10 Things: top ten internet craft supply shopping spots from Sandy

Sandy from Mythdemeanor! put together a list of 10 great crafty supply shops for today’s 10 Things. If you have your own idea for a great 10 Things list and want to put one together, send me an email.

I love shopping on the internet, and coming from a fairly small town it’s my greatest asset when shopping for unusual or specialized craft supplies. In no particular order here are my top ten internet craft supply shopping spots:

Meadow handspun yarn from Yarmee

1. Etsy – You had to know it was coming! Etsy is not only a site for handmade finished items, but handmade supplies as well as vintage items. Why use generic plastic buttons when you can use handmade buttons that have as much love and care in them as you put into your project?

2. Dharma Trading Company – This great company out of San Rafael, CA has been supplying tie-dyers and crafters since 1969. They have the best customer service I have ever encountered anywhere and will go above and beyond to help you select items that will be perfect for your current project. They offer a variety of shipping options, an easy to use website and have items for everything from traditional fiber arts like tie-dye and batik to screen printing, print-your-own fabric and professional heat transfer. They even have un-dyed yarns and fabrics! My favorite product is their fiber-reactive dyes, which always turn out brilliantly. They also offer bulk discounts to everyone, which really go a long way for those of us with small budgets.

3. Fire Mountain Gems -Out of southern Oregon, this company has been around since 1979. They offer huge bulk discounts and have a very large range of products. All my jewelry making friends and family swear by them as the best online source for findings and beads. Keep an eye out for group orders to save even more money.

4. Dick Blick – This is another site with a large assortments of products. They have at least a basic line of products for every craft imaginable and a hefty amount of items geared towards fine artists and classroom settings. I get most of my screen printing and basic art supplies here.  The best part – they almost always have some kind of special going on, and they’re clearance section always has some useful odds and ends

5. Ebay – Okay, so I know all of us have probably had at least one bad experience on feebay. Yes, there are a lot of downsides to it, but it’s worth the hassle. It’s an invaluable resource for low priced antiques and findings like lace, buttons, silk flowers, and fabric. Just about anything you could ever want is available and you choose what you’re willing to pay for it. Bulk auctions are the best way to get bang for your buck, but make sure you don’t get cheated on shipping. Some sellers will hike it up to cover losses on what they’re selling.

6. Denver Fabrics –  This used to be the premier site for finding theatrical and unusual fabrics like powermesh, fishnet and faux leather. They’ve been taken over by new management since then and no longer have these great finds, but they do offer a large selection of low priced fabrics. While the site can be hard to navigate, the search feature could use some improvement, and shipping is often slower than on other sites, I find it’s often worth my time.  If you’re patient this site has some wonderful fabric gems.

7. Jerry Artarama – Similar to Dick Blick, this website has all kinds of basic art supplies and studio furniture. They offer awesome back to school deals every year and have a good line of budget products. I love the Pelikan travel watercolors they carry – they’re great quality and very cheap. I’ve been using my set to paint design sketches for years and they’re still as good as the day I bought them.

8. Cheep Trims – Probably my favorite notions store in the universe! They have a wide selection of bulk trims, notions – pretty much anything you could ever want. They have a minimum order of $65, but you’ll probably find 3 times that much.

9. Farthingales – Originally out of Canada, this corset supply shop has everything you could need to attempt your very own corset. They offer kits and patterns, grommets, fabrics, tapes. They even offer finished garments if you’re to skittish to try this complex craft out for yourself. If for nothing else I would love this shop for the German Plastic boning they offer. It’s much stronger than the poly-boning you can find at Jo-ann’s or Hobby Lobby and holds up much better over time.

10. Fabric.Com – This ever expanding online fabric store has one of the most extensive collections online. They carry all the big designers and have basic collections of most fabrics. I’ve been using them since they were a fairly new site (about 8 years) and have had nothing but good experiences. The now offer a large selection of notions and patterns and just added sewing machines and some basic craft supplies to the site.

That’s it for me, but feel free to share your favorite shopping spots in the comments!