Paris’ Best Art & Craft Supply Stores

Text: Anne S. Ditmeyer & Natalie Turturro

Whether you want to make some art or just like window-shopping for supplies – here’s some of Paris best options to help get those creative juices flowing.

Lavrut
52 passage Choiseul, 2nd
An art supply shop in the 2nd with a new e-boutique.

Weber
9 rue de Poitou, 3rd; 66 rue de Turenne, 3rd
The place to go for your metal and plastic needs.

Rogier et Plé
13-15, boulevard des Filles du Calvaire, 3rd
Magasin Graphigro: 157 – 159, rue Lecourbe, 15th; 5 Ter Cité Voltaire, 11th
Their location in the 3e is the mecca of craft stores for anything from felt to crepe paper, clay or poster board. It is a true “arts & crafts” store with several floors to get lost in.

Papier Plus
9 rue Pont Louis Philippe, 4th

The place for paper for all your invitation needs. Great for albums too.

BHV
52 rue de Rivoli, 4th
One of Paris’ largest department stores, the crafts section of BHV is one of the most memorable parts of the store. From paints to foam figures, awesome school supplies and more, make sure you don’t miss the basement level too, because you’ll never know what you’ll discover in the hardware section.

Marie Papier
26 rue Vavin, 6th
Full of a range of colorful fine papers and fun accessories that make great gifts.

Maison Gattegno
13 rue de la Grande Chaumière, 6th
An art supply store targeting painters.

Equisse
3, rue des Beaux-Arts, 6th
Supplies for artists and amateurs in the heart of Saint Germain de Près.

Passage Clouté
19 rue Bonaparte, 6th [fine arts books] 4-6, 7, 8 rue des Boulets, 11th [fine arts and craft supplies]

The same brand has several small shops throughout Paris that deal with the different areas of art and craft-making.  Also great for fine arts & design-based books plus a wide selection of notebooks.

Magasin Sennelier
4 bis rue de la Grande Chaumière, 6th
3, quai Voltaire, 7th
6 rue Hallé, 14th
Small, traditional, hand-crafted art supplies, originally opened in 1887 by Georges Sennelier.  Since then, the shop has been owned and run by three generations of Senneliers. In 1888, they created 100 different colors of oil paints, which are still in production today. Go there and imagine shopping alongside the Impressionists.

Pain d’Epices 
29, 31, 33 Passage Jouffroy, 9th
Tucked away in a passerelle, Pain d’Epices is a charming store crammed full of miniature foods for Victorian dollhouses, wooden toy making kits, games, and even materials for felting.  Upstairs you are taken back to childhood with materials for puppet-making, small theatres, and magic trick sets.

La Droguerie
9 et 11 rue du Jour, 11th
It’s a rainbow of color inside this mercerie, or notions store, full of ribbons, button, bits and bobs.

Graphigro
207 Boulevard Voltaire, 11th
Less expensive art supply store.  A young and friendly staff available to help you, plus you’ll find lots of postings for art/craft courses.

Le Géant des Beaux-Arts
166 Rue de la Roquette, 11th
15 Rue Vergniaud, 13th
Large selection of basic artist supplies with two locations in Paris.  It’s a huge chain store all over France, with the occasional unusual art supply, frequent sales, and discounts for students.

La Boutique de l’Encadrement
27 rue Dunois, 13th (contact: Alain Dudkowski)
La Boutique de l’Encadrement offers professional custom framing for both artwork and photography at great rates.

Temple du Scrap
13 rue Ernest Cresson, 14th
A scrapbooker’s paradise, this place is full of rubber stamps, paper and fun little odds and ends.

Esprit Composite
10 rue Brézin, 14th
Sculptors paradise with clay, resin, latex and tools for creation.

Marché Saint Pierre
2 rue Charles Nodier, 18th
Nestled at the foot of Sacré-Coeur is Paris’ largest fabric store.  It is comprised of 3 buildings which are divided up along the street: next to Reine Fabrics is the bargain basement (we found 3 yards of soft wool there for €15); across the street is the 5-story building where you can buy every type of fabric: leather, sequin, upholstery, silk, etc; and continuing down the street, you stumble upon the last building for trim and yarn, with a basement full of fabric paint plus other crafty odds & ends.

Moline-Mercerie
2,4,6 rue de Livingstone, 18th
This hip trim, yarn, and fabric store has been around since 1879.  Friendly staff, a wall of buttons, and unusual trim organized by color.  You can also find thread, crochet/knitting supplies, zippers, and even bra cups and straps to sew into flimsy strapless summer tops.

Adam Montmartre
96 rue Damremont 18th
Specialising in materials for fine artists, illustrators and sculptors, this shop can also claim a cameo in Michel Gondry’s The Science of Sleep.

Marin Beaux Arts
70 Avenue Gabriel Péri, B.P. 51 94115 Arcueil
The Maison Marin has been making supplies for painters since 1947 and continues to provide a wide range of supplies to this day. As it is outside of Paris, a visit is more worthwhile if you’re looking to buy large quantities of canvas.

Boesner
40 Ave Général de Gaulle, 94500 Champigny sur Marne
A giant warehouse of art supplies outside of Paris, with free delivery once you hit a certain amount.