Given the current state of the economy, more than ever, we could all use a stress release—and what better way than by doing our favorite crafts? One of the biggest complaints about starting a new hobby is cost. However, some hobbies are relatively inexpensive to start, and you can find ways to save money while doing them. So if you’re starting a new hobby or you just need some more supplies, check out these ideas.
1. Get free stuff on Freecycle.org or swap with a friend.
If you haven’t found Freecycle.org, run right out and sign up. On the front page of the site, just find a group in your local area, you can then sign up (usually for a Yahoo! group) with people close to you. You have to give away something to start, but Freecycle.org is a wonderful community where all you have to do is ask. I find that people are really generous. If you say you’re starting a hobby, there are plenty of people out there who started the same hobby years ago and gave up or inherited the junk from their grandmother that’s now cluttering up their closet!
The same goes for friends. You might be surprised at who has craft items sitting around that she never uses. She might be thrilled to get rid of them and see you make something nice! I have received old wedding dresses and other clothing items (prom dresses, sweaters, ethnic pieces) that I reuse in my projects—talk about gorgeous materials for free!
2. Reuse and recycle.
Be creative with your own materials. You may be able to save quite a bit by using recycled wood, textiles, plastic, metal, old sweaters, and anything else you may use. One of the reasons I love crazy-quilting is that you use up every scrap of fabric. It’s rare I throw anything out (ask my husband!); as a result, I have a lot of craft supplies at my fingertips!
3. Shop around Craigslist.org, eBay.com, or Etsy.com.
Craigslist.org can be an equally great source for people dumping their craft supplies. In this bad economy, people are trying to scrape up every cent they can find, and often they’re doing that by clearing out their clutter on Craigslist.org.
eBay.com also has bargains, but you’ll need to comparison shop here. Some retailers on Ebay.com charge as much as other Internet retailers. However, I have found the bead supplies and some other craft supplies are cheapest on eBay.com.
