WHERE to find FREE or CHEAP Arts & Craft Supplies

Especially with the economy being what it is, the majority of us need to shop around for the best deals on supplies for our hobbies. I thought I would start this thread.

My idea is for everyone interested in doing so to post their location (city and state and country if needed) and where they go to get the best deals on their arts and craft supplies.

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5 replies since 27th November 2011 • Last reply 27th November 2011

Reply #1:

Mason & Thurston Counties, Washington State.

FREE-
1. Check out your local Freecycle.org website. Most states have them for their county or cities (depending upon location). Everything "offered" is FREE. Anything you list "wanted", is to be responded with offers of FREE items (whatever it is you "wanted".
2. Craigslist.com Check the "free" section.
3. The Shopper's Weekly Newspaper- check the "free" section.
4. Check out www.2good2toss.org See if they have a section for your city and/or county. Check the "free" section.
5. Dumpster Dive- no kidding! I personally don't do this for anything other than cardboard boxes from recycle bins, but I know people who hit the trash and recycle dumpsters behind arts & craft stores, second hand stores, etc.

VERY CHEAP-
1. The Everything's a Dollar Store. Provided you still have one open in your area. Most of our recently closed. This is the store with the bright yellow and red sign. Hit EVERY store in your area. Each store carries much of the same items, but they always have stuff the other store didn't! This is how to find the big scores! And everything is 2/$1.00 or $ 1 each!
2. The Dollar Depot. IF you still have any open in your area. Ours closed over the last few years. But, everything in the store is $ 1. And each store carries quite a few things that they don't "all" carry as a rule.
3. Dollar Tree. I LOVE this store! I hit the one in Shelton, the one off Sleater-Kinney Rd, off Martin Way, and off Harrison Road- all in the Olympia/Lacey/Tumwater area. Each store carries a lot of the same stuff, yeah, BUT they also each carry items that the others don't. So, make sure you hit all the stores in your area. And, everything is $ 1 each!
4. Second Hand Stores- for Shelton- Treasure's Thrift Store, Nifty-Thrifty, and Goodwill. We now also have additional second hand stores that recently opened in the last year. They appear to have good deals, but haven't personally checked it out yet. However, the 3 stores I mentioned always have some sale going on, either "green tag" or what have you is usually discounted to 50% off, sometimes they pick more than 1 color to discount off. Or if you are lucky, everything is 50% off. And each has a crafting section. The only 2 I frequent in the Oly/Tumwater/Lacey area is Goodwill off Cooper Pt. Road and Mud Bay/Harrison and Value Village off Sleater-Kinney.

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Reply #2:

Bath, UK

1. Freecycle

2. Guildhall Market

3. Sewing shop by Sainsbury's, not reeeally cheap but cheaper than other fabric shops in Bath, and you can get student discount.

4. The Range in Bristol

5. Fabric Land by Cabot Circus in Bristol

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Reply #3:

SoDak/Minnesota

I tend to check thrift stores for materials I can work with. I've found candle-making supplies for 25 or 50 cents.

Hobby Lobby is fairly reasonably priced but I have noticed their prices going up lately. Luckily they usually have a 40% off coupon for one item every week.

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Reply #4:

Washington State

JoAnn's Fabric- Doesn't just sell fabric, carries items for all sorts of craft supplies. IF you pick up the Sunday paper, you can get their weekly sales flyer which almost always includes a coupon for 40% off any one regularly priced item in the store. I use these coupons for my bigger item purchases that I normally wouldn't be able to afford.

Michael's Craft Store- Doesn't sell fabric, except quilting packs, but has a HUGE selection of just about anything craft or art supply. IF you pick up the Sunday paper, you can get their weekly sales flyer which always includes at least 1 coupon for 40% - 50% off any regularly priced item.

Garage/Yard/Patio/Estate Sales- normally a variety around on the weekends starting March and running through early October. However, with the economy being what it is, you can often find garage/yard sales somewhere each weekend now, even during fall and winter months. I LOVE garage sales! You can often find FREE craft project odds and ends, and others for pennies on the dollar. Happy

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Reply #5:

yard sales are good as are etsy's supllies ive seen really cheap stuff on their and recycled garbage a store of pill containers card board boxes fake phones etc that were donated by companies that ordered to many of them nothing is ever over $5 and most stuff you cna get a huge 80cm high 67 cm wide bag of stuff for $20 and thrift stores are good for fabric for smaller projects by old clothes where you like the farbic or sales clothes at the shops and cut them up i got an ugly tee for 80cents once at kmart but the fabric was ok i dyed it and made a ragdoll for my sister out of it

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