You want to thrive in life, we all do! A huge part of that is making room for and prioritizing fun, creativity, and connection whenever you can! We understand that financial constraints can make it challenging to fit something like a painting party into your budget, especially considering the drastic effects of inflation over the past few years. 
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However, at The Sketching Pad, we're dedicated to creating an inclusive space where art is for everyone, regardless of economic background. Everyone deserves the opportunity to express themselves through art, even if it's not with our art kits! Our objective here isn't just to sell our products; it's to give you resources, inspiration, and education so you can make the right decisions for yourself!


Ready to dive into these money-saving tips? We'll be exploring three main tips in depth below; we'll also provide you with specific recommendations for brands and items. Remember, this isn't a one-size-fits-all guide, so choose what you think will work best for your party!

Of course, buying in bulk saves money on things like groceries, clothes, and more, but it also works with lots of art supplies! Specifically canvases and brushes. Especially when planning a party, you're already going to buy a lot of these, so opting for packs and sets of canvases and brushes can save you a ton! 

Here are our favorites:

Canvases/canvas boards!
Blick Super Value Canvas Packs 
Blick Studio Cotton Canvas Panels and Packs


​Brushes!
ESRICH Acrylic Paint Brushes Set
​Round Paint Brushes - 12-Piece Set

Craft paint can still give you a great time, but if you're looking for your paint to go further, go for a student grade paint from an art store, it'll still be affordable, but the quality will stand the test of time! 
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We use Blickrylic Student Acrylic Paint for its texture, pigment, and versatility! A big plus to getting this kind of paint is that as long as you close the bottles when you're finished to keep the paint fresh, it has a pretty long shelf life, so you can have parties again and again!
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Getting a limited range of colors will also save you a lot, but you must be willing to learn how to mix your colors! Generally, the most versatile range will come from white, blue, yellow​, magenta, brown, and black. You can mix skin tones, greens, purples, blues, greys, and more with those six colors! If you need guidance on mixing your colors or want more info on why you should go with acrylic paint for your party, check out our free painting party guide! In the guide you'll find:
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• How to prepare your home to be a painting party venue
• How much time to allow for painting
• A printable checklist for the supplies
• A detailed explanation of the art supplies you'll be using
• A printable painting guide to give your guests
• Easy, big-batch drink recipes, ideas for decorations, and more!

There are plenty of more affordable substitutes for common supplies that you'll need for your party! These are our top trade outs that are just as good as the standard options!

Instead of paint palettes, opt for disposable plates, specifically coated ones!

Instead of cloth aprons, get disposable plastic aprons. The best part about these is that the wet paint won't seep through to your clothes, making them arguably better!

Instead of wooden or metal easels, get cardboard easels! As long as they'll fit the canvas size you chose they're a great option, so be sure to check the description to see what sizes they're compatible with!

Instead of getting canvases or canvas boards, don't forget you can also get paint paper, that works just like canvas and has the additional benefit of being a much smoother painting surface!

Instead of getting fancy water cups specifically for painting, opt for disposable cups or even reuse old jars! You'll just want to make sure they're tall enough for the brushes you're using, otherwise they might flop out when your guests place them in the water. 

We hope you found these tips helpful, and feel free to comment or email us at [email protected] if you need a little extra guidance! 

To learn absolutely everything else you'll need to know for your painting party, check out our free in-depth guide! 

Our painting kits have all of the essentials needed for your painting party needs, from paint, pre-sketched canvases, brushes, fully length video tutorials, and when you purchase ten or more kits you'll receive complimentary reusable paint palettes and disposable aprons with every kit! Plus, when you purchase ten packs of our canvas kits, the 10th kit is always free!

​​We could all use a little more calm in our lives with all the responsibilities adulthood brings. Having relaxing hobbies really helps ease the nonstop nature of life. If you're here at this blog post, you're probably looking for a little inspiration for a new mosaic project. Whether you're experienced with mosaic making or not, these will be as simple as they are beautiful, so you can just sit back, relax, and enjoy the process!

If you're new to mosaic making, fret not! Here are a few simple tips to ensure your mosaic withstands the test of time, even in the harshest weather conditions!

• When selecting a backing for your mosaic, opt for concrete, ceramic, or pressure-treated wood. These choices will safeguard your creation from potential water damage, ensuring its longevity! 
• Use glass or ceramic tiles only, and if you're making stepping stones, make sure there are no sharp edges! 
• Etsy is a great place to source beautiful tiles! Just make sure you purchase more than you think you'll need!
• Use a strong glue for your tiles, like E6000, to ensure they never come off!
• Pick a non-sanded grout designed to be used outdoors or in places that tend to stay damp, like bathrooms! 

Need a little more guidance? Our Guide To An Absolutely Stunning Mosaic is a comprehensive introduction to tiles, grout, surfaces, and more! It's free and will give you the perfect overview to start this hobby!

There is something special about making your own stepping stones, perfect for your space. Concrete or pressure-treated wood should be your backing of choice. Any local hardware store or garden center should have something that will work perfectly.

You can go wild and fun like this paver from Etsy. A design like this is actually a lot easier to lay out than you'd think. Just start with one of the circles, get it fully laid out, then fill in more circles around the original, and then fill the extra gaps between circles. Once you've got everything laid out, tweezers will be your best friend for picking up tiles and adhering them down without disturbing the rest of your design! 


If you're feeling more inspired by this floral design, it's also deceptively simple to lay out, just like the last one! Just like you would've done with your circles, lay out the flowers around each other first, then fill in any additional gaps with assorted green tiles!


This beach-inspired spiral stepping stone is GORGEOUS! For this one, you'll want to mark the center of your backing as accurately as possible. I would personally use a ruler for this. Then, arrange your tiles in a spiral, one line at a time, until you've got all of your lines on!

Wooden birdhouses are usually made with untreated wood, so before you get started on any of these adorable birdhouses, you'll want to paint the whole thing with exterior paint in the color of your choice to seal the wood and ensure no moisture will get through and break down the grout!

Much like those previous stepping stones, to lay out these designs you'll want to start with the more intricate parts and will in the spaces around them once everything is laid out. The most important thing to remember when adhering tiles to something like this is that you'll need to work on one side at a time and let it fully dry down before moving on to the next, otherwise your tiles will likely slide around and mess up all of your hard work!  

Once you've got all of your sides on you'll want to go ahead and do a second coat of exterior paint anywhere you couldn't fit your tiles to make everything nice and finished!

If you're looking for a challenge, this project is for you! Ceramic or terracotta pots are your best friend for mosaics. We recommend starting with small ones if this is your first time working on a curved surface!

You may be thinking, "What? You think I can mosaic on a curved surface?" Yes, of course we do! It's actually easier than you may think! The only slightly challenging part about making a planter into a mosaic is that you have to work on one small portion at a time and allow the adhesive to be fully set before moving on, just like the birdhouses! You'll just have to work in much smaller sections, so nothing slides around. 


Designing will also be a bit trickier because you won't be able to fully lay out your tiles before adhering them like you would on a flat surface. But if you know the dimensions of your pot, you could lay out a design flat on your table with the exact dimensions to take tiles from while you're adhering them! That way, you won't be going into things completely blind.

With tons of beautiful options to choose from, our mosaic kits are the perfect activity for satisfying your cravings for creativity without breaking the bank or researching all of the supplies you'll need in depth. We can't wait to see what you'll create!​