I have done things like purchase cherry tomatoes in a mesh bag because I wanted to use the mesh bag for surface design and purchased artichoke hearts in a jar instead of the can because I loved the size of the jars and knew I could use them for something.  But perhaps the funniest surface design "buy" wasn't really a buy but a find.  My family and I were volunteering at our church to clean the bathrooms.  As I was changing the toilet paper rolls I noticed how sturdy the cardboard tubes were that we were to toss.  I knew they would be perfect for batiking and painting on fabric so I started making a pile and brought them ALL home.  My husband thought I was insane but I love them!

I am always looking for items to use for surface design. My husband has even learned to ask before throwing out any item that has a design. He will even dumpster dive for items, i.e. a roll of Tyvek! The funniest was at the grocery store. I had just read Leslie's article about using Olay facial tissues for surface design. I was swabbing down my cart with the disinfectant towel the store provides and I looked at the towel. Great weaving design! And there was a whole trash bin full of them! I knew then I had gone over the edge.

I often buy items and keep the packaging for surface design, mesh bags from produce, etc.  BUT the oddest choice I've made was trying on rubber sandals.  I was deciding between two pairs and made my final selection after turning one pair over and finding sunflowers on the rubber soles.  They are comfy flip flops and make great sunflower stamps, too.

I'm fascinated with cardboard egg cartons, especially turned upside down.  I've made photos of them to use in making visual patterns for computer, but they also make very interesting stamps, especially used in groups of four "cups."  They have a lot of texture, and can read as crosses or square patterns, depending on how they're positioned.  Haven't tried batik with them, but I think they'd work.

Something Lisa,

I, too, have used those empty tp rolls for wax batik application.  My husband no longer comments on things like that, but I notice I get the odd, sideways glance on occasion.  If you like circles, the end of a pool "noodle" is pretty fabulous.  There are some really weirdly shaped pieces of styrofoam that come as packaging that can serve as nice stamps for wax, and on gelatin plates.  

Shoe soles!  Who else has cool ones?  I have some really great patterning on the bottom of a pair of NAOTs.  I don't think they are going to end up in the soy wax pot (yet), but why not use them for gelatin plate printing and stamping?  Tires........

I work in a molecular biology lab ... and between what gets tossed (though we clean and reuse as much as we can) and the packaging, I find lots of fun tools for surface design (like empty pipet tip boxes...I use the lids to apply sticky-backed foam stamps.) I haven't yet started dumpster diving but I'll be looking at them in a new light now! Thanks for the tip! *grins*

I once bought two ornate rubber door mats that I did not need just to satisfy my need to print with them. I have also moved house several times with boxes full of polystyrene packaging that I use for prints. My friends all think I am batty and have urged me to throw all my "garbage" away. All I see is potential and I hang on to the stuff vehemently.

A friend has taught me to make Ukrainian Easter eggs (pysanka), and in reading about re-purposing various objects to make surface designs, I thought about how the stylus used for the Easter eggs could be used to apply the wax for delicate or detailed additions to a wax resist technique.  I've never dyed fabric to create an original design, but I'm inspired to try!

Printing with found objects is an obsession for me. In fact I decided to "print the alphabet" from A to Z. So far I've finished H. To see more just check out my blog http://gunnelhag.blogspot.ca/

So much fun to see comments from like-minded crafters. I laughed out loud when reading the question. I have purposely bought items at the store just for the container. And the comment about egg cartons reminded about the t-shirts we "printed" with a group of elementary-aged children at church. The bottom of one egg cup on the styrofoam cartons is just the shape (with one edge rather rounded) to stamp rows and rows to produce the look of chainmail. It was easy and fun for the kids to fill in the vest shape on the front of the T-shirt. We used fabric paint.

I purchased a embossed letter holder from a charity shop because the pattern is beautiful and would make  lovely surface designs.  When my daughter commented how unusual it was she gave me a disgusted look when I said why I bought it!!!