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Dawn
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| Posted: Dec 19 2006 at 8:34am | IP Logged
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OK, ladies, can we talk craft supplies? 
Do you shop every week or so for specific supplies, or do you draw on a ready store of materials?
And, what do you consider "must-haves" in your craft cupboard?
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Dawn, mum to 3 boys 
By Sun and Candlelight
The Nature Corner
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Paula in MN
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I try to keep certain things on hand, like felt and construction paper, markers, crayons, glue, sprinkles, popsicle sticks, stuff like that. I also save paper towel cardboard rolls and oatmeal cannisters -- just not sure what to do with them yet! Whenever I go to the store I will look through the dollar aisles to see what there is.
The only time I look for special items is when all the *craft angels* on this forum share their wonderful ideas!!!
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Paula
A Catholic Harvest
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amyable
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We are a lot like Paula, although for the most part I've given up on saving tubes, canisters, etc. I'll save one for a week or so, and if it gets used, great - but I don't have the space or organization to keep too many around.
Mostly I just buy what I need when we need it - like today we are doing your stained glass letters, Dawn, for a friend's birtday (we are going to spell her name) - but I've run out of black paper and contact paper. Off to the store we go, where I'm sure I will pick up that and too many other things. 
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Amy
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J.Anne
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Dawn, I saw your name and hoped you posted the ANSWER to this. I usually think of a project and then go shopping, but that is not working for me. I would like to do crafts every day, but obviously can't go to the store that frequently. I always have a ton of card stock, glue sticks, glitter, markers, pencils, and crayons around. I also like different punches and scissors, but still we are lacking supplies here.
Jennifer
As Cozy as Spring
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Dawn
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| Posted: Dec 20 2006 at 6:05am | IP Logged
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J.Anne wrote:
| Dawn, I saw your name and hoped you posted the ANSWER to this. |
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Jennifer, you are too funny! I would like to post my craft thoughts, but I feel I am not a good judge on this subject. Reason being, as you and I have discussed, I am a certified (certifiable?) craftaholic. I tend to stockpile supplies like crazy and worry what I might do with them later. Or I pick up supplies for every craft idea I read about and then only actually make a small percentage of them. 
I would say, my most used craft supplies are: construction paper, scissors, tape (regular and double sided), glue (in various forms), felt, yarn, ribbon, scrapbook paper and stickers (in seasonal, religious and holiday themes), glitter, wooden objects and acrylic paint, glass votives and candles, paintbrushes ...
O.K., obviously this list goes on and on. 
What I would like to do for the new year, is to have a more organized craft "system" and then only need to pick up one or two items a week (or every other week) for craft projects that come up. I'm thinking of nature and liturgical crafts - holy cards for the feast days, etc.
My hope it to find some time to sketch out the year ahead and get a picture of what we'll be celebrating each month. I've purchased a new monthly calendar and pulled out all my books that go through the year to glean ideas ...
I've run out of time (funny how breakfast-time creeps up on you) ... hope others share their craft supply ideas too!
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Dawn, mum to 3 boys
By Sun and Candlelight
The Nature Corner
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J.Anne
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Dawn, I like that idea. I always seem to be scrambling at the last minute for appropriate holy cards etc. I think I will do the same - perhaps starting with Advent since it is fresh in my mind. Still thinking... Maybe before everything gets put away this year, I will fill a box with Advent craft supplies so they are ready to go for next year. And printed posts with instructions~ 
Jennifer
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Dawn
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| Posted: Jan 06 2007 at 10:27pm | IP Logged
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Well, I finally got through all my craft bins this weekend! (Post here.)
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Dawn, mum to 3 boys
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J.Anne
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Dawn, your post had me wanting to jump through the computer screen into your home. All those stickers!
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Jennifer
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Cheryl
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I usually stock up in August, then I buy the things I don't have that I need for a specific craft during the year. Our must haves are the same as the ones already listed. Some other things that my dc love are playdoh, glitter glue pens, duct tape and cardboard boxes. I suppose those are more for art than crafts.
Sometimes I'll buy one new thing a year for a holiday. For example, last year I bought some Valentine rubber stamps. This year I think I'm going to get these. I like to buy things that I can use again the next year.
I would like to know... do your markers dry out? Ours do every year. And where do you get your holy cards? And are the cards labeled for people like me who may not know all the names?
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Cheryl
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alicegunther
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That was a great post, Dawn. Your supplies look wonderful.
Cheryl wrote:
I would like to know... do your markers dry out? Ours do every year. And where do you get your holy cards? And are the cards labeled for people like me who may not know all the names?
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Yes, all the time! I always seem to be replenishing them.
I buy my holy cards at a local religious goods store, and we seem to collect them here and there. Most do have the names of the saints written on them. I usually buy paper (as opposed to laminated) cards for crafting, because they are less expensive and not so difficult for the children to cut.
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MaryM
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Dawn, I saw your post earlier as you were starting work on the craft sorting Saturday and it reminded me I had not gotten around to posting my craft must-haves before Christmas (where did the time go??). I hope it isn't too late. It's interesting to compare how everyone organizes and what you all feel makes a well rounded craft supply collection.
I purchase some craft materials each month (to spread it out over the year) usually to stock up on depleted materials or for specific projects if we don't generally have those materials on hand. I watch for the deep cut sales (like when Sculpey is 88 cents or beads are half price - it helps to know what a good price is) or use the 40% off coupons (which I am known to dig through neighbor's recycling to retrieve). I do not like to pay full price for craft materials so avoid it when possible.
In this listing I tried to break down the categories of materials that make sense of how I organize (or at least keep track of what I have because it is not always organized). I try to keep like materials/items together in the 1 quart plastic boxes or for larger items on one of the three craft supply shelves, with like boxes together. My goal this year is to be more consistent about making sure everything gets put away promptly where it should be. Too many wasted minutes spent looking for the ....... whatever I happen to need at the time.
These items represent basic art/craft categories. I don't think every item in each category is a must but gives a broad picture of the types of materials. I think a well stocked craft supply would include some items from each category. What anyone might choose would vary depending on art/craft interests, ages of children, and other factors.
Paints (and other instruments of color application)
acrylic paint
watercolor paint
watercolor pencils
watercolor markers
gold/metallic paint pens
Sharpie or other permanent markers
tempera paint
gel pens
crayons
chalk/pastels
-- and accessories like bristle brushes, foam brushes, paint trays, paint cups, cotton swabs
Papers (and other fabric-like materials that are somewhat flat)
cardstock
construction paper
tissue paper (bleed and non-bleed varieties)
cellophane
vellum
fun foam
felt
origami paper
newsprint
watercolor paper
scratch board
scrapbook papers
String (and anything else that will tie things or bend)
yarn
crochet thread/string
ribbon
raffia
paper twist
embroidery floss
pipe cleaners
craft wire
Adhesive (and other sticky things)
Glue gun/glue sticks
craft and white glue
tape (masking, scotch, double sided)
Sticky dots or photo splits
glitter glue
glue sticks
sealant
Mod Podge
rubber cement
Cutters (and other instruments that need to be kept out of reach of children )
rotary cutter
large paper trimmer/cutter (a luxury, but well worth it)
scissors
decorative scissors
hole punches (round and decorative)
X-acto knife
Embellishments (and anything else I don't know how to categorize)
pompoms
googly eyes
jingle bells
sequins
glitter
stickers
ribbon/silk flowers & leaves
plastic jewels
feathers
cotton balls
beads
- Pony
- plastic (assorted cool shapes and sizes)
- wooden
natural materials (we currently have things like shells, corn husks, wheat stalks, acorns, walnut shells)
Clays/Doughs (and other moldable things)
Kool-aid play dough
polymer clay (Sculpey, Fimo)
air dry clays (Model Magic, Paper clay, Amoco pottery clay)
modeling clay
Plaster of Paris
Wax sheets/Wikki stix
-- and accessories like cutters, molds, rollers, clay press
Wood (and containers)
unfinished wood pieces (I actually don't have many - especially compared to you, Dawn as I tend to buy these project specific, but I am inspired to have more generic ones on hand)
craft sticks
wooden ice cream spoons
paper mache boxes
bags
wooden dowels
balsa wood sheets
Then in the garage I have a big box of what my husband refers to as garbage, but I refer to as recycled craft supplies - jars, cans, juice/milk cartons, berry baskets, bottles, plastic netting, cardboard tubes, egg cartons, etc.
And these aren't kept with the crafts, but I have holy cards and miscellaneous medals/crucifixes - lots of good crafting things in the unsolicited religious mailings.
I also have very specific craft supplies for those specialized crafts which are all kept together and I didn't list because I wouldn't consider them craft basics.
-Candle and soap making supplies
-Rubberstamping and card making supplies
-Beading supplies
We have a special box for holding just flower fairy materials ( which overlap in the other categories, but I keep separate). Speaking of flower fairies, did everybody see this link that Alice Cantrell had on her site? - what a lovely place for flower fairies to reside - the wee garden
Miscellaneous stuff we have which is fun but not in the craft staples categories.
paper twilling tool & papers
Perler beads
carving tools
heat tool
wood engraving tool
eyelet setting materials
leather craft tools
glass paint
crimper
brayer
stencils
gold leaf
I was going to put links to the various materials that might not be familiar to most, but I just don't have the time. Anyone with any questions about that please ask.
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Mary M. in Denver
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Genevieve
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Mary... thank you so much for sharing with us this list. I love your organization and would be printing it out & using it like a master grocery list. This is such a blessing to me.
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Genevieve
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J.Anne
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Mary, that is a great list. Thank you for sharing it (and catagorizing it like that). That is so helpful!
Jennifer
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Cheryl
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Mary,
This is a great list. I love how you've divided everything into catergories. Some of my stuff is organized that way, like paint and adhesives, but lots of stuff I didn't think went with anything else.
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Cheryl
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Dawn
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Mary, your list is awesome!  I linked you in my morning post!
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Dawn, mum to 3 boys
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JennGM
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Mary, great list, and Dawn, your post is awesome! Thanks for the inspiration. Organization is what I need to do. I found I have several bottles of tacky glue in several different containers...and bought more because I wasn't sure. Eyeroll.
So, Mary, where do you put all this? What kind of containers?
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Jennifer G. Miller
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stefoodie
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Yes, container advice please! Right now we have 2 shelves, 1 large bin, 2 smaller ones, and a tall plastic tower of drawers. It's not enough! Oh, and I have colored paper in hanging file folders on a roll-around cart. We really need to get more organized! This is exactly what's been preventing me from getting more craft supplies -- but it has to be done!
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stef
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Theresa
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Mary, what a great list!!! I like so many of the other ladies plan to print it out.
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Theresa
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KellyinPA
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Dawn,
I commented on your blog this morning (btw, we DID make it to Sunday School on time, not to worry but wanted to let you know that you gave me some lightbulb moments I don't know why I never thought to store my seasonal baking items with the crafts instead of in the kitchen where they take up space not being used 9-11 months of the year.
Also, why did I never think to purchase multiple seasonal items (like paint colors/glitter) instead of one at a time. Thinking ahead a little bit could save me much time and energy.
Thanks so much for taking the time to post, I found it very helpful and inspirational.
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Kelly
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the abundant life
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Carole N.
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Dawn,
Thanks so much for inspiring me to organize my mountain load of craft materials. Now I see that it can be done. Your post is wonderful.
Mary,
Thanks so much for the list. I have printed it out and will be checking my supplies.
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Carole ... in Wales
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Topic: Craft supplies
