“Crafting is too expensive” said almost EVERYONE that I show my crafting projects to. And…… I will tell you the absolute truth, crafting can be expensive! Now, you have those people who will tell you that true crafters don’t mind the cost because they love doing it. Well, I can tell you from personal experience that as much as I LOVE crafting (it comes in fourth behind God, my family, and my furry love) that I absolutely mind the cost of crafting! Some crafting supplies are so expensive and if don’t believe me then I challenge you to add up how much glass beads are full price for the glass bead ornament!

So you may ask, what is a crafter to do? First, don’t panic! The price of crafting supplies doesn’t have to hinder your unique creativity and the amazing projects you will make. After doing countless projects over the years I have come across some fool proof ways to save money on craft supplies that I want to share with you!

This post contains affiliate links. That’s just a fancy way of saying if you click on a link and purchase something I get a little money (total score for me). For more information, see my disclosure here.

Craft Store Loyalty Programs

The first step to save money on craft supplies should be to check your local craft stores to see if they have a loyalty or reward program. Usually, when you sign up for these programs they give you exclusive coupons, offers, and special sales. Joann Fabric has a reward program called Joann Smiles that offers its participants “Missions” that require you to do a certain thing and get a reward. For example, one time I needed to make two purchases during a specific time frame and then I would get a $5 dollar reward certificate. You can keep track of your missions on their website or through their Joann app. I have racked up a ton of reward certificates from this program which means free supplies!

Use Coupons

I once worked with a woman who told me that she didn’t use coupons because she had enough money to pay full price. When she told me this I thought to myself that is the most stupid thing I have ever heard! However, there does seem to be quite a prejudice toward using coupons and many people still won’t take advantage of this free benefit. Personally, I save the most money on crafting supplies by using coupons.

Joann Fabric is by far the best crafting supply store when it comes to using coupons. They allow you to use one coupon per item! And sometimes they have percent off coupons that you can use on your entire purchase including items that are on sale. All of their coupons can be used straight from their app so you don’t have to worry about having to print them.

Like Joann, Michaels lets you use their coupons straight from their app. The downfall with Michaels is they have way less coupons than Joann and I have never seen a percent off your entire purchase coupon. However, they do have a reward program that sends you personalized coupons such as $5.00 off any purchase.

Sadly to say, Hobby Lobby is the worse when it comes to using coupons. In their app they have a standard 40% coupon on a regular priced item and you can only use one coupon per transaction. Also, I have had some really negative experiences with their cashiers about using the coupon (so sad) but it hasn’t stopped me from using it!

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Wait For Sales

Ok, so this isn’t for projects where you need the supplies like toot sweet. This is more for projects that either don’t have a deadline or future projects. If you know what you need you can easily check the ads for your local craft stores to score your much needed craft supplies cheap when they go on sale.

An especially good time to check for sales is near major holidays such as Independence Day, Memorial Day, and Labor Day. I know Joann Fabric runs HUGE sales on most holiday weeks throughout the year and will even have bonus coupons on top of the sale! During these special sale times, I try to stock up on things that I know I use often such as sewing thread, foam balls, and straight pins.

Trying to find your craft supplies on sale does take some planning on your part. You have to think of the projects that you will need or want to make in the near future. I start to plan the Christmas ornament I will make and give away in May. This way I can start to gather supplies when they are on sale or I have wicked good coupons.

Check Resale Stores

I know how weird this sounds, but bear with me! Many resale stores get donations from people that have extra craft supplies. Now, I’m not saying that you can just pop into your local resale store and find exactly what you need. However, I have had countless times when I have found some really nice and inexpensive craft supplies. I once found a Fiskars paper punch for $2.00 and it was practically brand new! So, you never know you might just find something cheap that you could use for a future project.

Ask Your Crafting Friends

This is really something most people never consider when thinking about trying to save money on craft supplies! If you have crafting friends then chances are they have extra supplies that they would be willing to part with. And if you have craft supplies that you don’t need then you could possibly barter with them. Bartering is such a great way of not spending more money on supplies! When I decorated in the Frozen movie theme for Christmas I wanted to hang snowflakes from the roof. This idea seriously tickled me, however, all of the pre-cut snowflakes I found were so expensive! So, a friend of a friend had a Cricut and she offered to cut over a hundred snowflakes for me. She charged me WAY less then I could have bought them at a craft store!

Use Reward and Money Back Programs

For years I have been a member of reward websites such as MyPoints and Microsoft Rewards. These programs give you reward points when you complete daily tasks and take surveys. Those reward points then can be used to spend on gift cards. They have tons of different gift cards that you can buy by redeeming your reward points. However, I usually get a gift card to either Wal-Mart or Amazon where I can buy crafting supplies!

Another option is to sign up for programs such as Ibotta, Fetch Rewards, and Receipt Pal. These apps give you cash or reward points just for scanning your receipts from shopping! For Ibotta you have to buy specific items at certain stores to get cash added to your account. Then when you hit $20.00 in your account, you can cash out through PayPal. Fetch Rewards and Receipt Pal you just have to scan a copy of your receipts. They accept receipts from any grocery store, club warehouse, or convenience store. Then they give you points to spend on gift cards!

These programs also give you points if you refer others to sign up (like I’m doing now!). Most of them have a feature to email or text someone you know that will benefit from scoring free gift cards! So, if you want to start earning using one of the above mentioned programs just click through the link or use my referral code when signing up!

• MyPoints
• Receipt Pal
• Fetch Rewards Code: cbkn5
• Ibotta Code: onemhhi

Look On eBay

One year for Christmas, I had my heart on making sequin elf ornaments to give away. Unfortunately, it turned out I couldn’t find Christmas green sequins ANYWHERE! That’s when I had the bright idea of looking on eBay for them. Much to my shock, I found exactly what I was looking for. And…. they were a fraction of the cost it would have been at a craft store. So, when you are pricing supplies don’t rule out websites such as eBay. Sometimes people just want to get rid of excess craft supplies and you can score a good price.

Comparison Shop

I LOVE to research so comparison shopping is right up my alley. There is no better way to find the best deal on craft supplies than to check several places. Besides the normal crafting stores I always check my craft supplies at Wal-Mart and Amazon. There have been SO many times when I have found exactly what I needed at a great price at Wal-mart. Amazon is great for finding items that aren’t in-season and are a good price. When I decided in March that I wanted to make beaded snowflakes for Christmas I couldn’t find the metal snowflake forms anywhere in store. So, I went to my trusty Amazon and found exactly what I was looking for and for cheap!

When trying to save money on craft supplies sometimes you have to get creative (pun intended). With a little elbow grease you can save money while still making fabulous projects! So, are you excited to start your next project all the while still being frugal with your money?

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