As a Southern California girl who grew up just outside Los Angeles, I was always within a mile or two of a fabulous craft store where I could get at least 2,000 steps in by walking up and down the aisles in search of materials to use in my paperweight designs.  Now that I live in a very rural part of South Dakota, enjoying the pleasures of small town life, the nearest craft store is about 45-minutes away.  (Insert sound of record needle scratch here.)  There are days I honestly miss the craft stores more than I miss the sun, beaches, and warm weather.

I occasionally make the two-hour drive to Sioux Falls, SD, where I can spend an entire afternoon running between Joann Fabric, Hobby Lobby, and Michaels.  Sometimes this is all I need to recharge and gather some new ideas.

Today I'm going to share a few tips on finding craft supply bargains at Hobby Lobby.  This isn't a sponsored or paid endorsement.  I just happen to love Hobby Lobby because I always manage pick up some great deals there.

Many of the items at Hobby Lobby are divided into brands or product lines that often go on sale for 40% or 50% off.  If I can find something I love on sale, and if I know I can use it, it's going in the cart!  What I'm really on the lookout for are the red-tagged items that are usually easy to spot.  You'll find red labels scattered on merchandise down the aisles and especially on the end caps.

In the coming days and weeks I'm going to use these bargain finds to create several different designs I hope you can draw a little inspiration from.


TIM HOLZ

In case you don't know this about me, I also own an antique shop.  Because I love all things antique and vintage, Tim Holz is my favorite designer of craft supplies and embellishments.  Whenever I attend the Creativation trade show, you can find me drooling over their product displays or gathering around Tim's demonstrations.

The entire line of Tim Holz products was 40% off when I was at the store.  I decided to go for these red-tagged gems.

  • Heirloom Roses: Miniature roses that can be inked or painted, $0.99 (Item #TH93210)
    These came in a pack of 25 that includes three sizes.  Their flat backs make them perfect to glue onto paper and other backgrounds.

  • Milk Caps: An eclectic collection of vintage inspired bottle tops, $1.49 (Item #TH93684)
    This package of milk caps includes 50 pieces!  How would you use them?

  • Classic Label Stickers: An assortment of adhesive-backed, vintage-styled labels, $0.74 (Item #TH93959)
    I've been in love with vintage labels for years.  This collection includes 152 stickers.  It appears there are four sheets of the same label designs in red, navy, black, and pink.


JEWELRY

Hobby Lobby has an incredible selection of charms, pins, and other jewelry findings you can build a simple design around.  By simple, I truly mean simple.  Browse through individual sheets of scrapbook paper to find the perfect color or pattern to use as a background.  (Metal Gallery and Hello Happy are Hobby Lobby brands).

  • Metal Gallery Initial Brooch, $0.99 (Item #1074210)
    I almost purchased an "L" initial pin because I loved watching Laverne & Shirley growing up.

  • Metal Gallery Art Deco Brooch, $2.24 (Item #1743087)
    I'm not sure if this will actually fit into a dome paperweight.  If it won't, it will find a new home in my jewelry box.

  • Hello Happy Charm, $1.24 (Item #1744911)
    I already have a few ideas for this one!


LACE & RIBBON

The last red tagged item I purchased is this collection of ribbon from The Paper Studio (Item #1278795), another Hobby Lobby brand.  It includes four different types of ribbon, two yards each.  This package was just $1.49.


SHARE YOUR IDEAS

How would you display and group some of these items in a paperweight?  Leave a comment and let me know.  I'd love to hear from you!