All craft roads lead to Playtime--an unassuming yet remarkable arts and crafts supply store in…read moreArlington Center. As a gifter, I don't fully understand how I didn't know about this place before, but I'm so glad I do now. I went for a family project recently when closer craft shops didn't have what we needed. There's an abundance of arts and crafts supplies here, housed in two interconnected basement rooms, along with an impressive paper and picture frame selection (among other items) on the first floor. The atmosphere is one of a kind--more like an arts-and-crafts boutique curated by the owner, with items you won't easily find together elsewhere. Because of the sheer breadth, some categories (like fabrics, for example) have a smaller variety, which is just an observation, not a critique. Ribbons are unrivaled. If you don't have time to wander, ask--the best part of our experience was the owner, Carol, and the staff (thank you, Lilly). They are wonderfully kind, patient, and creative, offering thoughtful, gentle advice for your projects and genuinely care about their customers. Tip: There's a parking lot in the back or bus 87 drops you off right in front, literally. Highly recommended local business.

How in the WORLD have I lived in Boston, Brookline, and Cambridge for decades and not known about…read morethis place. A friend recommended coming here w/ my mom to look for yarn for her knitting projects and my friend prefaced that this place was the BEST for any type of arts, crafts, decor, etc. Well, WOW!! And funny enough, my mom used to go to this store when she was a little girl in the late 50s-60s to get Nancy Drew books. She said it was EXACTLY how she remembered as a kid. I was awe struck by everything this store had. I will definitely be making this place a regular stop for gifts for people and for fun. Forget going to places like Michaels. Come to this local, family-owned business which I guarantee will have whatever you are looking for. It's an incredible place.

A few years ago, the shop had a live on-line sale, but it was open for in-person customers. I'd…read morebeen buying yarn from the shop for years, including under previous owners. On that day, I decided to go to the shop to see what yarns were on sale. Very quickly, I found two kinds of yarn I wanted to buy.While the owner was trying to sell on line, I said that I wanted to pay for the yarn. She became angry that I was bothering her during the on-line sale. She did take the payment for the yarn, but what she didn't know was that she'd just lost one of the regular customers. I never went back and do not intend to. With that business sense, I don't even know if she's still there. I wouldn't be surprised if she hadn't survived.

Walked into the store and was immediately welcomed. The gathering of women encouraged me to join…read morethem. The wide selections of products will make it a challenge to decide on my first project.

If you like to tinker, make art, build, create or imagine, this is the place to go…read more If you need beautiful stuff, this is the place to go. If you believe in recycling, reusing, repurposing and reimagining, this is the place to go. If you are looking for support and inspiration with a project, this is the place to go.

This place is AMAZING!!! I have found countless cool items here for my crafts! If you need…read moreinspiration or supplies, this is the place to go!!!!

Kirsten has been at the Clay School for many years now. She is patient, knowledgeable & alway…read morehelpful. This program is a must for anyone who loves pottery / clay work. 5+ stars for the Clay School.

The studio is quite large and there's lots of wheels/equipment for a big group. (Ours was 14.)…read more Kirsten is a born teacher--patient, funny, impossible to irritate, and truly caring about our learning and our ultimate beginner's creations. She refused our offer of a tip. Cannot recommend highly enough. We wish her the best with her business!

Still have what I need every time Ty . Friendly csr prices have gone a bit over my budget but still…read morefun to walk through

Total chaos. Understaffed. They are behind in everything, including frame jobs that were due a week…read moreago. They do not answer the phone. You cannot even stay on and hope someone answers, as recording says that specific Michaels is not available. All the employees seem to have only been there a week or two. I could not find anyone to answer a simple question about return policy. Steer clear.

I did an online pick-up order this morning for 3 identical items for Easter, and while I was not…read morethrilled about having to go to Cambridge my usual store (Newton) was sold-out. It was raining, it is the week of Passover and Easter and the parking lot was a mess. I ran in, grabbed my order and thought "what a cute red bag they put it in" and ran out. My mistake was not checking to see what was actually in the bag..... Not the colors I ordered and no, I did not say that substituting the items was OK (because it wouldn't have been). Complete waste of time since I now need to return them and feel like a weirdo returning Easter stuff AFTER the holiday when I have time (and will not be returning to Cambridge). I always use pick-up and have never had a problem, lesson learned! Thanks for wasting my time (and $3.98 gallon gas)!

Large double room space with PLENTY of inventory. We usually stop into Michael's obviously for our…read morecraft supplies. For me I look for painting canvases, paint markers, acrylic paints and brush kits. They literally have everything and new sales and deals weekly. Ample parking in the lot...FREE!

Can you marry a store? Because if you could, I would marry this place! This boutique/home goods…read morestore is relatively new and I've been interested to see what is inside. I drive by all the time and have never had a chance to do so until today. I finally had the good fortune to do so as my daughter and a handful of her Girl Scouts troop had a socially distant crafting class this afternoon. My original intention was to just drop my daughter off and leave since they were trying to limit attendance, but all of the lovely hand-crafted products drew me in. Even my 5-year old son was intrigued by all of the sparkle and unique handiwork. From custom-built furniture to paintings to ceramics to holiday decorations, there was so much to see and love. Despite my husband's warning not to add any more items to our holiday collection, my kids and I could not resist picking up a few items to decorate the house. It was hard to just choose one item each! In this time of the pandemic, we needed something to cheer us up though! The prices of all of the items were so reasonable, which is not always the case in stores like this. And even when my daughter, who has expensive taste (!), chose one of the pricier ornaments in the place, Erica was kind to confirm that it was okay with me first. When my young son wanted to buy just one of three adorable felted holiday mice that were sold in a set, Erica said it was okay, which made my son so ecstatic! He has been walking around the house with the mouse since we came back from the store! I had the chance to chat at length with both of the owners - Richie and Erica - and they were both so sweet and friendly. They are both retired from their previous careers, and it is clear that they have invested much time and care to this new livelihood. They even treated my two young children so well! Usually, places with such fragile items are hesitant to have children peruse the displays, but neither of them minded my kids carefully looking through all of the ornaments and fun goodies! In fact, as we left, Richie presented both of my kids with a kind and unexpected surprise - some magic reindeer food! That was totally unnecessary, but my kids were so touched by the gesture. Again, in this times of COVID, the kind gesture brought a tear to my eye. My daughter has not had much social contact recently due to the pandemic so she was hesitant to venture out for this event. She and I were so glad that she ended up going because she had a blast and we discovered this gem! When we left, Richie told us to come back again and both of my kids said they wanted to come back everyday and as soon as tomorrow. If that doesn't speak for itself, I don't know what will. Erica is an amazing artist and I cannot wait to come back myself someday to shop more without my kids in tow and to participate in an adult crafting class. Erica and Richie, welcome to Stoneham and I hope your store is around to stay for a long time! Thanks for treating a first time customer with such hospitality and friendliness!

Top notch equipment and staff is very friendly. Location - 72 Mirona Rd UNIT 15, Portsmouth, NH…read more03801.

Merristitches is my happy place!! Always a fun class, beautiful fabrics and amazing sewing…read moremachines!!