It's been a really long time since I went to Ben Franklin Market City. I needed to prep some lei…read morefor the kid's senior night and went hunting for options. I knew I wanted either paper lei or eyelash yarn lei, even tho I've never done either. Wish me luck. I went first to the paper crafts section. Thank goodness the paper punches were in stock as were the cardstock packs in the colors I wanted. There were sample sizes and finished sample lei for those of us who can only work with 3D concepts. Then I went to the yarn section. All the yarns were neatly sectioned by type and color. There were signs and descriptions and also finished samples with the types of yarn. The most impressive highlight for me was the staff! Everyone I encountered was helpful, patient, and gave advice willingly. One was leading a workshop and I felt bad just asking for her to call for someone to assist but she was like "I gotchu, what advice do you want?" Then I found someone else closer to the yarns and asked her and she was also very matter-of-fact with the advice. Very helpful and practical. I renewed my membership for $10 which already paid for itself coz the 10% discount was $12. I think. I better not get obsessed with another new hobby!!

It has been a long time since I've been inside a Ben Franklin store. I think I went with my mom…read morewhen I was a kid and my first time to Hawaii. They utilize the space very well! I could spend a couple of hours just wandering around. It looks like they have knitting classes and other craft classes too. I wish I needed something but I was just tagging along. There's a lot of stuff from Japan too which was pretty cool. The staff is really nice too!

For the easiest experience, make a reservation the day before over the phone. It's a small shop and…read moreseats are limited to ~16 people at full capacity. Even if some seats *are* open, most chairs will be used as spacers for the comfort of guests. You get 2 hours to paint and it takes 5 weeks to process. The owner is inflexible and abrasive but it's a local shop, not Disneyland. Total price adds up quickly when you get multiple pieces to paint. I've painted pieces over the years, and still regularly use them. This is a reliable establishment to make something nice for yourself or a loved one. It'd be better if they took online reservations through a third party. Few people would be comfortable giving their card details over the phone to a stranger. It's common sense not to. Maybe another kiln would be helpful, too.

I truly appreciate the service given with so many calls needing to change appointment dates and…read moretimes. My guests that will be enjoying their time on the scheduled date and time are young teen girls who are very special and volunteer at their church helping with childcare ages 3 to 8. Thank you for your help!

SERVICE: friendly n' helpful INTERIOR: good amount of…read moreproducts, organized EXTERIOR: next to Home Depot Mapunapuna WAIT TIME: 0 mins PARKING: free lot right in front OVERALL COMMENTS: came to check out the Coopmonsters B grade hair claws for $10/ea; have 2 compartments. This is a great alternative n' highly convenient if you're unable to make it to any of their pop-up events and/or want to save on shipping. You will need to ask for assistance to open up the locked vendor bins. This location also had a good amount of craft leis, perfect time to get for May Day or graduation. One of the most well-known craft stores on island!

Went to go look in the lockers but didn't find what I wanted. The people there are nice and…read morehelpful. It depends what u r looking for. Price could be expensive or affordable.

Needed raffia. Looked around but did not see. Sales clerk helped me find it easily. It comes in…read morevariety of quantities and colors too. Good selection but I only needed the natural color. Checked out easily too. Great service. Clerk asked if I belonged to some sort of club but since I buy things infrequently I don't have a membership. she gave me Kupuna price! Thank you for taking care of your elders.

Super crowded with all kinds of stuff in such a small place. Sort of overwhelming when you are…read morelooking for something specific but don't know where to begin. Service is ok. They don't say anything to you when you come in but I guess that how. Kind of expensive but I guess it depends what u r looking for.

There are few Anime/Japanese Stationary stores on the island and JQ is one of them. It's one of my…read morego-to spots when I'm in town to buy collectibles or gifts for friends who love anime. Located inside a small plaza near Ala Moana (Piikoi st.) They share a private parking area with Cho Dangs Honolulu and Nijiya Market. They have a wide variety of items that changes constantly and something new available at the shop. Once you set your eyes on something rare, I recommend buying it instead of waiting because I guarantee you it will not be there the next time you visit. I also advise that the store can get really expensive because these are mostly imported goods from Japan. So spend wisely! Sales and discounts are also provided, but on rare occasions. The employees are also very helpful and nice. They will support your purchase just not your wallet (lol).

They have a lot of cool imported stuff here. I especially like the blind boxes! The prices here…read moretend to be a bit excessive but what can you expect since they are in Waikiki. I got an Evangelion Room Blind Box from here and I was just examining all the different selections that they had. Definitely a very good variety and I always like to stop by to take a look at what they bring in. If you're an anime fan then this place is definitely for you. Customer service is just average. I think I remember they called me out to not take pictures in the store one time. lol

OH MY GOODNESS! Are you serious?! I was honestly debating if I should gatekeep this hidden gem, but…read moreI can't do that because this shop deserves recognition. This little hidden gem is on a corner, so parking is somewhat of a challenge to find but, they do have a parking lot on Liliha St, a little small but, if you're patient, you can find parking since they share a parking lot with a cafe next door (hot tip: get there a little early, stop by the cafe next door, get yourself a sweet treat and then go shopping) which is exactly what my friend and I did this morning! Upon walking in, we were immediately greeted by Val and her sister, and felt like we were raiding our sister's bead/craft closet! They have such a large section of beads, lei beads, ribbons, decals, and beading supplies amongst other things. My friend and I arrived at 10:40 this morning, and omg, didn't leave until 12:45! You can honestly spend all day in there easily! We had such a blast in there, and everyone was so helpful, especially because my friend and I had an idea of what we wanted to do but didn't know exactly what we needed! I'm not going to lie, I got a total of 20 decals, BUT they're not all for me, and they're going to be used for presents! Another hot tip: if you feel like you get overwhelmed easily, come to the store with a few bead/lei projects in mind already and look for what you need. I came here without a plan, and I got a lot of the stuff I was looking for, but realized that I need to sit down and organize my thoughts for what I want to make and for whom, so I can plan accordingly for my next visit! All in all, I am going to come back here. Not only are you shopping local to support smaller businesses, but you're also getting a good deal on all the stuff! What I love about it is if I want to try something but I'm not committed to it 100% yet, I can come, get a few things to try it out, if I like it, I can come back for more, and if I don't, I didn't waste money!

Saw a Tik Tok for this place and we are OBSESSED!!! I could be in this store FOREVER, I practically…read morewas . Thankfully I wasn't the only one. D1 and I spent a lot of time going back and forth thinking of projects and my mom was so cute just going with the flow. Adding her opinions here and there. Stickers, beads, charms, ribbons, a crafters dream come true. A small parking lot in the back. A little cramped inside but filled with so many goodies. They even have samples of what to craft, that's how we both got sucked in. #supportlocal.

I've only purchased mat boards here, so I've honestly never made it very far into the store, but…read morethis is my go-to place for DIY framing supplies. Pretty good prices, a decent variety of colors (not a lot of specialty colors, metallics, or textures, but plenty for basic framing jobs), and a selection of corners at a desk near the front doors so you can match up mats to your prints in clean light. Take your corner selection to the checkout desk and they'll retrieve your board for you. They also have protective plastic bags big enough to cover the sheet. They offer a teacher discount, which I always forget about, so I'm grateful that the staff asks every time! Several parking spaces in the shared lot out front and I've never found it full. Easy to get to on the left side of Beretania.

Great stock of Watercolor paints and brushes , as well as supplies of Oil and Acrylic paints. Staff…read moreis helpful and knowledgeable of the items in the store. Become a member and receive discount on purchases.

Shopping in Kaimuki, Honolulu, Hawaii…read more.. I had heard about Calico Cat, the fabric store, but never visited. I think I couldn't figure out where it was located. I happened to park right across the street from Calico Cat... in a metered street parking stall. Carol is the cheerful owner. She saw that I was confused because Every Day Better by Green Meadows is next door to Calico Cat. Carol explained the sign above that shows the name of the shop closest to each shop - depending on which way you face the sign. Ahhh... Calico Cat was described by their neighbor (Every Day Better by Green Meadows) as having fabric "eye candy". LOL! Yes - if you sew, you know that these bolts of material are very beautiful, whimsical, and unique! They are very inspirational and made me want to sew! Of course, I purchased a lot of material... thinking that Christmas is coming... I need to get a head start! Remember to get a Loyalty Card. Carol can hold it in the shop... among the 1000 cards she already has... filed by last name! Thank you for the free pen! I'll be back soon!

Cute fabric store. They open odd hours like M Th FRi 130-430pm. I would best call beforehand to…read morefind out before going over. Harder to find street parking as it is kind of near main stripe of eatery but also wedged in residential area. The lady was sweet and we chatted. She takes care of her husband so maybe that is why there are limited hours.

Great location central to town and central Oahu. The prices are unbeatable when it comes to back to…read moreschool supplies compared to going to Office Depot or Office Max, or Longs. The 3 ring spiral notebooks under .50 cent each. The front parking lot is small especially it came to parents/teachers rushing to purchase supplies during the weeks leading up to schools starting up again. They have side parking as well if you follow the their signs if not street parking is option too.

Got here to look for a sleeping mat for my son for his first day of school. The place is hard to…read morefind specific things, at least for this product. I asked an older staff and she said they ran out a while ago. I called my wife to tell her the bad news so she told me to ask if we can backorder and pick it up when it arrives. so I asked another lady and she said they are fully stocked and pointed to boxes full of them. So moral of the story, ask more than one person.

To put on the Kailua Night Market the last weekend before Christmas and during COVID-19 must have…read morebeen a mighty task, but the organizers did it. I got the notification on my Instagram feed and decided to check it out. Grabbed my face mask, hand sanitizer, reusable bags (for any possible purchases), and off I went. The Kailua Night Market is held at 340 Uluniu Street in Kailua. It is the covered parking lot next to Assagio's. There is street parking and a metered lot nearby. We were able to score street parking that night, so the walk wasn't far. The use of masks was enforced at the event. There was a good mixture of craft and food vendors. The big highlight for us was meeting Miss Candi Shell, the singing comedic QUEEN! She was dressed as Mrs. Claus and just as FABULOUS! I am unsure of future dates for the Kailua Night Market. I know that before COVID, it was held monthly with different themes for each event. If interested, you can follow them on Instagram and Facebook.

Kailua night market is always fun. Had a great time walking around, buying stuff and eating food…read more The only thing that was sad that they had the shooting but we always go early so we can leave early.