Why Find and Use Natural Materials as Craft Supplies

For some people, part of the arts and crafts process also includes gathering the craft supplies. Sometimes that means hunting online for the right craft stores, or getting in the car and driving to the local Michael's.

It's Only Natural

What child doesn't attempt to make a necklace out of a found seashell with the perfect stringing hole in it? Using nature as our supply store is a natural, basic and collective urge.

It's also a natural instinct to "collect" natural items, when you are an artist, or into arts and crafts. That round and shiny object on the ground? You're not hoping it's money, you're hoping it's some interesting natural item that you can work into a craft.

The Zen of Natural Arts and Crafts Supplies

Those who do arts and crafts and are interested in free craft supplies you can turn directly to the source. There is a satisfying and calming feeling when you make a craft out of materials that you yourself found and carried home.

Identifying a natural or found object as a free supply for projects is an zen-like experience. When you sit back and admire the craft you constructed from the found object you will be reminded of the peaceful feeling and excitement you felt when your first encountered the object.

This connectedness to nature is also found by crafters who work with natural material beads, leather strings, hemp, and other natural arts and crafts supplies.

Examples of Free Supplies

Sea glass is an ideal object for arts and crafts because it has an organic feel to it, due to a nature-produced shape. The fact that this object has gone through different cycles lends an interesting element to your projects. Glass is made with sand with man-made processes. At some point it was discarded as trash back into nature.

Nature, in the form of water has taken on the task of re-forming the sea glass into another useful object, this time as craft supply. While the buyer or recipient may not think about the entire substance-to glass-back to nature process, they will be attracted to any item made using sea glass.

Stones offer an endless array of ideas for arts and crafts. They come in all shapes, sizes, textures and colors.

Some natural arts and crafts supplies are less permanent than sea glass or stones, like leaves, flowers and twigs.

No matter which items you tend to be attracted, to, train yourself to see the creative possibilities.

Hopefully this will encourage you to use natural arts and crafts supplies before you run out to the local craft store.