Hello everyone! I tried searching to see if anyone had created a thread like this before, but didn't find anything. So I hope that I didn't miss a similar thread...if so, please excuse me LOL. Well money is really tight for me, and I'm sure a whole lot of you are experiencing the same thing. An added problem for me is that I can't afford a car, so we only get out once or twice a week at this point ("Grampa outings" LOL). Now that I'm homeschooling and trying to add arts & crafts and simple science experiments to my kindergartener's curriculum, this means that I can't just drive out and get what we need really fast. (But do you people with cars really want to waste money on gas this way? LOL) It would really help to create a stockpile of the most common items called for in arts/crafts/experiments. Do any of you already have a box or something filled with the **most commonly called-for items**? If so, what's in there? And even if you don't already have a stockpile, we can all brainstorm and contribute to the list. The obvious ones to me (so obvious that I actually remembered to buy them at the store last Friday lol) are: --glue --glitter --colored pencils --construction paper --crayons --paint I also have seen several projects that call for: --wax paper --sand paper --modeling clay --magnifying glass --paper clips So will any of you contribute ideas to this stockpile? I could never think of it all by myself! Actually, I've never been into arts & crafts, and I don't like science experiments...so knowing what to have on hand for this type of thing doesn't come naturally for me. Anyway, help me list things to always have on hand. Hope this is a very useful thread. :angel:
Last year I kept tons of stuff.. but have cut it down because we just didn't use most of it.. -Cereal boxes (they can be flattened when you need to paste a project on cardboard to make it more sturdy, but now I just keep a box of cheap manilla folders) -egg cartons -toilet paper, paper towel tubes -beads Now I just keep -a few drawing pads -markers of all sorts -a handy playdough recipe or two -water colors -crayons -construction paper -glue (both liquid and sticks) -colored pencils -a "geometry set" I also have a ton of scrapbooking stuff.. shaped scissors, stencils, diecuts, papers, and stickers that we use for special things. There is also always lots of odds and ends floating around and regular kitchen supplies handy (yarn, aluminum foil, rubberbands, ziploc baggies, pipe cleaners, glitter, puff balls, eyes, beads).
I didn't think about scissors, but we use them alot. They are actually kept in the kids pencil boxes along with a pack of crayons, pencils and a sharpener. They get used alot with other things besides art, so we keep them handy.
We use craft sticks (like the big popsicle sticks) quite a bit. And I have felt pieces and small paper sacks--good for puppets. We go through lots of googly eyes, too!
ballons straws matchsticks wool bicarb soda vinegar art paper of various types thin cardboard magnets rubber bands
Balloons, straight pins or thumb tacks, straws, small paper or plastic cups, felt, wallpaper sample books, chalk, and I am sure I will think of more. Beth
yarn ribbon small brown lunch bags (for puppets) chalk fabric scraps I think you guys pretty much covered everything else.
You should see if your city has a reuse center. We have one in our city. For $2 I can go and fill up on an unlimited amount of recycled craft materials, Last rip I came home with 5 green garbage bags worth of paper towel tubes, fabric scraps, packs of paper, film canisters, egg cartons, meat trays, buttons, knitting needles and yarn to teach the kids knitting, scissors etc so much stuff and so cheap. NExt time I go I will have a load of stuff to donate that we won't use and will be fillingup our stockpile again. The paper especially. I got tons of pristene coloured cardstock, notebooks that were only missing a page or 2, stacks of coloured photocopy paper(perfect for lapbooks), file folders, brand new ink pads in their packages or stamp fun, bingo dabbers etc.
Paper plates Ziploc-type baggies (how DID anyone live without those??) stamps and ink pads I bought a couple of bags of assorted buttons on eBay last year, and they have come in very handy for all sorts of things! I wish our city had a reuse center, swellmomma! That sounds fantastic!
ack--I'm late. . . I stock pile sticky foamy shapes (especially alphabet letters) when they're on sale. . . Dry beans baby food jars or similar smallish jars for planting beans petri dishes a cheap microscope tweezers medicine dropper latex gloves that's all I can think of right now.
small cardboard gift boxes (like what jewelry comes in) plaster of paris paper plates salt (makes neat "glitter") food colouring LOTS of kid craft recipes I think those weren't mentioned. Otherwise we have most of what's been mentioned. I'll have to look through our container for other stuff later.
Swellmomma...WOW! I think it's amazing that you found a way to get things that cheap! I did a web search and found a center sort of like that in my area (but they call themselves a "scrap exchange"). But they charge $7.50 for a small bag and $15 for a big one. I know that's still saving a bundle, but I have to raise my eyebrows at their prices, when your city's reuse center offers $2 bags! Guess I can't get *as good* of a deal here.
