A Creative Reuse Center Could Help You Declutter Your Miscellaneous Things

Decluttering our homes is a seemingly never-ending pursuit. There are things we declutter yearly or seasonally, like our closets, and then things we declutter every day or week, like our countertops. However, no matter how routinely we declutter, there always seem to be miscellaneous items left behind—and junk drawers (or closets) we don't know how to confront. While there are endless options for donating things like clothing, it's less clear what to do with things like fabric scraps, leftover paint, and random unused supplies, and we all hate to see our things just go in the trash. Enter: Creative reuse centers. Keep reading to learn how these centers can be a resource for all your decluttering and DIY needs.

What is a Creative Reuse Center?

Meet the Goodwill of the crafting world. These shops are the home to all the DIY and crafting supplies or tools you may need, but instead of having brand-new, recurring inventory, their shelves are stocked with donations and the byproducts of factory overproduction.

Shopping for supplies like yarn or fabric at a Creative reuse center (CRC) serves both to keep miscellaneous craft items out of landfills and to save crafters, DIY-ers, and upcyclers some cash at the same time. (As with most secondhand stores, creative reuse centers typically offer much lower prices on supplies and materials than you could find when buying new.) Plus, for those who want to declutter, they serve as a new home for all the random "junk" you might like to get out of your house.

Materials for the Arts, New York City’s premiere municipal Creative REuse arts & education center, offers this list of possible items to donate: fabric and trim, paper, arts & crafts supplies, theatrical props, beads & jewelry, office supplies, framing, art books, electronics, household items, paint, furniture.

Creative reuse centers are the epitome of the saying, "one person's trash is another person's treasure."

CRCs Can Be a Resource for Craft and DIY Projects

In recent years, more and more folks have turned to crafting to express their artistic side. This surge in arts-and-craftsy-ness may be due to extended time spent indoors during the pandemic, or it may just be a result of a Millennial urge to engage in some self-care. Either way, we’ve seen more folks strolling the aisles of Michael’s and adding tie-dye kits to their carts or heading to JOANN Fabrics for crochet supplies. There’s more of an appetite for crafts, but that doesn’t mean we all have the resources (storage space and finances) to support all of our artsy endeavors.

“Most people don't have the patience, space, or desire to store every bottle cap or wine cork that comes through their life and a CRC lets them go and buy them when a project pops up instead,” says Stephanie Woodson, a sewing and craft blogger who runs Swoodson Says.

CRCs also offer a more financially accessible way to start a new craft or hobby—especially if you aren't sure you will stick with it. This can also be great for parents with creatively inclined kids.

“My eight-year-old recently made miniature fruit pies, inspired by a craft book and made them with bottle caps and beads that we got at a CRC, and my 10-year-old just picked up a cigar box and is excited to make it into a treasure chest,” says Woodson, “Taking a kid to a regular craft or fabric store and letting them go wild choosing supplies could end up being several hundred dollars. I appreciate letting them roam and pick things to craft with, knowing that I'm not going to go broke.”

While other secondhand stores, like Goodwill, may also carry more affordable craft supplies, Woodson notes that it's less reliable trying to find craft and project supplies there as compared to CRCs, which are dedicated to carrying items that can be, as the name states, reused in creative ways. However, she also adds that, "while a CRC may have a lot of the same things as a craft store, there's no guarantee [of what they'll have], since they can only sell what they receive as donations.” So, if you're looking for something very specific, you may have to make another stop or search for it online.

Why Don’t I Know About CRCs?

The two biggest barriers to more widespread shopping at Creative reuse centers are likely a lack of awareness due to the niche nature of the business and a lack of uniformity when it comes to names and descriptions of the stores themselves. That is to say, even if you’re a crafter who works with second-hand or overstock materials, you might struggle to find one of these centers near you.

Woodson, inspired by the opportunities for low-cost, environmentally friendly crafting, created an open-source Google Map where people can share their local CRCs across the United States. The list includes store names like Fabmo and The Repurpose Project, both great names that might not come up if you search for “creative reuse center near me.”

Building an Artistic Community

Creative reuse centers are often also the site of community building initiatives, like knitting circles or STEAM classes for kids. In this way, they serve to build relationships around a love of art and invention, all the while recycling and reusing materials in clever ways. Reconsidered Goods, a CRC in Greensboro, NC, offers what they call a “Repair Café,” where attendees can learn to repair common household items and get to know their neighbors. Meanwhile, at SCRAP PDX in Portland, OR, guests are invited for a “Craft n’ Chill” evening of collaging together, or they can come in to make miniature furniture on a Sunday “Crafternoon.” These events offer a wholesome opportunity to make meaningful, real, in-person connections.

What Can You Do With Materials From a CRC?

Depending on the Creative reuse center in question, you can do pretty much anything with the supplies you find there. Each store really is its own entity, and they differ in focus and scope. Some, like FABSCRAP in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, are focused solely on fabrics and sewing supplies. Others, like Retake/Remake in Peekskill, New York are home to all manner of supplies, from various paints and vintage paper to wood scraps and craft kits.

Whether you’re an adult who’s suddenly enamored by the idea of macrame or a parent of kids who love papier mâché, inviting more creativity into your life is a great way to expand your mind and encourage inventiveness. Creative reuse centers offer the opportunity to do just that without breaking the bank or contributing to a culture of consumer waste.