Author's product rating: 
| Advantages: |
this shop caters for most hobbies and tell you how to start |
| Disadvantages: |
you could go in for something worth £1 and spend much much more |
| Recommend to potential buyers: |
yes |
This shop should come with a warning that there is a good chance that if you just pop into this shop for one item you will leave with a new hobby. I did.
HobbyCraft was launched by Warren Haskins, chairman of the well-known Haskins Garden Centre Group. Their shops have 32,000 arts and crafts products so there is bound to be something of interest for you and your family whatever sex or age you are.
I went in looking for knitting patterns and came away with candle making kits which when I went into the shop knew nothing about.
Around the shop for most of their crafts they have pamplets on the hobby telling you what equiptment you require and help and tips on how to do things. With the help of these pamplets I was able to make the candles perfectly. I know its not rocket science to make candles but following the leaflets I achieved it so it proves how well written they are.
The shop itself is well set out with a main aisle down the centre with buckets of special offers and sale items. Everything is well set out and all you need for one hobby is all in one place so if you wanted to knit you would have the wool, needles and patterns all near each other not spread out all over the shop.
Some of things they stock are model kits (trains, planes cars, motorbikes etc) party items such as making own cards, ballons, cake decorations, dolls houses and everything needed to furnish house, paints, woods, brushes of all kinds, candle making, beads, pom poms, felts and jewellery and paper of all kinds to name but a few.
Every craft has a How to do it card available to help you.
The staff are very helpful and will take the time to talk to you about your new hobby or find someone to help you and will also tell you if in the near future there is going to be a demonstration of that craft in the shop.
The prices of what I have bought in there so far have been cheaper that I could have got them elsewhere.
There are also pocket money items so good to take the children in just for that and its not just for the big expensive items.
If you do have to return an item as I did on a hand print set with a frame - the frame was bent slightly so I could not shut it up, they exchange with no fuss.
One of the good things about this shop is that you can take your time just browsing around and you dont have the staff hovering near by, or asking every couple minutes if they can help you.
This shop is really worth popping into whatever your age and with Christmas just round the corner I am sure you will find that unusual gift for someone who has everything or just some stocking fillers. You may even start the family doing a new hobby togeher
Thank you for reading
(on dooyoo too)
very helpful
