Craft Works

Craft Works is a big, independent craft shop on Gloucester Road, run by a very friendly lady who knows a great deal about arts and crafts of all varieties. The shop sells almost everything that you could ever want for art and craft activities. Paper stampers, felt in dozens of colours, stickers, plain card boxes and masks for decoration, paints, high quality brushes, pastels, ink stamps and much more. They also sell specialist paper in many colours and weights, with calligraphy pens and inks, as well as sealing wax, which I always think adds that special touch to a hand written letter. There is a wide range of ordinary stationary such as you might find at a chain like Staples, but you can also get relatively obscure items like glass paints. For soft crafts, Craft Works stocks cottons, wools and sewing kits. The shop offers a quality framing service, so if you want an old picture reframed they can help. Prices are a little high, but all the items are of good quality, and it’s nice not to have to buy from a chain store.

I’m a sucker for arts & crafts and creativity in general and Craft Works ticks all the boxes. This shop is one of the most comprehensive of its kind and one of the best in Bristol if you discount the likes of Hobbycraft.
From the outside you might be forgiven for thinking this is a frivolous, girly shop for bored housewives and old ladies but oh how wrong you would be! There is a large selection of sketchbooks, drawing paper, paintbrushes and Daler-​Rowney paints — all essential for art students and established artists alike.
The store itself is lined with cards and displays that have been created using products from the shop, such as decopache kits, rubber stamps, ink and stencils. The only thing that limits the possibilities of the products in this shop is your own imagination.
Price are reasonable and there is also a framing department at the back of the shop where you can take in your masterpieces to hang with pride.

Craft Works is probably the largest shop of its kind in Bristol. Stocking everything you can imagine, (and then some), for those with handicrafts in mind. Reasonably priced with knowledgeable staff on hand to explain what everything is for, Craft Works is creativity made easy. They even host workshops in the evening.
They also stock resources for those of us who can’t quite decide what hobby would suit us best, or for those of us that would like to be a bit more creative but aren’t exactly sure how. A full range of magazines is available with comprehensive advice on hand.
And just for the record: I’m in the market for a knitted toilet roll cover with a Cindy-​type doll miraculously emerging from the middle. There’s a commission in for anybody who can master the skills required to make one. I’d like it in shocking pink.
Get enrolling now!