Staedtler, Derwent, Sennelier and Windsor and Newton are just a few of the brands here, on this website offering a full range of materials for artists and would be artists including easels, paints (oil, acrylic or watercolour), paper and board, canvasses, brushes and folios. They also have a well stocked crafts section with calligraphy, candle making, glass painting, needlecraft and stenciling so there’s something for everyone plus some very good gift ideas.

This is a great place for dancewear, where you’ll find brands such as Pineapple, Capezio and Bloch and everything from RAD approved examination leotards and skirts, jazz shoes, boots and warm up clothes to stage and character shoes, a range of costumes and Snazaroo and Charles Fox make-up. There are also enchanting tutus for tinies for those mini wannabe ballet girls.

For anyone who’s into (or just starting) ballet or jazz this is a lovely, essential website. The pictures of the dancing girls on the front lead you straight in to a wonderful selection of leotards, skirts and tutus, tights, leggings and warm up gear plus tops and pants for jazz, soft and pointe ballet shoes and a selection of sneakers.

Cross stitch, knitting and crochet, tapestry and decoupage are just some of the crafts you’ll find here, where there’s a wide range of kits including Brambly Hedge, Farm Animals and Charlie ‘n Friends (cross stitch), simple and quite complicated tapestry sets, knitting and crochet, threads and accessories and everything you could need to get going. Call them if you have any queries – it would be helpful if they had a rating for how complicated each item is but they don’t (yet).

Established in 1995, Musicroom is a global retailer, shipping products out to over 100 countries and offering one of the largest selections of sheet music, song books, books about music and tutor methods in the world. At Christmas time they offer a gift selection, including Christmas music, learning guides for different instruments, CDs and instrument accessories. It really is an excellent website so if you have a young musician in the family do stop off here.

This is quite a confusing site to look at probably because the range is so big but if you’re in the market for a new or second hand musical instrument you must have a browse as the prices can be very good. The range is amazing and it’s very helpful that they have a clear manufacturer index offering almost 100 brands so you can go straight to the product you’re looking for. They also offer online live support (which you may well need) and worldwide delivery for just about everything.

This is a lovely, clear and easy to navigate website, where you can choose from a fantastic selection of musical instruments, from clarinets to grand pianos, acoustic and electric guitars, together with sheet music and a repair service. The instruments are discounted (check the price with your local supplier and/or a price comparison website to make sure) but some of the prices look excellent. Prices for UK shipping are supplied online but you need to call them for overseas.

Discover a wonderful treasure trove of artists’ and craft supplies, from paints, pencils, brushes and inks to clay, craft paper and adhesives plus fabric art and needlecraft equipment. There are also accessories including frames, tapestry wools, stranded cotton and fantasy threads. This is not one of the most highly sophisticated websites but it’s easy to use and quick to order from. Expect a high level of service and speedy delivery and call them if you need advice.