With stock ranging from paintbrushes and model kits to photographic canvas prints and fine art,…read morethis New Oscott-based Arts and Crafts centre houses everything you'll ever need for a bit of hands-on creative fun. As a quaint, converted house, the store has its own small, off-road car park and houses an extensive selection of art equipment. Staff are welcoming, polite and always willing to help and as part craft centre and part print shop, the business also offers a broad range of printing services for business customers, specialising in leaflets, business cards and flyers.

I've never studied art and I didn't really know what my options were. A friend of mine recommended…read morethat I try my hand at painting. At first I had visions of drawing scenery which I didn't really fancy. But afterwards, I thought perhaps I could use a variety of colours and make something abstract! So I went along to Vesey Arts and crafts and I I ended up purchasing a large blank canvas and a number of brightly coloured paints along with a paint brush. As well as helping me buy the equipment, the assistant recommended some techniques and an inspirational web site to check out some similar work.

This quaint little craft centre is great place to visit if you're on the hunt for a unique gift for…read morea friend or loved one. Impressive art from local and national artists adorn the walls and vary in price from reasonable to very expensive. I'm a fan of two shops in particular, the chocolate shop has a yummy selection of handmade chocolates and cakes for sale. It offers a bespoke service whereby you can have your own design made for those very special occasions. The other shop is the kitchen shop, here it has quirky utensils, pots, pans, baking dishes which are all quite unique and reasonably priced. I'm also a fan of the on site cafe, which gets really busy during lunch time, I had a simple cheese and pickle sandwich and a cappuccino for around £6.00. There's a comfy area with sofas, you can sit at a table or there's outside seating which is very pleasant in the summer months.

There are some lovely craft shops at Mitchell's, I got some great unique Christmas presents this…read moreyear, plus a pair of earrings for myself! The knitting shop has a huge collection of wool and is very reasonably priced. Plenty of free parking here and it's a lovely place to browse!

Birmingham lacks many high quality art & craft supplies shops. That's where Birmingham Bead Shop…read morefits in. Small but perfectly formed haven full of shiny things and pretty things and crafty things for you to buy to make yourself prettier, or to make something pretty for someone you know. I've been spoiled by a recent trip to NYC where I visited the Brooklyn Charm Shop and spent a long time ogling shiny expensive and inexpensive charms and other jewellery making supplies. I was grizzling away about how there's nothing that even compares anywhere near me - so it was an AWESOME surprise to pop into the Birmingham Bead Shop only to be blown away by the range they manage to cram into such a small space, as well as the helpfulness of staff who can show you how to properly open and close a jump ring, or what a crimp bead is for. They've even run classes in the past in jewellery making, though they have none advertised at the moment. I'll be keeping my eyes peeled though!

Just one store that shows there's life yet in Birmingham's independent retail scene, the Birmingham…read moreBead Shop is a haven for craftsy types who like to create pretty things for their own amusement, to give as gifts or sell online. Back in 2010 after consuming too much cider at the sunniest Glastonbury in recent history, myself and my equally sun/cider-addled friend decided we were gonna give up this capitalist lark and make felt owls with button eyes and sell them at festivals. This never happened, of course, but having my eyes opened to her skill with a sewing needle and bits of material I couldn't make heads or tails out of, I was on the search for a shop like this for a while until discovering it just before Christmas. Now, our annual DIY Christmas gift pact (make each other garish jumpers, stockings, etc. - this year, a onesy has been proposed, eek!) means I always make a trip here to stock up on supplies. Whatever I don't use in my fumbling attempts to create something cool, I simply give to her as part of the gift seeing as she's into her jewellery making and whatnot. As well as lots of cool stuff to aid in 'Blue Peter'-style craftsmanship, fashion fans who like to pair things together to make something exponentially cooler can find all kinds of cool charms and sparkly bits and bobs to add to charm bracelets, necklaces, pin to their clothes, etc. As someone who works for a high street jewellers that sells massively popular Pandora and the like, I have to say this little shop of treasures offers something a bit different for those who like to get creative with their accessories.

Have been using Greetings House as the supplier for my business for around a month now and I cannot…read morefault their services at all. The staff are so kind and helpful, the prices are fantastic and top of the market and products are always brilliant quality. I recently decided to switch helium suppliers and have decided to use Greetings house due to their unbeatable pricing. Penny was extremely helpful in finding me the canister that I required. She spent around an hour liaising with my local suppliers to arrange this for me. Checked that I had the correct nozzle attachment and placed the order for me. Cannot thank greetings house & Penny enough!!

Oh wow. I have found crafty heaven and it is a trade…read morewarehouse in the Midlands. This place has every arts supply and events decor piece your heart could possibly desire - sequinned ribbons to artificial peonies to bubble wrap to cards and invitations. Everything comes in 30 different colours and is bought wholesale, so you can buy in bulk if you so desire and also keeps it affordable. We raided it for supplies for my sister's wedding - high quality paper and card for the table plan (home-made by my own fair hand!), a box of 50 wedding confetti pouches (such good value), 15 pretty jars and a tonne of coloured beads for centrepieces, artificial cherry blossom branches (they just fitted the theme), and a lifetime's supply of blu-tack. And that was only the first of several (awesome) trips. Here's the big fat catch though - you can only get in if you're a business owner as it's officially aimed at trade buyers not amateur craft enthusiasts like me. In this case I had a useful aunt with a shop who registered for an account and brought us along. You still can't just wander in though - you need to show ID and leave any bags in lockers. And thus its existence has remained a closely guarded secret ;) Looking forward to any excuse to get to go back!

So I was on the hunt for a carry bag for my sewing machine. Not wanting to trek across towns to…read moreKings Heath or take my chances at the market, I thought I'd venture down to Soho Road where there was sure to be a haberdashery of some kind. Low and behold, after walking down this same bloody road for about an hour (I live on Constitution Hill which turns into Great Hampton Street which turns into Hockley Hill which turns into Soho Hill which turns into Soho Road...AAARGH!) I finally find Sew-Tek. This store is full to the brim with sewing machines, accessories, buttons, embellishments and anything else you could possibly want, relating to sewing and embroidery. The man serving was very helpful and I got a cheap and cheerful Brother carry bag to match my machine. Sew-Tek is definitely worth a visit if you are over this way and can't make it to the market.

My mum introduced me to this small but crammed full sewing shop. Mum has a range of machines -…read moremostly Janome and Pfaff - and does a massive amount of sewing - from quilting to dressmaking to simple hemming and repairs. Because of all of this, she needed to buy a few bits and bobs to stock up her supplies, and that's where Sewtek came in. We popped in just to buy some more spare bobbins, and mum wanted to find out if they did repairs or servicing. The shopkeeper was super helpful and took details down and let her know what service options they offered. The downside to where they're situated is that the Soho Road is awful for parking, unless you're used to it and ready to just plough on through and block the road whilst you wait for a street space. That was why I'd been dragged along - to be the designated driver and stop her from screaming at other drivers!

Great shop for all things crafty. Its not very often that I go in here and cant find what I want…read more There is a great range of papers, pens, beads and stickers. It caters for stationary, jewellery making, card making needs

Earlswood is packed full of little independent businesses, all set out in an old fashioned farm…read morevillage. Earlswood Interiors & Crafts in particular is one of the shops in this collection that truly maintains a unique feel, taking customers back to a bygone era surrounded with a love for handcrafted items. The shop aesthetics are all about the amazing, long-forgotten tradition of wood carving furniture. And for me, this artistic skill beats any cheaply mass-produced house items every time. It's so lovely to find out that places like this still exist, and more so, places that encourage customers themselves to have a go at making their own furniture/ornaments. That's right, the company aren't just selling their products, they're also a little workshop for budding creative people. When entering the small, cosy little shop, the smell of fresh wood immediately hit me. It's one of my favourite smells, and really captures my imagination. Exploring the shelves, I uncovered little wooden mice, mushrooms and owls, which all had unique features urging me to purchase them. If I had enough room at home, the carvings would all be sitting on the table next to me now as I write this review. But unfortunately, I had to leave them back at the shop until I make some space through my own clutter. The shop also sells bigger items, from walking sticks to tables and chairs, which have all been unusually and affectionally created. This little place deserves all the support it can get. Why not transmit the handcrafted passion and bring some character to your own home. I'm certain you won't regret it.