Arts & Crafts Stores in Warsaw, Poland?

I would like to buy a canvas, some canvas paints, paint brushed and some other little things from an arts and crafts store. I live in Warsaw. Is there any place you'd recommend?

Having canvas mounted costs an arm and a leg, nowadays. You want that done for you, or you planning o cutting and mounting it yourself?

jasondmzk

I would like to buy a canvas on a wooden frame. I moved to Poland and I live on a very modest salary, so I would like it to be cheaper -- back home I can buy pre-mounted canvases, is that not possible here?

Of course it's possible. But it's gonna cost a fortune. If you're serious about painting, then you don't want the cost of materials to stand between you and your arting. I'd advise buying a roll of cotton canvas for practice, move up to linen when you're ready for framing, and learn how to stretch it yourself. First time you sneeze with a mop brush dripping in black ocher, that's 9 bucks of stretched, mounted canvas down the toilet.

Okay, sounds good.

Where to buy some then?

That, I cannot help you with. Unless some of the other fellows her have more direct knowledge, I would wander into the closest Empik, take a look at the meager supplies they have, and ask a clerk where you can fill some of the cavities that their stock of Pigma pens and bristol board just won't fill. I'd also call a gallery or two, and ask them. Many European galleries actually offer classes and supplies for purchase, so you might be in luck with just a phone call. Wandering around is my favorite way of finding anything in Poland, and it usually doesn't take too long. I ran into a lovely art supply shop in Wro, just by putting two feet in front of the other. And found out about several others just by listening to half-inebriated students regale me with their bohemian bona fides. Don't rush it, don't overspend, and remember, your opinion is the only one that matters.

Merged: I love Polish pottery. Is it possible to order it directly from Poland for delivery to the US?

But it is so expensive here in the United States. Is there any way to order it directly from Poland?

Why not buy it direct from the factory? They will ship to the US.

ceramikaboleslawiec.com.pl

Check ebooks: empik.com/ebooki

Merged:

Where shop fabric and embroidery thread in Krakow

I'm travelling to Krakow soon and staying there for a week. I'm interested in finding stores that sell fabric and machine embroidery thread. Also interested in other crafting supplies. Where do I go?

Merged:

Crafting in Poland

Hello,

I am a Craft retailer based in the UK. I am trying to understand more of the Crafting Market in Poland, what the most popular types of Crafts are, What the most popular brands are. Would anyone be able to offer me some advice? Many thanks in advance

@cazza88, by "crafts" you mean handmade stuff, or also art (paintings, sculpture, etc.)?
And by "brands" do you mean brands of supplies for art & crafts?

@Paulina Yes, I'm looking for more handmade stuff like paper crafting and sewing. And yes brands of suppliers for Arts and Crafts.

People buy on Allegro which is a bit like EBay or Amazon Marketplace. There isn't an equivalent of, say, Habiknit, however a lot of towns now have a Flying Tiger where there are some craft supplies.

My impression is that Arts and Crafts isn't really a thing in Poland (I can't remember seeing a store - may be mistaken though).

I remember that when scrapbooking was a thing a few years ago (is it still a thing) I don't remember seeing stores but Empik (a book and music chain) had a section though I don't recall seeing many people in it...

Some types of crafts might have followings but Crafting as such (as a concept)... I dunno.

I would say it's kind of two different markets. One is the traditional 'folk' arts and crafts which are produced mostly for the tourist and gift trade, the other is the sort of thing people do at home for fun or sale on a very small scale, for example on a market stall. As other posters have said, there are very few dedicated craft supply shops. I've seen a couple of small ones but they didn't have a great range of supplies, but the materials needed for crafting are available in a variety of different places. For example in a haberdashers where they sell thread,yarn, ribbon etc, they usually sell packs of fabric squares for quilting. You can also buy a limited range of craft supplies in Empik, as another poster mentioned. That's a shop a bit like W H Smith in the UK.

Decoupage used to be a big thing here for a while, not sure about now.

decustyle.blogspot.com/p/decoupa-style.html

There are arts and crafts ideas in some of the homes and interior magazines or in women's mags and there are a few magazines that seem to be mostly knitting and crochet oriented.

The main suppliers for craft materials are the haberdashers, 'pasmanteria' in Polish.

pasmanteria.pl/

Some of the traditional crafts are the famous paper cutting:

culture.pl/en/article/folk-art-at-home-a-diy-guide-to-polish-paper-cut-outs

Polish egg decorating, yes people really do this at Easter :)

culture.pl/en/article/discover-the-world-of-pisanki-or-polish-easter-eggs

This has been really helpful thank you all!

@Caza88, there's been a renaissance of crafts in Poland lately, so it's probably a good idea to enter the Polish market nowadays, I suppose. I think both handmade stuff and supplies are usually bought on-line. I remember when I visited local store with art supplies in my city and they didn't have this, they didn't have that, because they had no money to buy it - I guess they were struggling. So I ordered stuff in an internet shop - everything was there and cheaper. So I guess it would be a good idea to visit on-line stores and see what they have on offer.

Earlier all the rage were handmade jewelry, handbags, etc. I was usually checking this site for stuff like that (it's probably one of the oldest ones):

pakamera.pl/

But there are plenty of other stores like this, all you need is to type "sklepy internetowe z rękodziełem" (internet shops with crafts).

I would say that in recent years there's been an increasing interest in interior design in Poland and, as a result, in any handmade stuff related to it. So, anything related to:

- furniture renovation, upcycling, beautifying: sandpaper, paints (chalk paint by Annie Sloan is known, for example), varnish, schlagmetal, templates, etc., handmade furniture knobs.

- fabrics - pillows, curtains, bed covers, carpets, etc. - so, I guess, paints for fabrics, pattern paint rollers, sewing stuff, etc., fabrics and tools for upholstery,

- decoupage,

- cuddly toys for kids made from felt, for example (and so - all the materials used for making them - this stuff can be even bought in Empik on-line store, as far as I remember).

- supplies for making your own house decorations, so, for example: spray paints in different colours, including golden and silver, hot glue guns, materials for decorating unvarnished wooden boxes (such boxes can be bought at Empik stationary stores and on-line).

- ceramics - paints for ceramics, etc.

As for brands, I mainly know about brands of supplies for artistic painting and drawing - I suppose they're the same all over Europe, with some addition of cheaper Polish ones (and maybe Russian). On-line stores with art supplies usually have also supplies for crafts (even on-line Empik store has them). I've ordered from this one, for example:

szal-art.pl/

But there are also quite a few others. I'll give you an example of a section with supplies for crafts with photos so maybe it will be easier for you to check it out:

tintadlaplastykow.pl/decoupage-zdobienie-prace-reczne

You know, if there is stuff that is popular on British market but not present on Polish one, then don't be too afraid to introduce it, because if it's affordable then it may become popular also here. Artists like to buy trusted brands, but they also like to experiment and look for cheaper stuff that is still good quality (at least that's my take on it).

Also, if it's going to be possible due to pandemic, you could check out this:

targikielce.pl/en/crafts