25 Ways To Save On Craft Supplies

Posted on | October 15, 2009 | No Comments

As with most hobbies, crafting can be economical or expensive, depending on the purchasing choices you make. In fact, as with most hobbies, spending a lot of money does not even make crafting more enjoyable. For many people, part of the thrill of crafting, is making much out of little!

Here are 25 ways to help you save money on your next craft project.

1. Use what you’ve got. Choose your next project based on what you already own. If your mom gave you an abundance of scrapbooking paper, try paper crafts. If you have yarn leftover from a previous project, do some knitting.

2. Ask for craft supplies as gifts. Why chance getting another scarf, when you’d love a new set of crochet hooks? Let folks know what you want, and you’ll probably get it.

3. Make use of your public library. Besides craft books and magazines, many local libraries offer how-to craft videos and classes (especially for seniors and kids).

4. Check out adult education classes. Given at local high schools in the evenings, these classes offer some great technical programs for crafters. Our nearby high school has classes in stained glass at incredibly cheap rates.

5. Buy in bulk. Scrapbooking paper is cheaper in reams, polymer clay is cheaper in multi-pack boxes and yarn is cheaper in larger skeins.

6. Buy only what you need. I have a friend who frequently buys in anticipation of future projects. Since many of those projects never get started, she has hundreds of dollars of unused materials laying around.

7. Shop the sales. Large chain stores, like Joann’s and Michael’s, frequently have sales. Waiting for the sales can save you 20% or more.

8. Watch for coupons. My mom has and sister both use coupons from Michael’s on a regular basis and save tons of money. Coupons are generally available in the newspaper or online.

9. Bid on auctions. I’ve gotten amazing deals on ebay over the years. I usually have the best luck when I make purchases from sellers who have lost interest in their craft and want to liquidate their unused supplies. In general, I avoid the professional auctioneers.

10. Scour secondhand resources. Thrift shops, yard sales and flea markets are great sources for craft supplies. Our local Village Thrift usually has large bags of yarn for just a couple of dollars and I find loads of fabric at yard sales.

11. Re-source fabric. Used sheets, large-size skirts and vintage curtains can be cut up and revamped into something new. The key is to always make something larger into something smaller.

12. Read used books. Thrift shops, Amazon Marketplace and libraries all have great vintage and current craft books for sale.

13. Finish what you’ve started. I have three needlepoint projects in various stages of execution. I won’t be starting a new needlepoint project till all three have been completed.

14. Trade with friends. No longer need the two yards of black velvet? Find out if anyone in your quilting group would like to swap for a nice summery print.

15. Do some recycling. Knit with plarn, make baskets from old magazines and decoupage with candy wrappers.

16. Make your own craft supplies. Homemade cold porcelain is a cheap and easy to make. It also makes a wonderful modeling material.

17. Build your own craft equipment. I created a mold and deckle for paper making using nothing more than two dollar store picture frames, window screening and a heavy duty staple gun. I’ve also made my own weaving loom from cardboard.

18. Take advantage of the internet. The internet has an almost unlimited supply of free craft patterns, free printables and free videos.

19. Make projects that are intrinsically cheap. You’d have to work hard to break the budget on quilling and origami projects.

20. Check out the dollar store. Dollars are stocked with scrapbooking paper, rubber stamps. fancy scissors and great looking stickers. Definitely worth checking out!

21. Watch some television. If you spend money on cable anyway, check you DIY and HGTV. Both of these channels have excellent craft shows.

22. Check the clearance aisle. I once found some wonderful vellum envelopes, perfect for scrapbooking, in the clearance aisle in Target. On another occasion, I bought a necklace, and which I took apart for the beads.

23. Don’t forget Craig’s List and Freecycle. Today’s Craig’s List has a used sewing machine, new fabric and canvas all at great prices.

24. Purchase used craft kits. I’ve bought a used rock tumbler kit, woodburning kit, and bead weaving kit from my local thrift shop. In each case, the kits were dismantled and used for their individual parts.

25. Save everything. I save old clothes to turn into quilts, newspapers to turn into paper mache, and cereal boxes to turn into just about anything. Once in a while, when I start to overstock I either make a project or empty my stash.

Have any other money saving ideas? Send them to me in a comment and I’ll be happy to post them!

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