Materials and Consumables

What to Use

Note: Categories are just suggestions —
many items have multiple uses!

Building Materials

• • craft sticks

  • wooden shapes

  • Model Magic/Sculpey

  • corrugated cardboard boxes

  • thin cardboard boxes and sheets

  • cardboard tubes (toilet paper, paper towel)

  • empty plastic containers

  • empty metal cans

  • corrugated plastic board

  • corks

  • balloons

Fabric and Fiber Supplies

• yarn

• embroidery floss

• fabric

• beading string

• elastic thread (for beading)

• easy-to-use fabric:

  • • felt

    • fleece

    • burlap

    • felted (shrunken) wool knit

Paper

• • notebooks (for keeping records)

  • copy/printer paper

  • construction paper

  • card stock

  • origami paper

  • scrapbooking paper

  • handmade paper

  • watercolor/pastel paper

  • tissue paper

  • recycled newspaper and magazines

  • wallpaper samples

Decorations

• • googly eyes

  • pipe cleaners

  • pencil erasers

  • plastic beads

  • ribbon

Tool Ideas

Cutting Tools

• • small, sharp, pointy scissors

  • patterned scissors

  • kid-friendly craft knives

  • sharp pencils

  • jumbo push pins

  • cutting mat

Drawing Tools

• • pens

  • pencils (graphite and colored)

  • washable markers

  • permanent markers

  • ruler

  • paint (including glow-in-the-dark)

Connectors

• • rubber bands (all sizes)

  • paper clips

  • binder clips

  • push pins

  • magnets (peel and stick sheets, tape)

  • brass paper fasteners (brads)

  • hair pins, hair clips

Adhesives

• • thin double-sided tape

  • glue stick

  • hot glue gun

  • colored/glitter glue/fabric paint

  • glue dots

  • white glue (gallon size for oobleck)

  • peel-and-stick Velcro

Where to Find It

• the recycling bin

• neighborhood free sites

• Michael's (check for discount coupons)

• Jo-Ann Fabrics

• Dick Blick

• Staples

• WalMart

• your home (if you're cleaning out)

What to Use

• disposable knives, forks, spoons, cups, plates, bowls, and containers

• metal and plastic bowls

• sponges

• straws, toothpicks, wooden BBQ skewers, chopsticks

• popsicle sticks

• aluminum foil

• wax paper

• freezer paper

• plastic wrap

• scrap cardboard boxes, tubes, etc.

• clear plastic take-out containers

• plastic Talenti jars (or similar)

• oral medicine syringes

• silicone tubing and food syringes

• digital kitchen thermometers

Where to Find It

• supermarket

• dollar stores

• drug store

• recycling bin

• your home (if you're cleaning out)

Construction Tools and Supplies

• duct tape

• aluminum duct tape

• electrical tape

• foam tape/clear extra strength tape

• clear vinyl tubing

• corrugated plastic tubing

• string/rope

• pulleys

• PVC pipe and connectors

• hammer

• screwdrivers (flat and Phillips head, all sizes from eyeglass on up)

• pliers (different sizes)

• wire strippers

• clamps

• nuts, bolts, washers (for jewelry as well as fastening)

• screws (assorted sizes)

• wood scraps

• Dremmel kit

Devices, Toys, and Games to
Take Apart and/or Hack

• LED strand lights (battery-powered)

• solar garden lights

• LED keychains

• musical/record-able greeting cards

• mini FM radios

• mini speakers

• mini fans

• electric toothbrushes

• toy electric guitars and other instruments

• fishing line (for guitar strings)

• pool noodles (for ArtBots and game controllers)

• lightweight sports equipment (toy baseball sets, bowling, tennis)

• old board games (including Twister)

• old vinyl records

• old cassette tapes

Where to Find It

• Dollar Tree (order in bulk online)

• discount department stores

• hardware stores

• garage sales

• online free groups

• thrift shops

• your home (if you're cleaning out)

What to Use

• batteries (AA/AAA/9V/3V coin batteries)

• wires (insulated and magnetic)

• wire cutters

• wire strippers

• DC toy motors (1.5V, low rpm)

• LEDs

• alligator clip wire connectors

• solar panels

• on/off switches

• conductive tape:

  • aluminum foil tape (used for heating ducts)

  • copper tape with conductive glue

  • fabric tape with conductive glue

• conductive ink and paint

• e-sewing components:

  • conductive thread

  • conductive fabric and trim

  • metal jewelry fasteners (snaps, hooks)

  • metal beads

  • jewelry wire

  • metal snaps

  • metal clasps, hooks, and magnets

  • jewelry pliers

Where to Find It

• Adafruit.com

• MakerShed.com

• SparkFun.com

• Jameco.com

• Solarbotics.com

• Cheap-batteries.com

• Kelvin.com (DC motors)

• Radio Shack

• Jo-Ann Fabrics

• Amazon.com

STEAM Kits and Supplies

• • Adafruit Circuit Playground Express

  • BBC micro:bit

  • Adafruit PyBadge

  • Circuits Stickers

  • PinBox 3000

  • Squishy Circuits

  • Makey Makey

  • Brown Dog Gadgets

  • Kiwi Crate

  • Klutz books

  • Lego Robotics and STEM, including:

  • Lego Mindstorms

  • Lego Boost

  • Lego WeDo

  • Raspberry Pi

  • Arduino

  • Lilypad

  • littleBits

  • 3Doodler

  • Circuit Scribe

Storage Ideas

• carrying case with boxes

• plastic storage bins

• rolling drawers

• peg board

• shopping bags/book bags

• giant ziptop bags

• tool box/tackle box

• repurposed furniture (dresser, hutch)