As a crafting aficionado I'm often found wandering the aisles of this brilliant fabric store on…read moreWestern Road. It's a vast cavern with pretty much everything you could need to fashion something for yourself and if you run out of ideas, don't fear, because there's also a whole section of gifts from picture frames to vases. My favourite place is the second floor though which is an Aladdin's cave of fabrics and haberdashery as well as wools as well as crafting items: beads, paper, canvases and more. I bought myself a couple of feather cushions, buttons and cotton fabric from here for less than £12 recently, just need to find the time to make them now!

I don't know the first thing about sewing or anything like that, but I often find myself in C&H…read morewhen I'm looking for some bits and pieces to add to a fancy dress costume (big fancy dress fan here) I always find the staff extremely helpful when I visit, I always ask a dozen questions when I'm there but I'm never made to feel silly about it. I believe they have started doing sewing/knitting etc classes so it's something I would definitely consider when I get the time. I'm sick of using a hot glue gun for everything!

Cost of two vacuum cleaner belts, $52.94. I was shocked!!! I have enjoyed their services for…read moreyears. A few months ago he replaced the same two belts for a total of about $12.00. This time he decided to put in new filters. I did not ask for filters AND I can put them in myself. Then he says the bag is full, (he did not replace the bag) He took advantage of me. I'll pass the word on nextdoor.

A gorgeous shop in the North Laines, Just Sew has an eye-catching window display of hand and…read moremachine-sewn letters, cushions, bunting, stuffed toys, bags and apparel. You can buy most of these items inside but primarily, Just Sew is a used as a sewing centre where local children, teenagers and adults can learn the art of sewing. Classes are small and you can choose to join Beginners, Intermediary or Advanced groups so you don't feel out of your depth. They're reasonable on the pocket too with kids afternoon sessions costing £10 and a 6 week course costing around £48. If you already know how to sew but fancy learning other skills, Just Sew also offer individual and group tuition in pattern making, patchworking quilting, stitching and free machine embroidery. The DIY craft revolution starts here!

C & H Fabrics were founded in 1933 and are now concentrated in the south coast area. They are a…read moretraditional, old-fashioned fabric store, selling all sorts of things for the home. As others have said, the ground floor is a total mish-mash of things - a well ordered curtain section on the left, and an opportunistic mess on the right at the front, which can sell anything from women's shoes to hand-bags depending on what they've got in. Very strange. The Brighton store is set over three floors, and keeps a huge range of fabrics in stock, although the patterns tend to be traditional (lots of florals) rather than up-to-the-moment stylish. That said, they stock plenty of plain materials if you have a more minimalist flat: and anyway, chintzes are essential for gifts for great aunts. In the past I'd found service to be a strong point, but recently it seems to have become more of a mixed bag; when trying to buy curtains recently, I encountered an incredibly snotty saleswoman who could not have patronised me more if she had tried. Needless to say, it completely put me off buying anything here. Others are more helpful, but service can be a bit slow if they have a mini rush on (ie three people in one department at once). Getting in can be a problem, though: their very traditional opening hours feel rather limited these days - most shops in the area are open later (at least until 18h) and on Sundays, too. Good website, though.

A lovely, old fashioned shop. One of those places you go to as a last restort when you're looking…read morefor something, and find you should have come here first. They sell all kinds of curtains and fabrics, as well as a few other home decor related items,. and have a good sized craft section too. Anything to do with fabrics or sewing can be found here, and there's even an in store cafe.

Plonked in London Road's Open Market, this is quite possibly the BEST haberdashery in the whole of…read moreBrig Town. Stacked to the sky with hordes of different coloured yarns, needles, pins, buttons, fabrics, materials, elastics, curtains, and just about everything you could ever need if you're into knitting, crochet, sewing, cross stitching or anything creative. They do a vibrant collection of rara skirts and tutus, and are more than happy to offer advice and help, even if you don't know what you're doing.

Alas, Graffiti is not a store devoted to street art and spraypaint…read more It's actually a tiny stationary store that specialises in cute, cool and tasteful greeting cards, wrapping paper, journals and memo pads. They have cards with neat illustrations, black and white photos and neon signage as well as more traditional flowers, landscapes and cute hula hula girls. My personal favourite, is the kitsch range of knitted Marilyn, Elvis and James Dean cards. Oh and the naked gal in the martini glass of course!

I used to really enjoy making my own cards and I never ever bought them- it just felt so impersonal…read moreand such a waste of money. That was back when I had time for leisurely arts and crafts days. These days, I inhabit a different world and subsequently I suddenly love a good card shop! I especially like a card shop with a proper selection. There's something really satisfying about taking your time to peruse the shelves and take in the full selection. I know most people don't take great pains over the selection of a birthday card, but since I no longer have the energy to make my own but still want a personal touch, I am really particular about it. Graffiti is great for my purposes because it seems to specialize in pretty, arty cards with floral designs and illustrations of birds etc. on the front. Just my cup of tea. They also have a variety of art cards, which use prints and designs from collections at the V&A among other galleries. If you're not after a flowery, girly card- don't worry, there's plenty of others to choose from. They also sell lovely printed wrapping paper and although the prices make me flinch, I usually can't resist! All round, a much more interesting and tasteful selection of cards and stationary than you're likely to find at Clinton's!

I walked in to Clarke's Stationers this morning with 100% confidence that they would have…read moreeverything I needed to create my arty homemade Xmas cards. Red card- check. Glitter glue- check. Gold and silver pens- check. Will my cards look like they were made by a 5 year old? Yes, probably, but at least they will be made with love and quality stationary from Clarke's! Clarke's is great- its one of those extremely satisfying (if you're a stationary geek like me) shops, nay, emporiums, that stock EVERYTHING your little stationary-loving heart could desire. I had to make a hasty exit before I started buying completely unnecessary items like rubber stamps and embossed card sets! If you need card, coloured paper and envelopes, diaries, or arts and crafts supplies, this is the best place I've found. Downstairs they have a massive collection of pens and other standard stationary items. Upstairs they have all manner of coloured and patterned paper and card, as well as sketch books, watercolour paper and huge (A3, A2) sheets of backing card. So whether you fancy embarking on an arty project, or simply need a pritstick, Clarke's is the place. They also have a photocopying service available.

I've always loved stationary stores. Clarke's in the North Laines is a big one, with aisles upon…read moreaisles to look through. Oooh, paper. Of course, the shop offers more than just notebooks and loose sheets; there are organisers and planners, large and small calendars (including a grippy wall calendar!), binders and diaries. Arts and crafts supplies are also available - this is the first place I've seen pipe cleaners in ages. Common art supplies like coloured pencils, oil paints, canvases and here, along with craft projects like paper mache kits, knitting accessories and a variety of felt and fabric pieces for make-your-own crafty ideas. There's a copy centre on site, which is handy, and although the prices are a little higher than some chain budget stationary shops, Clarke's does offer a 15% student discount when you show your student card. I'll probably be back for term two school supplies.

For some reason, Brighton seems to have a large percentage of artists, sculptors and craft-makers…read more If you fancy seeing their work and don't want have to wait for the annual Artists Open Houses, the io Gallery is a great place to start. Nestled in the hub of the North Laines, it's a two storey building that is packed floor to ceiling with the work of local artists. Ornate ceramics, sculptures and vases are nestled exhibited alongside mosaic mirrors, ornaments, lightboxes and lamps. There's also a big selection of jewellery, prints, canvases, cards and wall art. The sheer scale and diversity of the work can be a little overwhelming but if you look hard enough, you're bound to find something you like. My tip is to check out Helen Brown's woodcuts of the South Downs, Ellie Bond's soft toys and Screaming Lulu's embroidered portraits of 'Tragic Women'. If you want to surprise me, my favourite is the Bette Davis.

As Jessica says, this is definitely a gallery you'll find yourself coming back to, rather than just…read morewandering into and having a poke about. There's the usual mass of art works that you'll look at and wonder how anyone can afford, but equally there is a good deal of space given over to more affordable Photos and canvases. One in particular really caught the air in my throat. It was about three feet high with some beautifully intricate detail on a series of fish swimming through murky water, with beams of light penetrating the water around them... Very nice indeed. For those who aren't keen on paintings (or who already have enough on their walls), you'll still want to come and see the sculptures on offer. Though not as varied, they're just as unique... And if you're just looking for a gift, or something bright and cheap, there are also a series of bits and bobs - like coasters with Battersea power station on one side - that will fit the bill nicely. I also like the sweet layout, with its downstairs space and crammed (though not cramped) upstairs. All in all, a great little shop to pop in when wandering around Brighton.

Moleskines were once my guilty little pleasure: I would buy them just to fill them with random…read morescribblings, doodles and notes, then buy a new one and start all over again... Just because of the love of scribbling on paper. I've grown out of that a little now, entering the electronic age and all that, but still have a youthful lusting after lovely new paper and pens. When the mood strikes me, I browse through Pen and Paper to regain that part of my life, and it always puts a smile on my face. If you aren't quite as obsessed with some stationary as I am, this probably won't register, but Pen to Paper does sell some of the nicest stationary around. Moleskines, real paper, various lovely pens and pencils (proper writing utensils, mind, not biros or something), that sort of thing: an artist's paper shop, in effect. I love the idea of being able to buy bits of paper and write on them, but then this is all such nice, expensive paper... Now, I'm indebted to the electronic age now. I'm happy to be the guy how types everything these days, or makes notes on his Blackberry over buying new notebooks every couple of weeks. Still, it is nostalgic to breeze through Pen to Paper's lovely products: if you were ever a wistful poet upon the heath, this is definitely for you!

In the digital age where most people communicate through text and email, its comforting to find a…read morestore that's with-holding the tradition of writing and sending letters by hand. As the name suggests, Pen to Paper is a cosy store that sells beautiful stationary, tissue-lined envelopes, greetings cards, fountain pens and boxes of ink. It also stocks exquisite Japanese papers, address books, journals and a wide selection of lovely, pocket-size notebooks and sketch pads.