This place is really cool! I found Five Monkeys through Yelp after searching art boutiques. I'm…read morefrom out of town and have been working in Des Moines for the last few months. I have started collecting local paintings from the places I visit and was desperate to find a piece from Iowa. Five Monkeys did not disappoint! This place is adjoined to a music store that sells vinyl records. Five Monkeys features clothing, paintings, jewelry, pottery, and other local trinkets. A lot of the jewelry is very unique and different. Many of the pieces from the various designers looked like one-of-a-kind items. I opted for a pair of glass earrings and a painting called "The Little One", which I could be wrong, but may have been painted by the owner of the boutique. She was very helpful and friendly. The painting was just what I was looking for! In the back of the store, there is a paint-your-own-ceramics studio, where people can pick out items to paint and then pick them up after they've been fired in the kiln. I thought that was really cool, and saw everything back there from unicorns to mugs to tiki shot glasses. I wish I had known about this place months ago, but I'm glad that I at least went there before leaving town. If you haven't been to Five Monkeys, then you need to go!

Really had a great girls day here! Pricing is reasonable, staff is friendly & helpful. They have a…read morehuge stock of available pottery for painting. From what we were told they get regular shipments allowing for a diverse range of projects to choose from! I can't wait to see my finished piece. They also ship, if you're worried about how you'll get your project after completion.

I went in on Tuesday afternoon. This store is huge. They have everything you could want. crafts,…read morepaints, frames, home decor, craft books, fabric. All I needed was glue sticks. I asked a employee for help locating them. she took me straight there. holy crap who knew glue sticks come in so many sizes and varieties? I hope I grabbed the right one.

Dear Store Manager,…read more I wanted to share some feedback regarding a recent shopping experience at your store. My intention is not to file a complaint against any particular employee, but rather to highlight an opportunity to improve customer service and communication. This past Saturday, Oct 10th, my husband and I were purchasing fabric and had been waiting at the cutting counter when we discovered that one of our selections was too short. We stepped away briefly to find a longer piece, and by the time we returned, the employee was assisting another customer. She suggested that we measure our fabric ourselves at a nearby table and called another employee to assist us. While we were nearly finished measuring, the second employee approached and asked whether we needed help. We replied that we did and were almost finished measuring. At that moment, other customers approached and immediately handed him several pieces of fabric to be cut. Although we were already waiting for assistance and standing right there, the employee proceeded to help the other customers. Because they had numerous pieces of fabric, we ended up waiting a considerable amount of time, despite having only two pieces ourselves. The situation unfolded rather quickly, and we were caught off guard. Looking back, I believe much of the confusion could have been avoided if the first employee had simply communicated to her colleague that we were waiting for assistance. I recognize that retail environments can become busy and that misunderstandings happen. However, I also believe that acknowledging customers who are already waiting, maintaining an orderly queue, and ensuring clear communication between employees are important aspects of good customer service. I hope you'll consider this feedback as an opportunity to improve the customer experience, particularly when employees are assisting multiple customers or transferring service responsibilities to a colleague. We hope our experience can contribute to making future visits more pleasant and efficient for everyone.

I was looking for something to do, and I found this potter painting shop! It was a relaxing way to…read moreget out my creative energy! When I walked in, they showed me where to get the pottery, how to use the glaze paint, and an instruction card with how to paint it! I chose a mug, and painted potted plants all along the bottom. I may not be a great or even good artist, but it was nice to try something new! You pay for the time and the piece, so prices will vary and they are labeled under the pottery pieces. I painted a regular mug, and for spending an hour and half, I only paid less than $30. Highly recommend!

I had a rough idea of a project to make for my granddaughter and the staff was thoughtful in…read morelistening to my questions and very helpful in creating my design. Big kudos to Matthew for taking an interest in bringing my vision to life.

I signed up for what I thought was going to be a cooking class, it was more like a culinary…read moreexperience! There were so many ingredients that I have never used in my cooking, and some that were completely unfamiliar to me. The group of students divided into stations to create and then enjoy 4 different soups. While Chef Cass provided some instruction, most of the experience was actually in digging in and preparing the dishes. The atmosphere was exciting and collaborative with each group working together and checking out the progress of the other groups (and helping with the tasting of course). Chef Cass expertly provided tips and hints for each recipe while more than a dozen of us dug around the full chef's kitchen to gather ingredients and tools. So much fun and I learned a lot in 3 hours. I highly recommend these classes as a fun date night, friend's adventure, or individual experience!

Took the Rustic French class with KP. It was so much fun. She gave a lot of helpful tips along…read morethe way too. we divided into 4 groups with each group making one of the courses. All the food turned out great and they were all things I would replicate at home. Love it! Will definitely take another class.

This is my favorite craft store around. They seem to have everything and their sales are…read morefantastic. I cleaned up on top quality wrapping paper after Christmas which is year round paper really. Since Christmas isn't my jam I always try to get neutral paper for wrapping. I have used a lot of it and people have commented on how much they like the paper... I wish it was more about the present inside. lol But I buy a lot of my frames there too. They always have some sort of sale so you don't have to pay full price too... You won't be disappointed... they too have a drive up option if you order oine!

First off, the positive ratings are all at least a year old…read more It was my first time at this store since moving nearby, and it was a nightmare. I was looking for some art supplies for myself, and for a birthday present for my granddaughter. Many shelves were poorly stocked - every color but white paint in one section. I had several items in my cart, and I could not find any illustration boards. I went up & down the art section multiple times. I found bristol boards, foamcore boards, and poster boards, but no illustration boards and no one to ask either. I went to the cashiers up front, and asked one if their is anyone on the floor to help. I was expecting her to pick up the phone, and call for someone, but she just laughed and said, "I doubt it!" my wife, who also had several items, and I left the cart blocking the exit door as we left. AVOID THIS PLACE LIKE THE PLAGUE!!!

I found this company to be very attentive to details and the price was the best. Great quality also!read more

From the owner: Here at Thread Chemistry we specialize in embroidery and printing apparel as well as promotional…read moreproducts on anything from wood, metal, & glass to, ceramic, acrylic, and more. Shirts, hats, hoodies, tank tops, jackets, coats, tumblers, umbrellas, cell phone cases, candles, magnets, pop sockets, tote bags, fleece blankets, coasters, fanny packs, and the list goes on! If your a new business and are looking for a logo designer we also do graphic design!! Finally, we also do vinyl decal designs for store fronts, company cars, work trailers, or just for personal use like decals & stickers on your snowboard, skateboard, laptop, or anything you can think of, we can decal it! We like to think we are a one stop shop for any new or existing business to give a fresh new look or a 'face lift'. Appearance is everything! Especially customer first impressions so let us help you achieve this with package bundles, discounts, and one on one customer assistance with one of our trusted teammates to put your business above the rest!

Whoa this place is like Disney World to a kid who wants a themed birthday party!!!!…read moreAmazing selection of themes to pick from. Characters and colors and holiday themes galore!!! The candy is decently priced for a specialty store and there is so much to choose from. I don't mind spending a little more for convenience instead of wasting more time going over to Walmart or target. I think the price is fine. They had costumes here and it's May!! I was impressed. Balloon fill up and ordering is easy breezy: super cool. Store is a nice big space. Wall to wall decor and supplies. Seriously. The Disney World of birthday supplies. I highly recommend Party City if you're looking for a bday party theme for a kid. You can pretty much find everything you need in this one stop shop.

Always great service and friendly associates. Love the new setup of the store and the great…read moreselection they have for the great prices offered.

A unique store with an exceptional owner (Rob Beers) in the heart of Valley Junction's 5th Street…read more It was such a fun first visit! I'm a techy person, but I love great writing utensils, and I enjoyed exploring Beers' shop because he is the owner and one of the Midwest's last pen makers. He told me of the store's history and showed me some available (and very cool) items. If I hadn't just been getting over pneumonia, I would have bought some items, but I was running out of energy when I arrived at Quill and Nib. Cool calligraphy, fountain pens, notebooks, and writing paper are in the store, but it is the service that cannot be matched locally. I'm coming back.

the guy is really kind and amazing to purchase from and he has top quality pens. So good that I'm…read moregoing to give it to my girlfriend for Christmas.

Omg, this place is Uber fun and cool. The owner is very helpful and nice. I want just about all the…read moreitems in the store. The greeting cards are right on point and the feminist items were right up my alley. The store has so many fun gifts for any girlfriend. They have cute sayings on magnets and other items... If you are looking for a fun store this is your place. There isn't anything like it in Des Moines!

This is one of my favorite store in Iowa - they have all kinds of great gifts and novelties ! The…read moreowner is so nice - this is a family business and they are so kind ! Be sure to visit the dog before you leave

Very friendly and helpful staff. Even laughed at my joke. I think I'm funny. But no issues…read morehere. Enjoyed visiting :).

I found a Christmas ornament that I wanted to purchase 2 of. They were only available to club…read moremembers and they no longer offered the club membership. They had plenty off them but refused to sale me one. So not only did they loose the 2 club ornaments I wanted plus another one and the chance for another club member. Seems if they offer members only ornaments they should allow customers' to buy the membership? I went to EBAY and found plenty of them without paying the $50 club membership.