ESSENTIAL TOOLS & MATERIALS
ARTS & CRAFTS STORE SUPPLIES
Craft paints, brushes, permanent markers, and paper are a good start when it comes to basic supplies. Add some extras like yarn, embroidery supplies, double-sided tape, glue sticks, decoupage medium, superglue, fabric dye, and pipe cleaners to expand your toolbox. Finally, you’ll need a few more unique items from the crafts section, like shrink film, polymer clay, armature wire, and leather scraps to complete the projects in this book.
Arts and crafts supplies
ITEMS TO UPCYCLE OR RECYCLE
Once you begin to craft, you will see the world with new eyes. Everything suddenly looks like a craft opportunity. So start saving things like old sweaters, jeans, and even shoes that are past their prime. You can give them a second life with a little creativity. Empty jars and bottles and worn leather goods like bags and belts can also be reimagined. Even found objects like pebbles, branches, and backyard leaves and flowers can turn into a fun craft if you just have the vision to see it.
Items for upcycling or recycling
KITCHEN AND HOUSEHOLD ITEMS
Lots of useful homemade projects start in the kitchen or household cupboards. You likely have many of the things you need already on hand. Keep an eye out for baking soda, white sugar, coconut oil, food coloring, and gelatin. Shaving cream and essential oils also come in handy. Office supplies like thumbtacks, paperclips, and a hole punch are all excellent for crafting too!
Kitchen and household items
PROJECT-SPECIFIC SUPPLIES
Finally, there are specialized supplies required for a few of the projects in this book. It’s not likely that jewelry findings, eye hooks, 1/4-in. (6 mm) dowels, guitar picks, and citric acid are just sitting on the shelf in most closets. Take a look at the materials list for your project in advance to see if a trip to the store is needed before you begin.