Having lived overseas for six years, the one thing I totally missed when I was away from home was…read moreChristmas. Yes, the C word. I missed everything about the season - the snow (when I was in the desert), the lights, the music, the decorations.... It is getting chilly here in the capital and my heart is longing for the Christmas season. I happened to be wandering along Wellington and discovered Ravensara! Okay, it is not a 100% a Christmas store - but the sight of all those seasonal knick knacks in the window made my heart flutter. Now, if you are not in the mood for St. Nick, Ravensara also features amazing arts and crafts like jewelry and pottery. If you are looking for the perfect gift, you might want to give Ravensara a look.

Fabrications is a wonderful resource for Ottawa craft people. They carry a curated set of tools…read moreand supplies for several interest sets. Their small but mighty fabric selection is gorgeous. Inventory is well displayed Prices are perhaps a bit on the higher end however this may be a "you get what you pay for" scenario, so pay more for better products.

I LOVE this shop! The selection of whimsical fabric is irresistible. Truly. I spent way more than I…read moreshould have, and can't wait to go back once a develop a solid justification for buying more!

Last minute t- shirt order. Fun, eclectic and vibrant shop.. Pleasant young blonde staff member…read morethere working alone on a Friday night. I wish I had caught her name. She handled a store full of customers seamlessly and also made the t- shirt I ordered before closing! Thank you!!! Great store concept for downtown Ottawa.

Bang On is a shop that I would have loved about four years ago, but I'm getting a bit tired of this…read more70s-90s ironic nostalgia, especially the inauthentic kind. For $30 you can get a shirt pounded with your choice of design. You can choose between logos from Nintendo, children's programming, rock icons, porn covers, etc. You can also put transfers on trucker hats, dresses or jackets. If I was ever going to wear something like this again, I'd prefer to find it in a vintage store. It's snobby to think the real deal makes a difference, but there's something phony about basically mass-producing these shirts with logos and making people think they're unique because they can choose which American Apparelesque garment they put a sticker on. I just don't think the price is worth it, especially if it's just a gag gift. They also have some 80s and 90s sunglasses.

Well, isn't this place just awesome! They've been here for... only forever! I've been shopping…read moreherefor over 15 years. One of my favourite items from this store are their little cookie presses, which are made by local artists, and offered in many, many different designs. They even come with an easy and tasty butter cookie recipe in English or French. I've got dozens of them - they're great, and only $2.50 a piece. I make these cookies all year, using different themed presses, depending on which holiday is coming up. Read: RECOMMEND. The store looks deceivingly small from the street, but it's a deeper store than it looks from outside. They sell arts and crafts made locally, some Indian art, and touristy types of things - the perfect gift for visitors to this fair city, and for the locals. They have offered colourful silk scarves, Dream Catchers, slippers, mitts, hats, paper gifts, wood carvings, and much much more. The place is eye candy! Ok, go shopping now, and then go bake! :-)

From the owner: Inuit art and Native Canadian art has been our passion since 1963. Family owned and operated, The…read moreSnow Goose Ltd has a well established reputation for excellence and authenticity in the presentation of Canadian and First Nations Arts and Crafts from the East coast to the West coast and across Northern Canada.

I actually love this place. Im a spiritual person, and I love Indigenous artifacts etc. I went into…read morethis store by surprise and I really like the store :) The store has a wide array of artifacts, some a little weird and some very cool. I bought a journal that has its cover made of leaves and a stick. It has a vintage feel, and im going to use this journal and make it into a scrapbook of my adventure. After visiting the other stores in Bymarket Square, I decided to come back to this store again. :) Well worth the visit! Btw the Asian woman at the cashier is very friendly and informative of the products there.

Laras is a cool place just to look at from the outside, so simply imagine what you will find on the…read moreinside. In the window stands a wooden giraffe and other figures, all painted incredibly well. It's a welcoming scene. As you walk in the small, yet cozy shop you will find all sorts of arts and crafts, and some clothing to boot. Incense burns and helps create a nice, soothing atmosphere to walk around in. The store has an exotic feel to it. Masks decorate the walls and the wooden figures range form small little things that will fit in your hands to much bigger, more significant pieces. It isn't a huge store, so stock is limited, but what they do carry is fairly unique for the Ottawa area.

The Village Quire is a cute little gift shop, specializing in greeting cards…read more They have lots of unique designs and cards for all occasions. Lots of funny and unique cards. Service was friendly. If you like giving greetings cards, I'd definitely recommend the Village Quire for your greeting card needs. Street parking only.

My friend was showing me around Westboro on a hot, sunny, humid day. We needed some relief. I saw…read moreThe Village Quire and wanted to take a look. We got relief and retail therapy in one shot! I love a good greeting card store. This one has the best selection of cards for any occasion. I got one for my friend saying, "Happy birthday to my favourite vegan friend." I can't wait to give this card to her next year. Yep, I plan that far in advance. The punny cards were hysterical. We were laughing so hard in a fairly quiet store. Luckily, we weren't kicked out. Excellent cards! I also liked the stationery and writing instruments. This store carries Lamy fountain pens, which I hadn't seen in ages. I also loved these huge puffy stickers. My laptop has no room for large stickers these days. If it did, I would have bought one in a heartbeat. I also liked the pencil sharpener that had three different pencil sizes to use. Fancy! If you are looking for a gift for someone, this store had a bunch of cool suggestions. Everything from Sun Jellies totes, to candles and drinkware can be found here. There were even astronaut-themed erasers and candles. So cool! I went to pay for my card. The woman indicated that there was a sticker on the back of the card that may be an issue. Maybe I'm so used to taking off stickers from any surface that I did it at the store without any hesitation. Done! I paid for my card with a debit card. The transaction was smooth. I got my card with an envelope in a small paper bag. The woman at this store was friendly and cared about the quality of her items that customers were about to possess. It was a wonderful find. I'd love to go back when I'm in the neighbourhood again. Cards and perhaps a new fountain pen await. (283)

I was excited to get my frames. I accepted the work that was done. I now realise it was sub par. I…read morewould avoid this business. They do not deliver.

This place is great, in 2022. For those that have been in the United States, it has more than Hobby…read moreLobby, Michaels and JOANN. For my Canadians, in this store, I found excessive gouache, which is hard to find, the staff were nice and always helpful and they even have a gallery. It should be the #1 arts and crafts store here in Ottawa.

If you like knitting, then this is the store for you! I have peeked in several times on my way to…read moreand from work at the studio next door. I have a friend who swears by this store and is always coming here to get supplies for her knitting. Wool N' Things carries great patterns and I always envy the sweaters that I see in the pictures! I am not a knitter myself, but do come from a family that knits and can appreciate the work that would go into some of these patterns. One thing that I might consider at Wool N' Things is one of their courses! They can teach you how to knit or crochet accessories and clothes in one of their onsite classrooms. You have to buy materials at the store, but they help you select the right wool and teach you how to read the pattern as well. They also have a group the "Knit Cafe" that meets a couple of times a week to work together. A friendly place with service offered in both English and French.

From the owner: Wool & Things specializes in high quality unique yarns from Rowan, Debbie Bliss, Sirdar, Louet,…read moreSMC, Lopi, James Brett, Americo, Madeline Tosh, and many more. We carry a great assortment of knitting, crochet and cross-stitch patterns. We feature a large variety of knitting and crochet accessories.