Is Crochet An Expensive Hobby? How to Crochet More Affordably

As someone who is considering taking up crochet as a new hobby or as a crochet beginner walking the isles of yarn at your favorite craft store, it may seem like it could be a fairly expensive hobby to invest in. If you’re one of these people, this article is for you. In this post, we’ll cover in-depth how much it really costs to get started with a crochet hobby. We’ll also cover some ways to make it as affordable as possible for those who are wondering: Is crochet an expensive hobby?

The answer is no, crochet is not an expensive hobby unless you make it one. It costs roughly $20 to start crocheting and between $10 and $100 for supplies per project. It’s common to find cheap yarn and crochet hooks and other supplies at donation stores, yard sales, and on sale at craft stores. There are many affordable yarn options for beginners to get started with particularly solid color, worsted weight acrylic yarn.

Crochet doesn’t have to be an expensive hobby. It really depends on your budget and preferences. There are so many ways to make crochet a much more affordable hobby to take up. Let’s take a look at some ways to cut down costs so you can focus more on enjoying working on your crochet projects and less on breaking the bank…

How Much Does Crochet Cost?

Getting started with crochet is relatively inexpensive. As a beginner, you shouldn’t be too concerned with spending money on the highest quality tools and materials. All you’re going to need is a set of crochet hooks and basic tools and some yarn to get started. You can find a beginner’s crochet kit, some with or without yarns included, on Amazon for a really great price between $8 and $20.

For the best budget crochet hook sets, check out our article The Ultimate Guide: The Best Crochet Hooks for Every Need.

As far as yarn goes, you can get a ball of yarn for about $5 depending on the brand and yardage. All in all, it will cost about $20 to get everything you need to start crocheting. You will need roughly between $10 and $100 for project supplies moving forward after that. You will likely be working with cheaper yarns and supplies until more intermediate and advanced projects require higher-quality materials.

How to Crochet More Affordably

Shop Second Hand

Shopping secondhand can be a great way to cut down on the cost of your crochet hobby drastically. This is by far one of the best ways to make crochet a less expensive hobby. If you stay on the lookout for secondhand crochet supplies, there is a good chance that you won’t have to buy much or anything at all extra at the retail store.

Personally, I’ve been able to find lots and lots of crochet yarn and hooks for extremely good prices. Most of the time these are brand new. Check your local second-hand stores like donation stores and thrift stores. You can also find yarn at local yard sales or estate sales, and listed in lots on Facebook Marketplace.

I always keep an eye out for yarn when I visit Goodwill, and it’s rare that I don’t find it there. Thrift stores like Goodwill will often combine the yarn and supplies that have been donated to them into bags of several items for one price. This is a great way to get a variety of yarn and other things for your crochet tool stash at a good deal.

eBay is also a good place, similar to Facebook Marketplace, to find yarn for cheap. Often you can snag bulk yarn on auction here for a low price or even large lots of yarn that people simply want to clear out of their stash.

Many people want to try crochet, but for one reason or another they either never get around to it or find out that the hobby isn’t for them. In the end, they just want to get rid of the supplies and that means a great opportunity for you to score a deal on crochet supplies.

Take Advantage of Sales

Large craft stores like Michael’s, Hobby Lobby and Joanne’s have regular sales on their yarn and crochet supplies, so be sure to keep an eye on their weekly ads to catch these discounts as they rotate. Joanne’s is especially great for offering good doorbuster deals on yarn and providing lots of extra coupons within their app. Although at this time Hobby Lobby is no longer offering their 40% coupon, I have found that they will instead place their yarn on sale at between 30% and 50% off every week or two weeks.

Reuse & Repurpose

Another way to make crocheting more affordable and get your hands on supplies at a good price is to reuse and repurpose.

If you’ve been crocheting for a while, you probably have old projects that never got used or worn and are now just collecting dust in the craft room. Frogging your old crochet projects and reusing the yarn is sometimes better than simply letting that old project sit in storage. This way, you can give new life to that yarn and save on having to buy any new supplies.

You can also often find crochet and knit sweaters at donation/thrift stores that can be frogged to provide a decent amount of yarn to repurpose for your next project for an affordable price point. Look for larger sizes to get more usable yarn out of the deal.

DIY

Finally, making your own yarn is a fun way to create unique crochet supplies that you can’t get at the store. There are lots of different ways to make your own yarn at home, and I’ve really enjoyed making my own t-shirt yarn with old shirts that I don’t wear anymore.

The resulting yarn works into a really high-quality-looking fabric and is especially good for making items like baskets and bags. If you have a green thumb, making your own yarn at home is also a great way to be more environmentally friendly.

Conclusion

In conclusion, crochet is not an expensive hobby, and there are many ways to make it even more affordable. As a beginner, you don’t need to invest in high-quality tools and materials right away. You can get started with a beginner’s crochet kit, some basic tools, and inexpensive yarn. Shopping secondhand, taking advantage of sales, reusing and repurposing old projects, and making your own yarn are all great ways to save money on your crochet supplies. By implementing these tips, you can enjoy your crochet hobby without breaking the bank. So, don’t let the cost of supplies hold you back from exploring the wonderful world of crochet!

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