Where to buy affordable art supplies

Let’s face it, as creative art journalers, we loooove our art supplies. 👩‍🎨 Some might even consider us hoarders. (Not me! I’m a “collector.” 😊) But whether you’re just getting started as an art journaler or you’ve been doing it for years, it’s always good to know where to buy affordable art supplies!

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Some of these may be obvious (I’m looking at you, Amazon!) but hopefully some of them will not only be new to you, but help you save a few (or several!) dollars on your next art supply haul.

Oh! Before I get into where to buy affordable art supplies, I wanted to let you know that any shop marked with an * means you can also get cash back when you shop there if you have an eBates account. Ebates is an awesome app that gives you cash back on things you’re probably already buying, at sites you’re definitely shopping at! (Again, I’m looking at you, Amazon!) Sign up through this link and get $10 when you spend $25 at a participating store!

Where to buy affordable art supplies: Blick*

I feel lucky to have not one, but two Blick Art Supply stores near my home. There is just something about the smell of new art supplies, and walking up and down the aisles and getting inspired to try new things! But if you don’t have a Blick nearby, don’t fret! You can shop online, too. They always have great sales, and that’s when I shop with them. In fact, just today I got an email abuot a 65% off sale they were having. All you have to do is go to their website and sign up for their emails, and they will let you know what goes on sale and when. They occasionally offer free shipping, too!

Where to buy affordable art supplies: Create For Less

Create for Less is pretty much exactly what the name implies! They have all kinds of art and crafts supplies. In fact, from their website, Create for Less is “where you’ll find over 70,000 brand name craft supplies, discount prices and bulk quantities.” They also have a craft advice blog where you can get inspiring projects and ideas.

Where to buy affordable art supplies: Etsy*

You may think of Etsy as a place to buy handmade goods, or maybe vintage items, but you can find tons of art supplies there, too! (That’s because, besides handmade goods, “supplies” are the only “new” thing Etsy let shop owners sell for a long time. They’ve loosened that rule a bit, but you can still find tons of art supplies there.) You can also get all kinds of goodies, specifically for art journaling there, too.

Where to buy affordable art supplies: Estate and Yard Sales

Speaking of Etsy, my husband and I used to sell vintage items on Etsy (and in a shop here locally), so we spent a lot of time at estate and yard sales. You can pick up art supplies at these sales for pennies on the dollar. The downsides are: you have to “hunt” for things and you may not find the exact thing you’re looking for. But what I love about it is that is allows me to try new mediums for a very low cost. Some of the things I tried because of estate sale finds: alcohol inks, hand lettering, painting on alternative surfaces and more.

Where to buy affordable art supplies: Cricut*

If you are and/or want to be a Cricut user, you can occasionally find really good deals on their products, straight from the source!

Where to buy affordable art supplies: Blitsy

Blitsy is a new-to-me online shop, but practically everything in their shop is a). new and on-trend and b). discounted (at least a little bit… and every bit helps, right?!) I know it’s kind of odd to say, but their website is so fun and colorful, it almost feels like you’re shopping there in person. And while they don’t offer eBates (at least at the time I’m writing this) they do have their own “loyalty” program that allows you to rack up points that can be used to buy art supplies in the future.

Where to buy affordable art supplies: MisterArt*

Not only does MisterArt offer cash back via eBates, but they have their own “VIP” rewards program, where you can get up to 75% off name brand art supplies for your art journal!

Where to buy affordable art supplies: AliExpress*

AliExpress is a website where you can find art supplies for so cheap, it’s almost a little mind boggling (with little or no shipping fees, too). The only downside is you’re buying directly from Asian companies (in most cases), so your order will sometimes take up to 6 weeks or more to arrive. But to me, it’s worth it! They have things you can’t always find in US stores. Plus, most of the art supplies (especially in chain stores like Micheal’s and Hobby Lobby, etc.) are made in China, anyway. AliExpress has just taken out the middle man (and saved you a ton of money!)

On thing I will suggest is that, if you find something you like on AliExpress, see if any other stores have the same or similar items. I’ve purchased things that, in one store cost $3.99 and in another store they cost $13.99. For the same exact product! So, especially if you feel like the price may be a little on the high side, do a quick search to see if you can find a better deal.

Where to buy affordable art supplies: Amazon*

And, of course there’s always Amazon. Amazon does offer good prices, but the real savings is in the free shipping with Prime. If you don’t have Prime, you can sign up here. We use it all the time to have free things shipped to the house. Which is perfect for people like me who actually don’t really like shopping! (Well, for most things… I’m pretty much always down to go art supply shopping! 😂)

Of course, there are more popular places to buy art supplies, like Hobby Lobby and Micheal’s. And they also have good deals from time to time! Plus you can earn cash back with eBates in both online stores. I just figure most people have local access to one of both of those stores. If you do shop there, be sure to look for coupons, as they seem to always be offering some sort of discount.