Sunshine Arts & Crafts is one of my daughter's favorite spots for a bday party. When I pick her up…read moreI can expect to see a big smile and a beautiful painted creation...usually something with a rainbow on it. I've been meaning to do a drop in visit, but the few times I've called in the past they've been closed. But today was my lucky day because when looking for a rainy day activity I called and their VM said they would be open from 11am-4pm. When we arrived there was (of course) a birthday party...actually 2 of them! My daughter and her friend looked longingly at the bday treats, but I insisted they quickly pick out their pieces and then we made our way to the other side of the shop. Then they saw a friend from school come out of the glow and the dark room (who knew there was one)...there was some sort of cosmic painting party going on in there. We checked it out and my daughter declared she was going to have a future bday party right in that room. Then they got to work on their pottery pieces...a popsicle for my daughter and a unicorn rainbow for her friend. At $17/piece this is more expensive than some of the other pottery places we've been to, but they do give you unlimited paint colors. It took a little while for the staff to get us our paint thanks to the bday parties, but the girls could learn some patience anyway. Once we got going the staff was on it...constantly changing out the yucky water. And the girls were absolutely thrilled when the bday party mom gave them lollipop favors. 30 minutes later their creations were done...the taff glazed them and even added some glitter. They were ready to display at home! Highly recommend for bday parties, but also a fun way to kill an hour...especially on a rainy/cold/hot day!

This review was removed by Yelp saying... And I quote:…read more "We're writing to let you know that we've removed your review of Sunshine Arts & Crafts because it falls outside our Content Guidelines. Ultimately, while we understand you were at an event where Sunshine Arts & Crafts provided service, at this time we think that the people who are in the best position to review businesses like these are the customers themselves (who may deal with the business not only on the day-of the event, but other aspects as well such as pre-event planning). Thanks for understanding and we'll see you on Yelp!" To this I respond, MY review was written by me while at MY son's birthday party. I paid for the event in question. So to wit... I am in the best position to have experienced this business for TWO events I PAID FOR. Thank you for not removing the review without having at least asked me. And now for the review. ------- First, my review is NOT based upon one visit but several, it is only this last visit I thought I should take the time to write a review. Normally, I don't write reviews that are negative and definitely not if the review has to do with a personal pet peeve. I personally hate those types of reviews because all that means is someone got a isolated bad experience. All the prophylactics made now let me give my feedback.... The owners are a husband and wife, they fit one another perfectly - they are a hyper-sensitive overly-anxious couple that appears to be incredibly nervous every time a child moves around their shop during birthday parties which is something they supposedly specialize in. Anyone who is in the business of hosting children's birthdays needs to be less than neurotic when children show up. Mind you no one was running around or yelling or misbehaving on any of the times I went to see birthday events but these two acted like nervous grandparents watching children in a hand blown glass store. The woman hovers over and micro manages the kids and the husband stands back and scowls at the kids. It's amazing to see two of the least laid back least friendly people one could imagine are in the business of hosting children's events. There is nothing wrong with having their up-tight personality in and of itself, it's just I have never seen two more misplaced people for this job in my life. Neither of them have ever smiled that I could see at any of the birthday parties I have come to, this last one was no exception. The man guards the one half of the shop from infiltration by children as if he is a border guard on the Berlin Wall. The woman is so anal retentive (uptight) she spends most of her time tasking the kids to move along - she could be mistaken for a railway guard rather than an art teacher for children. At the end, I actually felt sorry for the owners. For reasons I can not fathom they have assigned themselves to their own personal hell since it appears from every fiber of their being that they are completely stressed out and unhappy at what they do. Mind you, the product at issue is fine, the art is fine, the venue is fine, it is just I have never seen two people who appear more viscerally unhappy than these two and in the context of a kids event it just isn't worth it to subject yourself to that type of negative energy.

This isn't the usual Michael's I go to, but I was running errands in the area and it was the only…read morestore that had all the items I wanted in stock. I did an order pickup yesterday, ordering at 10:30am and by 10:45 I had a text that it was ready. Super fast. Pickup was super easy by the time I got there an hour or two later. The store itself is a typical Michaels. hey tend to have a steady supply of all the usual goods and the seasonal items.

I tried to buy lanyard here and they were completely out. Like, none whatsoever…read more They have an assortment of very basic crafts and useless tchotchkes. On the tchotchkes front, I'd rather go to Cost Plus World Market. If I were Michaels, I'd double down on arts and crafts. That's what drew me here in the first place. Instead, I left with a cheap decorative pumpkin I don't need and some candy corn. And a plan never to return. The cashier was nice and very much alive. This was going to be a three-star review, but then I saw their lead image, which is currently that beyond awful Halloween display. Who put that up? And what kind of idiot would choose to highlight photos of that? Some people are stupid and tasteless.

I always enjoy popping in here when I'm nearby. They have so many cute gifts, and they do an…read moreamazing job decorating for different seasons and holidays. I often come here looking for items for Easter baskets, Christmas stockings, and care packages. The staff is friendly too!

So many great gift options -- almost too many. I always stop in when I'm looking for a birthday…read moregift and I found a fun book and tea towel for a friend. All the holiday stuff is here too -- cards, wrap, stocking stuffers. Nice staff and got a little discount too for providing my email.

Blick Art Materials Evanston is a creative wonderland. This location is huge and has…read moreeverything--from stationery and art supplies to framing. I love coming here for inspiration as much as supplies. The selection is excellent, the team is friendly, and I always leave creatively energized and glad I stopped in. A must for anyone who loves to make things.

Theresa was amazingly professional, helpful and accommodating. She offered her expertise and I am…read moreincredibly pleased with the results

Love this place. It's a great local craft place to shop. The team there always has lots of great…read moreinfo and will answer all your crafty questions. They have great make and takes on a regular basis. Love stopping in for the garage sale events they put on a few times a year

We drove from the city to come to this store. To our surprise is was awesome! They have about the…read moresame prices as online stores. They have some really nice paper and Brian is amazing with customer service. He told us about expos and how they work. Definitely will come here again and again. Nice store and nice people!

I wasn't sure what it would be like when I pulled into the parking lot. Never been to a Blick…read morebefore. But as soon as I walked in I knew it was awesome. Great art store they had everything. Staff is nice and friendly. If you can't find it here you don't need it.

Disregard the review I gave in 2016. The Forest Needle is slowly going down the drain. Only open 4…read moredays, who closes a shop on Saturdays? Customer service is lackluster at best. No one really knows needlepoint. All of the talented staff has left, due to terrible management. We all know Covid was hard, but other Needlepoint stores remained busy and thriving because of their customer service because so many were stitching while at home. There are other options on the Northshore, check them out!

I cannot say enough about The Forest Needle. The variety and depth of fibers is amazing. I travel a…read morelot and visit needlepoint stores along the way and am often disappointed with the limited choices. It reinforces how fortunate we are to have this gem in our backyard!! It is worth the trek and visit. Town is lovely - so make it a day if you do not live in the area. You will not be disappointed. The classes, and the amazing amount of canvases is wonderful. The owner and ladies that work there are extremely knowledgeable and helpful. They spend time with each customer and offer ideas and solutions to questions. I know finishing has been a negative in the past, but that was quite awhile ago and they are using a new finisher that does wonderful work.

The Wasteshed in Evanston is a bustling nonprofit of used art supplies, knick-knacks, and craft…read morematerials. If you have the patience and passion for the hunt, this is the place for you! I optimistically brought a bag for fabrics, but I unfortunately couldn't find anything quite to my taste. However, they did a great job colorcoding all of the different fabrics. The store is fairly organized considering how many donations come through. I really appreciate how they even use different drawer systems and cabinets for different subcategories of items. I do think most of the supplies would be great for educators or children: lots of odds and ends that would be put to excellent use given the right creative minds. I walked away emptyhanded, but I imagine someone would love the vintage postcards, various stamps, or Nat Geo magazines I flipped through. There's some street parking nearby, and they have a small private lot. Be sure to check their hours and any updates due to weather on their Instagram!

The WasteShed is essentially a secondhand store for art supplies. If you like sifting through boxes…read moreof goodies trying to find that one thing you absolutely did not need but now you must have, this is the place. I myself am a big stationary fan, so I was quite pleased to see how many stamps, scrapbooking materials and stickers they had. Pricing can be quite good, but some items can feel a little pricey for their secondhand nature. However, the WasteShed is a nonprofit with a noble cause, so I will give them plenty of leeway. Nice place to spend some time looking for your next craft project.

I am IN LOVE with the Mustard Seed. It first caught my attention because it is a fair trade shop…read more Turns out that it is run by volunteers so the money earned goes directly to the artists. The people who make the goods here are from all over -- from Chili to Ghana. When I purchase gifts, they often include brief information about the artist as well as the shop. Friends and family -- including my super cool teenage nieces and my mom -- who have received gifts from this store before are always excited when they see the familiar box. In fact, this Christmas I did the majority of my shopping here. They carry an amazing array of jewelry. From beautiful beaded necklaces to metal cuffs to swingy earrings. They also carry clothing (sweaters were a huge item this winter), colored scarves (I can't get enough!), wooden bowls, purses, blankets, rugs, wall decor, children's items and frames. During the holidays they even carry ornaments. I've posted a pic of a couple of them. The people who volunteer here are extremely nice and dedicated to helping the artists they show -- often women trying to support their families. But when buying here be prepared for a slow process. Because they are volunteers it's not like walking into a well oiled retail shop. But who really cares? It feels great to help out people who are trying to help themselves (hint -- it's the artist) and give gifts that have meaning to me and the recipient. It's been an amazing teaching tool for my nieces while giving them things they love. Hmmm. I think it's time for a new fashion scarf. Can't stay away too long!

This is a great little shop with so many items to choose from, I may go in for a pair of earrings…read moreto give as a gift but then find a pair for myself, a necklace, and 10 other things I want! The items are all fair trade and the employees are volunteers so you know you are shopping for a good cause! Great for gifts and each product has a story!

I made an appointment for us to do some crafting at Freestyle Ceramics & Tufting, which recently…read moreopened in Highland Park. They have ceramics painting, cream craft items, and rug tufting. We opted for the ceramics painting (there were 3 generations in our party), and the selection of ceramic ware they have to choose from is very nice. No old looking, 70s-style outdated stuff -- it was hard to choose -- from bowls, plates, vases, figurines, candle holders, mugs. Also, the selection of paint is very current as well (no primary red-yellow-blue) and the chart was very helpful in imagining what the finished fired piece would look like. We came on a Saturday morning, and there was plenty of bustling activity. Several young people were doing the cream crafts which were all these super cute charms that they were gluing with colored icing (adhesive?) to frames, or mirrors, or jewelry boxes. I might want to do that myself another time. Ruby helped to set us up and explained the paints, how many coats to do, as well as the process to complete and pick up the items (takes a few weeks). We spent a very relaxing morning painting and conversing. You could probably just walk in, but I would suggest making a reservation on a weekend morning. The prices seemed reasonable and we are all looking forward to getting our finished pieces!

We went for pottery paiting during Valentine's Day, and we're so happy with how the experience…read morewent! The staff was really really sweet, the music was the perfect volume, ambiance was simply amazing, and every detail, from customer service to the quality of the materials (paint, ceramics, brushes) exceeded our expectations. Would definitely recommend for a soft, fun date, or a plan for a random Tuesday!