For the creative minds out there, head to Green Lane where you'll find the perfect place for you…read more It's a big, green craft palace called Craftys. Whatever your talent or hobby I'm sure that you're every requirement can be met here; Craftys stock allsorts from card making to flower arranging. There are two sections within the shop, the main being crammed with stickers, decoupage sheets, ribbon, and beads to name a few. Towards the back there is a room dedicated to paper and card, shelves stretching from floor to ceiling, neatly displaying all different types and colours. We've bought the paper for our wedding stationary from here, so I should know. We've also bought some of their decoupage sheets for my Fiancée's card making Nan and not only did she love them but they also look great on her cards. The staffs are friendly and are more than happy to help you in any way they can. It's definitely worth a visit.

If you are into Arts & Crafts this is the place for you. From top to bottom this store is crammed…read morefull of goodies. Believe me if they haven't got it then it possibly isn't available and they have some great bargains. They have an on line store if you are to far away but try to visit as the fun is in touching. A brilliant shop and great staff too!!

A must for emerging and established knitters, Purlesque is a gorgeous boutique that sells beautiful…read morewool, yarn, buttons and crochet books. If you haven't got the patience or fingertips to stitch yourself, they also sell adorable hand-made bags, accessories and homeware. I love the mix of DIY jewellery, tote-bags, scarves and cushions but it's the knitted cupcakes and tea-cosies that I have my eye on. You bring the jam and scones, I'll get the kettle on...

This is a lovely little haberdashery store. The staff here are friendly, helpful and knowledgeable…read more Amongst the goodies on sale there is wool, yarn, buttons, jewellery beads, crochet kits, knitting patterns, bags, cushions, fabric and scarves. Everything is arranged neatly and the shop is a joy to browse around. This is a great little shop for when you're feeling a bit crafty :)

I love this place!…read more It's one of the best places for craft supplies in Liverpool. It rivals Abikan because of it's huge variety of felt squares in more colours than you could possibly need. (Abikan never seems to have more than about 20 colours.) They sell buttons, beads, ribbons, lace, yarn and wool, sequins, stickers, embellishments for cards, crochet hooks, knitting needles, scissors, and all sorts of other craft items and tools. And the prices are superb. The felt squares are around 37 pence for the small ones and 55 pence for the large ones (last I checked.) Most of the wool is between 79p and £3 a ball. And there are always some sale items like wool that's really cheap, bundles of ribbon for a few pence, etc. Incidentally I have never seen any children try to grab things from this stall. I'm not really sure what that would be the only thing someone could think of to say about this perfectly delicious crafty wonderland.

Abakhan is hidden behind TJ Hughes and until today, I never knew such a shop existed as I seldom…read morewalk down this street. To my surprise, I was impressed to see how much this fabrics, hobby and home store had to offer. Inside is literally packed full of material in piles that look like an organised random mess! Most of the items they sell will attract the hobbyist such as arts and crafts material, stationery and needlework. They also have a variety of hobby books, cheap fashion jewellery and accessories. There is nothing really more you could ask for and for the prices they sell at, it works out a bargain apart from the more high-end material like animal fur. Common items, for example wool and cotton are inexpensive. If you are into any of the above criteria, I would highly recommend a visit to Abakhan's as the shop is jam packed with bits and pieces.

The small collection of streets of which Abakhan's is a part form what can be considered a textile…read moreand fabric centre of Liverpool and this place is the biggest of the bunch. Over two floors, Abakhan's provides reams and reams of all kinds of cloths, fabrics and textiles at very cheap wholesale prices. If you're the type who is in the business of dress making or interior design or just partake in such activities as a hobby then you can't go on much longer if you haven't found Abakhan's or one of the smaller stores along this road. Just because it is cheap doesn't mean that the quality is any less however you might have to look hard for any styles that are very stylish and modern.

What a delightful establishment this is! I might even go as far as to say delectable!…read more Nook & Cranny stocks a veritable cornucopia of gorgeous gifts, stationery and homewares, all utterly charming. The first thing that caught my eye (and drew me in from my journey up Bold Street) were the beautiful Cable & Cotton fairy lights displayed in the window - these stunning textured, multi coloured, orb fairy lights are just magical and certainly set the scene for the rest of the shop. There is so much to gaze or chuckle at and drool over in Nook & Cranny that I just wouldn't know where to start telling you all about it but other highlights include the bear paw oven mitts, the 'My Cuppa Tea' colour matching guide mug and the Knit Your Own Zoo kit. I was in seventh heaven. Imagine my delight when I discovered that the back of the shop (which used to be storage space) has now been turned into a cosy little cafe called Quills & Coffee. Sadly I couldn't stay to sample any of the beautiful looking cakes but I vowed there and then to visit again as soon as possible. Yet more delight...Nook & Cranny and Quills & Coffee put on occasional film screenings at the back of the store!! The next one is American Beauty on Saturday 28th March at 7pm - tickets are £10 and include free drinks and pizza and available from www.nookandcrannyshop.co.uk. Magic

This is a fantastic independent biz that I ventured into when in Liverpool a couple of weeks back…read more We actually held an event in the back part of the business and I didn't realise it existed until Liverpool CA Gemma A introduced me to it - but the space is really cavernous and it was great to temporarily see Quills coffee set up in the back. Very very cool cards and gifts throughout, I was especially impressed with the awesome range of band music posters in the back - everything from Queens of the stone age to classic hiphop ones - really worth a look if you're nearby and fancy some colourful artwork to brighten up your walls. Very friendly staff, they hopefully will do well in this prime location in Liverpool.

If you love art, steer clear of Art @ Home…read more I haven't been to any of the company's other stores but can tell you their Bold Street branch is one of the most depressing shops I've visited. Following in the footsteps of companies like Ikea and John Lewis, they sell generic art prints that are produced on a massive scale. Whilst Ikea and John Lewis actually stock some pretty good photographic prints of New York and Tokyo, Art @ Home specialise in mainstream and unimaginative prints of sunflowers, roses, landscapes, portraits and abstract paintings. In short, Art @ Home sell framed and unframed prints for property developers, corporate offices and coffee chains!

One of the most thoughtful, and coincidentally cheapest, presents you can get somebody is a framed…read morepicture. To find a nice photograph of a happy moment or a poster and pair tickets from a concert you really enjoyed and stick it behind some glass in a black metal or wooden frame is both simple and effective. Art at Home is the ideal place to get hold of straightforward frames at reasonable prices. The staff are chatty, helpful and if you bring with you what you're trying to frame they will try their hardest to find a good frame to fit your needs. The art for sale in the shop itself is a little hit and miss, for every Gauguin print there are three or four 'pop art' silhouette canvases of Audrey Hepburn or John Lennon. They do carry an excellent selection of cards here though, blank on the inside with art and photographic prints on the front - perfect for any occasion - especially if you don't fancy giving your nan that card with the fart joke in that you've been keeping in your bottom drawer.

What a gorgeous little place! I popped in here to buy a birthday card and could have stayed for…read moreHOURS and bought EVERYTHING!!! The downstairs of this fabulous establishment is full of the most adorable trinkets, gifts, jewellery, stationery, homewares and toiletries - almost too much to take in and very dangerous if one is feeling in a spending mood. I actually ended up buying *myself* a gift instead of the person I was buying the card for! Upstairs there is an interesting collection of vintage furniture and bric-a-brac but it is the cornucopia of delectable gifts and bibelots downstairs that has captured my heart. The gorgeous broaches, scarves and handbags, knitted baby clothing, mugs, keyrings, dinner mats and coasters (I bought myself a rather fabulous 'Liverpool's Most Iconic Sights' coaster set - photo below!), fridge magnets and ornaments. I was extremely tempted by the 'retro bunny with a baby's face' lamp but managed to restrain myself. The best thing about Larks is that you don't actually NEED stuff from there...you just WANT it. Because having a cubic zirconia broach shaped like the Eiffel Tower makes you feel happy doesn't it? And that's near enough to needing for me.

Definitely not a shop which was set up to appeal to boys, with a cute selection of all things…read moregirlie, this is a little dolls house style affair with lots of little knick-knacks on sale, from kitsch household items, to some really dainty, bright jewellery and a lot of Alice in Wonderland-esque tea party set porcelain cups and saucers. It's very pink in here and slightly overwhelming but you can't help but have a bit of a root around the little dressing-tables which are crammed with goodies. The kind of stuff you wouldn't buy for yourself but might appreciate as a gift, even if it is slightly tacky. They also have vintage stuff available upstairs and fun cards, it's slightly overpriced for what it is really but worth a look if you have a bit of time on your hands.

What a lovely little shop! Gorgeous location; quaint store; friendly owner; all sorts of craft…read moresupplies: Klara's speciality. There's a mix of sewing and cross stitch materials and resources for handmade card and gift making. Supplies are available specifically for children. Workshops are frequently held at The Well Barn teaching craft skills such as jewellery making and decoupage. Klara's is also involved in community events such as the Summer Fete held in Little Crosby recently; while I was browsing, Klara was approached by a fundraiser requesting Klara's participation, by all accounts she is very active in community projects. I particularly like the fair trade gifts available at Klara's Crafts, they'e wonderfully made and quite inexpensive.

I love craft shops although they always leave me wondering exactly what to make. Klara's has an…read moreimpressive range of craft supplies for making everything from Jewellery and cards to sewing items such as cross stitch, threads and silks. They also have a selection of handmade gifts and bags. Based in Little Crosby the shop has now been open for over a year. Klara has a BA in Fine Art so will certainly be able to help if you need some advice with materials for your own projects. My favourite product has to be Fimo which comes in 24 different colours. It is like plastercine but sets hard when baked in the oven. A cute little shop if you're feeling creative whether its doing some crafts with the kids or showing off your artistic side. There's also a nice collection of unique handbags to be tempted by and ladies you won't find these on the high street! Its always nice to know you have something that's not mass marketed.

They closed down the printing system for no reason and no prior notice on their website. So now…read morecustomers have to wait to get anything printed. The front desk staff is not helpful at all.

Ryman is a top stationer that sells top of the range office products and accessories therefore it…read moreis an extremely attractive place for students to buy their stationery there. They also sell office equipment such as computer chairs and printers to name but a few. It is ideal if you are looking to make photocopies too as they have a photocopy machine service which you can operate yourself charged at a small fee. If you cannot find what you are looking for at Ryman, then chances are you will not find it elsewhere at the same quality or choice. Your best bet would probably be Staples which is similar in style. Ryman prices are moderate (sometimes you can find the odd bargain) and if you can present a valid student card, you are enabled a 10% discount on all purchases.