Crafting On A Budget

Crafting is one of those hobbies where people manage to create amazing things for a few dollars and the rest of us spend way too much money and end up with a piece of homemade crap.

I’m addicted to costume making (and my part time business is based off it) so I spend a ridiculous amount of time in fabric and craft stores. It’s very easy to get distracted by all the pretty things and end up spending twice your budget, so it’s important to have a plan when you go into a store.

• Know what you are going to make. – Before you set foot in a store, have an idea of what you’re going to make. For ideas, you can try Craftser, What the Craft?, Thread Banger or Dollar Store Crafts. Once you have a basic idea, you can make up a shopping list and stick to it.
• Comparison shop online. Most of the major shops have either an online store or catalog where you can compare item prices and check out circulars. If you’ve got a coupon, it can be cheaper to order an item online (even with shipping) than buying it at another store.
• Consider alternate sources. You can often find cheap lots of jewelry findings, spools of ribbons and fabric on eBay. The dollar store can have paper, glue, paint and other craft supplies as well as things like tea towels to work with. You can also re-purpose items from the thrift store.
• Don’t buy it just because it’s on sale. – That’s not to say you shouldn’t stock up on basic items when they’re on sale (buttons, thread, muslin, paper, glue, beading wire, etc.) but don’t go crazy buying pretty things you’ll never use just because it’s in clearance. I have an entire shelving unit full of mismatched fabric I will never use. (Hot pink and puke green argyle? What was I thinking?)


Bonus points if you can name the characters

• Don’t set foot in a major chain brick and mortar store without a 40%-50% off coupon. – They’re available in almost every circular (if you go early in the week, they’ll probably have a circular in the store for you) and you can also get them if you join one of the mailing lists. If the store is not too far out of the way and you buy items early, you can space out your purchases so every expensive item gets a coupon. Or you can always bring a non-crafting friend and have them use a second coupon for you.

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