Artco Craft & Frame Shop

The ladies that work here are incredibly helpful! My girl and I prefer shopping here WAYY more than hobby lobby, including the fact that it’s logically owned and have examples of DIY projects.

I am a total crafter, anything handmade I’m into. I shop here about once a week, until today when I WAS FALSELY ACCUSED OF SHOPLIFTING. I was at the register, with my baby, paying for my things, when another employee interrupted. She pushed a handwritten list of things in front of me and very rudely told me that I needed to pay for these items. She then went on to tell me I had been in and made some crafts with Lowell elementary school and had never paid for anything. I had no idea what she was talking about, (we just moved here a few months ago and I have no affiliation to any schools, my only child is still a baby) which I told her and she just stared me down and called someone on the intercom. Then another employee came up and stood in front of me across the counter, so now there are three employees, all looking at me, along with all the customers in line. My original cashier asks this woman if she should give me my debit card back. LIKE, Seriously?! Am I being detained? Then the woman who was called on the intercom comes up, the second woman tells her I’m saying I didn’t do it and she says they have security footage of me and she’d like to see me deny that. Then, she looks at me and says, oh, that’s not her. Where’d she go? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! I have never been so humiliated or made to feel so awful and guilty. She said sorry, I received no apology from the woman who accused me. I choked back tears and told the intercom woman that maybe she should have been up there (to positively identify me) because that was very rude and wasn’t handled well at all. The woman who accused me spat back, I wasn’t rude to her. GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE. I have witnessed this woman being rude to other employees and customers on several occasions and when I told friends about this, I didn’t even have to say which woman it was, they knew already! I’m so upset. I’ve been a great customer and I’ve spent a lot of my extra money (my fun money) here. I often came in on my way home from work with my daughter. I’m sad to say though, that I will never shop here again.

This place has a great selection of things but I’m never going here again. I live really close so it’s convenient but I refuse. Every time I come here I spend an hour or more looking for what I need because no one helps me. All the employees are in regular clothes so you don’t know who to ask. But when i DO find one for help they walk right past me & start helping the person right next to me asking what they’re looking for while I continue to wonder around aimlessly. I always have a feeling that I’m being watched so when I realize they’re follow me around to see if I’m shoplifting but still won’t ask me if I need help. Literally every time. I feel like I shouldn’t have to beg for help just to find one simple thing but everyone else is offered help even when they walk in after me. I just put all the stuff I was going to buy down & walked out. I’m not paying people when I have to beg for help every time I walk in.

A cute, smaller version of a Hobby Lobby with home decorations, frames, fabric, arts and crafts ect. Call me old school, but I like stores who still use the good old price gun I remember playing with when I was younger. It has an old school feel to it with the updated variety of items. To be honest walking in it reminds me of a Pic N Save of the 80m’s, with the old school shopping carts and the overall vibe to it. Nothing at all against the store.
The prices are in line with hobby lobby and Michael’s. They have a great selection of acrylic stamps and stamp inks. It’s a great craft store that I will be making the trip over the bridge for again)

Haven’t been in here but I received excellent customer service over the phone when I was desperately looking for paint for a school project. I can’t recall the guy who helped me but thank you for your patience and thoroughly assisting me! I was able to order and pay in advance for a few paints on the phone for someone to pick up for me :)

Great selection of items and would have spent a lot more time and money if the staff wasn’t so preoccupied with their own craft projects. I made eye contact with several employees and not a single one of them asked if I needed help. Or say hello at least.

I’m in love with this store! I’m sad I don’t live closer but it’s probably a good thing because I would spend all my money here. The prices are reasonable and the selection is great. It’s not as big as the larger craft stores but the products they have are more appealing. I like that it is close to Harbor Freight so I can bribe my husband to go! I will be back, often.

Sometimes this place can be overwhelming with the sheer volume of items, but their friendly and helpful staff does a great job helping occasional visitors like myself find what we need. Thanks!

First, I called and spoke with Juliette in the framing dept. to see if I could have glass cut for a large frame I had made… not a professional frame, but one I had made from old barn boards.
She was very helpful on the phone and said she could help me.
It was for my son’s birthday, so I needed it pretty quick.
She helped me choose from 3 photos I had taken and got it matted and framed with glass in 10 minutes. It turned out really nice.
Juliette was very kind and accomodating and I noticed while I was waiting that the gentleman she was working with was just as wonderful.
I was impressed and will definitely go back!

Nice relax atmosphere, with a wide variety

I was going to a Birthday Party/​Seahawks Playoff Party and wanted to decorate some unusual items with Seahawk colors. (A can of Spam was one of them) I received the most courteous help and service that one could ever ask for. The lady who helped me took me all around the store looking for the perfect products. I am not very talented when it comes to crafts and she made it so easy for me. I will definitely go back the next time I have an idea but absolutely no idea how to create it.

I would rate them the stellar five except, they must have students (or family members) as their cashiers.
Never do they engage themselves with the customer, only their whining about their hours or the owner. They are very basic in even the simplest cash transactions. Give me a break: learn to count! Also, lose the gum!
The «older employees» who work in the areas are great! They are helpful, willing to help you look for something & wanting to help you. Unlike the «children cashiers».
No, your not going to find the 100 choices of crafting items that you «might» see at Hobby Lobby nor do they have the great coupons as the chain stores BUT… hey. its a small business and lets shop local!

Went there to find some crafts for my kids. The store seemed somewhat disorganized. There was stuff all over the place even on the floor.

They have a good, broad selection of art and crafting supplies and holiday décor. The major downside for me is the overpowering scented candle section front and center.

Artco’s selection and customer service is good enough for what it is. In the North/​West end of Tacoma there are not too many craft supplies. So, you can’t really expect a little place to have the selection of Hobby Lobby or Michael’s, but you do… And that is where the dissapointment lies.
I usuallly find most of what I need here. Canvas, brushes, paints, pens… but at marked up price. Customer service varies on the visit. I have had amazing help from young girls and a woman in the frame shop. More often than not, I observe a lot of standing around and talking about personal topics. So, I usually walk around until I find what I need.
Now, I drive 15 minutes and go to Hobby Lobby. I will only go here if I am desperate.

Artco is the big brother of Joann’s and carries things like yarn, party supplies, beads, fabric and the usual arts ‘n crafts stuff (think canvas, floral, frames, paint). They have home décor sprinkled throughout the store as well and actually had a lot of stuff I haven’t seen anywhere else, so if you’re someone who can wander Joann’s and Michaels for hours you’ll definitely be at home here. Their prices didn’t seem exorbitant, just pretty standard. They can be kind of hard to spot because they’re tucked away in a strip mall.
One thing I didn’t really see was a baking section — there’s a small alcove with things like sprinkles and martini glasses but I didn’t see a full blown «here are cake pans and candles in three thousand colors and lollipop molds shaped like Bilbo Baggins». It might have been near the party stuff and I missed it, but yeah. Really the only drawback. That, and it makes me want to spend lots of money on things I don’t need (but totally want).

Ive shopped here in the past and experienced «OK» service and was usually able to find and explore new craft and décor ideas and with some success. this review is for the framing shop. I wanted to get something that meant a lot to me framed for a gift. I went to The Frame Makers on 6^th ave first but realized I couldn’t really afford custom frame work they suggested that I go to Artco. I walked up the Artco and had 2 employees walk right past me as I was standing at the counter for the framing dept. I stood there a few minutes when a woman came out and asked sharply «do you have a question?» I explained that I wanted to frame something but that I had never done this before and needed some help and guidance. I was expecting her to help me pick some custom frames and backings from behind the counter but instead she walked me over to a selection of bakings and mats and said to pick one of those and pointed to the frames on a isle and then left me. I did my best and found a few things that I thought might work and then walked up to the counter and waited patiently while she helped a woman with some custom framing options. all the while listening for about 10 min I thought to myself «why cant she help me like this?» after a while she shouted over at me and said with an attitude «did you need something else?» I replied that I needed an opinion and some instruction on how to assemble my art and to look at some of the custom options.” she huffed and rolled her eyes. and said that she was all alone and asked the lady that she was helping to hang on and that she would help me. after that I decided that I didn’t want her help if she was going to be so rude and make me feel as though I wasn’t good enough to give me her full attention. she told the lady to come back later so that she could help me and I said don’t bother I’ll go somewhere else and left.
I left feeling stupid, irritated and sad that getting something put in a simple frame was to much of a waste of time for them to want my business. after leaving I went right back to The Frame Makers and gladly paid the higher price for fantastic customer service and outstanding work by people that love what they do.
in short. Artco can suck it. Go to The frame Makers a few blocks away. its SO worth it. they were even able t expedite my order to get it done by my deadline something that most places wont do.

If this business was by the mall, so many more people would go there… so I’m happy it’s where it is, and I don’t have to fight crowds. I was there on an evening three weeks before Christmas (busy time of year for crafty folk) and was able to park right by the doors with empty spaces by me!
They have an amazing selection, and do all the basics like papercrafting, scrapbooking, rubberstamping, needlecraft and sewing, beading, kids crafts, and more. They also do silk flowers, framing, and a gift and décor selection, but they don’t carry fabric. The store is suprisingly big inside, and their prices beat Michael’s and Joann’s on a lot of basic items. All the employees I’ve dealt with have been friendly and professional, and fairly knowledgable about the products they carry.

Artco is the best craft shop in Tacoma. They have an excellent selection of a wide variety of crafts:
scrapbooking, painting, woodworking, stamping, jewelry, floral, yarn, etching, paints — acrylic and oil, fabric paints, a great ribbon selection and a wonderful section with kid’s crafts.
(Joann’s might have a deeper selection on some things, but I regularly pick up hard to find stuff here, like certain shades of flocked paper or certain lines of scrapping stuff. Particular adhesives, etc.)
Other services include a diy die cutter and framing.
I must take exception to an earlier comment that their prices are high. I disagree. They are comparable to Joann’s and sales can be quite good. Their after season sales are usually excellent.
You «might» find stuff cheaper on-​line, but any crafter knows that it’s one thing to buy certain equipment, like a Cricut, without having seen it in person. Scrapbook pages, trimmings and other smalls are another matter entirely.
Artco is worthy of your business if you care to shop local. They are independent, a long standing business, and they are very generous with their donations.

This store may not be much to look at (it could use a facelift!), but don’t let appearances fool you… the people here are friendly and helpful, and on a recent visit here to frame an odd-​sized photo, I found everything I needed to get the job done and more.
The gal working in the frame department was fantastic. With her help, we found a great 14×18″ frame on sale for $ 10(!). She cut us a mat to fit on the spot from scrap mat board — only $ 8! They used to let you assemble your own framed work right there in the store, but apparently a woman cut herself once and so now they ask that you take it home to assemble… she still let me borrow her acid-​free tape so that I could secure the print to the mat properly, and I walked out of there with everything I needed to frame my print for under $ 20. For all intents and purposes, it looks like it was professionally done — unless you looked at the back of the frame, you’d really never know it was all a DIY Artco job! Of course, if you aren’t a DIY type, they also have reasonable prices on custom framing in-​store.
Even the girl at the check-​out counter was helpful, digging up a big piece of bubble wrap for us to wrap up our new frame. The whole visit was much more pleasant and successful than my past trips to Michael’s, both the Lakewood location and a couple stores out here in Virginia. Wish there were more Artco’s around!