I will drive an hour of my way and then spend $100 on things I don't technically need, I love this…read moreplace so much. Great art supplies, including items you might never see in another store for all types of painting and drawing. Add that with tons of cute and affordable gifts, and then after visit the toy section and you're sure to find something for the kiddo in your life. Great place to go for holiday shopping because their prices are competitive and you get to support a local business instead of a big box, plus you'll be lucky to see these items anywhere else! On a recent trip, I bought drawing supplies for me and magnatile minis for a Christmas gift. It can be tricky to find the staircase down between the other colorful businesses on the street, but give it a shot and you won't be disappointed.

The art supply: A very nice selection of art supplies. Sad to say that even with their selection of…read moresketch pads, they did not have the BF's favorite brand. They did have a lot of good stuff in the little back room past the cash register. I even found some heavy duty thread on clearance. The gallery: They are currently showing "Mans and Other" by George Herman. You can make your own judgement if you go. One tip: the paintings change as you get closer or further away.

All craft roads lead to Playtime--an unassuming yet remarkable arts and crafts supply store in…read moreArlington Center. As a gifter, I don't fully understand how I didn't know about this place before, but I'm so glad I do now. I went for a family project recently when closer craft shops didn't have what we needed. There's an abundance of arts and crafts supplies here, housed in two interconnected basement rooms, along with an impressive paper and picture frame selection (among other items) on the first floor. The atmosphere is one of a kind--more like an arts-and-crafts boutique curated by the owner, with items you won't easily find together elsewhere. Because of the sheer breadth, some categories (like fabrics, for example) have a smaller variety, which is just an observation, not a critique. Ribbons are unrivaled. If you don't have time to wander, ask--the best part of our experience was the owner, Carol, and the staff (thank you, Lilly). They are wonderfully kind, patient, and creative, offering thoughtful, gentle advice for your projects and genuinely care about their customers. Tip: There's a parking lot in the back or bus 87 drops you off right in front, literally. Highly recommended local business.

How in the WORLD have I lived in Boston, Brookline, and Cambridge for decades and not known about…read morethis place. A friend recommended coming here w/ my mom to look for yarn for her knitting projects and my friend prefaced that this place was the BEST for any type of arts, crafts, decor, etc. Well, WOW!! And funny enough, my mom used to go to this store when she was a little girl in the late 50s-60s to get Nancy Drew books. She said it was EXACTLY how she remembered as a kid. I was awe struck by everything this store had. I will definitely be making this place a regular stop for gifts for people and for fun. Forget going to places like Michaels. Come to this local, family-owned business which I guarantee will have whatever you are looking for. It's an incredible place.

holy, I love this place. I was staying in cambridge for a family reunion and I was bored out of my…read moremind, for the second day I was walking around the town and I saw the sick deltarune art on the window, and I couldn't resist myself. the staff were so nice, so many options and the price was very reasonable. I don't live near cambridge, but next time I come up, i will definitely come back

I've generally had great experiences at this Blick. The store is well stocked, reasonably priced,…read moreand a fun spot for creative supplies or small gifts for all ages. Most of the staff are helpful and kind. That's why my visit this weekend (Sunday, 11/2) was such a surprise. An older female-presenting employee with long dark curly hair yelled at me and my young son when we tried to ask where the dry-erase markers were, while she chased after other customers who had already said they didn't need help. I said, "That was odd... but," and tried to ask my question, but she immediately cut me off and began raising her voice defensively. The escalation and her incendiary reaction was shocking in a customer service setting. I had to walk away, and another employee quickly helped us find what we needed. When I went to check out, she ended up on the register. I forfeited my loyalty points and asked my partner to handle the transaction because she'd made me uncomfortable. I told him what had transpired on the way home and he said she was curt and dismissive with him, too. This has always been a reliable neighborhood art store, but that kind of behavior makes it harder to come back. Nobody wants to deal with the loose cannon in the office aisle!

A huge shoutout to Pam, the owner of Tin Bucket, for her absolutely wonderful customer service. I…read moream writing this review because Pam went above and beyond when helping me with an important framed print for my daughter Sarah's rehearsal dinner. The framed print was purchased by Sarah's future mother-in-law to display at the event. She initially asked me to do the lettering--the wedding couple's names and title--on the matte, giving me less than two weeks to complete it. (I must admit, she initially thought I could do it by hand, but I didn't feel comfortable with the task.) While searching The Tin Bucket website, I saw the beautiful work Pam could do with lettering transfers. I reached out and asked if she could possibly take on this project. With a smile on her cheery face, Pam went right to work, providing possible different lettering choices within just three days! Once the lettering was agreed upon, Pam took apart the frame only to find the matte was glued to the frame itself. This is the remarkable part, especially with the rehearsal dinner just a few days away: Pam actually bought another frame and matte herself and finished the lettering! It was all done within the needed timeframe, even with the unexpected matte issue. I cannot thank Pam enough; she was professional, delightful, and truly committed to helping me. I believe this level of service is extraordinary these days, and it is so important to know we have Pam and The Tin Bucket in our town. I am so pleased I thought of Pam and chose to support a local Reading business owner. Many thanks again, Pam!

I worked with Tin Bucket to host a Halloween-themed craft party at my home. Pam did an amazing job…read moreand made it so easy! I am incredibly thankful to not only have the adorable store in downtown Reading but also a talented artist who will work with you to create an event you won't forget.

Awesome place for a fun crafternoon!…read more I came with a few friends on a rainy day to do a project, and had never done anything with mosaics before. We bought about 3 hours of time which is really the minimum amount of time it will take for a project. They had all of the supplies and colors and textures you could ever want and helped us every step of the way! It was about $15/hour plus the cost of the actual item you are putting the mosaics on. And note, you will need to let the tiles dry for 24 hours and grout it at home (if you are not local and can't return) The staff was incredibly friendly and helpful, and it was a great experience.

Nice teacher, good glass selection, good choice of shapes for making fused plates and bowlsread more

This place is AMAZING!!! I have found countless cool items here for my crafts! If you need…read moreinspiration or supplies, this is the place to go!!!!

If you like to tinker, make art, build, create or imagine, this is the place to go…read more If you need beautiful stuff, this is the place to go. If you believe in recycling, reusing, repurposing and reimagining, this is the place to go. If you are looking for support and inspiration with a project, this is the place to go.

Came here on a Tuesday afternoon with my 6 year old daughter. She was excited to pick out her own…read moreitem and we were given clear directions on painting the item. Unlike ceramic painting, she is able to paint and then air dry between coats so that she can take it home the same day without it needing to be kiln dried. A nice selection of paint colors with directions on how to mix colors to get your desired shade. Also a nice area in the back for parties, although they can maybe make it a little nicer. Right now it was more of a storage space that had a long table with chairs. We will come back again as it has been an hour of entertainment for her and she doesn't look to be finished any time soon!

If you've shopped at Beadworks or other Boston Bead stores, prepared to be completely overwhelmed…read more You have not seen a shop full of beads until you've seen this. I don't like every bead in the store, but this is by far the largest and most varied selection of beads that I have seen in a store in the Boston area. Strands of beads hang about six inches deep on every wall from floor to ceiling. Seed beads are in baskets on the floor. There is something in every color and almost every material including gemstones, wood, plastic, glass and metals with particular focus on strands of gemstones. Prices are reasonable for a brick-and-mortar store -- definitely more reasonable than other stores I have visited. The store is a little disorganized -- there is just no way to keep this much inventory straight -- and you'll need some patience to sort through it all, particularly since some of it is in baskets on the floor. A few focal pieces and completed pieces hold the prime real estate on a few display tables. This is a store for people who know what they are doing. They don't offer classes or a lot of advice. They will help you find an item if you know what you need and they will let you sit on the floor and design for hours and hours. If you go, dress comfortably and plan to spend some time.

They have an amazing selection of beads! If you need beads you MUST go to Things We Love…read more They also have a great selections of stones and crystals. I was there for stones and got a niece piece of Amethyst, Smokey Quartz and Pyrite. There were many gems/crystals I picked and didn't know what they were. You can ask them and they can advise you the name. They have a copy of the Crystal Bible so you can look up the qualities of the stone. I also found a Lapis Lazuli bead which the woman(I didn't get her name but she isn't the owner)offered to wire it and make me a necklace. It turned out really nice. They had a himalayn salt lamp I wanted, it was $55 with 20% off but still felt a little steep since I have seen the lamps at Homegoods for a lot cheaper. Prices were moderate otherwise. I would definitly give them the business again - thanks Things We Love!

The new framer and the manager Carrie, took amazing care of my two items that needed to be re…read moreframed! Excellent work and care to my items.

The store is nice. Employees are fantastic. There is a manager there named Mark. Whoever idea it…read morewas to hire this man should be ashamed of themselves. This man should not be in customer service. He is nasty and demeaning to customers. He seems like he hates his job. Think I'll change stores.

I stopped in at this cute , "little" yarn shop while in Massachusetts for my brother's wedding and…read moremy niece's graduation. I was greeted warmly and felt at home as soon as I walked in "The Unruly Stitch" has a wide variety of wool , blended, and cotton yarns throughout the store . In addition, they have cute little extras that make for unique gifts at very reasonable prices.

Wow, fabulous little shop! The selection of yarn was extensive and excellent quality. The ladies in…read morethe shop were very kind and helpful as well. I'll be back for my next project!