Yard sales are a bonanza for crafters. If you go to enough, you're likely to find almost everything that you need for your hobby, at prices that are generally 75% or more less than retail! Some of the things I pick up the most at yard sales are ribbon, beads, paint, rubber stamps, fabric and yarn. As a preschool teacher- I am drawn to a box of craft stuff like a moth to a flame! If I can't find a utilize for something in my personal projects, I can definitely use it in the classroom for crafts. The best thing about buying craft items at yard sales is that it allows you the freedom to experiment. I conception I might be interested in using a pottery wheel. I bought one for about $5 at a yard sale, and found it was scheme too messy and time consuming for me to want to do it frequently. So, I just chalked it up to a fun lesson learned, and re-sold the wheel for what I paid for it at my next yard sale. Most crafters are creative types anyway, and can see the potential in other people's castoffs! Obviously, as you get further and further invested in a craft or art- you will likely need some pieces that are hard to find at yard sales. But when you are fair starting out, you can probably earn everything you need to get started!
Prices are so much lower at yard sales than just about any other option! I bought a glue gun with about 100 replacement sticks for $1, a copy paper sized box of acrylic paints for $3, a bag with several dozen bolts of ribbon for $2, etc. etc. (all yard sale prices quoted are in my area- prices can vary widely depending on the area of the county you are in- but I think everyone can find craft items at significantly less than retail!) I've bought whole boxes of assorted odds and ends for $1 or $2, and bought expensive pieces of equipment for much less than they were worth- because the seller wasn't familiar with what they had.
I've saved a ton of money in my candle making hobby by buying at yard sales. I bought my first kit (which included everything I needed to get started), for only $2. I've since bought wax, molds, scent, wicks, and impartial about everything else I spend at other sales. I've also bought tons of stuff for soap making cheaply, and even assume my old jars and bottles to occupy my home made bath salts at yard sales. I am always on the lookout for glass containers for candles, and can get them for free to .50 each easily.
Jewelry boxes are a broad source for pieces for crafting. You can accept broken pieces or a single earring for next to nothing- I've often had sellers give me these items free. I use single post style earrings as cool looking thumbtacks in my office (you can also glue shells to regular thumbtacks for a cute look) I grasp apart other broken or battered items to exercise in other projects. I've often bought a necklace or a bracelet to take apart for the beads. Aesthetic earrings can be made with beads and simple earring wires. "Orphan" earrings and pins can be used to decorate candles . Broken jewelry can be traditional for lots of projects and decorations. It's much cheaper to buy a handful of costume jewelry for $2 and re-use the beads, than it would be to go out and buy the beads at a craft store.
One of the downfalls for shopping for your supplies this way is that it is often difficult to find exactly what you want, quickly. Broaden your horizons, and roll with it. If you're a crafter, you're probably creative by nature- so use your imagination. I personally, would rather pay .50 for a piece of fabric that is very close to my original idea, instead of spending $5 at a fabric store, for a piece that was exactly what I was looking for. If you treat it like a treasure hunt, you'll likely be surprised at what you can find that will work for your needs. You might be surprised at the "happy accidents" that occur, when things work out different- but better, than you had originally planned!
Many people also choose to pick up a crafting hobby, buy all sorts of supplies, and then either find they don't enjoy it as much as they thought, or no longer have the time.. So you can often get their abandoned supplies very cheaply. Kids craft kits also abound at yard sales. Always check to behold that the supplies are still good- I've found lots of dried up paint, clay, markers and glue. Always give any fabric a sniff test to make sure it hasn't gone traditional from being in the attic too long!
Our best example of how you can benefit from someone else's discarded hobby was when my father wanted to get into making stained glass projects, but was a little overwhelmed at the amount of material that it took to get started. My Mom and I found a sale where the lady had been given a bunch of stained glass supplies when a relative died. She never got around to trying it, and was now selling hundreds of dollars of stained glass supplies and tools for $10. We got three large boxes full for that price (we later found out the glass included would have been at least a hundred dollars itself), along with books of patterns and instructions. Basically, we had almost everything he needed to get started, at least several hundred dollars retail, for only $10.
You can buy furniture or small items to paint and personalize as gifts. One of my popular ideas for doing this is for kids. You can buy a children's wooden table and chairs for under $10 at a sale (usually complete with stickers, crayon marks, etc.) and refinish/ repaint it. Put the kid's name, or a favorite character on the table and Voila- you have an inexpensive, personalized, useful gift! You can also paint bookcases, trunks, etc. Many things at yard sales only need a unusual coat of paint or a creative mind to manufacture another life for a discarded object.
I also buy vintage sheets to utilize for material for projects. They contain a lot of fabric, and come in cool retro prints- I can usually find sheets for 50 cents to a dollar- which is a lot of fabric for the money. This fabric is great for pillows, curtains, etc! I also leer precut quilting squares comely often, as well as sewing patterns and cross stitch books and kits. My mom bought an unfinished quilt top for $5, used an old-fashioned sheet as backing, and an old quilt for the batting, and turned that unfinished quilt top into a very useful and beautiful thing! I've even bought clothing items at yard sales because I liked their construction. You can cut apart and de-construct an existing clothing item to fabricate a pattern for another one.
We have a hanging basket chair on our porch. I used our old bed pillows (and added dollar store waterproof pillow covers) and dressed them two vintage pillowcases as covers. Cheap, easy and cute! I utilize vintage pillowcases and sheets for tons of fabric crafts. In some sheets, the top edge can be cut a little on the sides, making a long tube where you can insert a curtain rod, shower curtain rod etc. for a quick curtain. Buttons are also plentiful at yard sales. I once bought a big jar full of buttons for a dollar. I sold the (vintage) jar for $10 and am still using the buttons! Vintage pillowcases and a little ribbon can be turned into an adorable "pillowcase" dress for little girls.
I sometimes buy wreaths at yard sales, take off all of the novel decorations and re-make it to my liking. Grapevine style wreaths work sizable for this (watch out though if the recent items are glued on heavily- the glue can be hard to get off, I usually cover the glue spots with ribbon or new stuff) With a yard sale wreath, yard sale ribbon, and perhaps a holiday appropriate stuffed animal, knick nack, etc tied on- I can usually make a cute wreath for a couple of bucks in just a few minutes. I just about keeled over the last time I was at a craft store and saw the displays of wreaths for $30, $40, and waaaaayy on up!
One thing I always peek for at yard sales are rubber stamps. One of my favorites is a standard "Invitation" stamp, with lines for the date, time, occasion, etc. I embellish these with other occasion appropriate stamps on card stock and always have inexpensive and personalized invitations. You can get free envelopes by going to card shops after major holidays when the card companies have representatives restocking the shelves. Often, if you ask nicely they'll give you a handful (or sometimes a box full!)- as they are only required to return the unsold cards to the manufacturers, not the envelopes. I also like stamps that say "thank you" in a comely font- as they can be made into nice "thank you" cards to send yourself or use as gifts. I've even bought card stock at yard sales cheaply!
Occasionally you will obtain heavy duty tools and professional equipment at yard sales when someone is getting out of the industry. These can be treasure troves! It never hurts to ask a seller if they have anything else along the same line for sale. I had a seller once who brought out a whole extra box of candle making equipment and sold it to me for $5- just because I asked if she had anything else. I gave another seller my business card, and went encourage and picked up a whole bunch more deeply discounted supplies at a later time.
I went to one sale, where a lady had formerly speed a scrap booking business out of her home. She was going out of business, and just wanted all of the excess stuff gone. I got several bags of items for $5, including some items that were only sold to consultants of the scrap booking company.
If you're planning on getting married, you can pick up a lot of wedding decorations and crafty stuff cheaply at sales. We bought baskets cheaply, and with a little spray paint and yard sale ribbon, they became great holders for favors. We bought tulle at a yard sale for .50, which we then cut up and used for favor wrappings. I bought ribbon for my wedding at yard sales too. We bought a whole bag comely of pre-made bows for $5, that we ancient for pew bows and other decorations. My friend used them at her wedding later in the year, and then we donated them to a church for other brides to use.
Rubber stamps can also be used on plain paper or butcher paper to make wrapping paper- stale to make stationery, etc. If you buy stamp pads, check to see that they're not dried up, although sometimes they can be rejuvenated with a little water. If you net good at making cards, you can give a set of stationary or thank you cards as gifts. I purchased a set of alphabet stamps for $2, that were written in a very icy embellished font. By stamping people's initials on card stock, you can make a very nice gift. I usually give a set of thank you cards, and a set of personalized stationary as part of my gift for bridal showers.
Some people also buy used clothing for use in small fabric projects and for quilt squares. I'm not a quilter, but it seems there would be a fair amount of wasted fabric in this method. If you really like the print or the item is really inexpensive though- this might be a good way to get material. Some yard sales have deals where you can fill a bag with clothing for only a dollar or two. This can be a great way to get fabric cheaply, as long as you only need smallish pieces. I've got a friend that made her child an awesome rain slicker (cape style without arms- so delicate easy to make!) out of a vinyl shower curtain with a cool frogs print. Fabric is such a versatile thing- keep an eye out for prints and colors that appeal to you! I also hold a lookout for crib sheets- if you have a large dog bed, these may fit- and are cheap washable covers! (Animal shelters also love donations of clean used sheets and blankets for beds for the animals if you find some cheaply!)
Craft items are one thing that is often sold by the boxful. Sometimes I'll come across sellers that will sell the whole box only, though some people will sell items individually even if the item is priced in a lot. It never hurts to ask politely if you just need one or two things out of a big box. If you buy a box that has craft stuff you don't need, or have extra crafty stuff of your beget laying around- many teachers would love a donation for craft time in their classrooms- the supplies for crafts often come out of their own pockets. If you are a teacher, mention to the sellers that you are buying for your classroom. You will sometimes get an additional discount- or they'll throw other items in for free. At a sale a few weeks ago, I was buying some craft supplies and some puppets for my classroom. When the seller heard that I was a teacher, she added a bunch more educational toys and items free of charge. I never ask for these extra discounts or gifts, but many people feel better about getting rid of their stuff when they feel it will be used and appreciated.
Another thing I've bought at yard sales that really helped me to glean my craft supplies organized was a couple of mountainous fishing tackle boxes. I have one for beads only (the compartments are great to keep them separated- I got one with multiple plastic boxes inside with lids- so they won't spill) and another with open compartments for general craft supplies. I got a pair of wire cutters for beading at a yard sale for 50 cents, and sometimes exhaust fishing line for beading projects, as its cheap and strong. I had to fight my husband to keep the tackle boxes though, I seriously thought about spray painting them bright pink so he wouldn't try to "borrow" them. Don't feel bad for him- he has plenty of his own tackle boxes!
Another organizational tool I've bought at yard sales are the plastic storage units with drawers. These come from shoebox sized to dresser sized, and are spacious for organizing craft supplies, (expect to pay $1 to $5 unless they're big) You're mighty more likely to use your supplies if you can rep them! These are also great for organizing bathroom products, office supplies, etc. I've probably bought at least 10 of different sizes at yard sales for various things.
If you plan to do crafts with your kids, you might want to buy a couple of mens dress shirts or enormous tee shirts at a yard sale for smocks to hold the kiddos clothes clean. Chop the front or benefit of the tee shirt all the way down so the shirt doesn't have be put on over their heads. Remember to camouflage the floor for messy projects too!
If you buy any paint or other liquid crafty stuff, form clear the cap is on tight before you select it, it may not have been put away properly or other shoppers might have been checking it before you.. I had a big bottle of paint thinner spill in my car this procedure!
A "craft box" is also a super gift for many kids. A box can be made to fit any budget (If your box is looking sparse- maybe go to a dollar store and buy some new items- a sketchpad, markers, etc to add to it!) A box can also be made to reflect a child's age and interests. Depending on the kid, you can add beads, glue, paper, stickers, glitter, pipe cleaners, shells, fabric, ribbon, sequins, buttons and whatever else! You can also occupy inexpensive wooden relate frames, journals, etc. at a dollar store for the kids to embellish with their treasures. This is a gift that will keep them entertained on a rainy day and will stimulate their imaginations!
If you're having a kids party, a fun activity plus take home favor is to buy cheap picture frames (or pick up a bunch at yard sales) for the kids to decorate and take home. Just put a big pile of embellishments and craft bits and pieces and enough glue for everybody and let them go to town! If you have a digital camera- perhaps someone can catch and print out pictures of the birthday child and each guest to do in the frames. You can easily procure bags of odds and ends at yard sales for decorations. A cute idea for a girl's party is to buy a bunch of inexpensive sunglasses and let the girls decorate them with rhinestones, sequins, etc. I've also seen this idea done with "magic wands" (craft store purchased wooden stars glued on dowel rods then embellished as the girls chose with ribbons, glitter and such)
Crafty people are generally creative- and can find alternate uses for lots of things. Give yourself permission to experiment. Use sun catcher paint to decorate your bathroom window, take things apart and put them back together in a way that is more to your liking, whatever. Just let your mind wander and your hands work- creating things, even if they don't turn in to "real" art... it's therapeutic to be creative- at any age! Remember, crafting doesn't have to be expensive. Just shop a few yard sales, and you'll likely find a new hobby, or supplies for an existing one, for a song!
