For making your own materials and supplies:
- Beeswax (for making crayons and modeling slabs)
- various oils (olive, linseed)
- plant-based pigments (for beeswax and paints)
- India tree pigments (for finger paints and salt dough)
- Note, these pigments are not colour fast, so they’re best used for projects that aren’t going to be kept for a long time
- watercolours
- brushes
- cornstarch
- flour
- salt
- soap (grated – I like Fels Naptha, or Ivory Snow powder)
- natural dyes (homemade or purchased for dying playsilks and wood blocks)
- gesso and paints (especially milk paint which is non-toxic and can be mixed with natural pigments to make any colour)
- paper pads and decks (tracing, kite, construction, sketch, watercolour, scrapbook)
- a good printer/scanner/copier
- clays (air-dry, paper clay, and traditional sculpting clay)
- paper cutter (I like the Xacto one with the razor slider – much safer than the guillotine style)
- LARGE paper punches (Expressions makes some great ones in a variety of shapes)
- small paper punches, especially a micropunch
- scissors (safety scissors for the wee ones, and a variety of scissors, shears, and pinkers for me)
- wood pieces of all shapes and sizes
- Dremel tool
- wood gouges and knives
- wool roving and batting
- plant-dyed wool felts
- fabrics, including cotton knits
- threads in a wide variety of colours, but especially black, white, cream, and flesh tones
- embroidery floss
- sewing needles from small sharps to long doll needles
- natural fibre yarns and strings
- needles, hooks and bodkins
- wire (various sizes)
- beads of all shapes, sizes, and materials
- jeweler’s pliers (round-nosed) in a couple of different sizes, crimpers are also handy
It is also helpful to have a collection of woodworking tools, or a relative or friend who will let you borrow… or possibly make things for you. Wooden blocks and bricks – both squared-off, and randomly cut. A lathe is also very useful for making cylinders, spindles, bowls, and plates.
Reed is handy for basketry. And basketry is at once a useful skill and a pleasant activity for anyone who is able to lace a shoe.