Art Supplies and Craft Supplies for Little or Nothing

Are you an artist or crafter on a budget?  Do high costs in art supply stores make you cringe?  If so, there are some ways to save money you may not have thought of.

Crafting supplies can make a big hole in your budget.  Having to keep lots of materials on hand can be expensive.  Art supplies like paint and brushes are sometimes not only be hard to find but costly.  Here are a few places you may not have thought to find bargains on the materials needed to make craft items or paintings.

Look for bargains here:

• Second hand store
• Thrift shop
• Yard sales, garage sales, rummage sales
• Yard sales online
• Church rummage sales
• Online Auctions (such as eBay)

Often people purchase new supplies to make craft items and for one reason or another decide not to engage in the art.  The materials sit in a closet until spring, when the owner decides to host a rummage sale.  Many times these things are brand new and sell for pennies.  The thrifty shopper can find many of the items they need this way.

Materials to create with are often spur of the moment buys.  Things like oil paints and canvases, brushes and frames sit unused because the user has lost interest.  These materials can sometimes be picked up for low cost from the seller.  Artists often are able to find great deals on picture frames in this manner. 

Always know what your crafting supplies cost at retail so you know whether or not you are getting a good deal at the used price.  Don’t end up being upset because you thought you were getting a deal when you could have bought the same thing new with a coupon or at a storewide sale.  It pays to know retail cost for your craft supplies.

Be Careful to Check the Shelf Life:

A lot of items keep forever, but a few do have a shelf life.  Be careful buying things that may age quickly, such as basket weaving reed and dyes, oil and acrylic paints, yarn and thread and anything else that could age.  Even if you buy these things, check them carefully for expiration date, if there is one.  Basket reed can be brittle and dry, thread can break, paints bleed and dyes often lose their color value.  Being aware of these facts can save you money in the long run.  At times it’s possible to buy these items for a low cost at a sale in a commercial store.

Know your value, set a limit, and shop wisely.  You can purchase a lot of supplies for your art by being a savvy shopper.