Why do our crafty stores keep closing?!?

Hi friends, Just before I got set to record my weekly crafty chat I learned that two more wonderful craft companies were shutting down. Consumer Crafts (closed as of Friday) and Darice which will close in November. Let’s talk.

The comments over on YouTube have been filled with thoughtful conversations about why this is happening. Some speculated that Micheal’s bought those companies to close them and remove the competition, others thought Michael’s needed to tighten their belts and the companies didn’t earn their keep. Some thought Covid-19 store closures were to blame and the fact people may have lost income and stopped buying craft supplies. Another thought is that the stores didn’t have enough to sell between tariffs and China getting hit hard by Covid-19 and having to temporarily close so many factories. One viewer smartly noted that most art supplies are made in USA/Europe and most craft supplies are made in China. I think it was a little bit of everything.

I had many people ask for recommendations of where to shop for supplies online. I’ll share my favorites. Feel free to share yours in the comments below:)

Craft/stamp stores

• Topflight Stamps: They carry a huge selection of stamps from around the world that are hard to find elsewhere. They are also a sponsor of some on my YouTube videos. SAVE 10% off your next order with coupon code: thefrugalcrafter10 *USA orders of $50+ ship free!
• Hallmark Scrapbook: This store is a gem, The prices are great, they carry lots of popular brands. Lots of papercrafting and mixed media supplies and the owner Jodi is so sweet!
• Joggles is a treasure trove of all kinds of supplies from stamping, altered art, felting, paper crafting mixed media and more but their highlight is their stencil selection!
• Scrapbook Pal is another winner especially if you want great prices on Copic markers, nibs and refills. Lots of papercraft goodies too!
• If you can’t find what you want at the above companies chances are Simon Says Stamp will have it. Their prices are a bit higher than the other companies but their selection is second to none. Shipping can be slow tho.

Art Supply companies:

• Jerry’s Artarama has great prices on brand name art supplies but also has a few propriety brands that are fabulous. You can find Creative Mark products, their house brand, that is excellent! I even have 3 signature sets with them:)
• Blick Art Materials is a great resource for artists and teachers alike. They also have great prices on a huge selection of name brand art supplies and their Blick Studio line of products (Their Brush markers are so good!) is not to be missed!
• Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff, the name says it all!
• Jackson’s Art Supplies This UK based company ships worldwide and their prices and postage are very reasonable which is nice for folks outside of the USA with fewer choices. Good prices for USA shoppers too!
• And finally I want to mention a newcomer to the art scene, Arteza has American and UK shops and ships to many countries. They have a wonderful selection of higher end student art supplies and fantastic prices. I recommend this for people who want to experiment with solid quality supplies for little money. Great supplies to give your teens as well. I use their stuff a lot and really, the quality for price can’t be beat. They have offerings in most art categories. Looks go the “expert” label for the highest quality products. You can also save 10% on your order with coupon code: LindsayWeirich1

I’m sure there are more stores to suggest. The customer service at these stores are top notch too. I would be heartbroken if any of those stores closed down so if you are in need of any art supplies please have a look there first. You won’t be disappointed! The stores I mentioned carry a large variety of brands and products which I thought would be very useful to you. Feel free to share recommendations in comments. Happy crafting!

*This post contains affiliate links.