There’s always a time to get insanely creative with the best Toronto arts & crafts stores and workshops. These hubs rock our world all year long.
The Make Den
If altering exciting “finds” at Value Village has so far been your claim to fashion design fame, step it up a notch by checking out The Make Den. Always wanted a Dior Homme circa Hedi Slimane jacket? Design it yourself! Tailored jackets, moccasins, quilts, screen-printing, sweater mittens… the list goes on of things you can learn to make at The Make Den.
Aboveground Arts Supplies
If you have student ID, the already incredibly competitive prices at Aboveground Arts Supplies are even cheaper. Feel like getting into sculpture? No problem. There’s a sculpture section. The shop even has its own line of brushes and sketch pads, and sells all the artist essentials like paints, drawing supplies and canvases. There are three locations, including one in the Junction and one on Queen East. But you’ve got to hit up the flagship shop on McCaul Street near OCAD, which has a total of 8,000 square feet over 3 floors.
The Knit Cafe
We know, we know. We’ve been saying we were going to pick up knitting since, like, 2006 when Cameron Diaz was doing it on film sets in the pre-hipster obsessive knitting era. Fortunately, The Knit Cafe on Queen West speaks to our insecurities by offering two introductory classes: Beginner and Absolute Beginner.
You can learn anything from knitting, crocheting and rug hooking to needlepoint, felting and spinning here. Plus, they’ve got the killer supplies for that Marc Jacobs sweater we have faith you can emulate. We’ll see you in Absolute Beginners class.
Gwartzman’s
If the art world ever gets its own version of Project Runway, Gwartzman’s could easily be its Mood. Located outside of Chinatown, Gwartzman’s has rolls and rolls of canvases and art supplies. From paints to sketch books, jam-packed into the shop. A family establishment for almost half a century, this shop is a Toronto institution, and you’ll feel artistic just being there… even if you only buy a Sharpie.