Save Money as a Creator

I consider myself a frugal person. I always like to find ways to save money in every area of my life, such as refusing to trash a tube of toothpaste until I have used every last drop. Back when I was living with my parents and brother, my younger brother Michael would say “Would you just trash that and use the new toothpaste we got in?!”

Absolutely not. It’s because it’s my way of saving money and I feel it’s better for the environment. If there is even a teeny bit left, I’m not going to throw it away.  If I have something that is in good condition and don’t want it, I would try to sell online or donate it.

Being an artist is no exception. It is possible to spend a ton of money on art and/or office supplies. Instead, you can do some of the following to cut down on costs and profit on your crafts and artwork.

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1. Save Money by Saving (Almost) Everything

Now you don’t want to be a hoarder, but holding onto some items that will eventually be useful can save you money in the long run.

If a beaded necklace that I absolutely love breaks, I add these to my cute little container that used to be a candle. I add the beads to my collection and use them for a future craft project.

If someone is cleaning out and giving me something, I will take it. If I don’t have a use for it, I will give it to someone else or Goodwill.

Whenever I get gift bags or tissue paper from birthday presents, I save them for future occasions. You get the point. Save things, and you’ll save money and that’s less junk in the landfill.

2. Dollar Store / Goodwill / Yard Sales

You can find a lot of office supplies and craft items in Dollar Tree. At Goodwill, I have found many useful items from some small wood furniture, wall art, decor, and even some office/craft supplies.

I was looking for a large cork board to post all of my artwork and found a huge one for $3.99.  I also found a pack of glitter, a big bag of sewing thread some cute baskets to put all the art supplies in.

Baskets are expensive and thrift stores always seem to have a ton. And if you go to yard sales, you’ll never know what you’ll find! 

3. Do Not Go to Michaels Without a Coupon

Take advantage of those coupons at those craft stores. No coupons in the mail? Michaels has an app where you can get a coupon any day of the week. Most of the time you will get 40% off one regular item.

Luckily I don’t live or work far from Michaels so I can stop by on my way home from work. I’ll write down a list of what I need so each time I go, I pick out one of the items on my list and use my 40% off.

4. Ask for Supplies/Equipment as Gifts

Want that expensive equipment but can’t afford it? People are always asking me what I want for my birthday or Christmas. This Christmas I want a Cricut Explore Air 2. Since my friend has one, I want one now after seeing how it works.

Since I am unable to afford it at the moment, what I will do is ask for the family to chip in to buy it for me. If that is the one thing that would make me happy, my parents, my brothers, grandmom, and other relatives would all put money in and get me something that really want and that I would get a lot of use.

You can also ask for certain art supplies or money/gift cards to put towards your costly hobbies.

Write a list of all the cool stuff you want: a tablet, a new printer, a pin back button maker…. even if you get a couple of pens or paints in your stocking, every little bit helps!

5. Clearance Sales

The best time to go shopping is a day or two after a holiday. If you go to a craft store, just about everything gets marked down to 70% off! Sometimes if you go a week or two later, stuff can be marked 80% or 90% off!

Just a few days after Halloween or Thanksgiving, I will go stock up on fall craft supplies, from ribbons to flowers. One year I went to Michaels about two weeks after Christmas, and I bought almost a shopping cart full of decorations, blank ornaments, and crafts… I spent about $15 for everything!

This is the time to go especially if you do a lot of craft shows and want to make a profit. 

6. Trade with Friends!

I have very talented artist friends. When I have crafts I don’t use anymore (because I constantly change crafting hobbies) I give them to my friends.

If they have any supplies, art books or anything else they don’t use/need, they’ll give them to me. My best friend Monica bought poly-fil for a cosplay she was working on but didn’t need that much of it. She had used only like 5% of the bag and asked if I wanted the rest.

I said of course! It came in handy for my costumes and one day I want to make some pillows and use for other projects. 

You could spend a ton of money on crafting and art supplies, but there are many options to save. I hope these have given you some ideas so you can make more money than you spend!