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Every February, we give cards covered in hearts, cupids, and roses without thinking twice about it. It's just what you do on Valentine's Day. But the Valentine's Day card as we know it—mass-produced, store-bought, often cheesy—is a relatively recent invention. For most of history, if you wanted to send a valentine, you had to make it yourself. And people went all out . We're talking intricate paper lace, hidden messages, elaborate puzzles, and even cards designed to insult th

If you've ever stapled together a stack of photocopied pages and called it art, congratulations—you've made a zine. And you're part of a tradition that spans nearly a century, from sci-fi nerds in the 1930s to punk rockers in the '70s to activists, artists, and DIY enthusiasts today. Zines are having a moment right now. But here's the thing: zines have always  been having a moment. They just keep reinventing themselves for each generation that needs them. What Even Is a Zine?

Walk into any craft store today and you'll find entire aisles dedicated to washi tape—hundreds of patterns, colors, and designs rolled up and ready to decorate everything from planners to gift wrap to laptop covers. But here's the wild part: washi tape almost didn't exist. This now-ubiquitous craft supply was never supposed to be decorative. It was industrial masking tape made by a struggling Japanese factory. And it only became the colorful phenomenon we know today because t

You know that feeling when you pick up a new art supply and wonder where it came from? Not just which store shelf, but really came from—like, who invented washi tape, and why does it have that name? Or how did people make valentines before Hallmark existed? Yeah, we wondered too. That's why we started this blog. We're Obsessed with the "Why" Behind What You Create With Art Supply Co isn't your typical art supply blog. We're not here to show you the 47th tutorial on watercolo