Tuesday, July 29, 2014

In the Art Room: That Dreaded Art Supply Order

For those of you interested in the Artsy Apron Sew-Along, I'll have a post up shortly. In the meantime, this fab fabric can be found here
I'd like to take you on a trip back in my Art Teacher-in' History, if I might. It all began some 15 plus years ago when I'd just returned from attempting to teach art to some seriously cheeky Irish kids ("Miss, have you ever been in a drive-by?"; "Miss, do you think your president really messed around with that Monica lady?"; "Miss, Americans think we are all leprechauns, don't they?!"). Upon my return from student teaching in Ireland, I found that my pops, in great fear that I'd never actually land an art teacherin' gig, had sent out some 50 odd job applications to all over the country (Alaska, dad? Really? {not that there's anything wrong with that, Alaskan friends, it's just that temps below 30 are my kryptonite}). One of those places just so happened to be Nashville, Tennessee. On a whim, my Grandma Rosie (who passed this spring) and I decided to drive the 6 hours from Indiana, go on a coupla interviews (sans grannie, of course) and take in the sites. Little did I know, I'd end up loving the town, meeting my husband and callin' this lil place home. 

OH! Funny side story about that road trip with Grandma Rosie: the night before one job interview we treated ourselves to the delectable delight that is Cracker Barrel. If you aren't familiar with these restaurants (which are based outta Tennessee, yahoo!), they pride themselves on some seriously high- fat/heart-attack all-American fare. At the entrance of these restaurants, they sell a ton of Americana chachkies (all made in China, of course) in hopes that you'll spend even more dough whilst paying your dinner bill. After exploring the shop a bit, G-ma was ready to roll. And just as we were pulling onto the highway, G-ma gave a frightened gasp, held up the dinner tab that she'd had in her hand and said:

"Cassandra Lane [you know it's bad when your first and middle name are used]! We forgot to pay the bill!"
This is fabric too! I know, right?! Go here. 
Despite my dining-n-dashing ways, I managed to land my first art teaching gig. With only a coupla days before school began, I found myself living in an unfurnished apartment just a mile from my school. I didn't know a soul, the other teachers weren't especially friendly and my art room was a portable beside the school that had been left in shambles by the previous occupant. In the tiny closet of the room I found a bucket of crayons, some paper and lots of trash. I started to Freak The Funk Out. Where are my art supplies? What am I going to teach with?!

I approached my principal with my bucket of broken crayons. He was chatting with one of those not-especially-friendly teachers. They turned to look at me and, in my school-starts-tomorrow panic, all I could manage was:

"The only thing I have to teach art with is this bucket of crayons!"

To which the N.E.F. teacher said: 

"Well, some teachers have nothing."

Which is true. And I mightah actually taken her more seriously had her arms not been loaded down with brand new boxes of Crayola makers and bottles of Elmer's Glue. All of which I gawked at shamelessly. My principal took pity on me and gave me a meager budget to get me through that first year.

Several years later, I got a gig at a new school with an improved budget (it's not glamorous at 3-ish bucks a kid but I'm never without). At first I was thrilled to spend the money as this is a girl that loves to shop. However, with the high cost of supplies and the endless choices, it's actually one of my least fave things to do. I'm guessing it might be yours as well. For that reason, I thought I'd share a little of what my annual supply order entails. 

In this post, I'll be sharing with you what my 2-D order looks like. I'd LOVE it if you'd share what you order instead or perhaps some things that I've left off my list. If I get enough feedback, I'll create a follow-up post about 2-D supplies. AND I'll also be sharing some of my fave 3-D supplies in an upcoming post. In the meantime, let's go shopping!
FABRIC! If you didn't wanna join the Sew-Along before, I betcha do now! I'll keep you posted, promise.
Let's first chat about art supply catalogs, shall we? I mean, if you're an art teacher, you prolly have a million. I've ordered from just about all of them and I've yet to have a bad experience with any. Please check your catalog for rates and sales (oftentimes, shipping is free if you enter a code!). Here are some that I've shopped in the past:

Blick Art Supplies (Gah, so glad they dropped the "Dick")
United Art & Education (outta Indiana!)
Paint: I teach elementary aged kids but that doesn't mean I want that crap watery paint that doesn't mix. I've tried my share of the budget-friendly stuff and, lemme tell you, it's not so friendly when it won't mix or the paint dries and flakes off the kids' artwork. After trying many, I've settled on Crayola's Washable Paint. They are close to $20 a gallon so I don't buy every color. Here's what I usually order for a year of art with about 400 plus kids:

* 2 Gallons of Black, White and Yellow (not in love with the yellow as it's not the most opaque of paints...still looking for an alternative brand of yellow)

* 1 Gallon of Blue, Red, Brown, Magenta and Turquoise (not pictured but they do sell them)


Watercolor Paint: Okay, I used to HATE teaching watercolor until I was introduced to these Crayola Color Mixing Sets (I promise that Crayola is not endorsing this post, their stuff is just pretty stinking good). Now, IF YOU ALREADY HAVE WATERCOLOR SETS, don't buy these, buy the refills. The earth doesn't need more plastic waste and you don't need the white watercolor paint that comes in this set. So! When I am ordering paint pan refills, I order the following colors (the "mixing colors" have an * next to them): Red, Red-Orange*, Orange, Yellow, Green, Turquoise*, Blue, Blue-Violet*, Red-Violet*
Tempera Cakes: I don't think tempera cakes are necessary and I went years without them. However, now that I've got 'em I do love using them with my kindergarten friends. I like the Alpha color Biggie Cakes but the plastic holder the cakes come in pretty much blows. It's the cheapest plastic around and the bottom of the holder will break and leak water paint everywhere within a year. Despite that, I'll keep ordering the individual cakes and you can see my solution to leaky paint pans here

Paint Brushes: Royal Langnickel, y'all. This is the set I buy every couple of years and I love them. They work great for glaze, watercolor, those tempera cakes, you name it. 
Bristle Brushes: For these, I admit, I'm not too picky. We don't use them as often as the Royal Langnickel rounds so they last longer. I usually order the generic version of these...however, if you go too cheap, you'll get the ones where the bristles are constantly falling out. And if it's one thing the kids don't like, it's hairy artwork. 
Construction Paper: For construction paper, the only way to go is Tru-Ray, I think. I hate that fade-y thin stuff. I usually order the 12" X 18" and cut it down to whatever size I need. I usually order about 5 packs of black (they come in packs of 50 sheets) for framing and for the rest, I usually get a rainbow of variety.

Paper: For multi-purpose paper, I order about 4 reams of 80 lbs drawing paper, 12" X 18". I like the heavier paper because I can then use it for drawing, painting, collage, etc. I don't order watercolor paper or thin drawing paper. 
Tissue Paper: Fun but not necessary. I do like to order the kind that bleeds so we can do projects like this.
Pencils: When I first started teaching, I thought they were all alike. Not so, these are the best as they don't break so easily. I like to use the Biggie ones but I try to have both sizes for the kids.






Erasers: Gah, what a headache. Why do we have to stab them? I mean, what's that poor eraser ever done to you? I usually invest in the white erasers as they work the very best. I try to encourage the kids to leave the clothes on the eraser (eraser condom?) to help keep it clean. For my 4th graders, I like to let them use kneaded erasers and charcoal sticks. They think these are the very best things ever but you have to be careful, they might walk outta your room. Oh, this reminds me! In Ireland, the kids called 'em rubbers which always threw me, having a kid shout, "Hey, Miss, pass me a rubber!"
Colored Pencils: Ticondergoa used to make colored pencils and they were the jam, y'all! Since they've stopped I've been on the hunt for the very best. I needed some new ones this year so I decided to give these a go. I'll have to share a review with you when I get them. My biggest issue with colored pencils is that they 1. Are Crap and 2. Break So Easily! I'm hoping this at least solve #2.

Art Sticks: Now I've ordered these guys in the past and while the color is great the kids' biggest complaint is that they never have a sharp edge. Meaning that if a kid wants to color in a detailed area, these aren't the best tool. That's why I'm hoping those woodless colored pencils fill the gap.

 Oil Pastels: An art room staple, y'all. I usually order that box of Cray-pas on the left. This year I was really only in need of yellow, white and black so I simply ordered refills. If you wanna get fancy, I love those Crayola Portfolio oil pastels. They're so great because they are water soluble and fun to work with. I also love the variety of colors that the Cray-pas seem to lack.
Sharpies: Okay, I've never ordered these "Brush" Sharpies and I don't plan to with my little ones. However, I've used them and they are fantastic! If you have older kids, I'd recommend them. I do order a ton of the standard Sharpies in a wide variety of colors as they are great. 

Sharpie Ultra Fine: There are two kind of fine tipped Sharpie makers and the one above is my fave. The other fine tip seems to run out ink faster. While the tip of these sometimes splits, I do find that they last a bit longer. I also invest in the larger tipped black Sharpies. 

Oh, Markers: I really don't have a strong love for using markers in the art room. For me, they are like crayons: the kids can use them any time. I get it, I should teach "proper crayon/marker use" but whatever, they're boring. I do like to use them for other things like coloring on coffee filters and painting them with water or for printmaking. For that reason, I invest in one of these every other year. Crayola is okay when it comes to makers (they do seem to run out fast, if you ask me) but they are better than Mr. Sketch. Don't get me wrong, I love the vibrancy of Mr. Sketch but the constant marker huffing wears me out. Not to mention when the principal walks in and the kids say, "You should SMELL these!" it never sounds good.

By the way, if I were to order crayons (which I don't, I get those donated from classroom teachers constantly), I'd go with Crayola. 
Scissors and Glue: I used to be a Fiskars Girl, all the way. But, sadly, their quality has gone downhill fast. My last couple of orders the scissor handle would overlap causing me to pinch my hand. This year I'm going to give Westcott a go. I'll let you know how that goes. With glue, I use Elmer's School Glue. I hate glue bottles so I don't use them at all. Instead I keep the glue in small lidded cups and the kids apply it with an old paint brush. This has worked for me for years and has prevented that new-scissors-jammed-into-the-glue-tip phenomenon that we all know so well.

And there you have it! Okay, what'd I forget?! And what would YOU recommend?

74 comments:

  1. Great Post Cassie!!
    I usually order in September for the year and leave a little for the end of the year. We have a new office manager and budget this year so it might be interesting. My PTA bought me $200 in clay/glaze and tools at the end of the year too. I can't wait to make the apron.

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    1. I'm glad you're going to join in on the apron-making fun! I usually use a random $200 for clay and glaze as well...but I don't order that until the second half of the school year. :)

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  2. Anonymous7/29/2014

    Best chalk pastels and fixative? The fixative I buy (I think primacolor? maybe not) always dulls the color of the pastels, and sometimes doesn't even make it permanent!

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    1. Oh, Aqua Net for fixative. Seriously, works better than the rest. As far as pastels go, I meant to include that in my list! I think I order Prisma...? I'll have to check at school and include that in the next post :)

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    2. Hahaha! I've been using hairspray as a fixative for over 45 years. It works perfectly and the stuff might even be archival. Ive never had a drawing yellow.

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  3. Anonymous7/29/2014

    One note: call the catalog and ask for a "bid" for your school. They will give you a bid number which can be 20% off regular price and free shipping (unless it is furniture or clay or really heavy freight items) easy-peasy!!!

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    1. YES! That's true! I usually go with whichever one my school has decided upon...much cheaper!

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  4. I place my orders for the new school year in May/June before I leave school. I order many of the same materials! I ordered the Royal Langnickel brushes for this year since You have posted about how nice they are before... I REALLY needed new brushes and I splurged! I got rounds and flats, I'm excited to use them! I still have the old crappy ones but I will definitely be going over taking good care of our new brushes with the kids! I started using Versa-Temp tempera last year since Crayola( my old fav) was no longer in my budget, money wise... Versa-Temp is now my absolute favorite! The colors mix really, really nice and the its a nice opaque, well bodied student tempera! I only get blue,yellow,red, white and black. This way the kids have to mix all the other colors! My school district has a contract with School Specialty so I always buy from Sax. As I do the order on-line and tally up each line item I can see the actual discount since it is always cheaper than the price in the catalog because of our district discount. Enjoy your new supplies! :)

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    1. I have heard really great things about Versa-Temp!! I might have to get a bottle of yellow and white just to see how it goes. I agree, only getting the basics is a good color-mixing teaching tool. You are so smart to order before school's out!! Genius!

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    2. Dustin Anderson11/06/2014

      I only use Versa-Temp...the others have seperated and gotten watery in less than a year. I still have a few gallons of Versa-Temp from three years ago that art still thick and beautiful color.

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  5. Your post inspired my post on school supplies.
    http://artmuse67.blogspot.com/2014/07/art-supplies-for-new-year.html
    I'm going to follow up with a post on non-essential materials I like too. Btw, I ordered your crayola "mixing" colors, so I can't wait to try them out. Great list as well :)

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    1. You'll love them, I promise! They changed me from a watercolor hater to a lover! Thank you for sharing your post :)

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    2. I got tired of yellow that wasn't opaque, and I think I've finally found one. Check out Sargent.

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    3. Anonymous5/14/2018

      What do you mean by the crayola "mixing" colors??

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  6. Shorted out my computer drooling all over it looking at those fabrics!! Pattern yet?

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    1. Haha!! Post post with all the details (AND ever more drool-worthy fabric) to come! Visit again on Thursday!!

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  7. Do you ever get specialized materials for certain projects like linoleum for block printing or metallic paper for collages or anything like that?

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    1. Hi Lucy! GAH, I forgot printing inks!! Okay, next post. I used to buy a lot of "special" papers...and now i have the kids make their own. I blogged a bit about that here: http://cassiestephens.blogspot.com/2013/10/in-art-room-vicious-vikings.html. If you visit the blog "painted paper", Laura has some great ideas for creating funky papers!

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  8. I was already on board with the apron making, and that fabric...wow! Definitely need to order some of that!

    Mrs. C is right, VersaTemp rocks! Also, did you know Mr Sketch makes a non-smelly version. I think they last longer than Crayola. I always get tickled when the new first grade classes come in for the first time..."are these dry-erase markers?"

    I felt the same way about the colored pencils, so I tried the wood less ones last year. They take very little sharpening, so be sure to advise your lovelies not to grind away. We also discovered that when they roll off the table and hit the floor, they break! And not the tips, I mean into two or three pieces!

    Have a great year! Looking forward to apron-making!

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    1. Okay, gotta try the Versa Temp!! I've tried the non-smelly Mr Sketch and I found them to be not so great. I like the vibrancy of the original Mr. Sketch but just not the smell. And they do look like dry erase, you're totally right!!

      Thank you for the heads up about those colored pencils...I'll have to be certain to have the kids keep them in a box or something. Ach, colored pencils! I can't win!!

      So glad you are going to be apron-ing! Details to come on Thursday!!

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    2. Anonymous6/05/2015

      I use the Faber Castell Triangular Eco Pencils (Triangular so they will not roll off the desk, and break resistant leads make these a DREAM). However, I have a ton of really old crappy Crayola/Rose Art pencils that were donated so I use them as backup esp with the smaller kiddos)

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  9. Just to say, if your budget is super low-about $1.50 per student, you should try using your old markers to make liquid watercolors. My mom gifted me with some small jars with lids so I used them-yay, FREE! We always run out of blue in our Crayola sets. Last spring when we ran out we used dried out markers with water. I found the idea on Pinterest. It really works. Caution: wear rubber gloves if you take the felts out of the inside. My hands were blue for about three days. The kids were super amazed!!

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    1. Okay, we run out of blue too!! AND I have One Million half dead markers, so going to try this! Thank you!!

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  10. Well, I don't have to do all that ordering any more, now that I'm retired, but I'm still ultra-picky about supplies. And some of them are different than your choices.
    So here goes: for tempera, the best quality at a fair price is Sax Versatemp. I do not like washable tempera at all, and don't buy it. So yup, here's yet another 'vote' for the Versatemp!
    For glue - it's Elmer's Glue-All, NOT the cheaper quality Elmer's School Glue. Which is important, because I use it a lot for construction (yeah, I know,this was a post about materials for working 2-D, but whatever).
    For brushes, I like the same brand as you, but I like to have a mix of the rounds you purchase and the flats, which are red. Actually I'm partial to those red flats, and, oh, also, the orange angle brushes are great for corners! And yeah, cheapo bristle brushes too.
    For paper - hmm - I like a variety. I like 80 or 90 pound white paper for painting, but also get lighter weight paper for warm-ups, planning, etc. And I always LOVE to have some 18"x 24". Big art is my favorite! I also like some of that gray 'bogus' paper. And a big roll of brown Kraft paper.
    For oil pastels, my favorites are the Crayola ones. The boxes include a metallic silver and gold, which everyone loves, the colors are rich, and they are all shaped hexagonally instead of round, so they don't roll off the table and get stepped on all the time!
    And I've written enough so I'm not going to get started in markers, and pencils, and....

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  11. Anonymous7/29/2014

    On our papier mache sculptures, regular Will-Stain-Your-Clothes tempera paint gives the best colors & coverage, but I got tired of ruining my own clothing. I switched to Crayola Washable Tempera, but found out if you mix it with regular tempera, it turns to silly putty. No idea why. I've had to switch to using newsprint instead of newspaper because it's so transparent-- here's a hint, add white to that see-thru yellow, it helps. Still, washable tempera takes 2 or even 3 coats where the other stuff took only one. Black washable will come out of even a white t shirt, so I still think it's my best option.

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  13. Since 'Anonymous' mentioned painting papier-mâché, I'll add something. For papier-mâché I ALWAYS use acrylic paints. My favorite are Nasco's Bulk-krylics? They have a huge assortment of colors, and dry with a nice sheen. My feeling is this: if you are going through the effort to build something really cool with papier-mâché, you don't want the paint to bleed the minute someone picks it up with a sweaty hand. Acrylics give it a permanence.

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  14. It's fascinating to me all that you are able to accomplish with so little. Boggles my mind

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  15. I had to laugh at your comment about kids stabbing the white erasers - a universal problem! I solved it. Yes! I order the blick box of square ones, 24/box, and paste a pretty, shiny sign on the lid saying "Eraser Club". If their class wants to join, they must return all 24 to the box in good condition at the end of class. That's all. All it takes is a quick peek from me to see that they're all there. If they get kicked out of the club for lost or mutilated erasers they have to use the yucky ones until they've done some Art Room community service.

    I also have a Glue Club, same idea. Bottles have to be returned to their caddy with lids closed & caps wiped. Easy to see if they've done it, and I feel good about teaching them how to care for their supplies.

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  16. One of my favorite art mediums is. . . . water color crayons. I buy the brand Staedtler “Karat Aquarell." (They used to sell them at Michaels and I'd use my 40% off coupon over and over again!) For large areas like sky or ocean, I teach the kids how to apply the colors. Sometimes we use paper towels to artfully spread the color with water - not the shoddy school paper towels but real ones! Q tips are great for small areas. Although you can dip the crayons in water before coloring it really wears down the crayon and is quite messy. It's a more controlled medium for teaching kids how to mix and blend colors and it's easy for my very young artists.

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  17. I use Westcot scissors for my fabrics. I'm constantly surprised at how sharp they've stayed (they're older now, so I'm more inclined to use them on not fabrics, in a pinch.) Good luck with them!

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  18. I have to say the best yellow tempera paint for me is Dick Blick Premium yep Premium Tempera Paint. :) True Opaque at it's finest!

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  19. Anonymous7/30/2014

    Two questions: What makes this certain water color paint so fantastic? Where do you get the little cups with cups that you use for glue?

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  20. I really enjoyed your story about you finding your first job and your experience. I have had a similar situation last year when getting my first job last year. The only big difference is I have a really nice sized art room. I have about 1 buck per student at my school so supply buying has been an interesting task for me. I have found that buying stuff in bulk has really helped me buy better quality materials. I like it because I get a discount when you buy more, so I may only buy a lot of paper one year but I get that paper to last for a few years at a lower price. What about acrylic paints do you use them with the kids and if so what brands?

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  21. We had an Australian transplant art teacher at my high school for a few years and the kids always got a kick when she told them to use their white rubbers. I always liked her reference to the paper cutter as the guillotine.
    I too hate ordering supplies. this year I was assigned to teach jewelry for the first time. My budget works out to be about $80 for a class of 35 kids for a semester. Not sure what type of Houdini I will be pulling this year for those class.

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  22. I have to start with saying I'm extremely lucky and have a great budget. I order most of the things you mentioned above except for the liquid tempera. I made the mistake of just ordering what the old teacher had and it is AWFUL. So I may try Sax versa paint. Which is a bit more expensive than the washable crap I have now but not as expensive as crayola that you mentioned. I have 860 students so I have to cut somewhere. As for glue, I have tupperwares with glue at the bottom and a sponge. They just press the piece into the sponge and apply. I also hate glue bottles. I love your blog and can't wait to see what you post this year. I hope to be more active in my own blog smartartists

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  23. Anonymous8/05/2014

    Ahh! I wish I could sew but alas that is not my thing...the fabrics are soo cute. Maybe you should sell the finished products on Etsy. You'd have a buyer here. I saw your weaving projects on Pinterest and have since decided to try every one! Love love your blogs..please keep sharing your great ideas, insights and wit.

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  24. Molly Hawkins House has soooo many supplies in bulk and some of the best prices I have found.

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  25. I also order Mr. Sketch scented markers. One class pack of chisel and fine point will last most of the year. I have 400 students. I also order Crayola classpacks as well. Conical and fine point.

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  26. Hi Cassie Stephens,

    Thank you so much for this post! I'm taking notes:) Do your students wear aprons? If so, do you have any recommendations? I used to have my students wear aprons but it took a lot of time getting them on and taking them off and then some students would make the knots too tight so then the next student had to "climb" in LOL and climb out, the younger ones couldn't tie a knot so it would take forever for me to do it for them, etc. I've tried oversized shirts but those stunk really fast because they just absorbed all their smells and I do NOT want to wash these constantly! I suppose devoting extra time to teach them how to tie their aprons appropriately is the way to go in the end, but wanted to ask in case you had extra ideas! Thank you!

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  27. What is the main difference between the Crayola "mixing" watercolors, and regular pan watercolors? I use Prang because I like being able to replace individual pans. I also do all of my own ordering. The PTA gives me my entire budget, which amounts to about $2/kid. I find I usually get the best deals on most things from Blick Art supply when I order with the discounts and free shipping. I do like the Blick construction paper (not economy). It holds up about as well, as far as color and weight goes, as TruRay. It is a few cents more per pack, but you can mix colors to get the bulk price, whereas TruRay requires all colors to be the same to get the bulk price.

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    1. Hi Carin -- to answer your question, the Mixing Colors are just so much more vibrant. It's almost like they have more pigment to them. I used to hate using water colors with the kid because the colors were so diluted and dull. This set is very bright. Just beware: this set does not include green and blue (it does have turquoise). The idea being your mix your own colors. But it's still nice to have a green and blue, so I order those separately. Hope that helps! And thank you, I'l give the Blick paper a shot next year!

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  28. I have found that I can sharpen the end of a carrel color stick or Prismacolor Art Stick with a handheld pencil sharpener, that has a fat pencil opening. It gives me one end that has a point, the other end for broad coloring, but I haven't splurged on this for my classroom.

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    1. Anonymous8/22/2016

      The Prismacolor art stix are best used for rubbing crayons and don't need a point that is why they make prismacolor colored pencils. I don't like my art stix to have a point because they are used for texture rubbing and filling in big areas. Just saying!

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  29. I had visited your website which was really good tray

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  30. Great blog/Website! Im so glad I found this!!

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  31. I'm a first year teacher seeking my first classroom position. SO much to know and learn. This article was extremely helpful, as are all the comments, especially, knowing what a tight budget will look like. Do any of you have fundraisers for your classroom needs? If so, please let me know what has worked for you. Blessings!

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  32. Hi! Any way you can link just the list?

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  33. Blick's liquid watercolor is awesome! I used it for many, many projects last year and you can thin it down about 50/50. I bought the covered cups with color coded lids from Blick as well, and they are easy to refill. I stored the colors in the plastic shoe boxes, one color per box. They are ready to go anytime and they stay until used up. LOVE them. Not even going to reorder the pans.

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  34. Hi. Have you ever used Blicks brand of Tempera Cakes? They are cheaper but I want to make sure that the quality is the same! They are also circular, therefore they will fit better into the condiment trays that we use when we paint. And what was the verdict on the colored pencils, how did they work out for you?

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  35. I noticed you said you were teaching in Nashville- have you hit up the Jerry's Artarama on Mountain View Road? If you talk to the manager, Amanda, she may be able to help fluff your budget with some donated supplies. As an illustrator, Jerry's is like heaven to me, and while their kid's supply section isn't very large, they may be able to pull some strings to help you out. And if you'd ever like to have someone come in and talk to your kids, please let me know!

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    1. Oh, I would LOOOOOVE for you to come in and chat with my kids! My email is cassieart75@gmail.com. Would you mind shooting me an email so we can chat? Thank you!!

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  36. $3 sounds amazing. I get 32 cents per kid! Yikes

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  37. .What a fabulous website, I run sensory/Messy play activities in a Children's Centre and was looking for inspiration. Wow what a lot of wonderful ideas for our children to learn from and enjoy!
    Art and craft for kid | Art kits for kids

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  38. Hi Cassie,
    I live in Australia (Sydney) and would love to order a set of the Royal Langnickel round brushes you recommend for my classroom. Do you know a supplier that ships to Oz? If not, do you think another brand of round Taklon will do?

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  39. Hi,

    It's really interesting ... I just has good ides'a from this blog....
    Thank you very much for sharing this article.....
    tissue paper suppliers in chennai

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  40. Hi Cassie,
    This is a great list! Ordering is always a huge undertaking. I like hearing what others have success with. That being said, I'm needing to purchase a new paper cutter. They are sooo expensive, I don't want to make the wrong decision. Anyone out there love their paper cutter? If so, what brand is it?? What size would you recommend? Thanks!!!

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  41. Anonymous8/24/2017

    Hi Cassie, I noticed in your room tour you have canvas looking aprons. Do you recall where they are from? I'm finding a lot of colored sets but not white canvas. Thank you!

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    Replies
    1. Blick has them! I just saw them in their catalog recently. Check their apron section :)

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  42. Do your students wear art smocks?

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous5/14/2018

      We use old t-shirts that cover their whole top.

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  43. What about watercolor paper? I am not finding an affordable paper, that handles water and pigment well, and doesn't tear when we pull of the tape, etc. What is working for you? What do you like about it?

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  44. Thanks for the post got to more on Student Loans In India

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  45. I came here looking to see what kind of watercolors you order and had to chuckle as I read your Art Teacher-In' History. Our careers started pretty similarly. I student taught at a high school in Plymouth, England. I travelled for a bit after the school year. When I got home in August I had discovered my mom had put out applications for me. One was for a photography position at my home district that had just opened because the teacher had won the lottery...seriously. I got the position on Aug 21. Silly meddling parents. ;)

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  46. Hi Cassie. Just want you to know how off-the-chart awesome you are! No kiddin' I'd be LOST in space without you! How about a 3D order supply list...got one? Thanks. Elizabeth (in Western Mass)

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  47. Hi Cassie! What kind of supplies do you order for 3D work?

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  48. Hello, an amazing Information dude. Thanks for sharing this nice information with us. Buy ocean artwork

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