Found this place from a tik tok video and am so glad I checked it out! I will note that the…read morelocation is still listed incorrectly here and on Google, as it has now moved to Moorland Road. This had everything you could possibly need for any type of paper craft. There was much more variety than what you could find at Michael's or Hobby Lobby. If you don't have a specific vision of what you're looking for going in, the selection can be overwhelming but I still found it fun to browse. They do have a $15 minimum if you want to use card, so be sure to bring cash if you're just planning to buy single sheets.

Local scrapbook/paper crafting stores are few and far between. I'm so happy that Creative Pals has…read moreweathered the storms! Very, very friendly and helpful staff. They have pretty much anything you could want, and are happy to demonstrate or answer questions on products. It's a beautiful store (even has a husband-waiting chair!!). And not just for paper crafting - they have an excellent selection of glue and adhesive, alone with a rainbow of ink options.

I love this place! It has to be my favorite gift shop all over Milwaukee because they have…read moreeverything I didn't think I was looking for! It made it easy for me To find gifts for my friends & coworkers. They have gifts like unique and eclectic stickers, candles, clothing, wallets, books, games, jewelry, ceramics, chocolate, coffee, tea, kitchen stuff, Kids stuff, and more! I'm a huge fan of their wide range of earring selection! Affordable and reasonable pricing. Staff was helpful and available if you had any questions. Ample street parking outside

Swoon is a great mix of nick backs, baby clothes, kids toys, jewelry, candles and more. It's a…read moregreat place to stop for a gift for friends or families. They have the cutest onesies for kids and the largest selection of fern and needle I've ever seen. They also have a few other candle brands as well. They also have some small local artists work sold here. Overall a really cool artsy nick nack store that has a huge range of inventory.

Wait all year for THIS holiday event with primo shopping experiences. Upscale quality small…read morebusiness products

Contrary to rumors that are totally unfounced, Marascos is NOT closing, they haven't been closed,…read moreand they don't plan on being closed. I don't know where the rumors came from but the clerks in the store think it may be a smear campaign against them. This craft store has craft supplies a fraction of the price of Michaels, half the cost of the items at JoAnn's, and is the best deal around for most of the items they carry. You can also get bulk supplies at a discount here. I can fid the selection I need, I can by most of what I'm looking for, and it's my one stop shopping for my crafting business for base materials. Feathers, beads, cording, plastic eyes, rhinestone glue....the prices cant' be beat. Oh, and whoever put this up online---it's Marascos Kraft King, not the way it's listed. They close on Sunday at 5pm, not 5:30.

I went into Craft King and needed help making a baby blanket. Elaine showed me the yarn I should…read moreuse and then she went out of her way to show me how to get started. I would recommend this store for anyone that does crafts of any kind. They have everything in their store that one would need and are just so pleasant and very helpful. THANK YOU for all your help!!!

Our first time painting pottery was so much fun! It was quite therapeutic and creatively…read morestimulating. The staff was great at guiding us through the process and checking on us. We were there for 5 hrs painting/celebrating our wedding anniversary and they let us step outside to grab coffee from Fiddleheads. A great way also to support small businesses in the area. Tip: Check out their monthly calendar because they have all kinds of special events. We went on the weekend in which they were open for business for 30+ hrs straight!

If you are looking to stretch your artistic wings , Just Kiln Time is a good place to do so…read more The staff is incredibly welcoming and knowledgeable. They will make sure you have all the instructions and supplies before you begin working on your piece. I usually select the paint your pottery option, over the mosaic tiling or glass work, also offered here. I do struggle tho with selection and pricing of the pieces they have available. The day we went, there was a lot of empty space on the shelves. The pieces that were left also seemed over priced for what they were. I wish they had more creative options, especially around the holidays.

This place was a safe space for someone close to me for over a year. When she initially arrived at…read morethis studio, she was eager to take classes and learn the art of pottery but was quickly told that classes weren't necessary for her, so she carried on, asking questions along the way to those around her willing to help. Just recently, a woman by the name of Sue approached her out of the blue and told her that she needed to pick up all of her things and leave and take classes if she wanted to come back. She was then left scavaging for all of her pieces and tools in front of all of the other artists in the studio at the time, leaving my friend mortified. She was later informed that she asked too many questions and so prompted Sue to kick her out. Because that clearly makes sense. In no situation is that kind of embarrassment ever acceptable and if this is the kind of practice that you guys are running, I want zero part of it. I hope you take a moment to reprioritize the humans who give you the money to keep your business running because if you carry on in this manner, that energy will come right back at you. Have a nice day :)

Returned for another session to paint, then a few weeks later to pick up the finished pieces (after…read morethey were fired). The final product is really solid and something I'm very happy with. The colors turned out quite a bit different than I'd hoped, but now I'm motivated to return to try again so I can better perfect my vision! It was extremely therapeutic doing this and Suzanne is a fantastic teacher. She's very patient and knowledgeable. I would definitely recommend this experience to anyone!

Local First Milwaukee is a great local business alliance comprised of both for profit and nonprofit…read morebusinesses in the Milwaukee area. There is a lot to love about the awesome things they do for the community, but the Buy Local Gift Fair has to be one of my favorites. The Fair has become so popular that they have outgrown their original home at the Lakefront Brewery Palm Garden. This was the first year is was held at the Mitchell Park Domes and it was laid out wonderfully. The issue with most Art/Craft/Other product fairs like this is that 6 foot tables are packed into a small room side by side in rows that allows for little movement of humans in between (sadly I just incurred one of these fairs yesterday). It's very hard to shop with people slamming into you, strollers rolling on your feet and the environment being too hot and too loud. So kudos to Buy Local for eliminating all those distractions and providing a serene and beautiful environment to enjoy this event in. I had never been to the Domes during the holidays so it was nice to taken in all the cheer between moments of shopping for local wares. So of my very favorite vendors where here (the list is in one of the photos below). And product highlights include: Becky's Blissful Caramels - The Dark Chocolate Sea Salt and Sangria caramels are stellar, but the Lakefront Brewery Beer and Pretzel Caramel is a game changer for sure. Indulgence Chocolates - So many great chocolates, but the seasonal Peppermint Chocolate Bar will rock your world. Jean's Clay Studio - Absolutely beautiful locally handcraft pottery from Potter Jean Wells! If you've seen the Collectivo Mug Collection each fall that's her work! Love Dust - Ethnic Spice Blends that create the fab flavors behind the Fast Foodie Food Truck Globaco line are now available for retail sale, and they are spectacular! Melthouse Bistro - Grilled Cheese is always appropriate and Melthouse makes some of the best. Milwaukee Empty Bowls - Furthering their mission and selling bowls and cookbooks from the annual fall event. #GiveMke Milwaukee Home - Embracing the spirit of the city in one awesome brand, gotta love it. Milwaukee Mustard Company - Small batch, locally prepared mustards that will have you rethinking your condiment game! Tomah Tang Cranberry, Bronzeville Buzz Honey Mustard (made with Walnut Way honey), Spicy Stout Beer Mustard (made with Milwaukee Brewing Company Polish Moon beer) and Whiskonsin Whiskey Mustard (made with Great Lakes Distillery KK Whiskey) are some of the most unique and delicious mustards you will encounter. Simmer Cafe - Scrumptious soups and sandwiches for the proprietors of the Simmer Truck and newly opened Simmer Cafe should not be missed when you have the opportunity. Tall Guy & a Grill Catering - Those meatballs. Hand rolled per the specifications in Grandma Betty's recipe. You will never look at meatballs the same after having these. And the housemade bloodies and mac and cheese bites will round out any great meal. Watch for their first retail product, Bourbon BBQ Sauce coming very, very soon! Treat Spiced Nuts - One of the most appropriately named companies EVER! Because these spiced and candied almonds and pecans are a huge treat to eat. And Milwaukee gets to claim them as their own! Top Note Tonics - A newer locally formulated concentrated syrup that will flavor or enhance any beverage it's mixed into. Add to seltzer water to create a tonic base, or do as many local bartenders and use drops for subtle, layered flavors. With over 50 fabulous local vendors and an enthusiastic crowd is was impossible to stop at each table and write about their amazingness. But to truly appreciate the love and dedication that goes into each and every small businesses product you should really check out these vendors for yourself. PSA - Links to all vendors and most awesome information can be found at the Local First website: http://localfirstmilwaukee.com/local-first-milwaukee/

Love coming to this event every year because I'm always able to find some great things to pick up…read morewhile also checking out the holiday display in the main Dome (gingerbread house theme this year!). Bought some sauces from Afro Fusion and got some delicious ranch pretzels. The vendors here overlap very little to some of the other holiday markets, which is why i look forward to going. Buy local!

Talk about a disappointing experience. I wanted to love this place so badly--it's beautiful both…read moreinside and out, and the owner seemed extremely nice when I met her in person, but their customer service left something to be desired after the fact, which I'll explain in a second. The concept for this business is awesome--Roost is in what appears to be an old renovated barn, with two floors of many artisanal goods. Each vendor has a little spot throughout the barn, with some of them in walled sections on the second floor, where they display their various items, and there is everything and anything among the selection--art prints, candles, coasters, clothing, games, dog toys, you name it. The place is a mecca for anything you might need gift-wise, and that part is great. The prices seemed to be a little steep, even for the area where Roost is located, but the homemade/small business aspect of them is enough to convince most people to take that leap. What isn't great about it is the level of service, or lack thereof, that I received. I first found out about this place because I drive past it every day on my way to work. I'd always see the parking lot at least half full, and I finally decided to stop in one day. I was very pleasantly surprised to find the big variety of items inside, and I made a decision to stop by in another few weeks when I had some birthdays coming up that I needed to buy presents for. Fast forward a few weeks, and I ended up grabbing over $150 worth of items off of the various shelves and racks--candles, bath bombs, small pieces of jewelry, and an art print. As the cashier, who identified herself as the owner to me, rang up my purchases, she asked if I wanted the more breakable items wrapped up in plastic wrap before they were placed in the bag. I thought that was awesome, and I said yes. Many of the pieces were made of either glass or ceramics, so I figured that would be the best course of action to get everything home okay. The piece I was most excited for was a small metallic cat-shaped jewelry dish, as I was going to use it as a birthday present along with earrings, and it was a little pricier than some of the other items. When I got home, I took everything out of the bags and unwrapped them, making sure I had all of the items, and my heart sank when I realized I was missing the jewelry dish. With my receipt in hand, I called Roost hoping to hear it was still there, waiting for me to pick it up, but got no response. No worry, I figured, I'll call back another time and leave a message. I waited another few hours and, after the phone wasn't answered again (something that I didn't find that unreasonable seeing as the owner looked to be alone that day), I left a message with my name, number, and what was missing. Fast forward three days, and I never got a phone call back. After calling one more time and still not getting anyone to answer the phone (at which point I started to wonder if the number was even correct despite it being listed on both Google and their Facebook page), I reached out to the owner via their Facebook page, which is very active--the owner posts on it almost every day from what I've seen, so I know it's looked at. In the message, I explained what happened, listing what I didn't have and the cost and said I could provide a receipt for it. I wait a few hours again and don't hear anything back, which I find strange. I go to see if the message was seen by the owner, and it has a read receipt on it, but she never responded. To this day, which is now 4 months later, she has still not responded, and I doubt I'll ever get that dish back. She charged me for an item I never got, and she chose to not follow back up with me when I reached out asking for the item or a refund. Even with a receipt, I couldn't get a response out of her. I never bothered going into the store to try to get an answer that way, as I didn't feel it was worth my time. When an owner sees and hears messages like that from a customer and doesn't take the time of day to even respond to them, it says a lot about what they think of the people they're selling items to. I, unfortunately, will never go to Roost again unless it's sold to new management one day, and I'd highly recommend that anyone who does go double checks their bag or bags before they leave the parking lot.

Absolutely amazing place to find gifts for all occasions. Very nice home decor and unique finds…read more Highly recommend a visit. Take your gal pals or even having a date day with the hubby. All of the stores are a great place to shop!

Love this place and it's so much fun! We went on a Sunday afternoon and it was pretty crowded and I…read morethink there was a party in the back. We walked in and we waited around for maybe 10 minutes before we were helped. Staff was friendly and it's a great activity for when it's raining out or if you're feeling crafty. They have tons of options to choose from and you pick up your piece a few days later.

Very nice pottery painting studio, lots of variety of pieces and paints. Went on a Sunday and staff…read moresaid pick up ready by Friday. Staff were super helpful and friendly!

Wonderful, busy shop with very helpful worker. Comfy seats for anyone accompanying a knitter. Jazz…read moreplaying softly in the background. Good selection of yarn and knitting accessories. Sociologically speaking, knitting people are a subculture, one that places a high value on sharing, being supportive, helpful, patient, and respectful, especially to new knitters. The workers are especially attentive to customers who want to repair or replicate something a grandmother knit. Pretty divergent from contemporary mainstream American society. I just wish they served espresso.

Clean store with a good variety of yarn. I was greeted and told if I had questions to ask. The yarn…read moreis on the more expensive side and I say this only by comparison to other stores. I would say if you have a specific project or want to purchase a gift to stop in, and they will help you with the selections; however, I just stopped in and looked around and this is what I selected. I really love the colors! The items were around $60 so you can judge for yourself. I am unsure if there are Wisconsinites who make yarn varieties but I think a wall of local yarn would be a great addition to the store.