Where do you get your supplies?

[withtheweeones]

Hi Ladies,
I will be opening in a few weeks and I am excited/nervous!
I am trying to work out all of the little things now. Where do you get your craft supplies? I am in Ontario. Is Dollarama the best bet? It sounds very cheap but I find Buck or Two expensive for some things.

Oh and I should add, what are your have to have supplies?

Thanks Ladies
Lisa

[Momof4]

Well congratulations on joining the world of home daycares!

I buy so many craft supplies, dollar stores are deifinitely a must. I go in there with an empty shopping cart and fill it up at least once a month with a list of my themes for the month and all the crafting parts I should need and I still have to go back almost weekly. It's unbelievable that you can spend $50 easily at the dollar store! But I have to tell myself it's a tax deduction to calm my breathing, ha!

I buy a lot of things at Michael's too, their little kits are so cute, especially for the holidays and sometimes it saves me from having to google or invent crafts on my own. Have you been to Scholar's Choice? They are pricier but have fantastic things and I buy my washable markers there (they are a necessity for babies learning to colour) and there are times when I want the better quality that you don't get with the dollar stores.

I go to Florida once a year and to B.C. once a year and I always stock up on things I find at the dollar stores in both of those places because when you travel you find different cute things, especially decorations for the holidays.

I have found that over the years I have had to slow myself down from buying cute things that I spot because I now have such an overflow of crafting supplies I don't know if we can ever use them all up!

[Inspired by Reggio]

1. Scholars Choice or Michael's depending on whose got sales for my tempera paint, water color paints, proper brushes, School white glue, finger paint paper, play clay and other 'creative art' tools
2. Stampin' Up - two way tape snails, glue sticks, aqua water color no mess paint brushes, art punches, Big Shot dies and other accents for their creation and making things for program like paper dolls and so forth ( this is my side business so helps to 'sell' to myself things to use in program )
3. Dollar Store for collage items and 'seasonal accents' I cannot make with my stampin stuff
4. Value Village or Garage Sales - awesome 'bits and bobs' like buttons, beads and so

AND the 3 R's - cause they are FREE and I do not care than how much gets used on a project and 'waste' and so forth.

Following list is in my handbook under 'ways you can help' in regards to program ...

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
My goal is to help ensure a positive future for all our children. Please help is to fulfill this goal by bringing us your beautiful junk rather than sending it to the landfill. Feel free to enlist the help of coworkers, family and friends in gathering treasures for art time!

As a suggestion we could always use:

• Variety dull edged glass pieces, leftover mosaic pieces
• Shiny silver or copper pieces from the hardware store
• Unique stones or pebbles
• Small Branches, twigs, pussy willows, pine cones, moss, colorful leaves
• Potpourri / Dried flower pedals
• Collected Shells
• Colored gravel stones
• Household / Decorative glass gems
• Different colored children’s marbles
• Any size Buttons
• Any size Beads (Anything with holes in can be used for lacing/beading even your old beaded car seat cover can be taken apart to re-make into something, old Xmas decorations added to a creation, etc)
• Odd Wood scraps & shapes
• Plastic Lids from bottles, juice box
• Metal Juice-can lids
• Clear plastic lids from food containers
• Old Fridge Magnets
• Old Crystal pieces from lamps, chandeliers, etc.
• Old Glittery Costume Jewelry
• Wine Corks
• Metal Bottle / Beer Caps
• Empty Spools of Thread
• Fabric and Lace of all textures
• Variety of textured Paper
• Shiny foil and cellophane used to wrap soaps, non-nut candies, etc is great for collage work
• Scraps from your own holiday craft projects
• Gift wrap rolls, poster roll containers
• Very large clear glass condiment jars (restaurant size pickle or hot pepper jars)
• Yarn, Gimp, Hemp, Ribbon

[withtheweeones]

Thanks so much ladies!!

[Spixie33]

I also do a few different places

I do Scholars choice for tempera paint and construction paper, finger painting paper, and also some of the toys like the lacing buttons, schleich farm animals, the cardboard blocks, etc

Dollarama is the best for stickers, foam shapes and holiday craft stuff like Christmas, easter etc, glue sticks, googly eyes

walmart for crayons, markers, blank paper

Michaels - ahhhh - stay out of there. lol I can't get out of there without spending major money. I only go there for special days like mother's day, or a special craft like if we make beaded necklaces or need mod podge or Tacky Glue. Their tacky glue is priced really well and makes googly eyes and beads stick really well compared to white glue.

Mastermind Toys for toys every once in a while

Kijiji is best if you have a specific toy you are looking for and don't want to pay full price...or looking for some tricycles for your daycare or backyard toys like a slide etc...or mega blocks and little people toys etc....train table....etc.

Good luck

[Momof4]

If you want a felt board for felt stories I bought a big piece at Fabricland and taped it onto a board. In Ontario we have the Ontario Early Years Centres and they have a big room in our city and allow us to diecut many shapes like animals, etc.

I've gone to many mall and other sales for finger puppets. I could go on and on! As Reggio mentioned I'm also a Stampin Up fan and just spent today figuring out fantastic Mother's Day projects.

[withtheweeones]

Yep I am in Ontario! I live in a tiny town but I am friends with the coordinator so i think she would let me use their diecut machine....thanks for the idea!! I did actually just buy a huge piece of felt to make a felt board! I got it at Len's Mill, they also had chalkboard fabric (it was like a vinyl) i was thinking of getting that and making a frame to attach it to and mounting it on the wall and same with the felt. I got a bunch of stuff from the dollar store (paints, glitter, glue, ) but i am going to check out scholars choice. I hate going in there because they are my competition (LOL I also own a kids toy store online) so maybe I will check out some of my suppliers as well for bulk craft things.....

[Momof4]

Well, you will have to give us the link for your store, weeones! I have a friend who sews and has made us finger puppets, capes, beanbags, and my brother does woodworking and he makes amazing puzzles in the shape of animals and little wooden cars/trucks. It makes me happy to buy some things from small business owners like that rather than giving my money to the big rich corporations.

[withtheweeones]

I agree! I carry a bunch of Melissa and Doug and Learning Resources but I do try to support local moms by carrying their handmade products. If you are interest in my site please message me and I will send it to you I don't want to "advertise" it in case i get in trouble!