Daily I get questions about the craft products I use and what craft supplies and brands I recommend. I’m a pretty simple girl when it comes to craft supplies. The most important factor to me is that it involves inexpensive and easy to find supplies. I love to make crafting fun, easy and affordable for everyone. In this post I will go through my all-time favorite products and brands, good places to look for craft supplies and I’ll give you some tips for free craft materials because not all craft supplies have to come from a store. Several of these craft supplies are very basic and any brand, at any store, will typically work. But there are a few products I’m very particular about. So, let’s start off with my all-time favorites. Some of the links mentioned bellow are affiliate links, please read the full disclosure policy about affiliate links right here.
Top craft supplies and brands I can’t live without
Number 1: Acrylic paint, “What paint brand do you use?” Is with stiped the most asked question I get. Paint is also the material I’m most particular about. Using the right paint product can make such a huge difference. For my crafts I mostly use Acrylic paint. I love that it’s richly pigmented, mixes well, covers your surface nicely and stick to different materials. If it comes to Acrylic paint, I use two brands.
Hand Made Modern is one of my favorite acrylic paint brands, you can buy it at Walmart and Target, it’s affordable, the coverage is great and I’m in love with all the color shades they have available. I couldn’t find a proper link to the product but next time you do groceries don’t forget to walk down the craft aisle and look for the small and colorful paint jars.
I’m also a big fan of Amsterdam Acrylics, the coverage is perfect, it sticks nicely to many different materials and I love all the shades they have. I always buy the big tubes of 120 ml which last a very long time. But if you’re new to the product I recommend buying a package of smaller Tubes off 20ml. It’s a great way to try out the paint and see what shades you like best, then you can order bigger tubes of your favorite colors later on.
If you’re looking for paint for small children, I recommend Washable kids paint, from Crayola for example. It’s safe, washable and easy to clean up. Especially because toddlers tend to put their fingers in their mouths, hair, clothes and basically all over the place. Don’t expect wonders when it comes to coverage, especially with using the paint on different materials. But for small kids it’s a great way to start and explore.
If your child is 6+ I do recommend acrylic paint because the quality is much better but make sure you supervise your child and always use a tablecloth and a kids art smock. To apply paint on for example a paper roll, I recommend using an old cleaning sponge it works very well for kids and you can trow it out after. Cut in half or in 4 pieces so you can use one sponge for different colours.
Number 2: POSCA paint markers, I’ve tried so many different paint markers before I bought my POSCA markers but I was never satisfied. I decided to try out a small package (as they’re pretty expensive) and it was my best purchase ever, within two weeks I ordered more colors. I especially love that you can draw on a variety of surfaces including: plastic, metal, wood, glass, stone, shells, and canvas. They also work well with acrylic paint for highlights and layering effects. You can buy POSCA Paint Markers with an extra fine point or a bold point and everything in between in every color shade you can imagine. I prefer the fine and extra fine point and I use them to decorate for example butterfly wings. I do not recommend these paint markers for small children, but for older children or for yourself it’s an amazing product.
Number 3: I cannot live without my glue gun, I truly use my glue gun daily and it’s such a handy tool. It sticks on fabric, stone, glass, wood, plastic, shells, pipe cleaners, basically any craft supply you can think of. Of course, I highly recommend you help and supervise your child when using a glue gun. Make sure you buy the right size of glue sticks, in this sample they’re already included.
Number 4: I love to craft with cardstock, especially when crafting with children. Cardstock is more durable than regular paper which means it doesn’t wrinkle as quickly, your craft stays nice and clean and it’s less frustrating for kids. Because the paper stays nice and neat it’s easier to store as well and you can save the scrap pieces better so a package lasts longer than regular paper. I use the brown colored cardstock/craft paper as a base for the majority of my crafts. I always love the look of the brown color too. And I use white cardstock for stamping activities so the paper doesn’t wrinkle.
Number 5: When I craft with children I love to use watercolors as well. Watercolor paints are some of the most accessible art materials out there. I love that watercolors are bright, transparent and good for subtle transitions of color. I prefer watercolor pans over tubes. I personally think it’s easier and quicker to use, you have less waste, its handy to store and the clean-up is minimal, especially when working with children.
Number 6: Wooden spoons for spoon puppets. Spoon puppets are one of my favorite things to craft. You can basically turn any animal or character in a spoon puppet and it will look cute instantly. Puppets are not only fun for kids to craft and play with, but they also help to develop their imagination and creativity, social and emotional skills, language skills and fine motor skills. So, I highly recommend adding some small wooden bamboo spoons or big wooden spoons to your craft supply list.
Number 7: If there’s one craft supply on this planet that can make anything look better then its googly eyes! They’re available in all colors and sizes and they are great way to brighten up your craft. Googly eyes can make the simplest crafts come alive. So, I definitely recommend adding them to your craft supply list.
Favorite craft stores
I don’t normally buy the top-of-the-line craft supplies from most items any brand, at any store, will typically work. So, for a lot of products I visit the Dollar Tree, Walmart, Target or Ross. When I’m in Europe, I love to go to the Action, Hema or Søstrene Grene for craft supplies. Usually I buy the following craft supplies at any of these stores: buttons, pompoms, beads, yarn, feathers, googly eyes, pipe cleaners, felt fabric, paper straws, wooden spoons, coffee filters, cupcake liners, tissue paper, popsicle sticks, etc.
Thrift store
Another great place to look for certain craft supplies for a very affordable price is the thrift store. I specially love thrift stores for yarn. Yarn can be pretty expensive and at the thrift store they often sell packages of different yarn colors for $1 or $2. Also, a great craft item to look for at a thrift store are packages with buttons, beads or ribbons.
Recycled craft supplies
You don’t need to buy all the things I mention in this post or have fancy kits on hand. Almost always, basic supplies and a recycled paper roll or a cardboard box is a great place to start. Which brings us to recycled craft materials. If you have been following me for a while you know I love to recycle all day materials in my crafts. I’ve a “craft recycle box” next to the recycling bin in the hallway closet so it’s easy to save and see what we can use again. This box if full with: cardboard, paper rolls, egg cartons, small/big boxes, mason jars, newspapers, seed trays, bottle caps, lids, match boxes, etc. All these items make wonderful free craft supplies for kids.
Nature craft materials
Another great and free craft product you can use are nature materials. I love to collect natural art and craft materials, think about: leafs, branches, pinecones, acorns, flowers, chestnuts, shells, rocks and sand. I save all these materials in a box in the garage so I have access to these craft products whenever I need them.
I hope this post gave you a good idea about the craft supplies I use for my projects and the stores I usually go to. You certainly don’t need to buy or collect all of these items I’ve mentioned, but I wanted to include my favorites so you get some inspiration and options to choose from. Start with just a few things for example googly eyes, pipe cleaners, pompoms, some coloured and white cardstock and paint. See what the kids like, then build your supply list from there. And don’t forget the outdoors and the recycling bin is a great source of materials too. Happy crafting!
