Eco-minimalist crafting ideas on a budget

I love crafts. My favorites are crochet, painting, and sewing. But sometimes, I worry about buying supplies new and how that affects the environment. This article discusses all the ways I've found to enjoy doing crafts in an eco-minimalist and budget-friendly way.

1. Resources that offer pre-owned crafting supplies
2. Ask around
3. Don't throw anything away
4. Have patience 
5. My eco-minimalist budget crafting

1. Resources that offer pre-owned crafting supplies

There's going to be some overlap here with the resources in my beginner's eco-minimalist tips article. I'll leave a few here, but I recommend referring back to that list for more options. 

• thrift stores
• garage sales
• online peer-to-peer marketplaces
• creative reuse centers list: http://www.reuseresources.org/find-a-center.html
• https://makeandmendshop.com/
• https://www.onlinethrift.net/Crafts-and-Craft-Supplies
• http://www.creative-resale.com/site
• salvage and upcycling stores (like Habitat for Humanity ReStore)
• https://hootofloot.com/ad-category/arts-crafts/miscellaneous-art-supplies/
• https://www.preloved.co.uk/classifieds/hobbies/arts-crafts
• https://www.seconduse.com/
• https://www.texasartasylum.com/
• http://artresourcecenter.org/content/materials.html

I'm sure there are many places local to larger metropolitan areas as well. I saw a bunch of them while I was searching, but they didn't ship orders so I didn't include them. 

A lot of these places don't just offer partially-used supplies, either. People donate brand-new items that they bought and didn't end up using as well. For example, I've gotten unused skeins of yarn still in their wrapper and unopened bottles of paint. I would rather buy these from places that support the ideals I believe in than get them from a chain store where their money goes to create more waste and profit. 

2. Ask around

I bet you that you know at least one person who has some craft supplies that they're not using. From what I've heard, there are also networks of artists or crafters who offer up things they don't want to others.

Sometimes, people have stuff laying around that they forgot about, and they don't think to give it away until someone asks for it. I saw that all the time in my local Buy Nothing group.

I looked it up, and here are a few sites I found:

• https://doodlewash.com/forums/forum/art-supply-swap/
• https://www.atcsforall.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?42-Art-Supply-Swaps-and-Misc-Trades
• https://swapdex.blogspot.com/
• https://www.flickr.com/groups/fabricswap/
• https://www.flickr.com/groups/1120045@N20/ ("Craft Room De-Stash)
• https://craftster.org/
• swap-bot.com
• https://www.facebook.com/craftswaps/

3. Don't throw anything away

What might be useless to you could be valuable to another maker, and vice-versa. I found so many upcycled products on Etsy from things I never would have thought of myself.

Here's this website with amazing pieces of art made from reclaimed and salvaged material. Here are some of my favorites:

Nelson Mandela in plastic and broken necklaces

Plastic, metal, and wood

From cars, motorcycles, and planes

I also found this great website called causeartist where artists raise awareness about pollution through their artwork. They use trash and found items as their media.

If you don't consider yourself an artist, there are still lots of options using recycled materials. I think Pinterest is kinda famous for this, but there are plenty of other places you can find ideas. Here's one website that has some simple beginner crafts that should be accessible to most people: https://www.naturalbeachliving.com/crafts-made-from-recycled-materials/.

However, if you still end up with items that you don't know what to do with, here are a few more articles with resources you can donate to.

https://www.creativelive.com/blog/where-to-donate-craft-supplies/

4. Have patience

Just like with buying anything else used, you're not likely to have immediate access to whatever you want. But isn't that part of the fun of being creative? I love being innovative with what I have access to, and designing projects based on what I'm able to find.

When I first started doing crafts that involved patterns, I would pick out a pattern and then buy the materials (all new) to create the project. Now, I do one of 3 things.

1. I only do projects that will work with supplies I already have
2. I pick the pattern based on the materials I have or am able to find
3. I don't use a pattern at all, or improvise on a template to make it work with what's on hand

The tricky thing is when you're not sure how much you have of something and if it will be enough to do what you want. That's where extra patience comes in. I have some projects that are partially finished because I didn't have enough. I keep samples of what I'm using anytime I make a trip to a local store that might have craft supplies. That way I can check it against whatever they have and see if it will work.

5. My eco-minimalist budget crafting

I'll talk about crochet first because that's what I do the most. A lot of my crochet hooks used to belong to my grandmother, so I didn't even have an initial investment of tools! As mentioned, I get most of my yarn second-hand. New yarn has gotten SO expensive! I recently needed to replenish my stash and got about $400-500 worth of yarn (retail value) for $60, plus the large basket the previous owner was keeping it in. That yarn will probably last me for the next few years with little to no supplementation.

I sometimes design things myself. Other times, I use free patterns. I get them from yarn manufacturer websites, but my favorite place is called Ravelry. You have to sign up, but it's free and then you have access to an unlimited amount of crafting genius! 

Patterns are available for crochet, knitting, machine knitting, and loom knitting. There are paid patterns as well, and you can search and sort using all kinds of parameters.

For sewing, as I mentioned previously, I found a sewing machine at a thrift store for only $25. I looked around for a while, and it was the only one that included a power cord (and the foot pedal). I plugged it in at the store to make sure it worked.

I can't speak for the newer machines, because I've never used one. I learned to sew on my mom's old Singer, and the one I have now is from Sears and was probably made in the 70s or 80s. But that's a good thing, because the machines are entirely mechanical, and their simplicity makes them easy to maintain and fix. When I got it home, it needed some oiling, cleaning, and tuning. But since I did that, it's been working great!

I have worked with brand-new fabric and brand-new patterns before, but that's neither cost-effective nor eco-minimalist. These days, I have a few things I do regularly with sewing.

• If I have a pattern that I like, I'll trace it onto scratch paper so that the original can be used over and over without damage. Pattern paper is very fragile.
• If I'm trying to build/alter a piece of clothing based on something I already own, I use that clothing as a pattern. No paper is needed.
• I alter clothing by pinning it to size while I'm wearing it inside out. I did this recently with a man's shirt I thrifted and converted into a tunic for myself.

If you only get thrifted (or gifted) clothes, then experimenting with altering them to fit your body and style is a lot less expensive. It's also better for the environment. 

As clothing wears out for me, I see if I can upcycle it into other garments, bags, or whatever. I have 2 t-shirts that are about to be on their 3rd iteration since I got them--I'm going to weave them into reusable grocery bags. I also have a sleeveless top with a hole in it. I plan on replacing the damaged area with some crochet embellishments.

Also, I've seen some really cool things being made out of thrifted blankets, quilts, and bedsheets. When my area started having a mask mandate, there were no masks to be found anywhere, in local stores (which I couldn't visit anyway) or online. I ended up looking up a mask pattern online and used some elastic hair ties and an old, ripped pillowcase to make a few masks. I have some other old sheets that have been hanging around for years. When I next need some new pajamas, those sheets are in for a transformation.

As for painting, there are some simple options that some people might find controversial. Someone came across some used canvases and gave them to me. Some were partially finished, and 1 was just plain ugly. I plan to paint over them. 

You could also do this with thrifted canvases. You can also paint on rocks, scrap wood, used furniture, clothing, ceramic, old glass items, walls...the options are endless. 

So far, I haven't found any thrifted paint brushes by themselves. But I've seen painting kits (the ones that come with paints, brushes, and a book or pad) in thrift stores, and definitely paints by themselves. I already have enough brushes, though. When the glue separates from the handle, I just re-glue it.

This could be a much longer article. I love finding inspiration for creativity and finding ways to enjoy my hobbies that aren't wasteful or expensive. I hope you can do the same!