Reader Gina recently clued us in to a great way to snag cheap wedding DIY supplies: your local restaurant and janitorial supply store! If you have one in your area (pro tip: Google "restaurant and janitorial supply store + your city"), you'll find great deals on bulk DIY supplies like table coverings, candy buffet supplies, and serving tools. Here's how Gina described it:

Last week I was at a restaurant and janitorial supply store with my husband who was looking for floor wax and stripper for his shop. And GODDAMMIT I wish I had known about that place before the wedding! They had all sorts of things like glasses, serving dishes and utensils, table coverings ($16.00 for 100 feet in any color) and foods (candy and coffee etc.) in bulk that I wish I'd seen before the wedding (like 850 gum balls for $25).

If anyone needs out-of-the-box ideas on where to buy stuff, check out your local restaurant and janitorial supply place.

Here are a couple more photos of finds that Gina spotted:

Anyone else have a great tip for finding bulk wedding supplies on the cheap? Let us know about it in the comments!

More ways to use those cheap wedding DIY supplies

Catherine Clark

Catherine Clark is Offbeat Bride's Senior Editor. In her spare time she loiters at her local library, makes art, watches movies en masse, plays video and tabletop games, poorly cooks healthy things, cuddles with her feline fur baby, and blogs at BijouxandBits.com.