THE place for beginners and experienced crocheters and knitters alike! They have a wide selection…read moreof yarns to choose from and some that are hard to find even online. When you buy a skein they can spin it into a non-knotting ball (its helpful, trust me). Special orders are easy! Maybe because the crochet/knit crafting scene is small in Manila, there are too few local yarn shops. There are many online stores but, it is still good to have a feel of the yarn before you pruchase it. Also, having a shop that has a steady flow if the one particular yarn you need for projects is important. So, Dreams Yarnshoppe is my go-to yran shop! The shop carries a fine selection of designer yarn and brands not available at big box stores. The store is tiny but stocked and the employees are helpful and knowledgeable knitters. This store carries high-quality yarns made of natural fibers instead of mostly acrylic yarn. Cotton, bamboo, and all the new blends are here to feel. Sock yarn, striped yarn, and all the notions and patterns you could hope for. Even if you like to buy online, there is something about touching your materials that is helpful. Plus, they have lots of sample projects to inspire you!

I recently learned how to crochet, and I've since become obsessed with it. If you're surprised,…read moredon't be - I'm actually a billion years old, with the personality of a five year old. Plus, crocheting is great! I decided that this year, instead of hand-making my Christmas Cards, I'd make everyone scarves instead. Because really, who doesn't like a giant, fluffy scarf? If you said nobody, you'd be spot on. But to the point - after a ton of research, I found out that there were only three physical stores in Manila that sell yarn/crocheting needles: National Bookstore, Carolina's Lace and of course, Dreams Yarnshoppe. After having visited the first two and being thoroughly disappointed, I decided to venture out to Glorietta 5. And although Glorietta is a maze to navigate through, the Dreams Yarnshoppe made it well worth the effort! Although tiny, this store has most things you'd be looking for as an crafts person. If I had a cat (eww, but I've got a point, I swear), it would have had a field day because this store is basically catnip. SO MUCH YARN. SO MANY COLOURS. So many sizes! After being repeatedly met with sad, dull looking 4 ply yarn and tiny cotton crochet hooks, this store made it seem like I'd hit the jackpot. I ended up buying 4 skeins of yarn and 2 sets of Susan Bates crochet hooks (10 hooks in total) for PHP 2960 i.e. $65. Which, if you think about it, isn't cheap. Each skein of Lion Brand Homespun bulky yarn was PHP 495 ($11) which is about $4 more than it retails for in the US. The skeins of Big Wheel by Cascade Yarn were PHP 490 each, but that's approximately how much they retail for. The two sets of crochet hooks were marked up by $1 which, in the grand scheme of things, is negligible. Pros: + Yarns of all different plys (4, bulky, super bulky) + A ton of different yarn fibres (merino, cashmere, acrylic) + A great selection of colours + Crochet hooks that range from 1-11 mm, in a variety of materials (aluminum, wood and plastic) + The women working at the store were extra knowledgeable about the amount of yarn I would need to crochet a scarf and helped me buy yarn accordingly + Friendly service + They also sell DMC embroidery thread (although, if you really need some you should go to the dedicated store - DMC Creative World at SM MegaMall) Cons: - Expensive for Lion Brand yarn - Bright fluorescent lighting in the store. I really dislike fluorescent lights. - CASH ONLY Word to the wise: STAY AWAY FROM THE WOODEN CROCHET HOOKS! I was unsure about which kind of crochet hooks to buy, so the ladies working at the store let me try the different kinds of hooks with the yarn I was already buying. The yarn kept catching on the wood crochet hooks due to tiny splinters. They've also got a local/cheaper alternative to the Susan Bates aluminum crochet hooks; the prices aren't too different, but there's a world of difference in the quality, so I went with the Susan Bates ones. P.S. If you're considering making scarves for everyone this Christmas, you might want to reconsider because of the significant impact it's going to have on your wallet ($20 per scarf).

I have a love-hate relationship with this Carolina's branch. Don't get me wrong. It's conveniently…read moreplaced in my turf (Ayala is my territory, don't argue). In recent times, they have been improving the shop, like adding more stocks and re-arranging the stuff for easier access. It's small, so a smarter way to organize the items should be in order from time to time. It's actually pretty convenient that in theory, it would take me an hour to drive there, buy what I need and get back to working on my dresses...given that the staff would actually accommodate me. I don't know if it was me being insensitive to the amount of work the staff here are doing but it takes like ten minutes to have your order cut for you. That's sort of frustrating time-wise because what if I just need a yard of one ribbon? It's been known in the fashion world that the service here has a little bit of attitude, but maybe they just need to hire more people. A lot of customers need service at the same time here after all. Overall though, its existence worked wonders in my life, especially when I have some emergency fashion supplies needs. I guess the saving factor in this branch is the occasional (and pretty much unannounced) super sale. They lay out two huge bins filled with older stocks that are still in good condition and you can buy them in bulk. That's actually how I ended up with a mini Carolina's of my own at my workshop!

Carolina's Lace Shoppe is the lazy, city-dwelling, crafty girl's solution to immediate fabric and…read morecraft needs. A lot of craft places require you to venture out to Divisoria, Recto, and Quiapo, and it's quite inconvenient if you're not located near those areas. Carolina's is like your craft convenience store. Yes, prices will be a bit higher, but saves you time, energy and transportation costs. They've got a good selection of fabric and clothes-making materials, so this is a good place to get stuff for those one-off projects, or if you're personally sourcing out fabric and materials if you're having custom clothes tailored. If you make accessories and jewelry, they have a good selection of beads, locks and chains. If you're looking for crochet threads and yarns, they've got a ton of colors to choose from as well. It's great how the existence of Carolina's in malls and other more accessible locations really inspire crafters and make it easier for them to keep on creating despite a grueling, 9-5 day job. Small conveniences such as these go a long way!

Nobody was willing to help. Either staff were busy with their task or chatting with other staff…read more Noone offers to help you find things. The cashier was not nice.

We stopped by here to look for books for my classes, but I didn't find anything that would be…read moreuseful. What I drooled over were their stock of stationery and pens. Omg their selection of pens is pretty incredible. There were several aisles of different kinds and colors of pens, markers and pencils imaginable. I was so tempted to buy pens 'cause they were so inexpensive, but then I saw the line and I didn't want to wait. It's Christmas time so it's a super busy time in the mall. This bookstore also had lots of toys on the ground floor, and art and school supplies on the 2nd floor.

My first and only time in Craft MNL was for Gail's Copperplate Workshop. The place is a little…read morehidden along Arnaiz Avenue. Parking is kind of difficult but commuting to the place is pretty easy. There's no elevator and it's in the third floor so better get some cardio ready. Gail's workshop was sold out! There were two tables and it was a little tight, but we all managed to do our calligraphy and learned a lot. Craft MNL also offers other craft classes like paper marbling, knitting, rubber stamp making, etc. so if I were you, I would check out their Instagram page to get some updates on the different classes that they have to offer!

A few weeks ago, one of my favorite textile stores from Cebu was doing a pop-up here in Manila. I…read moreImmediately planned to visit it, somewhere in Makati. I was really hoping to find a lot of cute finds for myself but found something better instead, Craft MNL. It's a creative space for people to come learn or share their crafts with others. They offer a lot of classes from knitting to silk-screen printing. The cost per class isn't to expensive considering they provide the materials and the schedules aren't too bad either (they consider working hours!). The workshop is also so creatively decorated, really conducive to bring out the artists in you! The people who work there (sorry forgot their names!) were super friendly and talked me into trying a few classes. They constantly update their workshops on their website so go check it out and learn something new today! I think they also offer private workshops, sounds like a good idea for a birthday or a corporate event!

Being a craftsy and artsy girl, it was but natural for me to fall into doing a little styling after…read moredoing events for almost ten years. One of the first online suppliers I ever bought anything from was Mansy Abesamis of Hey Kessy. At that time, she already has a website set-up, and it was one of the hardest purchases I had to make in a while. Nope, it wasn't her, nor her website. It was the pretty and adorable designs of her washi tapes that made it difficult for me to choose what I needed (or was it wanted?) to buy. Upon placing my order, I promptly got an email confirming my order and informing me of how to proceed with my purchase. In less than five days, the whole process was over and I got a little nifty package, sealed with a washi tape (of course) and it even came with a cute note. Will I buy again? Yes. Will I really NEED what I will buy? Maybe. Hahaha!

Arts and crafts, DIY, calligraphy... all these and more are getting more and more popular nowadays…read moreespecially to young teenage girls. Craft stores have started popping up, and one of which is Hey Kessy. Hey Kessy is an uber cute store that sells various products ranging from watercolor palettes and washi tape to brush pens and temporary tattoos. It's small, but noticeable from the outside because of all the window decors and the word "MAKE" that stands by the doorway. They had so many washi tape designs that I wanted to have for myself, but I had to fight the urge because I currently have a lot at home. Not as pretty as Hey Kessy's though! They also had ZIG brush pens which are, to me, the best brush pens you could buy. Okay, I confess, I'm not really great at handmade things. I dreaded Art and Home Ec class in Grade School! I'm more of a digital artist, but this handmade movement has got me hooked. They only have limited supplies of certain things though despite the variety. I hope they restock with more colors for the brush pens soon!

Embroidery and knitting may not be a very popular hobby nowadays. Even I, who enjoyed doing it in…read moreschool, cannot set aside time to create a cross stitch. But, for me, embroidered crafts remain a beautiful home décor. You can buy them framed in Dreamscapes so, even if you don't have time to make one, you can still have these beautiful handicrafts in your home. But, if you do get inspired to do embroidery, materials can also be bought at Dreamscapes. They have many spools of Anchor threads and needles of different sizes. They have cloths for cross stitching and even patterns which you can follow. They also sell other types of small handicrafts and decorative items. The last time I visited Dreamscapes I bought one of their hand-crafted cards made of dried leaves and twigs. The card was lovely. The positive reaction of the special person to whom I gave it was proof enough of its beauty.

very helpful!! quick service, good prices, so much to look at, extremely smooth process! salamat po!read more

This place is a costume and dress maker's wonderland because they have everything you can…read moreconcievable need to make that costume or dress work. Not only do they have fabrics of all types and colors, they have enough buttons, beads and sequins to dress all the religious statues in Manila. They have lace and trimmings, all sorts of yarn and thread and all sewing accessories. They have crochet needles and patterns, embroidery boards and patches. It comes in pretty handy when a trip to Divisoria is a little bit too difficult.

This is one shop I never not go to whenever I'm in Tabora, especially when I'm looking for…read moreembellishments that I need in bulk. Like when I did a gown of Elsa for a client before. That little sumb'ch needed more than a hundred snowflake-shaped sequins. If I bought them in Carolina's smaller packs, I probably would've spent around 500 pesos. But I actually saw a better version here from their wide selection of bulk sequins. One pack was just 85 pesos. Talk about huge savings. I also love the way the store's semi-complete. This is where I buy my fusing 'cause they have the usual thickness that I needed for gowns, among others. They too sell a lot of yarns and ribbons here, which I normally have zero use for, except for DIY cat toys.