Definitive Guide for Buying Craft Stuff in Honolulu (ADD info &YOUR reviews)

[knit wit]

Hey Hawaii Craftsters!!! Let's make a Definitive Guide for Buying Craft stuff in Honolulu! - where is the best place to buy stuff?   

there are a couple of helpful threads about where to buy fabric, crafting supplies (thx to pinkbird and others ), but I think it would be helpful to compile a list of everyone's favorite places for Honolulu, and have it in one spot.

Please reply with your favorite yarn stores, craft supply stores, salvage or secondhand places, and other ideas for getting crafting materials here in Honolulu. I will compile the names and locations, and reviews from your posts, after a while, so we can have one big list and don't have to read through a bunch of threads...which are still good to have, but one list would be good for QUICK REFERENCE!

Please be specific as you can about name, location (i.e. cross streets) and if you know other stuff, include it (like basic operating hours, selection, friendly operators, locally owned, etc) and share your experience (kind of like a mini review). If you already posted info in another thread, please repost it here so we can add it all in one spot... thx! 

Here's what I compiled so far from the threads:
Yarn Stores:
Isle Knit - Beretania and Bishop, 14th floor of the Century Bldg, local yarn store
Craft Supply of Honolulu (where is it? is it on King and something?)
Ben Franklin, Market City Shopping, off Kaimuki and Kapiolani blvd, national chain but locally owned/operated (?).
-I'm always frustrated about getting knitting needles here though, they never seem to have the size I need 
other Ben Franklins..?

Second-Hand:
Goodwill Surplus - 1533 Kalani (Nimitz area), 845-1071 (thx to pink bird)

Fabric Stores:
Fabric Mart, on Kalakaua between King and Kapiolani. (comments?)

Other sections??

 

[MissMegan]

Add Savers to the thrift store list! MUCH cheaper stuff than Goodwill. Also they have different color tags and every day they will have a 50% off color tag and a .99 color tag!

[knit wit]

Add Savers to the thrift store list! MUCH cheaper stuff than Goodwill. Also they have different color tags and every day they will have a 50% off color tag and a .99 color tag!

Which Savers is better?

1505 Dillingham (842-0061)
94-300 Farrington Hwy (671-0071)

Do they sell craft stuff at all? or like goodwill - all kinds of stuff?

[MissMegan]

I go to the one in Waipahu more since I live up here. I think Ive only been to the other one once. Its got everything like Goodwill. There is a fabric rack though and they have a ton of patterns and some other stuff if you get lucky.

[ambiguouslyspecific]

Fabric Mart, on Kalakaua between King and Kapiolani

that's the only fabric store I go to!! I went to some other ones like the Dry Goods at Kaimuki but they're really expensive and don't have as much fabric as Fabric Mart.  Fabric Mart has two levels, at first it might be kind of hard to see the stairs that lead up to the second floor (err well it was hard for me, but that's probably just me) but the second floor is the best.  they have a super wide selection of patterned fabric, plain fabric and aloha print. not to mention a lot of others.  it's super cheap too, the regular fabric is like four or five dollars a yard, and if you get the remenants, it's just two dollars a yard.  if you're going to buy fur or leather or the quilt stuff, then that's way expensive.  but it's a bargin. haha. i love this store, or maybe it's just cause i love sewing haha. 

I buy my yarn from walmart haha, most stores only sell red heart and I don't like red heart, it's too itchy.  walmart has nice soft yarn haha.  Oh and I get my needles in china  bamboo ones...i haven't found a nice place to buy needles. oh...wait I remember this craft store at pearlridge or something and it was a craft supply store and they had a niiiice supply of bamboo needles(and reg. ones too but i perfer bamboo) they're yarn selection isn't that bad either.

haha i wrote so much!!

[mikiala_midori]

Is it possible to add two categories?  How about Beading and Scrapbooking?  For beading I'd like to add The Bead Gallery on Ward upstairs from Kramer's Big and Tall and Bead It in Kaimuki.  I've also heard DACS in Harbor Center is also a good place.  For Scrapbooking I'd like to add Scrapbook Clubhouse Hawaii near Boston's Pizza on Kamehmeha Highway and Stamps and Memories also in Harbor Center.

[aquagoddess]

Flora-Dec at 300 Nimitz in Honolulu has a ton of stuff, lots of decorations for weddings and such.  I love Fabric Mart!!! I got 10 yards of satin there for 15 dollars...I decked out the interior of my van with it.  Awesome...Craft Supply of Honolulu is on King St and McCully I think.  They have a lot of yarn for cheap, as cheap as Wallmart (which I boycott).
Another awesome thing is the weekly large item disposal.  People put out the stuff they don't want, anything from fabric to beds to sinks and you can get all kinds of stuff for free.  And the garage sales are great too. 
I also am a member of Freecycle Hawaii, it's a yahoo group where you can post stuff you don't want and also you can post requests.  I got a sewing machine for free through this process!!!
There is so much here people just throw away...and our landfills are going to be full in three years...everyone needs to become a crafter!!!

[mmd32]

Well, I am in Sydney right now, but am moving back to Hawaii in a year or so, so am excited to see this, and hope there are some hidden treasures in here by the time i make it back! 

My additions to the list for Windward side:

FabricMart in Kaneohe, on Kaneohe Bay Drive (I think....)

Ben Franklins, Kailua, in Enchanted Lake shopping center

Bead It, Kailua, Hamakua Dr and Oneawa...in the back corner of the parking lot, hard to see from the main road.


Other places:

FabricMart, Aiea, is my favorite one of the chain

Aloha Swap Meet has several fabric vendors, with a lot of aloha prints, of course, but also other fabrics; also, you can get cheapy tourist trinkets and jewelry to take apart for the components.

[1craftgrl]

For fabric, there is also Kaimuki Dry Goods.  It's located in Kaimuki on 10th Avenue.  It has all types of fabric but it is more on the pricey side. 
The Calico Cat is another fabric store located in Kaimuki, next to the Goodwill store.   She sells mainly cotton printed fabrics (calico) and she also sells wool felt.  It's only open on certain days... I think M W F and Sat...She is a really nice lady.
I hope this helps.

[ohsofcukingrisque]

hey guys - i just moved here, would anyone know where i could get beginners silk screen kits or anything like it?

or i might just walk down to craft supply of honolulu to check out what they have there later...

[ravencrum]

if you're getting very simple fabrics, theres always the micronesian fabric store on vineyard and liliha. SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS.
THE KALAKAUA FABRIC MART IS MY FAVORITE BUT THERE IS ALSO A F.M. IN AIEA near jelly's, behind the goodwill outlet. if you live out that way.
for buttons and zippers etc i'm a fan of the smaller thrift stores like the one on uh's campus and the one next to down to earth in kaimuki. lots of cheap and adorable vintage/never used sewing extras.

[gypsysoul3]

oh, i love that little shop next to down to earth!

i agree with someone that mentioned the savers in kalihi, i've gotten a lot of good fabric there.

(p.s. in case you're wondering...i just moved to the DC area from Honolulu about 9 months ago. i REALLY miss hawaii!)

[Ette]

Hi everyone, I'm new here.  I was wondering if anyone knows where you can buy real leather fabric on Oahu.  I called Fabric Mart they only have fake, and Kaimuki dry goods has none.  Any ideas?

[Eve L]

I am REALLY relieved to read that the Fabric Mart near Kapiolani has a second floor.  I went, and it looked like all they carried were aloha and asian prints.  It just didn't fit for kitchen curtains.

[ohimskrewed]

for screen printing:
One Shot & Grafic Arts Supplies
815A Waiakamilo Rd., Honolulu, HI 96817
PH 808/841-7683 | FX 808/842-0478
Weekdays: 7am - 5pm
Saturday: 9am - 2pm
Sunday: Closed
got this all from their website http://www.oneshotsupplies.com/