CM: where do you get most of your supplies from?

[jibbs]

I am going to buy lots of arts and crafts stuff for when I am up and running but am unsure of the best place to get them

I am in Herts.

Years ago, I helped run a toddler group and we have access to a huge brochure from "County Supplies" which listed everything.

Does that still exist? If so, how do I get my hands on a copy?

Most of mine is from The Works which is fab and very cheap I don't have a good one locally but my parents often do a present at Christmas with the tag saying 'Playroom' and it's a box filled with all sorts of craft materials.

Paints, scissors sets, chalk, glue etc. I just get from the local supermarket.

I'm sure there will be others along with lots more ideas though

ebay, yellowmoon is AWESOME!!!!

Hope Education, The Consortium, Baker Ross, Ebay has some reasonable stuff on now as well, also Wilkinsons is quite good for some stuff.

Yellow Moon is just Baker Ross with sometimes higher prices in order to give donations to a charity

Yes, County Supplies is still going. Google it and see if you can get a catalogue, as their website is nigh on impossible to navigate.

Also (seeing you're in Herts) look into the Wot-ever scrap project in Welwyn Garden City. I've not actually used it yet but from their website it does look useful and has fairly reasonable rates for an individual CM I think about £20 for a year. (I'm a teacher and have to find rather more out of my allotted budget before I'm allowed to sign up!)

Good luck with setting up!

abitofapickle.... do you have a link for herts county supplies?

I can't find it on google

Remembering the days of Blue Peter when I was a child, it is still amazing what can be done with empty Corn Flakes boxes and other packaging. There is so much fancy packaging around nowadays, I try and make do with what I can find and just buy the pens/pencils/glue/sellotape etc.

i keep ribbons and labels off of things snip buttos off old clothes buy dresses from charity shops to rip up etc get an old teddy and design some new clothes and sew/stick them on :D challenge yourself how much fun you can have for as little cost as possible, just buy expensive selotape and glue to keep tax man at bay,

but i am lucky as my mm has an ebay shop of crafty bits, she buys in huge bulk so prices are cheap :D