Cheap or Free Art Supplies... Possible? I THINK YES!!!

I got home last night tired from work, then headed to Dollar Tree for disposable gloves and a pan for when I do some encaustic painting. And then I ran around Michaels looking around the big store for a T-shirt shadow box so I can exchange the broken one I got the day before. I resisted the urge to buy a two-pack of 20x24 canvases for $8.99 and I would lie if I said I wasn't crying on the inside because of it.

Distraught over passing over the sale, I gathered all my paint, my brushes, tarp (so I won't be spilling paint all over the patio floor) and twine/yarn. I know the panels don't cost that much but even after I already opened my 16x20's and laid out where I wanted the lengths of the yarn to go, I didn't have the cajones to start my painting. Call me cheap but I didn't want to waste a panel over a trial and error experiment. So I used a sheet of my acrylic pad and taped it to a board using the blue painter's tape in the picture). The base turned out alright except for the area where I can still see the paper. Simple problem I can fix easily but using more paint next time or maybe a preliminary coat of paint. Then I started with the lines. At first, I thought the strings I used were too messy (which is fine since I was wearing gloves anyway!) but it's not creating the lines I wanted them to. But I didn't mind the lines by the time the paint dried. It's starting to grow on me now. I think I might try the same technique with twine, just to see how porous it is and if it would hold while it is soaking in paint.

Considering any kind of "art" hobby can be expensive, I decided to look online for ways to get art materials for free... or at least cheap. I made multiple google searches on the words cheap/free, crafts, art, materials, supplies, etc. 

My boyfriend is the one who got me looking for free stuff. It's not that I spend our money on just my art stuff (since I only use a portion of my tip money from work for my art supplies) but hey, if I can get it for free, why not?!?!? Last night, he was also screaming "OOH LOOK! Free Origami Paper at FreakyFreddies! Go get it!"

So I did what I was told (just so he'd shut up hahaha!) and look at the other free stuff there. Soon I was directed to Everything in Papercrafting website. There I signed up for 50 free origami papers. And I absolutely adore origami. I've been folding paper since I was in third grade when a Korean exchange student first gave me a paper crane. My mom bought me a few booklets (that I still have!) too. I also made a huge modular star similar to this one on the left for my Art teacher. I wonder if she still has it...

I already go to the post office for the boxes (not just for mailing!) if I ever needed cardboard. As for strings and ribbon scraps I might need, I've been advised to go to tailors. For wood, I think I am going to ask my workplace about the slots of wood we had just lying around the floor of our shed taking up space.

As for cheap materials, I have resorted to going to the local Dollar Tree and King Dollar. I usually get canisters of dry spice (why pay $3 on spices that taste just the same as the $1 canisters that are twice as big?) there, or baby wipes to clean my hands with in between drawing with pastels. I also found a $1 bag of 100ct. disposable gloves which I am going to need soon for when I get back to my "String" Projects. It's a steal since my boss told me that the 500 ct we have at work cost about 6 dollars or so.

I have always been a fan of Dollar Store Crafts and I am not ashamed to admit that I got a LOT of great ideas from browsing this website. I am about to nick the idea for their DVD or Book Organizer... unless I get an actual bookshelf for cheap instead... which lead me to...

One blog suggested I comb through the aisles of Goodwill. There is one near me and I was planning to drop off some old clothes I don't wear anymore anyway. Also, this Kitchen Caddy idea seems awesome! I guess Imma fight people for picture frames and canvases when I visit that place.

I wish I could remember some of the free stuff sites I went to. There were some giving away paper and paint samples. I'll get back to this when I get my samples in the mail.