When money it tight, some people are more likely to try to save money by staying home and crafting for entertainment rather than going out or traveling. As a crafter, do you do anything special to try to save money? If so, what is your favorite way to save money when it comes to craft supplies? (vote in the poll by clicking on your choice below)- I use recycled materials.
- I share/trade supplies with family/friends.
- I buy only what I can find at big discount stores.
- I do a lot of comparison shopping.
- I try to find my supplies wholesale.
- I browse online sites like Ebay or Craig's List.
- Other (please click here and then use the comments section below to share your idea)
- See the poll results.
If you want to vote in more Family Craft Polls, check out these:
- Crafting with Elephant Poop?
- Who Do You Craft With?
- Where Do You Get Most of Your Craft Ideas?
- What is Your Favorite Crafting Holiday?
My “other” is a big one for knitters (and others, too, I suppose), trying not to buy as much and using what I already have, aka “the stash.” It’s not working so well right now but probably by the beginning of the year if not sooner I’ll be back on a yarn fast (which I did earlier this year, I didn’t buy anything until almost the end of March and was pretty good until I completely fell down in August).
Along with most of the suggestions in the poll I’ve always been huge on not throwing ANY of my “leftovers” away, other than teeny, bitty pieces. I have found so many ways to use up those little bits of paper (I’m mainly a paper crafter), ribbon, and so on. I sort the paper scraps and such by color, dark vs. light, and size, huge vs. small, and so on.
I also always buy re-inkers for my stamp pads when I buy the pad. That helps a lot plus there are a lot of uses for the re-inker on its own.
“Found items”, and some embellishments, for me vary widely and are never purchased as they are but are from something/someplace else. Often they’re the creative spark for a totally new idea/method/project.
I’m planning on participating in a “garage sale” of craft items at a local craft store in November. I’ve already got several boxes, yes BOXES (well, not huge ones
of items to sell. Those funds will hopefully go into my crafting budget…which has shrunk a LOT lately.
One last comment, trade your craft magazines with friends or local crafters via a craft store. HUGE savings to be had there and you still get to see all the different craft mags out there.
I love yard sales. I go every chance I get and pick up bargains galore. I work with beads, yarn and stamping. My big buy this summer was $5.00 for 5- 30 gallon garbage bags full of unused yarn (90% of which were high end – some costing as much as $12/skein… ) The lady was selling them at this price because her daughter had moved and she was tired of storing them. I won’t have to buy yarn for years to come! Church sales and yard sales are the best!
I’ve been sharing my yarn stash with family too and searching garage sales and such. I’ve found some good buys at Good Will & Salvation Army thrift stores. I bought a grocery bag full of magenta yarn with a half finished sweater for $2. The person who started the sweater likely had some unknown pain when I unraveled their work but I’m a crocheter and it was knitted. Between my Mom and myself we found several unfinished afghans in our closets that came apart and made several baby outfits and hat/scarf combinations instead.
I save everything. So much that I have to do something about my craft room quickly so I can find my table. I download and print a lot of pics from the internet to use when making stationery, framed collages, etc. I dye fabric and use glitter, sand, small pebbles when making things with material. I use recycled materials. I like to bring nature inside. I paint ladybugs with craft paint on rocks. And the list goes on.