Aura Candle Bar has a calm, quiet, relaxing atmosphere with exposed brick walls, light flooring,…read morehigh ceilings and floating shelving. One wall holds all the candle inventory with fragrances like old books, dad's den, dragon-blood or more identifiable scents like elderberry, dark chocolate, bonsai, yuzu. The candle experience starts with an explanation of the experience and setting expectations before exploring fragrances that speak to us individually. Off we went to the shelves, making notes and sniffing coffee in a silver sifter to reset "nose fatigue". Our "chandlers" curated our blends with us and instructed us on blending technique to help us build the scent. Vessels were selected, wax poured, fragrances added and candles created. Candles are available for pick up the next day. I have been back three times. I highly recommend this business. They are a family owned business.

Aura Candle Bar was such a fun experience that I would 100% do again!…read more Alex was our guide. Not only was she knowledgeable, but she was also very sweet and kind. Gave very clear instructions and was just super interactive which I appreciated. They have so many scents to choose from that you definitely won't be able to smell them all, but I think you can get through a good amount of them to know that you're picking the best scents that stand out to you. I think this experience is definitely worth the money! They hold the candles for you for two weeks, but you can go in the same day to pick it up too just a few hours later. I can't wait to go back!

Great small business that is a fun experience ! Choose your candle size, scent, mix it all up, and…read moreyou leave with a one of a kind candle creation! Staff is knowledgeable and friendly. Come support this local business! Pro Tip: there is private event space for larger group gatherings!

A great place to make some really unique gifts or even to keep to yourself! My girls love doing…read morethis on their own and the staff is always so helpful and patient. The candles are great quality - make sure to keep your larger vessels to refill when empty at a discount!

Went to treat our son's girlfriend to a birthday treat as she loves candles…read more Blank Mason is located at Old Orchard shopping mall in Skokie. Parking was pretty easy considering it's the holiday season. We had reservations and as we walked in, we were greeted immediately and checked it. They showed us to our workstation and settled in. The store is brightly lit and smaller if different fragrances. It was not over bearing and smelled nice. Our candle expert introduced herself to us and let us know the process. She was very nice and explained everything clearly. Through the process she was helpful with answering our questions or checked in on us. After mixing our scents into the melted wax, we selected our decorations. We left and were asked to return in 1 hour so the candles can harden. When we returned we decorated the candles. Overall, what a great experience. Candles ranged from $55 to $40 dollars to start and can go higher depending on options. You can also BYOB and or Food if you wanted to have a party! I enjoyed the process and the conversation we had.

Rip off! Used Groupon - asked about using Groupon before I even sat down - employee told us not to…read moreworry as it would be same price or just a $1 difference. I wasn't told of about any extra charges for BYOB, or anything else. Groupon price $55. They tried to charge me $79. I paid with Groupon. Now they are calling multiple times and texting me to pay more because their computer system said they were short because of taxes. I would up having to pay $5 BYOB fee + $0.56 tax on the $5. Even though we had a good time, still upset at the deceit. EVERY SINGLE PERSON WAS CHARGED BYOB! They did not uncork the wine and did not ask us for our IDs until the end. DO NOT GO! OMG! Mismanaged by employees AND owner. Shame on you.

I mean seriously, how many candle making studios do you know of? This was such a unique and fun…read morebusiness owned by Natasha, such an incredible gal! Be Nude Candle Co is the most perfect place for birthday parties, bachelorette parties, or literally any fun event you wanna do. I can't even begin to tell you how much everyone loved making their candle here and how amazing this whole establishment is. Natasha and her daughter were beyond informative, funny, personable, helpful, and were just such great hosts. Natasha walked us through the whole process from start to finish and gave us such creative freedom, all while helping with every step. The place itself is spacious and PERFECT for events for 10-20 people. The sunflower wall with the swinging seat is such an adorable addition to the place (perfect for cute pics, too!), along with the grassy wall with the lit up #BEnude sign. The actual candle making was something I will 100% do here again - we got to be little scientists for the day and we all loved it. From mounting your wick, to creating your scents and color of your candle, to pouring it in your vessel, the whole process was enjoyable and creative. I seriously can't wait to come back here for another event. Be Nude Candle Co is one of the best businesses out there!

This space is amazing! I never thought that I would absolutely love candle making and I do…read moreThe owner was so approachable and so hands-on with us. My group and I had an amazing time. There's so many selections of candle, scents and vessels and you can just let your creative juices flow endless Those two hours went by too quickly and I wanted to stay and chat and enjoy this wonderful spot. This activity surely can be bonding time . It could be a fun girls night out. It could be a fun couple's night bridal shower, birthday party, baby shower gifts, whatever you wanted to be We love the cool setup and we were running around all over snapping pics and she was so nice and kind to even create some memorable Instagram boomerangs for us as well. I definitely will tell , my friends and family to patronize this business and I hope to see this black-owned woman business flourish

Located in downtown Skokie, around the corner from the well known Village Inn Pizzeria, See Jake…read moreSparkle is a true hidden gem and boutique offering all sorts of fun and unique items. Highlighting their passion for fair trade offering goodies from around the world, and sharing their mission there really is something for everyone. Each time you look around the store you find something more fun to look at. Most of the items you find are handmade and showcase the craft of the different countries. The owner Sara Jane is so friendly and is there to share the story behind each piece. She also offers her own line of jewelry and clothing! I can't wait to come back and shop for more gifts soon!

I loved Sara Jane's boutique in Evanston and was happy to know that she has a presence in Skokie…read morenow. The shop displays unique fair trade items from around the world and each piece has a story. It's a great place to find special gifts while supporting good causes. Today I bought a hand painted Christmas ornament and two glass coasters.

Cuuuuuute alert! For all you artsy crafty mavens out there, this is your stop. It's a shop filled…read morewith a well-curated selection of paper goods, books, coloring books, custom art, fabric lamp shades, and gifts in varying price points. From the second I walked in, I was engulfed by a most delightful smell, perhaps a candle burning somewhere? I was greeted by the owner's assistant, Kate, who gave me an overview of the shop and some of the classes they offer in the back, like coptic bookbinding, collage, crafting, and self-motivation classes. They also have a meet up group called The Grown*Up Girls Club where you can meet up with other like-minded individuals and explore new art/craft/maker techniques. The Club meets the second Sunday of every month. The Collage Cafe is a newer business located in an adorable corridor mixed with other art-inspired shops. You can go door to door and visit each one while you're at it! Can't wait to stop back in. But, as I'm writing this, when I go back I realize the selection is too overwhelming for my taste (in a good way of course) because I want one of everything.

One day my young daughters and I where walking by and came in into this beautiful place, what a…read morewonderful store! The owner is such a great lady, great host, kind and knowledgeable. I scheduled a coloring evening for a group of friends from church. We had a delightful experience! The place was set up with a wide variety of water colors, wood colors pencils, markers, etc. the pages provided were also varied, from really intricate to more simple so we were all able to pick something that suited our taste and level of artistry. We already scheduled another event and are looking forward to it. Definitely a great place for gifts, classes and more.

I attended a Galentine's Day candle making workshop and it was just lovely. Jasmine is such a kind…read moreand sweet soul and it's very clear that she takes pride in her business. The class was calm and inviting and I'd recommend her to anyone who loves candles!

Stopped in today for a 2hr candle making session. The shop is a cute, intimate space. Jazmin, our…read morehost, was so sweet and so kind. She provided snacks to munch on and drinks. She provided us with everything we needed to make the candle, as well as let us pick from a multitude of scents to personalize our candle. While waiting for the candle to harden a bit, Jazmin walked us through the next steps on decorating them and setting our intentions for making the candle to begin with. I have to say, for the relaxing time, the snacks and the candle I was able to personalize, it was well worth the price! I will definitely be back!

Great people with a sense of great invites and stationary given the history of this…read moremultigenerational family business. Always a pleasure to work with them.

Fitzgerald's is my first choice for high-quality cards, journals, pens, and stationery! Colleen…read morealso does amazing design work for cards! I'm so glad I decided to support a local business and get holiday cards here. They are beautiful, every time.

I'm not a big craft person, mainly because I lack the skills needed to get crafty. However, there…read morehave been times I've needed to get some stuff for my sad attempts at being creative. Big box stores have pretty much everything you need, but navigating the aisles is a nightmare. You could circle the store three times before you find what you're looking for. So when I was given the task of buying some scrapbook material for a friend's wedding shower, I was absolutely dreading going to the store. That is, until I remembered passing by this store on a recent walk. Hoping I didn't have to go anywhere else, I stopped inside. It's like a scrapbooking heaven in there. Plenty of different papers, stamps, stickers, tape and anything else related to scrapbooking that you can think of. Of course, I had no idea what the "right" thing to get was, but luckily the woman behind the counter was super helpful. I told her what I needed and she helped me out, explaining what each thingamabob does and what would work best. She saved me like 20 minutes of staring at this stuff and looking like a doofus. She also saved me a trip to the big box store. Hooray! If you're looking for scrapbook stuff, I highly recommend stopping here first. It's a small shop, but they have a lot of stuff and you'll get attention from the staff instead of trying to hunt someone down. Check the hours before you go, because they close different hours each day.

From the owner: Celebrate with us for Christmas in July! Creative outlet for paper crafters. Products from Europe,…read moreCanada, USA, Australia and New Zealand.

All time favorite candle shop. Very low prices and knowledgeable staff. Very low prices.read more