Are you sitting comfortably? Then let's begin!
The Works
I first started shopping here for cheap art supplies when I studied Art at GCSE, and I would say this is a good place to start when you are just finding your feet with a variety of arts and crafts. For the most part they class themselves as a discount book store, and most of my vast selection of craft books have come from here, or end up in their stocks a year after their initial release. I would say a good 95% of all my sewing, jewellery, craft and recipe books are from here, so it's worth checking out! The prices are seriously discounted, so great if you don't want to spend too much whilst you are finding the craft for you. In addition to the books, they also have a selection of craft supplies at minimal cost including craft kits (for kids and adults) of all the things needed for that particular project. If you sign up to their 'Together rewards Card' you get exclusive discounts emailed straight to you, alerted about sales, and you get a reward card to collect points to spend off your next purchase. It is a pretty nifty place to get your stuff to start out crafting, but enter at your own peril as I can't seem to enter their stores without spending more than I had planned....
Hobbycraft
If you live in the UK you have probably heard of Hobbycraft or seen one of the stores at a retail park or garden centre, however when you're starting out superstores like that things can seem a tad daunting. Which threads do I need? Which brand is better? What's the difference between chain nose and round nose pliers? You end up wanting to buy so much that you don't end up buying anything. Been there, done that! Well, Hobbycraft is fab for beginners onwards as their staff are immensely helpful, and their website/facebook are filled with exciting projects and product info to start you off; I've been shopping there since I was 11 and have learnt a lot from there. If you can't find what you're looking for there's a good chance you'll find it on their website, and they also have a 'club' you can join for exclusive discounts and money off. They are a 'general' craft supplier, so anything from glitter glue and embossing powders through to jewellery making tools and fat quarters. Because they have such a huge range of crafts, sometimes really technical or specific things might not be available in their smaller stores, especially if you start working to a more advanced or professional level, but it still is great for most of your supplies and inspiration (checkout their Pinterest!). My favourite thing of all? Student discount!! (I need it with the amount I buy..)
JewelleryMaker
JewelleryMaker is a wholesale TV shopping channel and website. They have recently updated their website and now have an App, making it even easier to find the products you're after. If you're familiar with other shopping channels, you know the drill; they start off with an expensive price then dramatically lower it. A year into watching JewelleryMaker (and several years into watching their sister channel GemsTV) I am still amazed at the deals you can get on their products. They have a fantastic and seemingly endless range of precious gemstones, findings, threads...anything and everything you could possibly need to make and sell your own jewellery. Their products range from beginners tools and basic findings to more elaborate/professional items, so there really is something for everyone. One of the things I love about the channel, the website and their social media pages is the inspiration and tutorials that you get, plus they also have an extensive range of easy-to-follow DVD tutorials in various types of jewellery making. They have also recently introduced new project kits that include everything to make an item of jewellery, they are really reasonably priced and I can't wait to try them! Receiving an order from JewelleryMaker is always made extra special by the inclusion of things like DVD's in jewellery making basics (on your first order), a little magazine of the latest jewellery trends and informative mini books explaining about the gemstones themselves. The overall company that owns JewelleryMaker is called The Genuine Gemstone Company, their sister channels/websites including Gems TV sell high quality jewellery/gems that myself and my family have loved for years (we are all magpies), and I love reading about the ethical mining and charitable work they do in their mining source countries. I am a Geologist so I do love a good mine!
Other places worth a nosey
There are too many places to get quality supplies so I really can't name them all. Obviously the internet is a wonderful thing, and there are plenty of things you can get on eBay and Amazon; as with anything you can't always guarantee on quality and online pictures can be verrry misleading. One of my fave overall websites is etsy, as you can get loads of unique craft supplies as well as handmade gifts. It's worth checking out if your local town has any stores and craft fairs as you can get a lot there, and it's always nice to support local businesses! There are also many different conventions and fairs nationally throughout the year, I always really enjoy going to the one at Birmingham NEC every March (can't remember the exact name) and always enjoy buying way more than I need. As well as shopping online there are plenty of blogs out there with great advice, tutorials and patterns; one of my faves is Tilly and the Buttons but there are loads more out there too. In this day of high technology use it is very easy to forget how useful books and magazines can be. I'm currently subscribed to 'Simply Sewing' and 'Love Sewing' magazine, both of which have fab free gifts and patterns each month, and I always end up buying other craft magazines too. They are great not only for the projects they provide, they also introduce you to some of the bloggers I've mentioned and their adverts let you know some of the best places for supplies, and it's the same for most craft magazines. As I said I have an extensive library of craft and sewing books, and as you build up your own collection you will realise that they quite often have a list of useful shops/websites that they use too, which is really useful as it often means you can make things identical to the ones shown in the books.
Just remember; buying and stocking up and bits and bobs is a huge part of the fun, and no matter how full your craft cupboard is you can never have too much!
Happy Crafting x
