Arts and crafts stores are the most obvious places to go if you are looking for your next arts and crafts project but it helps if you know how and when to shop them and if you think outside of the box when it comes to places to buy your supplies.
Shop end of season sales Buying year round is an excellent way to save money when you are buying craft supplies.
After the end of year holidays many arts and crafts stores put their Christmas crafts on sale.
This is a great time to pick up holiday stickers and scrapbook paper as well as holiday fabric.
After the Fourth of July look for red, white and blue items and stock up on pumpkin products after Halloween.
The change of season always means a sale as the new product line comes in.
When summer starts you will be able to find a wide assortment of pastel fabric and yarn as well as flower motifs.
Shopping year round makes it easier when you do sit down for a project because you are more likely to already have the supplies you need on hand.
If your first arts and crafts project of the year is a scrapbook of the previous year and you shopped sales the entire year then it will be easy to sit down and produce your memory album.
Since many craft projects can be somewhat expensive you can cut down on the cost by shopping year round and at least spreading the expense out over a year.
Hit the clearance aisles You may be surprised at the clearance products.
Yarn is especially expensive but if you find it on clearance you can stock up on a large amount of a quality brand.
Wal-Mart always has a clearance aisle and if you check it often and look carefully you can often find arts and crafts clearance products drastically marked down.
Also, be open minded when you search the sale aisle.
Just because an item is meant to be used in one way does not mean you cannot use it in another.
Products such as ribbons for little girl's hair can be used in scrapbooks while bargain fabric place mats can be cut up for quilting pieces.
Sign up for the arts and crafts stores mailers Many arts and crafts stores have mailers that they send out regularly.
This is a great way to find about sales and get coupons to take with you when you go.
There are times when these stores will send out coupons or have sales only for people on their mailing lists.
All Stores Your arts and crafts project supplies do not have to come from an arts and crafts store.
This can be the best way to save money on your craft supplies.
If you need fabric for a project such as a quilt then head to your local Salvation Army.
Not only do they have large amounts of clothing that you can cut up but they sometimes have sheets or blankets or other large pieces of fabric that you can use.
This is a great way to get large amounts of fabric for almost nothing.
Auctions and garage sales are also great places to find cheap craft supplies.
Auctions can be a place to find unique supplies and at garage sales you can often get expensive supplies for much cheaper than even the discount area of a store.
Look at all stores differently, the hardware store may just hold the perfect piece for your next craft project! Use these tips when you next go to the arts and crafts store so that you can spend less on your hobbies.