One tip for organizing your supplies is to buy and label special bins for groupings of items you’ll use together. For example, you can keep all your paints, paintbrushes, cleaners, foam trays, and so on, in one bin, and your paper goods such as construction paper, foam sheets, and copy paper in another bin. Wooden pieces such as Popsicle sticks, clothespins, craft sticks, and such, can also be kept in a separate bin or drawer; and so can yarns, threads, needles, ribbons, and so on. In other words, try to store your ingredients in groupings however it best suits you to remember where they are. Now that you have an idea of how to organize them, let’s take a look at the basic ingredients you should have on hand to become a crafting wizard. This may appear to be a long list, but you don’t have to buy everything at once; you can assemble it over time as you create beautiful craft projects.
Paints, Brushes, Markers, and Finishes
Acrylic or craft paints Stencil paints Nontoxic tempera paints (for working with kids) Special-effect paints such as crackle paint, stone finish paint, and stained-glass paints (You may want to buy these as needed for a project.) Fabric paints Textile medium Assortment of different shapes and sizes of paintbrushes Stencil paintbrushes and/or spouncers Sponges for sponge painting Stamps/stamp pads Set of permanent magic markers (I’d recommend ones with a thin point on one end and a thick point on the other end.) Basic colors of painter markers (These are optional, but they make painting small projects a snap.) Clear acrylic finish spray Wood stain Varnish Decoupage finish Paint, peel, and stick squeeze paints (These are also optional, but kids love working with this medium.) Plastic template for paint, peel, and stick paints
Papers and Cutting Tools
Pack of construction paper Pack of foam sheets Packs of foam-sheet cut-outs Tissue and crepe paper Textured papers Card stock Copy paper Tracing paper Transfer or copy paper Scissors Decorative edge scissors Exacto knife
