Tips for Saving Money on Crafting Tools

Working on various handicrafts may be your hobby or it could be part of your income. No matter how much time you can dedicate to your craft on a weekly basis, having the right tools at hand when you sit down to work is extremely important. to make sure you have the necessary gear at the best price, check the tips below.

Skip the Craft Store

There are many tools that work well across several disciplines. For example, a tiny pair of vise grip or locking pliers can help you work on your car, or it can help you pull a stubborn needle through the tufted fabric on an upholstery project.

If you work with paper, there are many masonry tools that offer

If you find the ideal tool for a specific problem, put it somewhere you can always find it. Setting up a pegboard is a wonderful start for your crafting space. If you can’t find a crossover tool and must go to your favorite craft store, make sure you watch for a bargain.

Wait for a Coupon

Many specialty  craft stores have email notification lists and offer terrific coupons. Make sure that when you buy, you go ahead and enter your email address so they can tie your purchase to your account. Why? Because you can get targeted discounts to go with your new tools.

For example, if you go ahead and invest in a small yarn loom at the nearest Michael’s or Jo-Ann’s, you may soon start getting terrific coupons for yarn. If you visit the company website and add a few tools to your list, you may get a discount coupon for your whole order.

Look for Second-Hand Tools and Supplies

If you’re thinking about starting a new craft with a lot of history, such as embroidery or needlepoint, make sure you check out

You may find tools that you’ve never seen before. You can also find terrific items that can be customized to your needs. For example, if you enjoy stencil work, second-hand paint brushes can be trimmed down or even cut up for a unique texture. Even if you only use them once, they can create an extremely special result.

Join a Crafting Group

Look for other crafters in your favorite field. If you love fabrics and quilting, look for a circle that you can join. You may have too much yellow, which another quilter has too much blue or green.

These groups are also a wonderful place to exchange ideas for caring for older tools, materials, and to share bigger equipment. For example, if you have a nice stand for baby quilts but need something for a full-sized bed quilt, your neighbor in the circle may have one that you can borrow for your next project.

Don’t Forget the Dollar Store

Sometimes you just need a little project for little hands, or just have time to create a few items. If you have magnets that are crying for something a bit fancy, hit the Dollar Tree and get a bag of small shells from the craft aisle. Make pretty shell magnets for your refrigerator while you dream of a beach vacation.

This is also a great place to shop for new craft ideas. If you’re interested in making something from balsa wood but really don’t want to invest a great deal in your supplies and tools, you can find tiny kits of balsa in the toy aisle that you can tinker with until you know how the supplies feel in your hand and how your current tools manage them. Once you know what works and what doesn’t, you can choose how to move forward with that particular project.

Crafting tools don’t have to be expensive, but you will want to create a dedicated space and work out the best way to keep them organized. Make sure that you choose a dry space or use desiccant in your storage drawers to prevent rust from damaging your tools.

Header Image Source 

​​