Arts and Crafts

The Silk Road (512)302-0844
An all-natural fabric store, located across from Central Market. Great selection of silks and other, stranger, cloths. A small, friendly store built in what must have been someone's house. (3910 N. Lamar)

Nomadic Notions (512)454-1000 North, (512)478-6200 UT Campus
Well-established bead shops with neat trinkets like little Buddhist monk beads and snake vertebra, and a wide range of beads and jewelry bindings. I understand the UT campus location is the primary Nomadic Notions store in Austin. Be prepared to lose a lot of time and money here, particularly if you find the semiprecious stone section. (3010 W. Anderson Ln./2426 Guadalupe)

Dyer's Jewelry Tools and Supplies (512)451-5655
An old family business. Dyer's used to have a large rock and mineral showroom with great bins to root through, but they closed that section a few years back. They still have a few specimens, though. Good place to pick up supplies and tools for jewelry-making, though Nomadic Notions is a better place for beads, pendants and charms. (4925 Guadalupe)