Best way to describe this place is a thrift store for crafting. Discovered this place while looking for somewhere to buy yarn near downtown, and we were surprised by the variety of items on sale and the pricing. You can find almost anything in here: yarn, fabric, kids books, cookbooks, misc cards, seashells, school supplies, cds, stickers, ink pads, and a lot more. It's organized in sections but it's a lot to take in. Most things were sold by weight or number of items which was very affordable. Most expensive thing was the yarn which was $12/pound, but everything else we bought was less than $2 each. If you took the time, you could find some steals. I got a brand new jacket for my dog for $1. I'll definitely be coming back here. read more

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This is GREAT place to make donations! you can donate all kinds of things. Check their list and save things from the landfill. I keep an ongoing bag ready for them. We took old bicycle parts and aluminum lawn chair parts. Teachers get discounts on their purchases. Please look at their list and donate- you willl be surprised by the list of accepted items! https://www.texasartasylum.com/donations read more

Cute funky craft shop with very eclectic obscure items, always new and different items. A good place to get small yards of materials, bottles ,and other random finds. Unfortunately, over the years it has become quite the hipster place and was packed this Sunday. They have craft/art class nights too. Prices have increased which makes it not as fun. read more

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Resell store for art supplies- think of it like a Hobby Lobby meets quirky Orange Show home decor with a side of Sanford & Son...it's a little bit of a time capsule seeing old but still good and usable supplies (1980's People magazines, black & white family photos, etc) There's a section of basic school supplies that are free for teachers. Most supplies are charged about $1 per pound. Very well worth going if you need things for art projects. Great place just to even explore. read more

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I absolutely loved this place! I'll admit I was a little skeptical at first after reading a few negative reviews, but my experience couldn't have been more different. I went on a Saturday morning and ended up spending about two hours there. At first, it felt a bit overwhelming, but once I got into the swing of things, I was completely hooked. Digging through the bins and discovering unique finds was honestly so fun. The best part? When I checked out, I got everything I needed for under $8--such a great deal. I've also donated here before, and I really appreciate what they do to support teachers, artists, and anyone working to keep usable items out of landfills. That mission alone makes it worth supporting. I 100% recommend this place--but I can understand it's not for everyone. If you're not into treasure hunting or don't enjoy sifting through vintage items and reminiscing, it might not be your thing. But if you are, you'll love it! read more

First time in the store today. I spent my time looking to see what treasures were contained there-in. I came away with so many projects ideas. I will be back. The fabric scrap bags are calling out to me. read more

I figured out that this place existed in January, while doing a fantasy Google search for used art supplies. I have been 3 times. I think I prefer going during the week, because the weekend is too peopley for me. It's like a treasure hunt. I always fall into the thought that I am 10 and someone has told me to go through their art supplies and have what I want. It is especially fantastic for junk journaling! Also, I'd imagine if you love mosaics, sewing, jewelry making, or stained glass creating, you would have a great time! read more

LOVE THIS PLACE! If you are into hunting for treasures and taking your time then this place is for you! I make earrings so I love their small/random bead collections and supplies for jewelry! read more

Texas Art Asylum - Outdoor art - Antiques Near Me - Houston, Texas

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It is definitely an experience If you are looking for inspiration or a few things to create some custom art this is the place. A bit overwhelmed the first time I visited but once you start going through the store you find it is organized into categories. read more

Love this quirky little gem of a place. I didn't know art thrift stores existed until I went here. I can spend hours rifling through all the goods and they have a lot of unique options for your different crafts. The only point that decreased the stars is the cashier, he took my wares and poured them in a bag hastily without taking care, as I had glass and fragile stuff. He did not seem to be in the best mood nor care very much about me and my items. Some things are pay by the pound and other things are available pretty cheap. I like how many recycled items there are and the two cats I saw were very cute and nice. read more

Very cool shop. So much stuff! Be prepared to dig thru everything. And it will take some time! Endless possibilities of crafting and great pricing. read more

Amazing experience and friendly staff. The selection is out of this world and very well sorted.

First visit here after hearing about it for years. I could have spent hours looking through photos, but had time constraints. Store is organized by categories. Well stocked with donations. Will return next time I'm in Houston. Plenty to browse through. Address needs to be better marked, found it thanks to yelp photo. read more

If you need bulk of an "odd" art material, for instance 100 vintage headshots, they've got you covered! Very fun to dig through all of their materials. read more

Open for shopping on Thursday through Saturday 10AM-6PM as well as Sunday from 1PM-6PM. THE GOOD: This is essentially an art supply thrift store. I love this premise for two reasons: 1 -- they will accept your old art supplies that no one else will; and 2 -- you can buy art supplies at a reduced cost (as well as supplies you can't easily find elsewhere). For instance, let's say you need a bunch of cork bottle stoppers, or doll limbs, or matchbooks, or vintage family photos, or whatever else. These items (despite not being worth a lot) are not easy to score without some effort. Well, they have all that stuff and more. In addition to the aforementioned random items, they had a surprisingly large selection of traditional art supplies. They had a section for beads, yarn, fabric, paint, pencils, and so much more. You can look at their accepted donation list to get some idea of what they carry. THE LESS GOOD: Their donation system was a bit tedious. They accept donations every Wednesday and Saturday from 1PM-7PM. It was easy to make an appointment on their website and there was a long list detailing everything they accept. However, they are booked for appointments way in advance. I waited about 1.5 months. I just checked and they are booked 3 months out. If you want to donate on a day when you can actually visit the shop, your only option is Saturday. Now, I could understand the long wait if the appointment included an assessment of the items or something like that. Here's how the appointment went down: 10-15 minutes before my appointment time, I rang the bell outside their garage. Some dude walked out. I handed him a bag of donations. He went back inside. Seems silly to wait 3 months for that. I can understand that they may not want to become a dumping ground for people's junk but I think they can handle a few more donation visits. Another issue was pricing. It appears to mostly go by weight which may not make sense for all items. Some items had a clear sign detailing the cost while others did not. I was eyeing some yarn but couldn't find the price anywhere. I didn't want it bad enough so I didn't track down an employee (I would have bought it though if the price was clear and suitable). Overall, this place is pretty great and I'm glad it exists. read more

i get all my crafts here. They make art fun and affordable again, plus theres so much cool art and hundreds of trinkets here. I go here so often and to this day ive probably never spent over 100 bucka. phenomenal place and i love the kitties who live here read more

Texas Art Asylum - Sweet baby who lives here! - Antiques Near Me - Houston, Texas

best place in the world for crafters, there's so much stuff and it's so insanely cheap. i got 2 hobby lobby scrapbook paper books that said $9 on them for 25 cents each and they are huge read more

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Decided to stop by the Texas Art Asylum after being recommended to me by Heather McCarty with Conception Arts. I definitely felt like a kid in a candy store! So many awesome and creative things. I even met this awesome cat. He was super friendly! Unfortunately, he was the nicest thing there. I walked in and wasn't greeted. I had a couple of staffers just look at me. Def a weird vibe. I felt like I was an annoyance more than a customer. After walking around for about 20 mins I picked out a.l few items and took them to the counter. The apathetic attitude continued there. With me being one of the most creative photographers in the State I was super hyped to come here but left sooooo disappointed. It costs you nothing to be friendly. It costs you nothing to say hello. Ask if someone needs help or just welcome them. This was my first time and probably the last. Basic civility will bring customers back. This truly sucked because there was so much amazing stuff I could use to create. I went back in to get an item I forgot and also get my receipt from the first transaction. It wasn't given to me. Thank you to Jazz for being the only person who said hello, smiled and made me feel like a person. I appreciate you. read more

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Lots of used art supplies, most sold by the pound. Some have set rates like books are $3.99. (Or something like that) Lots of things to make art with , if you have an imagination then this is the place for you. But be mindful when filling the cart, it adds up quick! read more

I love coming here to find a variety of unique items. You can find all sorts of things here, including: old toys and dolls, jewelry, art supplies, fabric, old photos, etc. This is a great place to come if you are an artist and are looking for items for your practice, or if you're just looking for some unique jewelry/clothes. Some things are priced individually, but the majority of things are sold by the pound. There are a couple of cats that hang out here, so if you're allergic, this might not be the place for you. They also occasionally host art shows, which are fun to check out. read more

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I love this place. I always come here. I love looking through the stuffs they have. I always find something interesting or fun. I also love the fact that they have a container full of wine corks because I've looked everywhere for those for a home decoration project I was doing. They also have art shows. I loved the Harry Potter, and the tiny art show. They are having the Studio Ghibli art show this weekend and I AM GOING. I wish they'd have an anime art show though. I bet people will love that read more

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I have never been so embarrassed in my life. This was my very first visit to the art asylum, as my friends have always recommended it to be a great place for buying second hand art supplies and more. Everything was fine up until about 30 minutes into shopping when I was aggressivley approached by two employees, one of whom I'm assuming to be a manager, immediately accusing me of stealing. The women then kept rudely demanding that I take off my mask after I repeatedly said no, that I have not been vaccinated and I'm not willing to put myself or anyone around me at risk. And I didn't see them taking off their masks if the situation was reversed. After minutes of confusion and complete and utter shock the male employee standing behind her grabbed the basket of a few items I intended on buying out of my hands and told me and my friend to leave the store. I was not sure what to do or how to handle this situation, but I know for a fact I have never once been humiliated like this, especially publicly in front of an entire store, over something they were obviously MISTAKEN over. I have not and would not even consider stealing from a store, especially one that is small owned and obviously struggling because of the pandemic. I'm hoping they reconsider the way they handle situations in the future, and learn just an inch of respect/ how to run a business in a professional manner. I'm horrified and hurt, and sharing my experience was the only thing I could think of doing. Hopefully nothing like this will ever happen to anyone else in the future. So 'IF' you decide to shop here, do so with caution, as i will certainly not be returning. read more

Texas Art Asylum - The fact that they seriously expected me to remove my mask exposing me to a potential virus! the hypocrisy is beyond me. - Antiques Near Me - Houston, Texas

Love this wonderfully wacky place! Great prices for replenishing office supplies, hobby and art materials.

Creepy dolls, key chains, door knobs, old beer cans, and even older family photos. The Art Asylum has it all. I bought an old haunted-looking doll for just $3. My only con is the price of some of the photos. $1 for each wallet size yearbook photo seemed a little high. Other than that, I love this place and will definitely be back. read more

Texas Art Asylum - Antiques Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Literally my favorite store. So many things for crafting that can be purchased here instead of Amazon and at a fraction of the price.

This is a hoarder's paradise. You have to dig deep to find something useful or cool here. There is simply no editing at all. If you can make use out of a big box of 'Simply Orange' juice green tops or a crateful of Corona bottle caps, this is a place for you. If you think of an art project that requires a whole lot of jar collecting or some severed doll heads, you will make out big here. I found some brown 'vintage' medicine bottles that I thought I could use for my beauty products after I slapped on some cute labels. I didn't end up buying anything because there was no one at the cash register, even after I waited for a few minutes. Instead the manager was having a very indiscreet fight with her employee in the back 'craft room'. Now, the owner was saying some awful, rude things and behaving in such an unprofessional manner that I decided to just leave without purchasing my bottles. I don't want to buy anything from someone who would be so disrespectful toward her own employees, and by extension, her customers. read more

Not just for artists, this place calls to anyone with an eye for repurposing! After walking in, I bid farewell to my mom and my grandparents and wandered through the isles trying to talk myself out of tile, glass bottles, serapes, framed drill team pictures, mink stoles, fabric bolts and scraps, telephones, beakers, test tubes, and a ceramic lamp that had been softly whispering, "Samantha..." the whole time. The reason for the four stars and the reason I walked out with nada was that I honestly felt it was a tad too expensive. I could have gotten the things I wanted for a good amount lessat Savers or another thrift store. This place will definitely stay in the rotation when I visit H-town, though! read more

The asylum advertises itself as part craft store, part thrift shop, part antique shop and part salvage yard, put together with insanely low prices you get the coolest source for all things artsy. I absolutely love the concept of creatively reusing neat items locally rather than straining the earth by mass producing trinkets shipped from across the globe. This place would have saved me time money and stress had I known about before embarking on a hunt for old picture frames to make message boards from. I picked up a couple today for less than 3$ each. They also have stuff you simply can't buy at the craft store, like cigar boxes... lots and lots of cigar boxes. They have fabric and yarn (plus notions), dishes to break for mosaics, bits and baubles, records, and pretty much anything else you can think of. I went on a bonafide spree and the damage was only ~30$. I like this place so much, I hesitate telling you about it. read more

This place is the Junkers paradise. Amazing. There were so many fun things to look through, I kept going up to random objects and trying to think of something I could do with them. One of the two owners was there today when I went, Her name was Jennifer and she seemed very nice and excited that my boyfriend and i loved her shop. He gathered some cross stitching supplies and I scored some vintage vanity pieces. We made out well. read more

What a neat find in Houston! Came here on a beautiful Friday afternoon back in February. Was just looking for some art for my apartment and walked out with loads of stuff at a low cost. Massive space full of incredible knick knacks. Only regret is that I wish I had spent a little bit more time in there. read more

lil' trek to find it hidden away... so excited to enter ... but kinda let down. Thought prices were out of whack.. I wuv unique things and I give the team (that was hidden in the back room and never came out) credit (A++) for organizing junk/stuff into logical groups.. but just because one can color and group coordinate, doesn't mean it's worth more... (I won't lie.. if I found myself in the hood again..I'd probably stop in to see what they had ;-) read more

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This place is really cool! Tons of random items that you can't find other places. Prices are outstanding. They also hold art shows periodically, which are always really fun and showcase local artists. Highly recommend! Oh, and there are also 2 cute kitties running around, so make sure to say hi to them :) read more

An artist's heaven and a craft teacher's playground. Come with patience and a good eye for treasure.

TAA has been on my to-do list for more than a year. I was so excited to be able to go and check it out. Finally! Lots and lots of fun stuff but it turns out there's a reason why prices aren't listed. Be prepared for sticker shock when you check out. Everything's weighed, which I guess is an okay way to price some things but that made a ceramic saucer $2 and a bag of beads $3. A decorative piece that still had the $3.99 price tag was $3. $8 for an enamel pin. Passed on everything I picked out except some buttons. read more

I needed to get a bunch of random things for a sculpture a couple months back, and I stumbled upon an ad for this place online. I decided to go since the description seemed to suit my needs. The place was surprisingly easy to find, but they didn't appear to really have any parking. This place is just like going into a freaky attic and discovering all sorts of lost treasures, or just finding dolls with dead soulless eyes. Why are dolls so scary?! It's great if you want old cigar boxes or random household objects you'd want in large quantities for a project. The downside is the fact that it really does feel like an attic. There seems to be no apparent order so you really have to dig to find what you really are trying to find. read more

I drive by this spot almost daily & never recognized it until today. I felt like a pirate who'd found hidden treasure. There was so much cool stuff in here. & dirt cheap. I think I spent all of $5 on like 4 items. If you have some spare time to actually dig thru everything I'm certain you'll find a jewel. read more

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I visited at their original location several times and the new location as well. I heard recently that they changed pricing per pound with some items marked with a price. So, I was excited to check it out again hoping to get a pound of old photographs as I thought their prices were expensive previously. I was barely greeted by someone working there in another room, and then saw lots of items with prices marked, so I wasn't sure how anything worked... no signs that I saw explaining nor did anyone there. I could have asked, and might have, but the smell of cat pee was so strong I had to leave. I was not going to risk buying anything that I might bring home and still have that awful smell. This concept is so great in theory, I wish it was friendlier, better organized and free of cat pee. read more

Need random creative items for your art projects?? This place is perfect. It's a resale art type place but with extra cool stuff. Check it out! read more

If you are an artistic, creative person, this place will make your head spin. They have knick knacks from bottle caps to all sorts of antiques. I've meet so many teachers that come here for supplies. Monica. read more

If your favorite thrift store, art supply, & craft shop had a baby...it would be Texas Art Asylum! I love the central location...that they always have whatever wacky thing I went in to find...Ramona & Jennifer are hilarious...they are Green...offer fun classes...helpful & sweet, etc! A don't miss if you're the creative type...it will soon become your go-to place for artsy projects! read more