Save Money On Paper Craft Supplies

I was guilty of this before I got all my craft supplies organized ! The deadly sin of buying something I all ready have ! Ugh ! I hated when that happened ! What a waste of money ! Once I got my craft space organized, that bad habit stopped ! It's really essential to clean your space and know what you have.

If you are taking on major seasonal projects, (like holidays) or special occasions (like birthdays or wedding to make a list of all the supplies you need and then make a shopping list.

Not only will you find that you will have more money to spend, but you will spend less time looking for what you need.

Getting organized with each of these ideas saves you lots of money. You can pick up each of your sets when you go shopping so that you don't duplicate what you already have.

Here are the steps you need t get done so that you will be totally organized with your craft supplies:

• Take all your ink pads and stamp some index cards with each ink pad. On each card you can list the name of the pad and when you bought it. Punch a hole in  your cards and place them on a binder ring or a piece of ribbon
• Stamp A Sample Of Each Of Your Stamps. On the same index cards, stamp a sample of each of your stamps. I like to organize them by subject matter. For example, birthdays, holidays, ect. Again, punch a hole in each card and put them on a binder ring. If you have multiple locations for your stamps, put the location of your stamps
• Make A Sample Of Each Of Your Embossing Folders . Using the same idea emboss each of your folders. Punch a hole in each and thread them on a binder ring

It's happened to all of us at one time or another. We get to a craft store and purchase something, only to find that we have the item at home already. Wow, I know it's happened to me and it makes me mad at myself. There's a simple answer to that ! Make a craft inventory book. It's easy ! Get a small wire ring notebook. Make sections for each category of supply or tool that you have, Then inventory or make a list of what you have. Use a small notebook that you could carry around with you.

• If you knit or chochet, you might have copies of the wool in your inventory, a list of needles or hooks you own and the pattern books that you have
• If you do painting or art, you might have a list of the brushes, paints and art supplies that you own
• If you are a scrap book artist, a paper crafter or a greeting card maker, you might stamp all the stamps you have in your book, show or list the ink colors, tools, and papers that you have

This way if you are at a show, a craft store, or a sale, you know what you have. best of all, you can add a list of whatever you might want...a wish list. That way, you can watch for sales and get what you need at a good price

Try to make a list of the supplies you need so you are not tempted to spend extra time browsing. Browsing as we all know leads to extra money spent by the time we reach the cash register. If you have the extra money and are really going to use that extra item or two , that's fine. But the stores are counting on impulse buying, so watch your pennies and head straight for the things on your list.

Sign up for all the newsletters in the major box craft stores so that you get all the coupons and notifications on sale items. That way with your list, you can save with any coupons that might be available. Make sure that you carry for all the coupons for all the stores then ask if they honor other store coupons for extra savings

These are the stores in your area that are national craft stores. Lots of times, they will have specials like no shipping charges, special coupons, ect that is only available on line. I know that I get special coupons that I get as an online subscriber. Some stores will even offer you a birthday coupon, so check them out

I also join a few online craft stores. I get some really great offers and promo codes from some of them that have saved me money.

I never go to a craft store without my coupons. I search for them every week and also republish them on my blogs. I have saved more money than I can tell you by using my coupons. Better yet, have a coupon and being able to use it with other offers. For example if a stamp is buy one get one 1/2 price and I have a 25 % off my total purchase, that is really a buy. Most craft places will discount the most expensive of your purchase if it's a coupon like a 40% off one item.

Some items will not count on your coupon, so take time to read your coupons and understand their restrictions. If you are going shopping always carry the fliers from all the stores in your area, Lots of stores will honor another stores prices if you have the information and ask. It never hurts to try

Know your stores position about accepting another stores coupons. Some do and some don't.

I have no qualms about taking my senior citizen discount whenever I can. For example if you have an ARRP card, Michael's will offer you a discount if you show your card. Some restrictions apply, but it's worth pulling it out and seeing what you can get. I know in the fall, a lot of craft stores offer teacher discounts. Every penny counts !

Buy the things that you need after the season. You will get the best discounts. I never buy seasonal items unless they are on sale

While it may not be always possible, buy the essentials of your craft supplies in bulk. Buying in bulk means that, for the most part, your items will cost less than buying single units. For example, recently I was looking for a replacement mat for my Cricut explore. The base price was anywhere between $11-$13 a piece. I found a seller on Ebay selling 10 mats for $56 . Guess what my individual mats cost me $ $5.60. Plus there was free shipping ! So I saved At least $5 per mat. You can do this with glue, glue sticks, paper, yarn and more. Don't be afraid to bid on items. Nothing ventured nothing gained.

I never throw any useable piece of yearn, fabric, ribbon, or anything away that I could use again. Small pieces of paper are used to create pieces for paper crafting projects. I keep all my scraps organized and labeled so I can go right to what I need. I save a great deal of money, hording that single button or sticker. I never throw anything away, at all

If you have an electronic cutter, save the paper from all the cutouts. You can use them for frames and as embellishments. I never throw a piece of paper as long as it has an inch of space left

There are so many places to spend your craft dollars these days. But prices vary, so my rule of thumb is to do comparison shopping on anything over $10. I check places like Amazon, ebay and a few of my favorite online sources. Then I check the box stores and see where I will get the item at the best price. But remember to figure in the shipping cost as well.

For example, I recently saw a tool that I need in the store of the company that manufactures it for $9.99 plus shipping and handling. I checked Ebay out and the price there varied from $9.99 to $30 for the same item. Can you imagine that? Next I found the item in Joanns Fabric for $8.99. So I will check it out today and see what the store has to offer. If I can't find it there, I may order online.

My point is , prices can vary, so comparison shop before you buy

I love making floral arrangements for my home, but I always buy my flowers after the season. I know that there isn't always the same selection, but you can get terrific buys if you watch the sales post season. You can always watch for pre season sales too. That's one of my favorite Sunday habits, reading the craft store fliers and planning ahead.

I love clearance sales only when the items are something I would need and use.

I love poking around in unlikely places for really great bargains and treasures. The Dollar Store is a great place to find crafty supplies. I bought the containers for my wedding centerpieces at $1.00 a piece at a local dollar store. What else could you find? Organizers for your craft room, frames to decorate, glassware to craft with, seasonal décor to work with and even craft supplies.

Check out places like Walmart to find some hidden treasures like art supplies and some other things in paper crafts that might surprise you. I have also found really good buys on craft supplies in places like Tuesday Morning and Big Lots

And check out your local thrift shop for some real buried treasure. I have found baskets, ribbon, glue sticks, envelopes, shells, containers, scrapbook paper, candles and a lot of stuff you just would not expect.

You never know what you are going to find but the hunt is fun and the prices are sure right for anyone's budget

There is nothing wrong with splitting a large package of a supply with one of your crafty friends. It's a great way to keep the cost down for something that you might only need for one project. Another thought is to invite several of your crafty friends over and have a craft swop. Make a girls night of it and have some fun.

There are several trading groups on Facebook where members get to swap supplies.

Oh, the treasures that I have found at garage and rummage sales! If you are willing to do the leg work, you can often find outstanding bargains at these events. There is always a little room to haggle which is nice. Always carry cash for these events and be prepared to look through a lot of stuff. You can often find, yarn, trim, old books, and tools. The fun is in the hunt !