Here are two tips for people who want to go to an arts and crafts store to get some beginner art supplies for a friend.

They should include a few fun and frivolous extras amongst the essential beginner items

Most arts and crafts stores stock all of the essential art supplies a new artist might need, as well as quite a lot of art items that might be considered fun and slightly frivolous. A person who wants to create a comprehensive beginner's kit will need to pick up plenty of basic items (such as pencils in a variety of lead grades, paper that's suitable for drawing and painting on, a paint set, paintbrushes, etc.). They should also ensure they get a few fun additional things, too. This might include coloured glitter, pretty washi tape, confetti and neon-coloured paint, all of which are readily available at the majority of arts and crafts stores.

The reason for this is that a beginner artist who's presented with a very basic collection of art supplies might not yet have the level of creativity required to use these items to create the lovely art that they'd like to. The presence of a few whimsical and childlike art supplies in their art supply collection could help this new artist to feel inspired, tune into their creative side and take a playful approach to this new hobby. Furthermore, if they're not yet totally enthused by the idea of making art, these extra items could also help them to start getting excited about creating some art pieces.

They should consider setting aside some of their budget for an instructional book and a gift card

If a person has to stick to a particular budget when shopping for their friend at the arts and crafts store, they should consider not spending their entire budget on art supplies like pencils and paint. Instead, they should think about setting aside some money for both an instructional art book and a gift card. Larger arts and crafts stores often have excellent selections of beginner-friendly instructional books, and one of these could be very useful for a new artist. A book like this could help them to learn the fundamentals of drawing, painting or sculpting, help them to understand colour theory and give them some advice on how to stay inspired and motivated to practise. All of this could help them to start mastering this skill much faster.

Additionally, if the person includes a gift card (something most arts and crafts stores can provide), this will give their friend the option to quickly restock any of the items in their new art kit that they run out of and will allow them to pick up some more art supplies that they have an interest in experimenting with, without having to spend any of their own money.