If you aren’t checking the clearance bins everytime you shop at JoAnn’s or Michael’s, you are missing a huge opportunity to stock up on crafting odds and ends. Having boxes of clearance-priced crafting items makes it a little easier to let the kids run wild with their imagination when making decorations, pictures, crafts, or anything else creative. I feel less guilty when they use 2 bottles of 5-cent glue to stick together a $1 box of popsicle sticks together, especially when many of these creations will have their photos taken, then be dispatched to the nearest recycling bin, as appropriate.

If you didn’t stock up on extra school supplies this fall when they had the 5-cent specials on various items, make a note not to miss that next year! Also, Sam’s Club has great prices on large packages of things like Sharpies and construction paper, not to mention regular paper, glue sticks, file folders, etc.

Happy deal hunting and crafting!