In my experience, Red Heart Super Saver is the cheapest yarn to get, but it can be very rough. I'm guilty of buying/using it anyway because I've been working on a crochet project almost constantly lately and only have so much money. Do you do the same with craft items or would you rather spend slightly more on things that are softer?
I'm not crazy about the texture of Red Heart yarns. I used to get a lot of yarns at Dollar Tree and Big Lots and people have given me large amounts of yarn. Because of that, I'm trying to use up what I have before I get anymore (I could open a store, lol). In Georgia you should have access to JoAnn and Michaels and the coupon deals. Those are a good way to save as are clearances. You can also make your own yarn by upcycling cloth and plastic bags.
It all depends on the type of project that I am working on. If I am crafting something with the kids or students then I usually go by price because I have to buy a lot and am probably shopping on a budget. I only buy quality crafts if I am gifting or scrap booking.
It also is project dependent for me. If the project needs a softer product or something fancier, I find the money. If not, I use what works, even if that is the cheap stuff. Good advice from above: You can collect the Michaels coupon and save 50% off of a regular priced item. They usually have a 50% off coupon every week, so you can count on the savings to continue long term. See if that helps you get a better price on some nicer materials for your projects!
Depends on what kind of budget that I'm working with. Sometimes you can't get what you want, when you want it, so you have to make sacrifices and accommodations. I think it is better to go ahead and complete a project with the "lesser" yarn than to wait until there is money to buy the better yarn. One might run the risk of not finishing a certain project at all because one waited to do it. One may look around and 5 months have passed before they pick up the project again just because they were waiting to be able to buy a certain type of yarn.
It really depends on the type of project too. I really don't like the cheap yarn. It stings my fingers when I crochet. So, unless I really low on funds, I pay for the better quality yarn.
It really depends on what I'm doing. I do not knit, but in the past I've had clothing made for my son (shorties, etc.) and I bought really expensive yarn and it was very obvious. The quality was amazing! But if I was buying it for myself to try and learn to knit, I'd buy something really cheap. I do scrapbooking, and sometimes you have to pay more to get the better supplies.
I try to get the better quality stuff at the cheapest price, so I'll spend hours comparing brands and prices. If I'm selling the thing I'm making, then I'll generally get the better quality stuff even if the price is a little higher.
Not sure if there is a Pat Catan's in your area, but they usually have pretty good prices and are a little cheaper than Michaels. I noticed some people mentioned scrapbooking on here, I wouldn't bother spending more on expensive materials for that unless they were archival quality. Most paper products have acid in them that will eventually yellow over time. The only way to prevent that, such as with matting and framing artwork, is to buy archival cotton mattes and tape.
I try to strike a balance between supplies that are good and reasonably priced. Usually between the expensive stuff and the cheap junk, there are several price points in the middle. So I comparison shop and buy the best mid-priced craft supplies. Sometimes I get lucky and find clearance racks full of good craft supplies marked down at Walmart. When luck strikes, spend because those clearance items go fast.
Both of them does matter and i must say having an appropriate outcome with basic terms is what that we need to be following and a growth is what that help us with moving ahead which is fine enough if we stick to a single strategy.
I have to say that when it comes to art and craft supplies, I will splash out and invest in the best quality wherever possible. Of course, I can't always afford to pay $20 for a tube of paint, but I will spend that much for basic and essential equipment that I require for my work. The rest I fill in with medium quality supplies.
I've been seeing a lot of amazing ,high quality portraits drawn in Crayola crayons by adult artists, so I think maybe the talent of the artist is as much of a factor as the the quality of the supplies. Some people can make good art with anything.
This is how I shop in general. Like you said, there are usually several different options between the low end and the top of the line. I usually go mid range as well. I have noticed a big difference in the quality of the Red Heart Yarn. It's always been one of the cheap ones, but it's definitely become lower in quality. The weird thing is that one skein will be somewhat okay and the next one won't. There is no consistency any more. About the only thing I use it for now is test projects, trying to learn and practice new stitches, and things like that. If I'm just going to be unraveling and starting again, it's fine for that. I don't think I'll buy it again for actually making anything. I'll just use up what I have for test stuff. It's gotten so bad that the stuff I make doesn't even look new. It looks like it's been made out of old, beat up, yarn. Unacceptable.
As with others I shop at Joann Fabrics for most of my craft supplies taking advantage of the coupon deals. As far as buying yarns I like to have a good quality yarn. Some of the yarns are so thin and does not create a good stitch. The price and brand at that point is out the window and I start to feel the texture instead.
It depends on the project. A sewing project I would use quality thread as cheap thread will break often and can be dry rotted. Nothing is worse than spending the time to make an item and have the thread not hold the item together.
Price. I'm not good enough in most of my crafts to justify using high quality products -- and even if I were, to know that I paid so much for something sorts of block me. I'm more carefree and creative when I'm working with cheap "practice" stuff.
I usually go with quality, but depending on what I'm working on price tag may change and use something cheaper.
