Sham Shui Po, a Makers Paradise!
This is part 2 of my blog, “My Ultimate Shopping Guide to Fabric, Leather, Craft & Sewing Materials in HK Part 1”. Click on the link to take you there if you haven’t already read it. I realised this blog was getting a bit out of hand and I didn’t want to confuse you with the numbering and the colours, so I decided to split it up and serve it in manageable parts. This part is mainly focusing on leather craft shops, crafting tools and accessories.
Let’s begin by downloading and print off :
Here I’ve plotted some of my favourite shops where I get my supplies from. I hope this will come to some use for those that will be visiting Hong Kong in the near future. Make a list of the numbers/shops you will be visiting. You definitely want to double back on Yu Chau Street where I have labelled numbers 1 to 7 in Red.
- Blue dots are for fabric shops and haberdashery.
- Pink dots are for leather shops.
- Green dots are for buttons, buckles, eyelets and rivets for jeans.
- Red dots are for craft shops.
- Orange dots are for sewing schools. They also sell pattern cutting equipment.
- Purple dots are for sewing machine shops and repair/service.
- Brown dots are for curtain and upholstery fabric. Obviously there are more shops than this but here is just a few of the shops to get you warmed.
- The Yellow Areas marked are manufacturers that have fabric samples free for you to take. Sometimes it is marked with a price. That’ll be the cost for the wholesale price.
- The Purple Areas are the open air market stores. Some will call it flea market. They sell new products as well as old/second hand. Some are even counterfeit or given a different name altogether. The hubs find it very amusing with some of the names manufacturers have come up with. Here in Aplui Street is a random magnet store where you can buy some strong magnets for keeping your pins and needles in place.
- The Pink Areas is a toy street but most people know it as Stationery Street or Decoration Street depending on the time of year. Most of the time you can get toys and stationery but when Chinese/Lunar New Year is approaching you will find it most of the stationery has been replaced with the current trend.
We will be concentrating on the Pink dots on the map (for Blue dots refer to Part 1 of the blog) unless stated.
LEATHER CRAFT
Pink dot 1. Index Accessories Products Co. This shop no longer exists. It has since been replaced twice. Last time I was around this area (August 2021) it was selling tea.
1. This shop hasn’t got a name yet. You can find leather straps and thongs here. I see some Cosplay costume jewellery, wrist bands, chokers and some bag straps. Nothing caught my eye really. Most bag accessories can be found next door.
Update: Closed down Spring 2021.
Replaced by a tea shop.
Kwong Yiu. The shop next to Pink dot 1 sells a range of hats and fascinator making accessories. For example, nets and feathers to random things like pompoms and tassels. Recently they have been stocking crochet/knitted tubes, great for making no sew unicorn tutus!
I have seen horsehair braid as well as iron on appliqué patches.
Update: September 2018. Kwong Yiu has recently opened a 2nd shop. It is a bigger and better store, specialising in the same stuff but you will find more bag making goods, jewellery accessories, feathers and flower petals. Located close to Red dot 5, next to J&J Imitation Jewellery. See below pics.
2. Wah Fung PVC, Leather Goods.
Shop that also seems PVC leatherette as well as foam for sofa and mattresses. If you are after quality foam for bedding then I would suggest purchasing it from Tai Tak PVC located on Blue Dot 18. They just seem more specialised in their range and choice.
Along Tai Nan Street you could easily find at least 5 leather crafting shops. I have only included a few here.
3. Alri Star Leather Factory.
They sell everything to do with leather. Hide, fastenings, dyes, oils, edge paints and tools. If you want to make something and not to sure how to do it, they are the people to talk to. They also run leathercraft workshops to make bags and fashion accessories.
Unfortunately I don’t have any images inside but you can check out their Facebook Page: Alri Star
Update: Unfortunately this place closed down around summer 2019. It is now a pen shop. The good news is, it has moved down the road to No.189 Tai Nan Street.
4. Brothers Leathercrafts Co. The assistants were very helpful. The range of accessories were good. They even have a machine to thin down the leather while you wait. Huge pieces of hide available in store. I bought one of my diary metal ring spines from here.
Fung Dotting Press Button Industry, Ltd.
Another shop selling leather goods but not as extensive. More like off cuts displayed in the street. The prices looked reasonable and only a few dollars for a sheet of fake/real leather in a variety of textures and designs. Inside stocked a lot of bag making accessories like clasps, buckles, rings, fastenings, etc.
Update: October 2018 Closed down.
Pink dot 5. Tai Nan Street. TeePee Workshop, specialising in leather goods. They have all the tools and accessories you need to make leather journals, key holder, bags, belts, etc. An extensive range of leathers are available as well as dyes/stains.
Prices are a few dollars more than local craft shops so do shop around.
6. 170 Ki Lung Street.
A variety of offcuts and small pieces of leather available as well a bigger pieces.
7. Sun Cheong Leather Company.
The shop goes quite deep inside. Looks like they have a very good range of leathers and materials in stock. Some leather even available in square cut pieces. They even have leather with the fur on with patterns looking at the photos on display. Boxes of offcuts available for you to rummage about.
8. Tai Cheong PVC Leather. I only found this place by chance. If you want to buy fake leather/leatherette then this is the place. Next few door away specialises in magnetic snap fasteners. Opposite is a small leather shop called Yu Kee Leather Ware Ltd. They seem to sell leather belts and a small supply of leather goods. I was running out of my back up battery juice when I walked past this area so didn’t bother taking anymore photos.
9. Gusen Leather. This leather shop is located near Blue Dot number 28. They sell a range of leather pieces in several sizes, and colour, big enough for bags as well as small enough for making personal organisers and wallets. They have a nice range of accessories in stock as well as pre packed kits to make you own luggage tags, wallets, etc. Their sewing threads come in an array of colours. You can get leather stains and conditioning oils for the leather.
For leather tools and accessories for making leather craft products, you can have look in most of the shops located between Red dots 1-11. Wing Fung, A&A Accessories to name a few.
There are actually a few more leather shops dotted around Sham Shui Po which I haven’t mentioned. I just didn’t want to go around listing all the leather shops in Sham Shui Po just for the sake of it. If anyone is interested in making a pair of handmade leather shoes then click the link below. Located in Mong Kok, Hong Kong, I know a place that rounds up the old masters of this dying trade and teach people how to make shoes using traditional methods.
Facebook Page: Shoe Artistry – Handmade in H.K.鞋藝工舘
Prices range from HKD $600-$6600.
If you want to learn to make leather bags and leather accessories, Fungus Workshop is the place for you. Based on Hong Kong island they offer workshops where they teach you the art of leather craft. Not only just a workshop, Fungus is also a leather goods brand. Their products can be found in Harvey Nichol’s as well as some renowned fashion stores.
G/F, 1 Leung I Fong, Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong
Check out part 3 of this blog for the rest for my ultimate guide.
Otherwise just check out my A-Z Guide to Sewing & Crafts Hong Kong, where I list my interesting finds in alphabetical order. Maybe you’ve been looking for a certain item and never knew where to get it.
See you there!
Shan x