guy that took my call and understood my needs was great too. I'll be back great friendly service good range.