The Makery

I have been there today, the store was closed and half of the shelves were empty. Looks like it won’t be open any more… Which is really frustrating as I have an unspent gift card there.
I also tried to visit the store this Sunday, it was 3pm when I came to the door. I saw two postings: one said that the store is open till 4pm (which complies with the working hours on the website) and another said «Closed»! Again, it was 3pm. Very frustrating as I had to drive 20min one way with a small kid. Would be great to see any explanation on the doors or at least a notice on the website.

I grew up going to craft stores and fabric stores with my mom. Many of the independent stores that were around when I was a kid have closed, so I was excited when I saw The Makery coming to town.
But from the start, this place has disappointed. They’ve prioritized aesthetics over substance – displays are nice, but there’s never been much to *buy*. Just very little inventory. Mostly pre-​assembled starter kits that might make a good gift for kids, and pre-​finished items for hosting a Pinterest-​worthy party without the DIY work. (Ironic.)
But they have very few raw materials for actually *making* things from scratch. (More ironic.) Very few books or patterns. A fabric selection so small that even if you could find the color you were looking for, you might only have one or two prints to chose from. None of the supplies or tools one needs when expanding one’s skills. It’s like the owners don’t have any conception of what kind of inventory crafters and «makers» expect from a craft store. Whatever your craft is, you’ll find a better selection of supplies, at lower prices, at other local art or fabric stores.
The studio looked promising, but the classes were expensive compared to others in the area, and it seems they eventually stopped offering them. Now they just offer simplistic, pre-​canned «projects».
I wasn’t surprised when they downsized and took on a partner in their space (The Botanist from down the street). Even with its faults, I used to like to take a walk-​through when my significant other and I were nearby getting coffee or a meal, hoping to see a change for the better. But lately, my s.o. has been saying, «What’s the point? It’s always the same.» Yep. (Sigh.)

This recently became my favorite craft store. The staff is very approachable, friendly and has always been extremely helpful. The people here makes you feel not just like a customer but a friend as well =)
As for the selection the store has to offer… I can’t really think of another store like The Makery. The layout of the store is any creative persons dream. There is so much space and tools at your disposal. Even just browsing through the store is a lot of fun. If you’re in need of a last minute gift, decorating for a party, or just need some kind of creative inspiration, I’d recommend stopping by The Makery. If you’re lucky you’ll stop by on a day Noor is working, she’s really awesome.

STORE REVIEW:
It’s nice to find a boutiquey art supplies store in the South Bay. I’m not super artsy fartsy by any means, but I do appreciate art, being creative, and attempting to do something Pinteresty/​Etsy-​y. I stumbled upon The Makery a couple years ago when they had the whole store and it was beautifully curated with art supplies and the works. Today, the store is divided into the art supply section (The Makery) and the gardening section (The Botanist). I think it’s neat to have two stores in one, but they are sacrificing inventory.
PROs: beautifully curated space; ample street parking; nice staff
CONs: expensive.
CRAFT NIGHT REVIEW (WOODBURNING):
One thing I’ve always admired about the Makery is their studio workshop in the back. I’ve heard about their craft events and have been wanting to do one for so long. I actually did sign up for a craft event back in July 2014, but it got cancelled last minute. Flash forward to today, and I FINALLY got to attend a craft night (woodburning!)
PROs: really affordable DIY crafting events. Some of the cheapest I’ve seen in all of the Bay! Their woodburning class cost $ 20!
CONs:
— pretty hard to know what crafting event is coming up. I recently started following them on Instragram (
) and was notified about their recent events, but if you’re not following them or on their email list, you’re basically left in the dark. The website doesn’t look like it’s been updated in a quite some time…
— lack of instructions and tutorials for the woodburning class. It was more of a «jump right to it» and «learn as you go». Would’ve been nice to be taught a few techniques.
Overall my experience was more a 3.5. I like this place and I’d come back again for another workshop. I just hope they work out their kinks and advertise their events more publicly and add classes more frequently.

I’m a big time crafter-​but I don’t understand this place at all. You walk in and no one acknowledges you. You say there are classes, really when? How do you find out about them? Nothing listed anywhere-​no one talks to you about them. No one talks to you at all. You walk around because the displays are gorgeous. An orchid is $ 35.00 ($ 15.00 at Safeway for the same thing) A Glass dome, to put over the orchid-​$ 60.00 ($ 20 at Michaels) help in putting the dome over the orchid non existent. Excuse me, sorry to bother you-​may I use the restroom please-​No, there is one over on Main St. you can go there. So sad !!

great, unique craft items but i agree that the customer service has gone down hill since the change in owners. i wish they would bring all of the art classes back because i feel like they used to offer some really amazing, hip classes with good quality instructors.

This is such a fun shop to browse!
I have had several custom orders made here for parties, and the staff has always worked extra hard to make everything just perfect!
When an item I needed wasn’t in stock, the shopkeeper offered me a sample for free to use until the item was restocked. Above and beyond customer service!
I always find unique greeting cards, and out of the ordinary beautiful objects in this gem of a shop.

It saddens me that I’m writing this review. I was the first customer for The Makery when it opened a few years ago and have been to most events including painting & calligraphy classes, and sip shop & make nights. I loved the selection and most importantly, the creative people that worked here.
It’s no secret that almost the entire staff was let go about a year ago. I was hopeful that the stores could recover, but I was wrong. I’ve been back twice since this and really all that remains is the name. No customer service, no attention to detail with new products and lots of unfolded merchandise scattered around. Part of the problem is that The Botanist is now squeezed in the same shop, but they were out of a lot of items — not sure when they’re restocking anything. I’m not sure what you can make if there’s not much to purchase.
The last two times I’ve been here, nobody has greeted me. Both times, the cashier was talking with a friend with no acknowledgment of customers. It wasn’t just me this last time — another customer walked in and also got the cold shoulder and left without purchasing anything. The whole time I was here today, the cashier was on the phone and didn’t acknowledge me at all as I purchased the items. She didn’t speak to me or look at all as she took my credit card or handed the items back.
I have no idea why someone would get rid of the heart and soul of this place by letting the creative founders go, but The Makery & The Botanist have both lost my business due to a dwindling stock, and a serious lack of customer service.

I loved this store when it first opened, but things just seem _​different_​since the ownership changed. The merchandise isn’t as fun and it seems like they aren’t carrying as much stuff as they used to? I’ll go back if I’m in the area, but I don’t think I’ll be making a special trip there like I used to :-(

Fun little boutique with craft projects. More Pinterest than JoAnns or Michaels.

Steep prices, but love this creative space!

This is a beautiful store to browse in with a nice selection of products.
I would love to do a class here with my boyfriend’s child, but they don’t offer schedules in the store (what?) and it seems like it is geared more for parties than scheduled classes. I would love the latter.
Pricing is on the high side, but quality is there.
Will have to check online to see if I can get into a class, but it would have been nice to have been able to do so in-​store.

Love coming here for craft ideas and supplies! Very fun fabric selection, which is good for me as a handmade business owner. Also a lot of good package/​wrapping supplies that are unique and creative. I love the displays and the workers have always been friendly and helpful.
Took a chalkboard lettering class here in the winter and had fun learning something new with a friend.

Business hours: FAIL!
Looking for Fourth of July project fun, CLOSED the entire week. Single mom with two daughters… would love to do Sunday projects with the girls on my only day off– CLOSED on Sundays.
Need more creative crafting ideas. A little pricey for being so lean.

I’d like to be held hostage here for about a week.
They’ve assembled the most gorgeous collection of bits and bobs. I just couldn’t buy anything on my first visit, as I didn’t want to take anything away from it’s home. I need to digest and breathe and think about it all before I head back in to gobble it up and bring it home. I’m feeling pretty inspired and can feel the craft wave about to wash over me.
Service was very friendly and roomy — you can tell they know that makers need time to consider and dwell.

This is a really fun place to find craft products and crafting ideas. The store design is fantastic. If you ask them about a certain craft, they will explain how to make it to you.
The only thing is that the products are pricey. I did pick up a couple of products here that I thought were worth it. Hope to come back to take a class sometime. You can also host crafting parties here in a couple of different rooms.

This place is a crafter’s paradise. There are a lot of fun projects that you could do with the things that they sell here, like all the things that I see on Pinterest. I was also surprised by the size of the place, it’s much larger than I had expected. There are rooms in the back where it looked like a crafting class was going on, and I saw another room with families having a party. I think you can come to rent out some time to use their equipment for sewing, etc. Everything was neatly organized as well, I would definitely come back!

The first Sip, Shop and Make night was this evening and I’ve just arrived home having used a letterpress, tried calligraphy, made a beautiful tissue paper garland, painted a pumpkin, made a glittery card and purchased more supplies for at home crafting– all while sipping champagne and nibbling on cheese and fruit! What better Tuesday night could a girl possibly have???

Minus 1 star b/​c the stuff here is pricey. But I think work the price.
This place is like Etsy meets Martha Stewart!
they have all sorts of stuff to make stuff (felt, cloth, industrial sewing machine, t-​shirt silk screening, a 3D printer!!)
I love sparklers and they have them for cakes, for fun, in different shapes,
I love glitter– they have «party in a bag» which is basically glitter to throw or mail to someone to cheer them up
they have sealing wax — lovely
everything presented here is gorgeous!
you can rent the space in back for a private party — I can’t wait to do that! it would be AWESOME. but it is pricey — so would have to be a corporate party, fundraiser or big-​0 birthday.
I think you can just say — i want to make X, can you help me make it or have a party where kids make this.
entry age for this place seems 8 years old. but I’m sure they could accommodate smart kids under that. just some of the stuff here is dangerous e.g. could cut/​burn themselves.
Great place to buy artsy gifts. I am a total fan.

I stopped by here this past Saturday after having brunch at their sister place, Bumble. Honestly, this place is ridiculously cute and well-​curated. Most of the wares they sell here are of etsy, meaning locally made things, like candles, laptop bags, felt balls (sold by the ounce!), scarves, tons of cute fabrics, and also lots of DIY projects. There’s also a studio here where you can rent out space to work on projects and use their machinery, like sewing machines, a serger, and even a letterpress! They also have «projects of the week» where you can purchase the materials and get free studio time. The prices are a bit on the higher side, but everything here is beautiful and well thought-​out and worth it in that sense. After visiting this gorgeous store, I have a DIY/​crafting itch that needs to be scratched… and I will probably be back for some of their classes!