My Favourite Fun, Found, and Cheap Art Supplies

Some of the best art supplies are cheap or free. It just takes some resourcefulness to see everyday found objects as the creative tools that can be and today I share a few of my favourites.
Please share your own favourite cheap, found, made-up art supplies in the comments and we can all learn a bunch!
To find out more about my online class for using onion skins to make art journal pages and ink, go here:
kelly-s-school...
Here is a free tutorial on making eco prints with leaves. Simply substitute onion skins for leaves and you will be making prints like the ones in this video!
bookandpaperar...
More online courses are here:
kelly-s-school...
I sell vintage ephemera boxes. Find out more here: bookandpaperar...
Printable versions of vintage paper from my personal collection are for sale on Etsy: www.etsy.com/u...
If you have any questions about something not mentioned just ask in the comments or send me an email at: [e-mail]

[@BookandPaperArts]

To find out more about my online class for using onion skins to make art journal pages and ink, go here: kelly-s-school-b1d1.thinkific.com/courses/art-journal-with-onion-skin-eco-prints Here is a free tutorial on making eco prints with leaves. Simply substitute onion skins for leaves and you will be making prints like the ones in this video! bookandpaperarts.com/ecoprinting-with-autumn-leaves/ More online courses are here: kelly-s-school-b1d1.thinkific.com/collections

[@jlojai]

Wow. Excellent video. No music, no folksy babble, nothing to distract me from what you’re sharing. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your work. ❤

[@tanjablume6343]

I agree it's such a pleasure not to have any music in the background 😌🙂

[@BookandPaperArts]

My goodness, Julie, what a nice message. I sometimes enjoy a little folksy babble but my theory is that we need to learn a little something then get off the screen and go make stuff so I try to make it clear and quick. Thank you for this vote of confidence. You have made my day. And here's hoping you have a creative Sunday! Kelly

[@BookandPaperArts]

@@tanjablume6343 Tanja this made me laugh because I have been tempted (semi-pressured by KZbin) to add ambient music but then I grit my teeth and say no, it is my video and a strictly NO AMBIENT MUSIC ZONE. Welcome! Kelly

[@tanjablume6343]

@@BookandPaperArts Yes!! Because This Is Not an Elevator, and I am not on hold to Government Department 😅😂🤣😂 Go Kelly🤓

[@tanjablume6343]

@@BookandPaperArts PS: what exactly is "folksy babble"?🤔

[@northernerinnc3179]

I bought a can of beets, pureed them, strained them and used the remainder for dying paper and cloth.

[@BookandPaperArts]

Yowza, that sounds like a lot of colour. Did it hold? Sometimes with plant-based dyes the colour is not fast and fades/washes out quickly but I haven't tried beets. Maybe they have some kind of chemical in them, the way tea does.

[@northernerinnc3179]

@@BookandPaperArts The color has held. It is not as deep as raspberry, but is a warm rose shade--- and maybe the longer in the beet gloop the darker it might have been.

[@BookandPaperArts]

@@northernerinnc3179 Ah, I know what you mean. When I dyed some gauze in the onion skin dye it looked almost like copper, then I rinsed it and it was more of a (nice) tea colour. Next time I may leave it longer and/or add a mordant, a little alum or something. The only trouble is that sometimes it reacts to the plant colour and makes it muddy. We can just keep experimenting!

[@moongl0]

Hi Kelly! I love your videos so much! Can we all just appreciate the thriftiness of a good find that we didn't have to spend in order to obtain?! I love found art supplies, and have a few examples to share with (US) folks here in the comments. Brown paper bags/wrapping or packaging/tissue paper all look awesome with stamps on them; I use shipping boxes to store my scrap supplies; junk mail envelopes with windows I use as specimen slides or frames in journals; paper clips can be refashioned into cuter shapes or turned into prettier hidden paper clips; label backing or sticker paper I use for DIY stickers (along with packing tape); used tea bags is a favorite that I learned from you; and also clear liner bags from cereal or cracker packages can be used in lamination techniques. I mean, I probably have at least a dozen more ideas to put here! :)

[@BookandPaperArts]

Violet, now THIS is what I'm talking about. Love, love the ideas and the sheer resourcefulness. I have not thought about using the liner bags from packages but dang, I am on it now. I really enjoy being resourceful with making/finding stuff to make with and my stash is equal parts the good stuff from the art supply store when it's in my budget and things I find trashpicking. Which seems about right. Also, as I get older I resent wastefulness more and more and finding new ways to play with stuff we were going to throw away is kind of exciting! Thanks bunches. Kelly

[@creativebeanart]

Your comment re napkins: here in Australia, they're not easy to find in supermarkets and our cheap dollar stores so I've resorted to AliExpress and Shein. Most places online now are selling them as a craft supply (they've cottoned onto the demand 😜) so they've become expensive. Lastly, don't throw away the white backing piece. You can stamp/ paint on it and it becomes another collage paper.

[@BookandPaperArts]

Ah. Thanks for this. I actually meant to shout out and ask for some of my Aussie creatives to weigh in on this so thanks for comparing notes! So, no birthday party or picnic sections? And thanks for the tip on the thin backing paper. Stamping on it is a good idea.

[@rebeccamartin3744]

Try Ninny's Napkins. Ships globally and I know for sure she ships to Australia.

[@ArteoMixedMediaArt]

It's amazing how many things we have around our home that can be turned into art supplies!!! ❤❤❤

[@BookandPaperArts]

Well said! I raid the kitchen all of the time for stuff to make with. Now off to check out your channel - it looks delightful! Kelly

[@ArteoMixedMediaArt]

@@BookandPaperArts that's so kind of you, thank you!!! ❤️❤️❤️

[@birdietherecycledhippychic642]

Thank you so much for all your valuable instruction. One of my favorite free art supplies are my painty drop papers I use to line my work table with.

[@BookandPaperArts]

Hi Birdie. I know what you mean. Have you ever seen those paint-spattered jeans you can buy for $600 that have been made to look as though they came from a painter's studio floor? How do we get in on that racket??? I am looking forward to browsing your channel this week. It looks fun and resourceful and I like that in a journal channel. 😺😺Kelly

[@birdietherecycledhippychic642]

I must warn you I'm more chatty than teaching. I do this for therapy.

[@susanhodel3194]

Dry wall tape can be used for stenciling and adding texture. Found in stores like Home Depot.

[@BookandPaperArts]

Okay, now I have to look into this. I did buy some pre-plastered gauze recently but haven't managed to wrangle it, yet. Is it anything like that?

[@susanhodel3194]

@@BookandPaperArts it’s more like a mesh with a self adhesive back. Wish I could send a photo.

[@sandybe11]

Hi Kelly, thanks for great video! Left my number at the local paint store and they called when switching out the wallpaper sample books. Free and beautiful papers!

[@BookandPaperArts]

Hi Sandy, yes I used to do this! Especially with the florals you can get some amazing (and amazingly huge) flowers for projects.🌻🌼🌷

[@swl9270]

⁠ not to mention good substrate to gesso and paint on!

[@bettylongshore9594]

Love the idea of using onion skins to make ink!!!!! AWESOME!!!!!

[@BookandPaperArts]

Betty, it is kind of addictive. I use it for abstract, wet on wet, mark making, and always have a small batch in my fridge. You can wing it or find a recipe here in my online ink class ($15): kelly-s-school-b1d1.thinkific.com/courses/four-botanical-inks-and-how-to-use

[@MicheleEngel]

Took me forever to figure out how to separate the napkin layers from each other. Most videos either don’t show that step at all or show it so quickly sans explanation that I couldn’t really see what was being done. Then I found a video that revealed a fail-safe trick and demoed it with clear instructions. Here’s how: take a small piece of scotch tape (transparent tape or probably any type of tape, for that matter), and lightly place part of the sticky side against the corner of one of the white tissue layers while holding on to the piece that is not attached to the tissue. Then just pull. Once the separation is started, just gently pull the rest of the tissue away. Cheap, easy solution that makes you want to do the happy dance!🎉

[@BookandPaperArts]

Okay Michele, you win all of the comments today because I had no idea you could do this and you best believe it will be turning up in a future video. How much time have I spent trying to fray and shred the edges to get it started. 😮😮 Thanks bunches! Kelly

[@MicheleEngel]

@@BookandPaperArts Absolutely! Please spread the word. ❣

[@valorimendrala1912]

Hi Kelly, I really liked this video! A found art supply for me is paint peels. I have an artist friend who uses acrylic paint and I peel the dried paint off of her pallet or the dried puddles from her paint pours. They’re great!

[@BookandPaperArts]

Valori, that is so cool. I do know what you mean but I am not sure how I would use these. Do you add them as embellishment or something?

[@valorimendrala1912]

I create holes in them and use them for “frames” and that’s fun because they have unusual shapes. Sometimes I cut out a frame and use the peel for the picture in the frame. Last, but not least, I use them behind cabochons and add them to spine dangles. Oh! and tiny bits can be sprinkled like glitter on a piece- but I use tweezers and make them look sprinkled. I find peels fun to use and it adds something unexpected to my junk journals.

[@Lynette21122431]

Thanks for all of this! I’ve done some of these myself, but others are new, so thank you again!

[@BookandPaperArts]

Hi Lynette, thank you for touching base. I am lining up another video about my favourite found art supplies. There are so many and so fun!

[@alexandraalmeida3661]

Inexpensive art supplies are my favourite thing, because I can’t afford the expensive ones and they’re really expensive in Portugal. Like you, I am very frugal and minimalist and I use and wear things to their maximum. I inherited my grandparents’ wedding bedsheets that had never been used, because my grandmother felt sorry to use them. She was the sweetest lady. One of them was too old, after I had used it for some years. I coffee dyed it and I used it in my stitching. I also buy secondhand fabrics or, as you do, I keep my old clothes to use in art journaling and stitching. As to inexpensive supplies, I buy them in the kids’ section too 😂! They’re perfect for what I like doing, which is messy painting. I have lots of free art supplies too: shells, sticks, stones (that I gather on the beach) and leaves and wild flowers. Stencils are so so expensive here, so I make them myself or I buy those plastic things to put under the plates. They have square or circle shapes and they work beautifully. Napkins are really expensive too. If I were to buy those pretty ones you showed, I would have to spend a lot of money. There are cheap ones but they’re really ugly, so I don’t use napkins. But I love the book pages for backgrounds too 💙❤️💚💗💛🧡💜🖤♥️

[@BookandPaperArts]

Hello there! I can afford the "good" supplies now but a few years ago I was working two jobs and going to school and had no money for art supplies but - I made stuff anyway! If you are determined to create, you become resourceful, and that is so fun. And I agree, foraging in nature to see what you can use is good for creating and good for the spirit. It is strange about stencils being expensive - I almost added them as a favourite cheap art supply. Here in the UK they are sometimes expensive but you can also go to the hardware store or discount store and get cheap ones that make beautiful patterns. And the floral napkins I showed I just bought in France at a supermarket for 1.50 euros ! I hope you are having a creative weekend! Kelly

[@sandrafisherhayes3219]

I have used turmeric and raspberry teabags to dye calico and old sheet/shirt fabric in the past then used those tea dyed fabrics in a wall hanging.

[@BookandPaperArts]

Hi Sandra. Great ideas! I did not have much luck with the berry tea bags. Did you add something to it for oomph or did I need to try again? Thanks for comparing notes! Kelly

[@sandrafisherhayes3219]

@@BookandPaperArts if I'm not mistaken I used vinegar as a mordant. It was what available at the time. Mind you the raspberry tea pieces were quite pale compared to the turmeric. Did you wash the fabric first before you dyed it?

[@BookandPaperArts]

@@sandrafisherhayes3219 I do wash it. When I eco print with leaves I soak paper or fabric in a mordant first (alum and water). It makes a big difference. I like the colour of tumeric but boy did it fade fast. I've read that is normal for some plant dyes.

[@cleot151]

For paper napkins in the US, I go to Hobby Lobby. I think they're 3.99 a pack, and sometimes they're on sale for half off. I've also gotten some at yard sales, another good source of inexpensive art supplies.

[@BookandPaperArts]

Cleo, I got some at a rural drugstore in Mississippi while visiting my mom and it was after Thanksgiving and they had a barrel of leftover party stuff (no where else to buy it, the village was so small) and I got some with peacocks for 50cents that I am still using. And you are right about yard sales. We don't have them in Britain (one of the few drawbacks!) but we have flea markets (car boot sales) that often have craft supplies, especially if you find a table where someone has just a DIY wedding. Thanks for comparing notes! Kelly

[@creativebeanart]

We have regular book sales of second hand books. They are a treasure trove for the old paper enthusiast, like me. I've also reached out to my local cafe for her newspapers, which she was throwing out. Finally, the local thrift store for books (especially kids), kitchen equipment and fabric.

[@BookandPaperArts]

Weirdly we don't have good library book sales where I live but my local second hand bookstore has a 99pence section that I check out weekly. Re your cafe lady, well done. I always advise when asked about sourcing books and maps and stuff that rule number one is let people know you are looking. It is terrific how they are often just waiting for someone to give stuff to! Kelly

[@tavanetaylor98]

Please keep doing these! I love your uses, descriptions and ideas!💙

[@BookandPaperArts]

Well, thank you, Tavane. I have been thinking about a follow-up to this as my art stash is part - the best that I can afford and other part - free stuff that I find on walks or in the backs of old drawers. Know the kind I mean?

[@terryfrank3107]

I love these ideas and have been a fan of using paper napkins for a while. While plentiful here in the US, I used to find it frustrating to have to buy a whole pack when I am likely to only use one or two for art journaling or collage. Luckily I realized several friends had a thing for collecting paper napkins for various kinds of entertaining and were happy to make me some trades. Also have one or two crafting friends who will share and swap. It has really broadened my stash for relatively free.

[@BookandPaperArts]

Hi Terry. Well done. I also do napkin swaps here. I mean, a William Morris paper napkin is a cool thing but do I really need 15 or them? That is a lot of look. 😺Happy making! Kelly

[@terryfrank3107]

@@BookandPaperArts Exactly!! And storage of all those napkins can be an issue too.

[@lynnboyd33]

Howdy Kelly! I just am always so excited to see you have a new video up on my screen! Just loved the onion books and papers as well as the tea dye. So amazing, I truly enjoyed this type of video from you. Your instructions and pics are so easy to follow. I always learn something new when your up here. Thanks so very much for all the nifty suggestions and ideas.

[@BookandPaperArts]

Thanks, Lynn. It is crazy how obvious something is once you see it. I think this will be the first in an occasional series about found art supplies. My stash is equal parts high-end art supply store and foraged stuff from trash picking. A healthy mix. And you?

[@tanjablume6343]

I have used onion skins & photo print paper in a shallow baking dish and layered, page by page with onion skins in between and this worked without allum, I added some vinegar just because I thought it might help, it worked, it may even work🤔 without the vinegar since it's a kind of printing paper🤷🏻‍♀️ I thought you could also use stencils & stamps on the textiles with permanent ink pads. I loved your pages with the angel saying "constantly bumping into clouds"😇 Your videos are absolutely brilliant 🥰🙏🌻

[@BookandPaperArts]

Hi Tanja. Thanks for comparing notes. I haven't tried photo print paper. Is it like a contact paper that reacts with chemicals or a copier paper that makes better photo prints with a printer? It sounds as though vinegar is acting as a mordant here so that makes sense. I really like the idea of stamping on fabric - it would almost look like a canvas! Now as for the angel altered book page - I am currently making videos of making layouts for an online altered board book course that I hope will be live in mid-June. This is a Book of Wings and each layout has angels, butterflies, insects, birds, etc. More soon! Kelly

[@tanjablume6343]

@@BookandPaperArts Hi Kelly, it was copy paper, the heavier variety used especially for photos📸, in the meantime I also remembered that I had some success with paper designed for fountain pen ink, it also felt heavier. I have stamped on linen for the spine of a junk journal I made last year, it looks great🌳 I am looking forward to all the winged creatures🧚🦆🦋🙋‍♀️

[@sandrawheeler2295]

You are without doubt my favourite KZbin go-to channel! Can’t wait to check out your onion skin tutorials…those inks, those papers, wow! Thank you!!

[@BookandPaperArts]

Thank you for this, Sandra. It really does mean a lot to me. I put a lot into the channel and it is VERY satisfying to hear that it is connecting. And not even kidding, I am obsessed with onion skin ink. I paint with it a lot for my own work, especially abstract, wet-on-wet. I am still learning but when I get it down I will probably make a video! Kelly

[@esmeraldahuber5097]

Hi! Kelly, Great video as usual, I always am able to take something away from them. I get so many advertisements on cards in the mail, I use them to make my do to lists. After I sew the signature ( one signature usually thick) together I go back & stick small papers from my stash or dollar store tablet paper on each page. I also decorate the pages with left over papers or images in my stash. The cover is sewn on when I sew the signature together or I just decorate the cover with other papers. I can make one a month out of the many junk cards I get.

[@BookandPaperArts]

That is a terrific idea. I can't have too many little notebooks or places for lists. (I basically have lists to consolidate my lists.😺). I also like ads for the found text. I always check to see if there are some words that I can clip out and turn into phrases for my journals. Thanks for comparing notes! Kelly

[@ninniank9650]

Great ideas! Thank you for sharing.

[@BookandPaperArts]

It is my pleasure, Ninnia. Hope you are having a creative week! 🌻🌻🌼🌼🌷🌷Kelly

[@theresapalmer7892]

I have saved the lace off of old bras and handkerchiefs to reuse

[@BookandPaperArts]

Theresa, I like the way you think. 😉😉

[@monroepowell4220]

I find paper napkins in party stores such as party city, dollar tree, party sections at big boxes. I've never had issue finding them. I love your videos and I am very excited to try out your techniques. Thank you for the inspiration.

[@BookandPaperArts]

Thanks bunches, Monroe (I love your name!). I just found a gorgeous bunch of napkins at TKMaxx (similar to TJMaxx in the states) and they have a notebook and craft section where I found napkins that were culled stock from museum gift shops and they were cheap: Van Gogh, William Morris. Fun stuff. I hope you are having a creative weekend! Kelly

[@LibertyBooksAZ]

In the US each season comes with its own themed napkins, tissue papers, wrapping papers, gift bags, etc. flooding the stores. If I'm lucky a few make it to the clearance aisle. We have several Friends of the Library book stores in town, one deals in books and magazines the other stores rejected. They ask rock-bottom prices and about a third of their inventory is stacked in bins marked "free." The free piles never seem to diminish!

[@BookandPaperArts]

Yes, we have themed and seasonal ones here in the UK. But one of the best sets I got was in rural Mississippi at the local drug store - the only shop in town - and they had marked down holiday supplies and there was one bag of paper napkins with some very dramatic peacocks that I got for 50cents. I am very lucky to have a 2nd hand bookstore where I live that has a free box and a "battered but beautiful" box with vintage stuff that is dinged up or missing a cover and it's cheap. Kelly

[@CatherineSunnysideJournals]

🤣"strangely disloyal" about your old sheets... I adore your expressions! 🥰 Another informative and inspiring instalment. Many thanks Kelly.

[@BookandPaperArts]

Hiya. I didn't know how to say it without sounding TMI-y but you know, I lived with those lovely linens for many years and you can't just bin them without a heart. The funny thing is I love a good purge and that is why I do move stuff along in the pipeline and make it into things I can use rather than hoard. And you?

[@CatherineSunnysideJournals]

@@BookandPaperArts Same here. One time I was so broke and so hugely pregnant and it was so hot I made a maternity dress out of a bed flat sheet. That dress got me through and that baby was 11 1/2 lbs. I decided any future pregnancies I would need to take up drinking and smoking to ensure smaller babies. Oh, and I did wear the dress through 2 more pregnancies. I was a diligent Mormon back then...🍸😀👍 LOL... cheers.

[@BookandPaperArts]

@@CatherineSunnysideJournals 11.5 pounds??? And you lived to tell? Well, I will see you one sheet-turned-maternity-dress and raise you one length of unhemmed leopard print fabric I found in a thrift store and made into a faux wrap skirt by winding it around me and adding a knot at the side. Those were the days, no?

[@heleneebenstein9120]

Kelly, thank you for a great roundup of ideas. Your demos are very helpful in understanding how to use the supplies. I always feel inspired after watching your videos. I love to use sticks for mark making and drawing. And I ink up fallen leaves to make botanical prints.

[@BookandPaperArts]

Hi Helene. Thank you for your kind words and for touching base. Yes to sticks and twigs. Foraging is the best for found art supplies as you get the memory of the walk and then get to use it in a practical way to make something new. It feels whole. 🌷🌻🌼Kelly

[@jeannineparisi437]

Red cabbage will change color like litmus paper from different acidities I think I might try boiling some and straining the water to see what it can do

[@BookandPaperArts]

Hi Jeannine. Absolutely try but a heads up, for some reason plants that seem that they would be really vibrant (beets, for instance) do not give a permanent, colourfast result. Try using a mordant such as vinegar or rust water (I use alum). This may give the cabbage dye a boost. Please keep me posted on how it turns out! Kelly

[@rickiquilt]

Great tutorial as usual. I love the napkins and your eco dying papers are phenomenal

[@BookandPaperArts]

Thanks, Ricki. There are few things I enjoy more than opening a steamed bundle and seeing what's inside. Kelly

[@jeraldbaxter3532]

Thank you!😊

[@ISayToMyself]

Great ideas. Thank you for the inspiration.

[@BookandPaperArts]

Thank you. I hope you are having a creative Sunday! Kelly

[@weaver7249]

I love your videos!

[@BookandPaperArts]

Thank you so much! This is lovely to read. Kelly

[@karenmilligan3590]

Split a pack of napkins with a friend. Each person ends up with a supply of two different designs or more depending on how many you trade. I don't need a pkg of 16 or 20 of each design.

[@BookandPaperArts]

Hi Karen, I really like this. I always tell students on a budget to go in together and buy one - I don't know, pot of embossing powder, or jar of gesso, or anything other slightly pricey item - and then divide it up. You can toss for who keeps the jar but the point is you can share and still make lots of good stuff. You are quite right about the napkins. Who needs 20? Makes for some repetitive layouts! 😎😎Kelly

[@virginiamartin-authorspeaker]

Does it smell like onions? Very nice 👌

[@BookandPaperArts]

Virginia, weirdly it does not. The skins are basically a parchment and once un-onioned they do not smell of it any more. When you make the ink, in the first moments there is a very light aroma but it is a pleasant one, more plant-y than onion-y and then it cooks off. Hope you have a creative Sunday!

[@johnk.blanchard503]

Food coloring.

[@BookandPaperArts]

Ah. Very much like a kind of ink. Also good for dying on a small scale. What do you make with it, John?

[@debsmith7050]

😊

[@donnaattwell9325]

Resale, thrift stores have an abundance of random ephemera.

[@gailkutasi3866]

Buy Art supplies? When ever I go to friends places for lunch or a work do. They have napkins, I always ask may I take a few? or go around the table at the end an collect ones that haven't been used. No one cares, I score Win Win.

[@BookandPaperArts]

Gail, this made me smile. Am I the only one who sees a skip by a building site and does not see but rubbish but instead FREE ART SUPPLIES? 😺

[@esmeraldahuber5097]

Sorry, to do list junk journal.

[@BookandPaperArts]

Got it!

[@daisy3690]