If you’re looking for free art supplies, you know art supplies are becoming increasingly expensive.
I love art. I am NOT good at it though!
My husband on the other hand is a fantastic artist who creates some amazing oil paintings.
💸 Get paid to test games, apps & surveys (up to $529.76 per) on FreeCash.
Join for Free!
Over the years, my husband has dabbled in all sorts of different art mediums.
And, you know what?
None of them are particularly cheap!
Doing artwork costs money whether you like watercolors, oil painting, drawing, or acrylic painting.
That’s why I want to share with you the tried and tested tips that my husband and I have used to get art supplies at no cost.
Table of Contents
Tips on How to Get Free Art Supplies
Here are my top ten tips for getting art supplies for free.
1. Facebook Buy Nothing Groups
Facebook Buy Nothing Groups are a good place to find people giving away a variety of free items. This can include art supplies.
You can find local Facebook Buy Nothing Groups by searching the internet for “Facebook buy nothing groups [name of your town, city, or state].”
You could find people giving away free art supplies.
2. Contact companies directly
This is a tip that can be so effective, yet many people overlook it.
All you need to do is get in touch with art brands to ask if they have any free art supplies that they could send you.
Redditors recommend this tip too.
In this Reddit thread, one Redditor says that they got in touch with a company and successfully got some free stuff.
They said:
- “I tried this a few years ago with Caran Dache and they sent me a 2 graphite pencil, 1 watercolor pencil, 1 luminance color pencil, 2 neopastels small pieces and they came with mini art manuals describing the supplies.”
Most companies have a “Contact” page on their site.
Use that to get in touch and ask politely if they have any art supplies that they could send you.
These are a few of the top art supply manufactures and stores:
- Blick Art Materials
- Michaels
- Jerry’s Artarama
- Winsor & Newton
- Strathmore Artist Papers
You can either contact them through their official website or on social media.
3. Check with local places like libraries and community centers
Sometimes local places can be a good place to get some free art supplies.
Local libraries are a good option. Sometimes they run arts or craft events where you can get some supplies at no cost.
Some community centers may run creative programs where they have donated supplies available for free.
Some cities even have art-specific community centers.
For example, Public Space One, which is an artist-led community contemporary art center in Iowa City, Iowa, offers free art supplies.
Do a quick internet search to see if there are any community centers near you. Then, just get in touch with these centers to see if they offer any free art supplies.
4. Contact local schools and colleges
Sometimes you can get free art supplies, like pens, pencils, paper, and canvases, for free from local schools and colleges.
Sometimes school art departments have materials that they’re looking to get rid of. Just get in touch with local schools and colleges to ask if you can have any of these materials for free.
The best time to contact them is at the end of the academic year.
5. Visit local reuse centers
Reuse centers are facilities that collect and redistribute usable items that would otherwise just be thrown out. They may focus on building materials, home goods, or, of course, creative supplies, like art materials.
At these centers, you can find low-cost or free items.
One example of a reuse center that offers art supplies is Materials for the Arts.
Materials for the Arts is a creative reuse center in New York City. It donates art supplies.
Check to see if your city or town has a reuse center. Just do an internet search for “reuse center near me” or “reuse center [name of your city or town].”
6. Join loyalty programs
Loyalty programs are so great if you’re looking to get anything for free.
Honestly, if you shop somewhere – whether it’s for makeup, groceries, or art supplies – join the loyalty program. You won’t regret it!
Loyalty programs – sometimes called reward programs – differ in terms of what they offer. Typically though, they give you points that you can redeem for discounts or freebies.
Some art supply stores have loyalty programs that you can join.
One example is ArtSupply.com. It has a loyalty program called ArtSupply Reward Points Program.
With it, you receive one reward point for every dollar that you spend.
When you collect 1,000 reward points, you can redeem them for a $50 coupon code that you can use on your next purchase.
7. Get free art samples from Blick Art Materials
Blick Art Materials is a popular art supply store. It sells various supplies like paints, oils, acrylics, watercolors, varnishes, brushes, and canvases.
The retailer includes free samples when you place an order online.
You can view freebies and deals from Blick Art Materials here.
8. Start a YouTube channel
Consider starting your own YouTube channel about your art. You could simply showcase your artistic process, or you could share tutorials on how you create your artwork.
Many artists, like Caesar Santos for example, have YouTube channels.
You’ll become eligible to join the YouTube Partner Program once your channel has enough views. This means you can earn a commission from the ads that play on your videos.
Use the money that you make from the YouTube Partner program to cover some or all of the cost of your art supplies.
You can also make money creating sponsored videos for art brands – this often means free supplies as well as a payment for creating the videos.
Some artists even integrate Patreon into their YouTube channel.
Patreon is a platform that content creators can use to create monthly subscription memberships for their fans and followers.
You could use the money that you make through Patreon subscriptions to cover some or all of the cost of your art supplies.
9. Reuse and upcycle everyday items
This tip is one that my husband has used a lot. It’s so simple too.
Just take any items that apply to the type of artwork you create and reuse them for your art projects.
My husband, for example, does oil paintings. So, he will use any old wood – even cheaper wood like MDF – as a canvas for his oil paintings.
Just think of the items you have in your home that you no longer need and upcycle them for your artwork.
You could use card for sculpture material, old clothes for textile art, and even house paint to create wall art.
There are a surprising number of options! Reuse unwanted items in your home to create some amazing artwork all while saving money.
10. Check on Freecycle
Freecycle is a good site for getting a variety of items for free. It’s a website where people can give away stuff and get the stuff that they need for free.
Have a browse on Freecycle here to see if there’s anyone giving away free art supplies. There may not be, but it’s worth a look.
You can even set up your own smaller Personal Friends circle for the gifting and lending of items with just your friends.
Getting Art Supplies for Free: Final Thoughts
Whether you love to create oil paintings or pencil drawings, you don’t have to go broke trying to create art.
Sure you may not be able to get everything for free, but even if you get a few brushes, paint samples, an easels or whatever else you need to work on your art, it can help save you some cash.
And as you can see, you have a few good options to get free art supplies. So give them a try!
