Paper is $28 now? For watercolor pads? I mean, I know inflation is a thing, but come on. And the 140lb cold press? Don’t bother. It’s gone. The shop guy literally laughed when I asked about Bockingford. I’m not even mad, just tired. Supply chain drama is making every crafter lose their mind, and I swear, even the “pros” are just winging it with whatever’s left in their stash. (Did you see that Financial Times story? Apparently, even ancient crafts are getting steamrolled by price spikes and stuff just vanishing. That’s comforting.) If you’re still pretending it’s 2019 and everything’s normal, well, good luck—prices are bonkers, shipping is a mystery, and the budget spreadsheet is now a horror show.

Glue sticks? Forget it—gone. Tried rice paste instead. Did it work? Maybe a third of the time, and I glued my own sleeve to the table. Twice. “Make do and mend” sounds cute until you’re knee-deep in chaos. Glass beads? Apparently, they’re “collectors’ items” now. Imported gouache? Good luck, unless you’re best friends with a supply manager who enjoys pain. Professor David O’Brien from Manchester claimed the creative sector would hit £100bn by 2020. Did he factor in the painter’s tape apocalypse? Doubt it. I swear, affordable canvas is a myth, and my sanity’s just as scarce.

So, you tape two off-brand flosses together and call it rustic. That’s “in” now, at least according to the Etsy sellers whose blogs I doom-scrolled at 2am instead of doing my own invoices. Not bitter. Just exhausted. Every time the supply chain hiccups, I’m elbow-deep in improvisation, missing deadlines, and wondering if I’m actually saving money or just frantically patching holes. Russia invades, shipping implodes, and suddenly a sketchbook takes three weeks to show up. Welcome to crafts in 2025: forced innovation, relentless inconvenience. If you want to see artists panicking, check out this Artshub piece on supply chain crisis. It’s not reassuring.

Trying (and Failing) to Understand Craft Supply Shortages

Paper’s expensive, glue is weirdly off-color, and nothing makes sense. I just wanted to finish a macramé wall hanging, but it turned into a scavenger hunt. “In stock” means “maybe next quarter, if you’re lucky.” I’m not even pretending to have control anymore.

Why Is the Supply Chain Such a Mess?

Ports shut down, truckers quit, and—did you see the stat?—the U.S. needs 80,000 more drivers, and that’s if nobody calls out sick. I tried to buy wool yarn. Not delayed. Not backordered. Just gone. Maybe it’s a supply chain issue, or maybe it’s magic. Here’s a link, if you like reading about misery.

A friend’s friend’s cousin (so, totally reliable source) said a warehouse manager left six pallets of zippers sitting outside for two days because nobody could move them. It doesn’t matter if you want beads, paint, or sewing notions—storms, sick days, and “unexpected events” just wreck everything. I tried ordering wool for mittens, but it got rerouted halfway across the country because of tornadoes. Nobody even says sorry.

Raw Material Shortages: The Fun Never Ends

Nobody talks about cornstarch for clay or the price of borax until it’s gone, and I’m stuck with baking soda like some clueless newbie. Wood pulp? Sawmills blame forest fires or “shipping volatility.” I switched to synthetic felt because merino prices went wild, and honestly, it felt like giving up. Sustainability? Out the window. Budget? Already gone.

Cotton thread—my punch needle staple—now costs more than the fabric. Rock salt for dye baths doubled in price. A local art teacher told me it’s not just the price, it’s “which shipments even get off the dock.” One month, you have options. Next, you’re rationing and praying for a restock.

Consumer Demand: Thanks, TikTok

Manufacturers got blindsided. Autumn used to mean “oh, maybe more yarn sales.” Now? It’s chaos. TikTok craft challenges, pandemic hobbyists, and suddenly every shelf is empty. Air-dry clay? Gone before I could even look up a replacement. Production can’t keep up, and shipping is a joke—just more backorders, more “sorry” emails. Consumer demand is up. Production speed? Not so much.

People email me asking where to buy glue sticks. I laugh. Nobody knows. Even basic paintbrushes are “unavailable.” If demand keeps climbing and the system stays broken, get ready for more weird hacks, mismatched colors, and desperate substitutions. Honestly, who thought too much enthusiasm could wreck the supply chain?

What’s Actually Hard to Find (Spoiler: Everything)

Tried to buy oak for a keepsake box? Not happening. The price was so absurd I almost laughed, right before I realized I still needed it for class. Paper? Same story. Orders just hang in limbo, shops get cranky, and nobody has answers.

Wood: The Endless Headache

Plywood grades? All over the place. Asked for Baltic birch—got offered poplar core garbage or a 30% markup “because imports.” Shipping delays are a given. CNC signs cost more, look worse, and 1/8-inch stock? Doesn’t exist. A cabinetmaker told me her lead times doubled. She joked about using recycled pallets, but even those are gone. By mid-2025, wood shortages still haven’t bounced back, and lumberyards stopped doing bulk discounts. It’s not just hobbyists—laser cuts, frames, embroidery hoops, all pricier. Manufacturers warned me we might be stuck with resin fills and composite stuff soon.

Print and Paper: Don’t Even Start

Printers just shrug. Sometimes you get catalog paper, sometimes glossy, sometimes nothing. Envelope stocks disappear for no reason. My print manager says heavy cover stock orders stalled for weeks, so everyone’s schedule is upside down. Newsprint and cardstock? Volatile. Art teachers rationed construction paper and still ran out—one kid made a collage with napkins. Food packaging jobs get priority, so sketchpads and origami paper are just a gamble. “Buy in bulk”? Good luck. Shortages summed up here. One exhausted print shop owner told me, “Just check daily and hope.”