Cutting Costs On Arts And Crafts Supplies: How To Get More For Your Money

HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON ART AND CRAFT SUPPLIES

Let’s face it - sometimes do-it-yourself projects can get pretty expensive. Such is the case when it comes to arts and crafts supplies.

How to do something yourself and not blow a great wad of money?

There is a solution. It's all about knowing how to find bargains or alternative ways of getting arts and crafts supplies for a fraction of the cost.

Let’s look at some ways to trim the cost off obtaining arts and crafts supplies!

MONEY-SAVING TIPS ON BUYING ARTS AND CRAFTS SUPPLIES

• Shop on-line. Online prices are traditionally less than bricks and mortar store prices. You can often find sweet deals especially if you buy in bulk. I scoured bricks and mortar fabric stores for pillow inserts when I was making a bunch of pillows and ended up saving $3 per pillow. This was quite a savings since the material cost me next to nothing! I had them shipped to my house with free shipping.....a huge savings.

• Buy in bulk. As in most cases, when you buy in bulk, you save money. If you can go to larger stores, you’ll usually find better deals but again, online and smaller stores can also give you a great return on your dough.

• Shop the ads. Look in newspapers, magazines or online to see if there are any sales or coupons available or coming up soon. Even call stores to see what they might be offering. Michaels is famous for their 50% off coupons which apply to goods and services. It’s really the best time to buy anything when you can save at least 50%....that’s a savings! If you can use the coupon more than once, do that as well to save even more money.

• Be a scavenger. You can find freebies when it comes to art or craft supplies. You can find paper, posterboard, cardboard, plywood, glass, fence boards, and mirrors to name a few items - in the trash or at garage sales for pennies. Picture frames are available in most thrift stores. You can pop out the picture and reuse the frame for little cash outlay. Find baskets, containers, etc. for your craft projects at garage sales and thrift stores. You can even redo arrangements and save the container. Consider old clothing for fabric pieces. You can usually get old clothes at garage sales or thrift stores for next to nothing. Check out curbside "free to a good home" signs!

• Check out odd places. Look at office supply stores online and in the bricks and mortar world for drawing supplies. Check Costco or Sam’s club for supplies like rolls of paper or even cleaning supplies for art materials. Hardware stores can supply you with items like wood, lights, wire and tools for cheaper than you’d probably pay at an arts and craft store. Check stores like Walmart or Fred Meyers for supplies and compare prices. You can even buy rolls of newspaper paper (without the printing) at the local newspaper plant. The paper is perfect for many things from arts and crafts to making patterns to packing dishes!
  

• Freebies. Don’t forget Craigslist – check their free listings and don’t hesitate to post an ad that you’re looking for certain materials. You never know what might turn up. Also check your local paper for giveaway materials or supplies. Think about registering at your local freecycle and get more freebies.

• Demolition. The ultimate recycling venue but make sure that you’re legally collecting supplies. You can find great woods, doors, paneling, glass, etc. at demolition sites but the contents of the building might already be spoken for. Make sure you’re legally collecting and if you are, you’ll probably have quite a find!

• Use common sense. If you’re going out looking for materials like driftwood, petrified wood or rocks, think about safety first. Don’t put yourself at risk for arts and crafts! Take wildlife into consideration and safety precautions like time of day, weather, terrain, etc. Don’t trespass on someone’s property to get materials! You can end up getting fined or even thrown in jail because it’s against the law. Always ask permission if in doubt. Ask the local Bureau of Land Management if it’s legal in your state or your county to pick up materials anywhere. Be specific – often it is – but you still need to ask. Tell them which roads you plan to be scavenging on and when and get permission (written if possible) to pick up materials for arts, crafts or decorating. Don’t stop to gather cattails on the side of the highway! Try and figure out a safe location to collect things and again, always check with local law enforcement personnel to make sure you’re legally collecting anything.

• Ask for offer matching. If you do find something on line that’s cheaper, print it off and then take it to a bricks and mortar store or even approach other online sellers to match the price. Most often, they will because they want your money!

• Shop off season. If you’re planning on doing Christmas crafts, the best time to buy your supplies or some of them anyhow is right after the season’s over so a little planning ahead is worth its weight in gold – literally.

• Think outside the box. No matter what art project or craft project you’re doing, there’s probably an alternative medium you could use or a different kind of material that’s cheaper. Some of the best projects have been born of trying to save money! Be creative because after all, isn’t that what arts and crafts are all about? If you have instructions for doing it one way, think of another way to do it that will be totally unique and it may just end up saving you money but also leading you to create something even more beautiful. Then write a hub about it and post it on hubpages. You can sign up here.

SAVING MONEY ON ARTS AND CRAFTS SUPPLIES

In short, there are many ways that you can save money when it comes to buying arts and crafts supplies.

Learning how to maximize sales or bargain hunting are great ways to save money and even get more for your hard-earned dollars.

Don't be afraid to barter or negotiate for the best price.  The money you save is worth it!

Most people doing arts and crafts themselves want to not only create something of value for themselves or someone else but they also want to do it for less than the cost of purchasing it ready-made.

Repurposing materials like old frames, doors, windows, etc. is a fantastic way to not only save money but also recycle.  Old things can be made new again by a savvy arts and crafts collector.

Think of some alternatives like collecting nature's bounty to create some of your projects, too....like reeds on the side of the lake or driftwood pieces from the beach. Again, just have a care in your collecting that you stay within the law and above all, be safe.

These are just a few suggestions on how to save money on arts and crafts supplies. If you have more to add, please enrich my hub by leaving your educational comments.