As a lady who likes to paint I have in the last year or so been hoofing it all the way into Belfast…read morecity center to buy my paints, brushes and cleaners - I needn't have bothered as there is a really decent art store right in the middle of Holywood. I have driven past a few times and mistaken this shop for a home decoration or wall paper place it was only after a coffee in the amazing Yard Gallery across the street that I decided to take a closer look. They stock a really great range of canvas sizes, oil and water colours, in fact they have a really great collection of everything you could need. I was after outlining lead for painting on glass and they had run out but the really helpful girl behind the desk offered to order it in for me. Throughout the shop you can also find paintings by local artists which are framed and ready to be sold. This is one of the only shops I have seen that stocks Decopatch - a thin tissue paper like product that can be applied to surfaces to cover or decorate them - the patterns are really cool and there is a huge cow in the shop fully decorated showing you the effect that can be achieved with the paper. I would have browsed for longer but there was a really loud man and really loud kids in the place so I left - I'm a grumpy old hag sometimes!

From the owner: Art & Home is a two storey Art Store, Gallery and bespoke in-house framing service. Established in…read more1978, Art & Home is accredited by the Fine Art Trade Guild and is a founder member of the Brititsh Institute of Frame Makers. Our Art Department, is an Aladdin's Cave, packed with topb branded art materials for professional and hobby artists. We supply Michael Harding, Winsor & Newton, Daler Rowney, Schmincke, Sennelier, Unison, Golden, Liquitex and much much more.

Oh boy, oh boy…read more.. I'm one of these people who always wanted to be artistically creative. My mum can paint, sketch, knit, crochet, and all the rest of it, but unfortunately I didn't inherit her arty farty genes. Stick men and colour co-ordination is really the height of it for me. Well, at least my stick people will be well dressed... Thank goodness for Craftworld, a haven of every possible kind of art form known to man. To my delight, this includes those colourful beads which you place on a random plastic shape, cover with iron-proof paper, and iron. Cue excitement. I actually made one of these a number of years ago. A blue and red place mat in the shape of a star which sits on my desk. Craftworld appreciates the lesser forms of art. Happy days. If you're not one for fusing together beads (and let's face, apart from a five year old and myself, who really is?), do not fear. Everything from dolls houses to thread, from glitter to polystyrene shapes can be found in Craftworld. There's a lovely wee wedding section at the very back too. Lovely jubbly.

This place is unbeatable for everything craft, ribbons, buttons, wool..everything…read more I had the very frustrating experience of going here to pick up stuff everyday for two weeks before my wedding...men beware it may just dooo your head in unless your the president of your local sewing club. Prepare for a busy stuffy room with way too much choice!!!!

Really nice art store with a wide selection of items. Unfortunately, I was only searching for a new…read morejournal, but the journal selection was also quite extensive. 3-4 racks. Massive collection of Leuchtturms and Moleskins if that's what you're into. Would recommend. I grabbed one for a friend from a brand I didn't immediately recognize in a niche color. Staff seemed quite friendly additionally.

Absolutely delighted with my Bradbury Art Store delivery; was able to order over the phone and my…read moreWinsor & Newton art supplies were delivered to me the next working day. Canvas and oil paints - looking forward to using them. Excellent quick service, very helpful staff and great selection of quality art materials. This will help me carry on painting during the Coronavirus lockdown - thank you Bradbury Art, much appreciated.

Need back to school supplies? Need a holiday book or the latest chart topper? You'll find it at…read moreyour local Easons. I do anyway, if I can't make it in to town to one of my favourite book stores then Eason will be my next best bet. And they don't just sell books either, (though they are great for that) they also sell greetings cards, teddies, organisers, awk I'm sure you all know what to expect from Easons...Well this branch is located in the busy Abbey Centre and is great for shoppers in the store (I also know it's the only place in the Abbey where you can cigarettes! Brownie points there! Also ditto for the lottery) so this makes it a popular spot for shoppers and employees alike. Easons also stock a good range of art supplies so it's handy hand this shop nearby if you're an artist.

This is another little constant that has survived the many changes in Carrickfergus over the years…read more I'm not much of a knitting fan but my mum and nan are, and this is the only shop they go to for their knitting patterns, wool, and other supplies. The shop is only tiny but it has what seems like an almost exhaustive selection of everything that could possibly be available for someone who wanted to knit, sew or crochet! The staff who work there are obviously very knowledgeable and can offer help and advice on what to buy.

This is my go-to shop for wedding and anniversary presents…read more They carry a good range of Belleek china (vases, photo frames etc), so you can ususally find something to mark the occasion. It also carries all kinds of figurines, crystal pieces for the home and a bit of jewellery. The stock isn't really anything you wouldn't find somewhere else, but it's the only place in the Abbeycentre where you can get them, so it's a winner just for that. Beware though - it's reaaly small and really packed, so don't go in with a trolley, or a buggy (or probably a child for that matter) unless you want to be known as the bull that wrecked the china shop!

In here, you will find a cornucopia of all things sparkly and pointless, but very nice for a wee…read morebrowse. It sells the lovely Coeur de Lion and Pilgrim Jewellery - always a fan, and always tempted to buy. But along with these they seem to sell an unusual array of anything from Jamie Oliver china mugs, to decorative glass plates and cards and Swarovski crystal figurines. Don't get me wrong, I like this shop, and although I'm always afraid of knocking something over when I'm in here as its full up to the seams with items, it is a good place to shop for a gift for a Mother or sister or friend - not really a place for the blokes, well the straight ones, anyway!

This place is kids heaven! It's full of glitter, Plasticine, pains, cards and everything for making…read more big big mess. The stuff in here is perfect for stocking up on great gifts for birthday presents or Christmas! And they also have a whole range of costumes and toys in here too. If you come n here with a child be prepared for a long stretch as the store is jam packed and kids just love it! It's pretty cheap too which is always good as people do tend to rip the arse out of kids shops as they know tantrums could result in a child not getting what they want and parents looking for the easy life begrudgingly giving in. Ahh, the joys of what I have to look forward to.

I like shops like this. I think the kid in me is just attracted to glitter!…read more I'm also a big fan of hand-making cards for friends and family, so I do spend a good bit of time in shops like Art & Hobby, agonising over which thickness of card to get (seriously. I've been known to have to leave the shop to have a think before I buy!). The Art & Hobby shop is in a great location, probably the best location of all the crafty shops in town, so I end up going in simply because I'm passing it. It's not my favourite though. I find it a little more expensive than its rivals and it is a lot more focused on kids toys and crafts, which can make it hard when you want to make a card for someone over the age of 5!

Misha's Country Workshop, awk wow what a great wee hand made shop. I nipped in here on…read morerecommendation from a friend who is in love with the place. The woman (Misha) who runs the shop makes all the goods herself which is just brilliant. All the items were gorgeous! I don't know how she does it all, they're so inventive! I wanted to buy so many things from here, I'll definitely be back here closer to Christmas to stock up for presents or maybe call in for a special wee treat for myself! A brilliant shop for special gifts and wee trinkets for special occasions.

A unique, quirky & friendly little shop, specialising in beautiful little nick-nacks & customised…read morefurniture. What the shop lacks in size, it more than makes up for in character - there is barely a square inch that isn't crammed with all manner of pretty goodies! Mischa specialises in taken old, unloved furniture & items from car boot sales, and giving them a new lease of life - you can also bring in your own tired furniture to be given the magic touch. She transformed my wicker bedside table from a black-varnished monstrosity into a glorious white & pink creation, for a very reasonable price. A lot of her designs are very Cath Kidson/Laura Ashley inspired : girly prints and pastel colours, but she can customise anything the way you want it. Another of Mischa's specialitys is customised bunting, which is gorgeous as in a nursery, or for wedding decorations. With items starting from around £1 (for cute salt-dough heart hangers)), it's hard to go in & not buy someting. Well worth a look if you're in the area & bored of generic Ikea homewares..

I really like The Works, you can pick up all sorts of interesting books here for a bargain price,…read morethey are arranged out by category like they would in a library, children's section, thriller, local history, cookery, reference books etc. They also stock a wide range of craft goods, such as easels, all types of paint and paintbrushes, scrapbooks, stickers, wool, needles, you name it! The Works is a good shop for giftware too, for example if you have secret Santa, there are loads of fun items, themes such as Star Wars, Game of Thrones, Hello Kitty, and more. This is actually one of the nicer The Works stores I've been in, it's not too crammed as some others are, and is easy to navigate without knocking things over!

This is a great wee shop inside connswater shopping centre. There are a vast selection of books…read morethere are every book you can imagine in this shop, I like the cookbooks as I like to bake at home , most of my cookbooks are from here and theres lots to choose from and the prices are decent too. The works also sell children's books and children's toys and sweeties at the till. Theres a small craft selection which has a good selection of boxes ec to keep your crafting supplies in. If your an artist theres a brilliant selection of canvas's and paints and brushes even charcoals and pastels. Theres a great selection here for anyone into painting. Also a selection of DVDs, calendars and diarys. Theres gift sets and gadgets in store. Shop is always crammed and well filled with stock!