Money Saving VBS Supplies: Maker Fun Factory

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Group has VBS supplies you can order directly from them for everything from advertising to crafts.  However, I’ve been able to find similar items at half the price (or less) for most of the Group supplies… and if you know me at all, you know few things excite me as much as saving money!  {Can you tell yet that I’m an Amazon junkie?!}  Amazon prices fluctuate often.  I’ve included the current prices, but these may change.  Fasten your seatbelts, y’all… this money saving journey is about to get real {and also, real long}.

GOD SIGHTING LIGHTS – These lights are used on stage.  Each crew gets to add a light when they discuss God Sightings.  A string with 20 bulbs at Hobby Lobby costs $19.99 {$12 if you use a 40% off coupon}.  Clear string lights on Amazon are $15.95.  Colored bulb lights from Group cost $25.99.  All the strands have 20-25 bulbs each.

 

APRONS – Aprons are super cute for group leaders, the music crew and more!  You can DIY aprons or buy them already made.  Blank aprons from Sam’s Club cost $12.48 for 6 aprons ($2.08 each). You could add the Group logo with an iron-on or decorate them yourself with fabric paint, markers, etc.  Pre-made aprons from Group cost $12.99 each.

 

WHISTLES – This year, Group encourages the use of a whistle as an attention-getter for leaders.  Whistles on stretchy wristbands from Amazon cost $8.10 for 24 whistles ($.34 each each).  Wooden whistles from Group cost $4.99 each.

 

NAME BADGE HOLDERS – Last year, we ordered lanyards and ID sleeves from Amazon for the first time.  The cost per kid was $.39.  Group sells ID badge holders – they are $17.99 for 10 ($1.79 per kid).  Either of these options can be re-used multiple years to add to the frugality!

 

NAME BADGE – To go along with your name badge holder, each child will obviously need name badges!  You can download the name badge template from Borrowed Blessings for free and print the name tags on cardstock paper ($7.89 for 250 sheets of cardstock).  Group sells these for $4.99 per pack of 10 ($.50 each).  If you’d rather not print them yourself, you can make the name tags at a local copy shop (they don’t usually charge much, especially if you take your own cardstock paper)!

 

 

CARABINERS – Bible buddies get attached to a key chain on a carabiner.  Amazon sells 2″ carabiners in a pack of 20 for $9.99 ($.50 each).  Oriental Trading sells packs of 48 carabiners that are 1.5″ for $9.99 ($.21 each).  Group offers 10 carabiners for $7.99 – they don’t list the size ($.79 each).  We ordered some of the Oriental Trading carabiners last year.  They are VERY small, but their only purpose is to hold the bible buddies so it’s not a big deal.

BIBLE BUDDIES – Now that we have carabiners, we need the bible buddies to attach to them!  I have designed bible buddies, both with the bible verses and the bible points.  You can order these to be printed on Amazon ($.09 per print x 5 days of prints = $.45 for 4 children) or print them yourself on cardstock paper.  The graphics are free to download from Borrowed Blessings.  The bible buddies from Group have the bible verse for each day and cost $3.29 per child.

 

STICKERS – The stickers obviously don’t both have the specifics of this VBS program, but if you are just needing stickers for decoration, crafts, etc… Amazon has the hook up!  The small robot stickers on the left cost $1.99 per 24 sheets of 9 stickers (214 stickers total; if you use one sheet per child, the cost is $.08).  The Group stickers on the right cost $7.99 per 10 sheets ($.79 per child).  I ordered several packages of the robot stickers on the left.  They are small (the whole sheet is smaller than my iPhone, but they’re ADORABLE and perfect for a fun crafty item).

 

STAMP PADS – These jumbo stamp pads are large enough for even big stamps (or small hands)!  You can get a 4 pack on Amazon for $14.49 ($3.62 each).  The stamp pads from Group cost $6.79 each.

 

WALL DECOR/TABLE COVERS – Group sells a variety of wall hangings/photo backdrops/table covers.  Oriental Trading has a roll of plastic that can be used for pretty much anything (40″ x 100′ is $19.99).  It is decorated with paint splatters.  The decorative plastic from Group with gears is 48″ x 30′ and costs $18.99.

 

There are so many options these days for wood print items.  The first is a vinyl backdrop from Amazon (5′ x 7′ – $23.99).  If you’re wanting an option that will last several years, the Amazon option is your best bet.  The second picture (48″ x 12′ – $9.99 regular; $6 with 40% off) is made of paper and available at Hobby Lobby. The third picture (5′ x 7′ – $5.99 regular; $3.60 with 40% off) is also made of paper and available at Hobby Lobby.  The last is from Group and is plastic (48″ x 30′ – $18.99).

 

The last plastic backdrop/table cover/wall decor option I found to compare was the blueprint look.  Amazon sells a roll of plain blue table cover that is 40″ x 300′ for $29.99.  Group sells a blueprint plastic table cover that is 48″ x 30′ for $18.99.

 

GLOW STARS – Remember as an 80’s kid how cool it was to have plastic stars attached to your bedroom ceiling?  I sure do!  If you don’t still have these in your bedroom, there are several options to purchase them.  Preschool crews use these on Monday (day 1) during the bible story.  You can get plastic stars on Amazon (pack of 150) for $9.99.  If you’d rather have a self-adhesive choice, there are vinyl stars (pack of 150) on Amazon for $11.98.  Group sells a pack of 12 plastic stars for $2.99.

 

PARACHUTE – Speak of childhood, can we all just take a moment to re-live gym class parachute day… wasn’t that the best?!  Amazon has a 12 foot parachute for $23.95 or a 10 foot parachute for $16.95.  Group sells their 12 foot parachute for $49.99.

 

LIGHT STICKS – If you have glow sticks left from VBS last year, you’re in luck – you can use them!  If you don’t have any glow sticks left from last year, you can buy some new light sticks of some sort to decorate the KidVid area.  If you have a tight budget, I’d skip these altogether.  If you want to get glow sticks from Amazon, they cost $24.99 for 50 sticks ($.50 each).  You can also purchase battery operated light sticks from Group for $1.99 each.

 

PAPER HEARTS – Kids will each need a red paper heart during bible story on night 4.  You can purchase a 2.5″ heart punch on Amazon for $11.40, plus a ream of red paper for $10.24 (500 sheets).  On Group, pre-cut 3″ hearts cost $1.99 for 10 ($.19 each).

 

WHIRLY GIGS – We don’t typically use the exact plans Group provides for Imagination Station {and sometimes we don’t use their ideas at all}.  I love the analogy this year that God is like the wind – you can’t see Him but he’s always there!  I think we’ll use pinwheels as a whirly gig alternative.  Pinwheels are available on Amazon – $13.88 for 50 ($.28 each).  The whirly gigs from Group cost $7.99 for 10 ($.79 each).

 

GOBOTS – Gobots are fancy names for a little self-propelled car.  You can buy pull-back cars on Amazon – $9.99 for 24 ($.42 each).  Gobots from Group cost $8.99 for 10 ($.89 each).

 

BLUEPRINT PAPER – Isn’t graph paper so fun as a kid?  Maybe it’s just that my dad used it for work, but I loved drawing new creations!  Amazon has white loose-leaf graph paper – 200 sheets for $6.54 ($.03 each).  Group has admittedly cool-looking blue colored blueprint paper available – 30 sheets for $5.49 ($.18 each).  Another idea would be to purchase plain blue paper on Amazon and print grid lines on it!  Amazon has a ream of blue paper available (500 sheets) for $9.99 ($.02 each).

 

CONNECT A GEARS – Amazon has huge packs of these gear-shaped flakes available – 500 pieces for $11.99 (this would make 41 sets of 12 gear flakes; $.29 per set of 12 gear flakes). Group sells 10 sets of 12 gear flakes each for $7.99 ($.79 per set of 12 gear flakes).  If you’re tight on funds, you could give each kid less than 12 flakes and make the sets last longer!

 

GOOGLY EYES – Googly eyes can be used for so many projects, from robot building to GUTSY bears.  If you’re okay with plain black eyes, get ready for some serious robot building!  Amazon has 1000 self-adhesive 12mm googly eyes for $10.56 ($.01 per googly eye).  Amazon also has 140 colored, self-adhesive 12mm googly eyes for $7.98 ($.06 per googly eye).  Group sells a package of 100 natural colored googly eyes (not adhesive) – 12.7mm for $7.99 ($.08 per googly eye).

 

PERPLEXINATORS – Day 5’s story teaches the lesson that God has a plan, even when the pieces of life don’t seem to fit together.  Any toy/game/key chain that is puzzle-related would work perfectly to go along with this lesson.  Amazon has plastic puzzle toys – $13.44 for 36 ($.37 each).  You can also get puzzle erasers – 12 for $7.77 ($.65 each).  Group’s perplexinators cost $9.99 for 10 ($1 each).

 

STRAW TABLE COVER – When hearing the story of Rahab, kids will need to hide under a straw-covered table cover.  The Walmart website has these available for $3.37 each.  You can purchase a similar plastic table cover from Group for $7.99 each (they are currently sold out).

Are you totally overwhelmed with good deals yet?!  Most of these options are AT LEAST half off the Group price.  If you’re on a budget {uh, what church isn’t!?}, shopping around  for VBS supplies can save big time!

I am a long-time Vacation Bible School lover.  I’ve lead in several capacities throughout the VBS world and am currently our church’s VBS director.  It is a joy for me to be able to share VBS ideas and resources with others!  I will continue to share VBS ideas here as we prepare for Maker Fun Factory.  Follow the blog to see more of our ideas and planning!  Please let me know if there are any specific VBS items or ideas you need help with!

This article has 21 comments

  1. Shan Reply

    These are great! I’m a first-time VBS coordinator and I so appreciate these great ideas!

    What about cost-effective snacks? I have been looking at the price per child for the Maker Fun Factory snack suggestions and it gets pricey, too. Any suggestions?

    Thank you!

  2. Cathy Reply

    Hello and thanks for a all the research you have done. I am in Northern Nevada and are looking for another church that will be offering Maker Fun Factory after ours so I could give our decorations too. It’s almost Easter and I have most all the stage props made. I don’t want to trash them when we are done. I want others to enjoy them. Currently we are set to have our vbs in the middle of June 2017. If you now of a church that could use them please contact me. Thanks and blessings Cathy

    • Cathy

      Thanks, and I found a church in North Reno that is hosting Maker Fun Factory 2 weeks after us. They would love to have my decorations. Thank you, and love you blog.

  3. Kay Reply

    Thanks for all of the ideas! Is there a link to print the Bible Buddies you created?

  4. Fran Reply

    What awesome ideas! I have been researching alternatives to Group as well.
    Have found prices cheaper at Cokesbury, with your help we will be able to lower
    our budget even more. Thanks for your Help!

  5. Cathy Reply

    Kara, did you know of Shindigz.com it’s a party store online, they have mini Rubic’s cubes $3.45 for 6
    cathy

  6. Jessica Reply

    This was great! I am a first time VBS coordinator and I love finding a good deal!! ThNkbyou for the great ideas! Praying your VBS is awesome and filled with Gods presence. ?

  7. Tina Reply

    Thank you for sharing your great money saving ideas for VBS and for sharing the graphics you created. Spending can get out of hand really quickly if not careful. We should all be good stewards.

  8. Gayle Reply

    Thanks for all the tip for saving $$$$
    How do I download the nametag?

  9. Tatyana Reply

    I love all of these ideas! Thanks for sharing!

    Any ideas for an alternative craft instead of the gutsy bear for day 1 imagination station?

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