Howell’s Home & Floral

This place is a treasure trove if you have a creative project to do! It is a smörgåsbord of things — lots of silk flowers, ribbon, Christmas trees as well as a lot of cheap chotskies. Either just ‘junk’ or ‘gold’ in the right hands!

There is craft and there is craft. Craft as in Crafty Wonderland. Craft as in scrapbooking.
This is a craft supply store that caters to the latter. It’s a giant Michaels-​like warehouse, but Portland-​based since 1952, not a newbie chain. They have a big wholesale business.
It’s a great source for bulk surreal silk and plastic flowers, odd gift package wrapping add-​ons (birds and the like), all produced by workers in the low wage parts of Asia still left, who must wonder why we want such things. Christmas decorations galore, like denim-​clad snowmen (??), ornaments. Wood fish, ducks and roosters. Need a package of a dozen teddy bears? They have it, in a variety of sizes. Fake berries and butterflies. Bulk strands of «pearls»? Ridiculous decorative elements you didn’t know you (don’t) need. Best deals in town on bulk ribbon. And it’s next to a toxic waste spill. How David Lynch!
So if you are a scrapbooker, it’s a warehouse heaven version of the more retail chains. If you are a highly ironic artist, it’s a goldmine and hoot combined. Good for hours of free entertainment just to browse. And cheap.