An artist's playground in the middle of the city. The selection is huge across two floors. I…read moreespecially love perusing the pens, pastels and pencils. I recommend stopping by even if you don't have a project in mind. Dillydally a little.

Nico and CeLyn did a great helping me find the what I needed. They were very friendly and because…read moreof their attitude, I will return.

This location isn't quite as big as the one in Evanston but usually does the job. The parking is…read moreeasier than evanston as they have their own lot. The staff is always helpful and I'm always greeted by at least two people soon after walking in. I also appreciate that they automatically price match to their website. They have a good selection of art supplies and activities just for kids. I also really love their blick line of paper. They have a great selection of large drawing/mixed media pads.

Every time I go in to this location the staff is so friendly and helpful. Even when they don't have…read morewhat I need specifically they do their best to find solutions and alternatives. Love that they have fabric now!

I brought my 5 year old son here for the Paw Patrol play event. Overall, I would say it was a…read morepositive experience. When we entered the store, the staff greeted us and checked our tickets. We were booked for 10 AM on a Sunday and were the only ones in our group. Inside the play area, there are five stations for five of the pups, plus the "lookout" area. Marshall does not have a station, just as an FYI. Rocky's station was partially broken when we visited, but ultimately my son still had a good time. There were 3 slides, a magnatile/block area, a recycling game where you toss recycling into different baskets, an obstacle course, and a go-kart area. Most areas skewed a bit young - more like 3-5. The go-karts were a huge hit with my 5 year old, though I imagine this would be a hard activity if you went at a busy time. The whole thing was just an open play session. You can get stamps for completing each of the "missions" (really just playing at the different stations), but largely your kid can be left to their own devices. Staff were mostly nice. Some were a bit aggressively trying to joke with my son and couldn't quite pickup that he was NOT into it. I had to just escort him away. For the most part, however, everyone was very helpful and welcoming. The toy store itself offers a decent selection of toys, and they have lots of things out to play with. There is also an area to create your own slime and various crafts you can do as well (for an extra charge). The Paw Patrol area is $35 per ticket (adults must purchase a ticket as well) plus a $7 fee when purchasing online. This felt a little steep for a one hour open play session, but my kid had a great time. I'd say for a special outing it was worth it, but I don't know that it offers enough to warrant repeated visits.

I brought my son with my husband a couple of times already and we really enjoyed it. Actually, my…read moreson enjoyed it, but I enjoyed it as well since my son was entertained and happy doing lots of little activities for the kids to do check them out. They run some deals once in a while when you sign up for their newsletter. They also have free parking. Winning.

This place is awesome with a money back guarantee. Talented, friendly and provocative proporierers…read more You have got to visit next time you are on Wells.

From the owner: Transactional relationships, existential experiences, requests, and shitty art. $5…read more We’ll let you color your own art for $6, and even buy that art from you for $1. And then we’ll sell it. For $5. Hours are ish. No obligation. No change given, change comes from within. Now available: the bucket, the wheel, mask things, shitty tarot, a pretty solid cootie catcher fortune teller, guest work, and name tags.

This place is crazy unique. One of the best fun/funny gifts stores anywhere. High quality stuff,…read morebeautifully curated, great interesting and hilarious. And if Dame Joan Cusak is there, you will have a quintessential Chicago experience. 10/10, would recommend!

Super neat shop! We loved the greeting cards, art books, pins, Chicago postcards, and especially…read moreloved the more unique objects for sale, like the NASA-patched toddler bomber jacket and wooden tree swings! Staff was super friendly and helpful. Everything was displayed beautifully. Very tidy and organized. I bought a funny greeting card and it was packaged up in a cute paper popcorn bag! A lovely touch.

Our first class at Pottery Studio 1 was so much fun! Mar was an amazing instructor, and Alex was…read moreincredibly helpful throughout the class. They shared great techniques, creative decorating ideas, and clearly explained the firing process and pickup instructions. The class size was perfect, giving everyone plenty of individual attention while creating a fun, welcoming atmosphere. We had a great time and are already looking forward to coming back for another class. Highly recommend!

My friend and I were really excited to attend our first ever pottery class. Upon entering we were…read moregreeted by the teachers and they explained the whole process to us. The studio is a bit small but and enough space for you to roam about and do your thing. The first step was to handle the clay then they thought us how to handle the wheel and then we got to choose if we wanted a vase, a cup or a bowl. We were in a small group of 6 due to which the teachers could explain and help us well. We ended up upgrading our class to include paint as well as we got to know that without the paint we won't be able to use the things we made of it involves water. My friend made a cute cup and I made a not so cute vase. I would definitely say that but the end of the class, we were rushing a bit and would have appreciated some help and tips from the teachers but we didn't get any. We had to constantly ask about things and where the brushes were and where the paints were. Since it was our first ever class, we would have appreciated a bit more help from the teachers in managing our time and helpful tips on how to glaze correctly instead of having to ask everything ourselves when we are already rushing. Regardless, we had a lot of fun and can't wait to pick up our pieces soon!

I adore this spot…read more The only thing that could make this place better would be more fabulous things for me to buy. Although I'm pretty sure my husband would disagree. The staff is so kind and helpful. I do wish they had a bathroom. But really. It's okay. Cuz my guys just went to Starbies and brought me back a drink. I also wish they had a lot for parking. I don't care... they still get five stars from me.

Paper Source is a good place to find nice, thick wrapping paper, stationery, cards, and all the…read morethings you need for gift giving purposes (you might even find the gift itself here). I'd been to the ones on Southport and on Wells but it was interesting to see the difference in merchandise here. It makes sense--this location seemed to have more office-type merchandise, and for a location in the Loop what better place to sell office supplies? Heck, I even had to stop myself from buying some of the cute office stuff they have here, and I only work two days per week in the office and still don't have my office space fully set up at home. If you need a last-minute card, even if it's beyond the standard congratulations or birthday, this is a great place to stop. And it's directly across the street from the Clark postal station, so may as well get it in the mail immediately before you forget! They had several board games. I'm a board gamer but usually don't play the ones that get mass market attention, and I saw some more niche ones like Steam Up which was truly surprising. I'm not sure who's coming here to buy them but I am totally in favor of stores supporting small publishers. I also saw journals, notepads, coffee cups, and so on. There's no parking here given its location in the loop. Train, bus, and/or foot will be your options.

Honestly have never thought to leave a bad review ever at an establishment but the man at the front…read moredesk was so beyond rude to me when I was picking up my pottery and others checking in in front of me received the same treatment.This is the second time this has happened to me at this establishment and it's a shame such a creative place has such rude staff. Consider going to Color Me Mine instead because it's a similar concept.

Came for sip and paint! The selection of what to paint was pretty good. I picked the cactus which…read morewas $16 and then there's the $8 painting fee. All the other items seemed more than $16. Their color selection was kinda limited and you have to do 3 layers of each color or else it comes out splotchy. You come back 7-30 days after to pick it up and my pickup was smooth! (I'll upload and after pic later)

100% recommend Yarnify! I visited while on a work trip. Yarnify offered an incredible variety of…read moreyarn from hand spun to value acrylic. They also offered reasonably priced hooks and needles, allowing me to complete a whole project on the flight home with some GORGEOUS yarn I could not pass up. The storefront is in a complex that requires you to buzz in. Don't be thrown off! There is great signage and the staff is ready to welcome you.

This is such a cute store, tucked away in downtown Chicago. It was a little confusing at first…read moretrying to find the store entrance, since you have to be buzzed in. I was visiting and was looking for a yard that would match my current project, and they were so helpful! I was able to find what I needed and found some additional yarn for a future project. They had a large variety of options, and the prices were reasonable. I look forward to visiting it the next time I am in the area.

I haven't had a bad experience in this store. While the staff has changed a lot since they opened,…read moreI have found them for at least the past 2 years to be very helpful and welcoming. I was looking for something very specific a couple of months ago and the associate took the time to track it down for me. The store is also really well organized. I appreciate how clean it is as well. Love this location.

Definitely one of the more organized craft stores I've been to! And really friendly staff that…read moregenuinely want to help- a rare find in the city. Some stuff, like command strips, have a heavy markup compared to something like Target, but you can't beat Michael's for fun seasonal decor.