School Art Supply Swap

School Art Supply Swap

Mini swap for art and education materials

We offer arts and crafts supplies from our big, twice-yearly Craft Supply Swap to schools and youth programs, and we're curious to see if we can get them the supplies they need, when they need them. Let’s find out!

What is This?! 🧑‍🏫

Join the Craft Supply Swap, our partners, and our community of artists, crafters, and makers in supporting educators and students in our community classrooms! The Craft Supply Swap is hosting an art and education supply swap to get unused supplies to the education programs in our community that need them, especially those with limited budgets for these supplies. 

• All items are free. 

• You do not need to bring items to participate.

• Educators and swappers have a priority “shopping” period, then all supplies are open to everyone.

• Please join us in the spirit of this event: to get materials into the hands of people who will use them, saving money and waste - no stashing.

• You are welcome to donate to our swap fund to help make more free swaps happen, though it is not expected.

How it Works ✅

Short version: We accept donations of art, education and classroom supplies in good, usable condition. Then teachers and educators go "shopping" from what others have brought. 

7 Easy Steps to Make Classroom Dreams Come True

1. Review the Suggested Materials list below. Educators, Teachers, Youth Programs, Classroom folks: Let us know what you need! 💖

   • Email craftsupplyswap@gmail.com with your supply list or Request Supplies before Swap Day, especially if we don’t already have these items on Suggested Materials. 

   • If you let us know what you need before Swap Day, we are able to ask our community for these supplies and can shop for you from donations and then arrange pickup/delivery if you can’t make it.

2. Swappers begin de-stashing! (“somehow I ended up with 15 pairs of scissors” - Awesome! We know some people that need them!)

3. Bring your donations to early drop-offs or on the day of the swap. (see below for dates and times)

4. Volunteers sort and arrange materials into a supply extravaganza.

5. Early shopping begins for swappers and classroom partners that have sent us their lists. Our volunteers will shop for groups at this time, if they cannot be present.

6. Shopping is open to everyone! You do not have to bring supplies to participate in the Swap.

7. We deliver or arrange pickups with folks who requested supplies and had us shop for them.

Early Drop-offs

🚧 We will attempt to set up early drop-offs in Livingston at the Swap venue. 

If you need to make arrangements to drop off or shop supplies outside of these times, email craftsupplyswap@gmail.com.

Swap Day

🚧 Potential event schedule

• 12-1230 - .5 hour - drop offs and arranging

• 1230-130 - 1 hour - open to swappers and priority shopping for education partners (in-person or by volunteer)

• 130-230 - 1 hour - open to any education organizations

• 230-330 - 1 hour  - open to all/public 

Suggested Materials 🎨

Donated items should be in good, usable condition. Think: gently used or new supplies.

🚧 These items have been requested by community programs or appear on school supply lists. If you have items to donate or request outside of this list, please contact craftsupplyswap@gmail.com or bring them to our fall swap in October!

Note: BULK of anything could be considered and a lesson plan developed around it. 📦📦📦

• Markers - no scented or sparkly

  • Washable: 12- and 24-count boxes, regular and skinny sizes

  • Dry erase: Expo, skinny and chisel tips, black

  • Sharpies: fine-tip, multi-color (not ultra-fine)

  • Highlighters: yellow, pink, green

  • Dot markers

• Crayons - Crayola preferred

  • 8-, 12-, and 24-count

• Paint

  • Watercolors: liquid and dry sets

  • Tempura: paint sticks and paint

  • Acrylic: paint, acrylic pens

  • Brushes

• Oil pastels

• Paper and canvas

  • Any colored paper (construction or otherwise)

  • Multi-color construction paper (12” x ”18 and 9” x 12”)

  • Watercolor paper pads

  • Watercolor paper

  • Large posterboard (36” x 48” or similar)

  • Sketchbooks: including 9”x12” spiral bound with at least 50 pages

  • Drawing pads

  • Canvas (any size)

  • Wooden cards - any shape

• Glue (no scented glue)

  • Elmer’s School Glue (white glue)

  • Glue sticks (big and small)

• Craft supplies

  • Googly eyes: all sizes

  • GLITTER ✨

  • Pom-poms

  • Popsicle sticks

  • Pipe cleaners (chenille stems)

  • Stickers

  • Stamp pads

  • Stamps

  • Stencils

  • Felt

• Tools

  • Scissors: children’s scissors with metal blade and blunt tip, scissors up to 6”

  • Rulers including 1” with inches and centimeters

  • Yard sticks

  • Color wheels

  • Table easels

  • Circle cutters

  • Paper cutters (with safety)

  • Self-healing cutting mats

• Student supplies

  • Pencils: #2 packages, hand-held pencil sharpeners with and without receptacle

  • Erasers: pink; small, kneaded

  • Pens: including fine line drawing pens

  • Pencil pouch or school box

  • Headphones (not earbud, not chargeable, not Bluetooth; must plug in)

  • Small sticky notes (multiple colors)

  • Paper clips

  • Staples

• Teaching supplies

  • Cricut: cartridges and machines

  • Sizzix: machines, tools, cartridges

  • Lamination: laminators, laminator sheets

  • Silhouette machines

• Classroom supplies

  • Tissues

  • Cleaning wipes

  • Bandages

  • Zip baggies

Items not taken by swappers will be saved for the next swap, donated, or recycled.

Partners 🤝

🚧 Partners are organizations that actively help make the swap happen: promoting the event, asking for supply donations, providing volunteers, helping us shape/plan the event. Partners get to shop at the same time as those who dropped off stuff (priority shopping), and our volunteers could shop for you.

Schools and programs that have requested supplies so far:

• Elevate Montessori (partner)

• Studio49 (partner)

• Winans Primary School

• Local homeschooler group

🚧 Get on this list! Email craftsupplyswap@gmail.com