Keeping Your Arts and Crafts Hobby Alive In These Tough Economic Times

Painting, sewing, knitting, creating… the creative impulse has its definite rewards! The act of making something new and original is both stimulating for the mind and nourishing for the spirit, even when times are bad. Especially when times are bad! The current economic climate has millions of American making sacrifices, and the temptation for many is to abstain from their arts and crafts diversion as a way of saving money. In truth, art supplies and materials are some of the most cost-effective entertainment options available.

A price comparison shows arts and crafts’ true value.

Consider the time spent going to dinner and a movie, one night a week. The dinner can cost anywhere from ten to thirty dollars, the movie ten to fifteen - combined with the cost of gas driving around placed on top! That’s as much as forty-five dollars for a single evening’s entertainment, not counting gasoline. Think of the supplies that forty-five dollars would buy, how much paint, brushes, or other supplies. They’ll last much longer than the three or fours of the dinner and a movie, and can be used again and again in the future.

How to save money on arts and crafts supplies

Actually, saving money on arts and crafts supplies isn’t that much different from saving money at grocery and department stores. Many of the larger arts and crafts chains, such as Michael’s and A.C. Moore, hold sweeping end of season and clearance sales several times a year. Several of these chains also feature online coupons sent to your email each week. These coupons can easily add up in savings, especially if you can make one trip per week to the store itself. For example, one recent coupon offered forty percent off any single item in the store. Such a coupon can go a long way in buying a new airbrush kit, paint rack, or collection of paints. You can also save money by buying brushes, paints and similar supplies by buying them in bulk. Many stores offer beginner’s kits of such supplies that are the same product bundled together. Beadworking and knitting enthusiasts can often similarly find many such deals, especially during clearance specials.

Take your hobby public with an online showcase.

Online portfolios are a rapidly growing area of hobbyist culture, allowing artisans and hobbyists the chance to put their work before a worldwide audience. Most online hobby clubs have their own message board system. Individuals can sign up for a free image-sharing account (Photobucket, Flickr, and others) and post their photos to the message boards. Many members of such online clubs also trade and barter parts and supplies with one another as a means of saving money.

Save money by being tidy.

It sounds simplistic, but you can save money just by making sure your paints remain safely and securely stored and that your brushes and other supplies are left clean and washed when you finish with them. Similarly, organizing and cataloguing other supplies will help you cut down on replacement costs and prevent you from accidentally buying su supplies you forgot you already had.