How to do it:

Craft recycling stores

Thrift stores specializing in nothing but craft supplies are popping up nationwide. Sometimes they’re embedded inside other projects (like a tool library) and other times they’re free-standing non-profits or even businesses. They tend to be well organized and often have expensive specialty items like wedding paper-punches for a few bucks. Donations can be a little more work than traditional stores with set times and curated intake, but you may get in-store credit. Here are a few stores we personally know, and some national lists to help locate option local to you:

• Lost & Found Crafts (Olympia, WA)
• Seattle Recreative (Seattle, WA)
• Reclaim It (Portland, OR)
• SCRAP (Portland, OR)
• Here is a nation-wide master list for crafts
• This Fabric master list has options by state (but it’s a little outdated.)

Specialty Thrift Stores

Some thrift stores are more craft-friendly than others. Ask around, or explore your area for specialty thrift stores. In our area we have Bella’s Voice, which donates proceeds to animal welfare and just happens to have a well organized thrift area. They can make the most good of your donations, too. For some crafts, consider ReHab stores that specialize in building supplies: wood, tile, linoleum (for wood-block printing) and sometimes have one-off specialty goods like stained glass supplies.

Reclaiming Materials

For yarn, leather and fabric, consider reclaiming thrift store items to de-construct. A leather skirt with a stain may yield more than enough material to make a purse for just a few dollars. A sweater made of high-end yarn may yield enough material for your next knitting project. For some of us, just the task of reclaiming the material might be a hobby in itself!

• How to choose and reclaim yarn from thrift-store items: Interweave
• How to thrift-shop for fabric to reclaim: House Digest

Help! I don’t love this project!

Everyone who crafts has supplies for things they wind up not loving. In addition to donating to the types of stores listed above, also consider donating appropriate materials and scraps to preschools, schools, libraries, retirement homes, or summer camps.