Downtown Apex fascinates me. For a small town, there's an amazing array of retail stores and shops…read moreall focused on keeping the money stream in the community and away from the box retailers. Southern Home Crafts takes that idea to a different level. It's an entire store of locally made goods. There's nothing quite like a home-made item, whether it's a candle, soap, buttons, picture frame, serving tray, or children's clothes. Lacking the cold perfection of similar mass-market items, things here are unique. The soaps, made in Raleigh, had some interesting scent combinations. The mugs can be special ordered, as can the paperweights, but if you have a favorite picture of your pet, you can have a paperweight made modeled on your pet. There are ready-made gift baskets or empty baskets to create your own. There are business cards near each grouping, and notes to contact the person who created the item directly for any special orders. Although there's a decent selection of things here, it's not crowded or overdone. It's nicely done.

Wonderful place to get unique gifts. This is an outlet for local artists to sell their homemade…read moreitems. Perfect for Valentine's day, Mother's day or Christmas gifts.

I love doing the craft events. They are always so creative and fun! The store is extremely cozy and…read morewell decorated. I love all the unique items for book lovers and crafters. The prices are good for a local business. The service is always great! The owner is super sweet and definitely put her love into the store.

Super fun shop and crafting! Great for hanging out with friends and making new things.read more

Need a diploma framed and we have had good luck in the past at several different Michaels stores…read morewith others so naturally we returned to the closest store. The staff member, Steven, was very helpful on helping us figure out what we wanted and ordering it with an expected delivery of 2 weeks. Additionally, we got to pick up some Halloween decorations already for October. Overall, we had another great experience.

Good materials to be found within this store and the check out went by pretty quickly.read more

Our family was in town for a soccer tournament, and I was on the hunt for an artisan gallery. Snce…read morethis was my first visit to Raleigh, I wanted to take home something handmade from the area. I found the Cocoon Gallery on Yelp, which far exceeded my expectations. First, the historic town of Apwx, NC, is picturesque and charming. My only regret in stopping here is that we arrived after some of the other wonderful shops had closed for the evening. We will definitely be back! The Cocoon Gallery has a terrific selection of pottery, handbags, and jewelry, and the woman who helped us was friendly and welcoming. After debating over several gorgeous and affordable pieces, I ended up purchasing a long pair of dangling earrings made of brass and sterling. They are so prettt and lightweight, I cannot wait to wear them. I highly recommend that you visit the Cocoon Gallery, whether it's a special gift you need or a small indulgence for yourself. Just make sure you allow enough time to walk the street and visit the other shops too.

This store has so many unique gifts. The staff is very friendly and can answer questions on…read moreparticular items. I tried the "felting" craft and really loved it. The also had a in-store water color artists do a class that I signed up for and that was fun and I learned a lot! Highly recommend!

They are very helpful picking out colors and supplies. Suggest making a reservation. They have a…read morerotating selection of items to pick from.

My friend decided to switch things up for their birthday and skip the usual dinner plans for…read moresomething more interactive, so we went to Paint Your Pot. Such a fun and creative alternative! If you are trying to stay on budget, I definitely recommend going on a day when they offer discounted studio fees. We went on a Monday and only paid $2 for the studio fee, which was a great deal. I am not the most artistic person, but I had so much fun. It was the perfect way to celebrate and do something a little different. I would absolutely go again and tap into my very limited artistic ability lol. If you are thinking about going, I recommend making a reservation ahead of time.

I brought The Apex Gallery a piece of silk I'd painted while studying abroad in Japan - something…read moreI'd treasured for decades, but never quite known how to honor. The team helped me select a frame that beautifully complements the piece and used museum-grade glass that prevents any glare. The result is stunning! It's an investment - but worth every penny. The craftsmanship is exceptional, and the staff is so kind and knowledgeable. I highly recommend Bethany and Nick's downtown shop for anything you want to display with care.

I am mostly housebound right now with a new baby and had my mom drop off my older child's artwork…read moreand consulted them over the phone. They said they could repair the artwork, informed me that the media we used might cause some wrinkles in the work once framed. We were given pricing and sent an invoice though email with allowed me to complete the transaction at home. The repair is pictured below. I am kind of in awe of their work. They told us they would display the work in their window - my son keeps talking about it. He was surprised and delighted to see it and we can't wait to hang it up today. Thank you so much for such a great experience, service and product.

Under new ownership 2 years now and it's is the best date night, girls night, team building and…read morebirthday party location in the area. I have held all 4 there ! LOVE IT!

Many amazing items with much to choose from. Definitely…read moreworth it. Really nice staff overall 5 stars

This was honestly one of the most frustrating and horrible experiences I've ever had at a store. It…read morewas so bad that I still remember the names of the people working. Jason and Athena were some of the rudest, most unhelpful employees I've ever met. Actually, I shouldn't even call them employees because they were refusing to work. I'm sorry to write this review, but it really was that bad. We were having a baby shower the next day and I just needed a few balloons to mark where people should walk. We got there at 6:45pm, and the store didn't close until 9, so there was plenty of time. I picked out my balloons and went to the register for help. Athena first said she couldn't do it and told me to go to another line. Then Jason said he didn't do it, so I went back to her, and she again said she couldn't do it. Finally, Jason said, "Well, it's going to take us about an hour, so you probably should skip it." I only had 12 balloons. Not fancy ones, just the cheap regular ones. I asked why it would take so long, and he said they were short-staffed. Which, fine, I'd understand if there were other people waiting but there weren't. It was just us. I even offered to help tie the balloons myself, but he said no and kept repeating that it would take him an hour. He clearly didn't want to do any work. I told him I'd wait, and he sighed like I had just ruined his day and said "whatever." I paid for the balloons, but he never even started on them. I eventually just left with my unfilled balloons. Horrible experience. I'll be going to a different Michaels from now on.

Well, it's no Joann's, but I'm grateful to still have a craft store nearby. The employees are…read morefriendly and always say hi and ask if I need help. The store is well stocked and I've always found what I came for. As a seamstress, I wish the fabric selection was better. And as a knitter, I wish there were more non-acrylic yarn options and more fingering and DK weight yarns.

If you're looking for fun, pretty or just cute, paper for party invitations, or announcements for a…read moregraduation, a wedding or baby shower, or just want your own personalized stationery, journal, or stamp, Cute Buttons would be a good place to check out. If you aren't looking for paper supplies, but instead want some offbeat or whimsical gifts, then you might find it here. Some items are made by local arts-and-crafts creative people using ordinary items like bottle caps made into magnets or scrapbook pages made into picture frames. They even carry some soap and lotion made with honey from North Carolina hives. The t-shirts are funky and modern and not at all like you find in the mass retail shops. Overall, a nice local store to get a not-so-ordinary gift or create your own personalized stationery reflective of the real you.

Alice is there owner and helped me out tremendously getting cardstock and envelopes for my business.read more

Overall nice place to go on a date. Requires a lot of patience to paint tho. Pretty pricey but…read moreoverall good

Looking for a creative outlet, Color Me Mine may be your spot. I attended a "Ladies Beach Night"…read moreand it was loads of fun. Grab some girlfriends, snacks and drinks and head on over. I love that they have themed nights so check the calendar for themes and discounts. After you get settled, choose your pottery and get to painting. There's so many wonderful things to choose from, but they aren't cheap. The regular small bowls were $25. So prepare accordingly. The workers were friendly and extremely helpful. They will answer any questions and help you as you need it. After you paint, you'll have to wait a few days to pick up your masterpiece. Color Me Mine is a great way to get your creative fix on. So check it out.