Rooted + Ready for Creativity

I went to town yesterday to pick up a few more things – and one of those stops was going to get art + craft supplies…

and let me tell you, the shelves were looking rough. Some items were wiped clean. Others had doubled in price.

And it hit me hard: this isn’t just about pantry prepping or stocking up on essentials for survival.

This is about protecting your creativity before scarcity trickles into the corners of your soul that make things beautiful.

That might sound dramatic, but if you’re a creative soul, you get it.

Creativity is how we regulate. How we process. How we express ourselves. How we anchor in joy when the world gets shaky.

So today, I want to talk about something rarely mentioned in prepping circles: art and craft supplies. The sacred scissors. The glitter jars. The Mod Podge that holds the whole junk journal (and our sanity) together.

And why, in 2025, we need to be a little more mindful about where those items come from—and how much longer we’ll have easy access to them.

Why Tariffs Are Creeping Into Our Craft Closets

Here’s the thing most folks don’t realize: a massive amount of art and office supplies are made in China – or contain parts that are.

Even when a product says “Assembled in the USA,” the raw materials (paper, pigment, plastic) often aren’t local.

And now? The U.S. is implementing stricter tariffs on Chinese imports, especially in categories like manufacturing components, electronics, and paper goods. These tariffs are essentially a tax on products coming into the country, which companies either eat (rare) or pass on to us (almost always).

That means the cost of basics like glue sticks, brush sets, ink, sticker paper, and even pens – is rising fast. In many cases, retailers are quietly reducing inventory on the affected items. And once they’re gone? They might not be restocked for a long time.

I’m not saying this to spark fear. I’m saying it so you can be proactive without panic.

DO NOT BUY WHAT YOU DON’T NEED. This isn’t about panic. It’s preparedness.

What I’m Stocking Up On While I Still Can

I did a full inventory of my studio and made a list of the supplies I use frequently—especially the ones that are hard to thrift, made overseas, or vulnerable to pricing spikes. Here’s what made the cut:

Daily Studio Staples

Micron pens + archival fine liners
Watercolor + mixed media paper (especially 100% cotton)
Acrylic paints in primary and neutral tones
Mod Podge, tacky glue, glue sticks
Hot glue sticks (essential for 3D work and quick fixes)
Canvas boards, pre-stretched canvas, and wood panels
India ink, metallic inks, and alcohol inks
Foam dots, double-sided tape, sticker paper
Binder rings, discbound journal supplies, and tracing paper
Printer ink (because those specific cartridges can be a pain to find later)
Blank tags, cards, and envelopes for spellwork, swaps, and snail mail magic

Magical Materials

Glitter (obviously—it’s spell dust)
Gold leaf + metallic embellishments
Washi tape (because every junk journal deserves a little charm)
Embossing powders + metallic pens for accenting ritual work

Desk Drawer Supplies

Good pens (gel, archival, and Sharpies)
Pencils, erasers, highlighters
Staples, paper clips, mini binder clips
Sticky notes, index cards, rubber bands
Packing tape, masking tape, scissors

These aren’t just “art supplies.” These are my tools of grounding. These are what help me build newsletters, zines, spell pages, printable cards, protest posters, and future memories.

What I’m Not Worrying About (Because I Thrift Them)

Here’s the beautiful part: if you know how to look, there’s a treasure trove of supplies hiding in estate sales, thrift stores, and flea markets. It’s my favorite way to shop, because not only do you save money—you also honor the lineage of artists who came before you.

Most of my best supplies didn’t come from a craft store—they came from the dusty back room of an estate sale or a forgotten sewing basket at Goodwill.

Things I’ll skip buying new:

Scissors, rotary cutters, pinking shears
Yarn, fabric scraps, lace, trims
Buttons, beads, embroidery floss
Paper punches, stencils, stamps
Journals, sketchbooks, notepads
Ribbon, twine, raffia
Vintage ephemera (book pages, old letters, postcards, receipts)

Want to learn how I find this stuff? I wrote a full eBook on it:

The Complete Beginner’s Guide to Estate Sale Shopping

(It’s currently half price and will change the way you stock your creative life.)

Rooted. Ready. And Still Creating.

This isn’t about hoarding. This is about preparing to keep creating even when the world makes it harder. It’s about tending to your creative fire so it never dims—even if the grid goes down or the stores run dry.

So make your list. Take inventory. And if something brings you joy, helps you express truth, or turns survival into something sacred—it belongs on your shelf.

Here’s a printable list so you have a starting point to be prepared to weather the storm for you creativity.

Just click on it to expand to full size, then save to your device for printing.

Why Tariffs Are Creeping Into Our Craft Closets