Green Options

A good thrift store is an asset to a community equal to that of a mom-and-pop hardware store, a locally-famous ice cream/snowcone/frenchie stand, and a rockin’ adult co-rec softball team: in other words, it’s crucial.

In my hometown, we’re lucky not only to have all of the above and a library that stocks just released feature film DVDs, but several excellent thrift stores—thrift stores small and quirky, thrift stores large and conglomerate, thrift stores frequented largely by the college students, thrift stores frequented mostly by the townies. As an avid crafter whose Crafting Manifesto dictates that I work primarily with recycled materials, I have throughout several years’ worth of projects figured out a way to use pretty much any kind of thrift store junk to make awesome stuff. Here are some of the possibilities:

Sometimes you gotta shop online. Maybe you live somewhere a little bit country, like I do, or maybe you have two little kids who would rip apart a bead store in the time it took you to pick out a single package of 3mm crimp beads, like I do, or maybe you have a favorite independent craft shop that you discovered on a vacation a couple of years ago and every now and then you have to have a fix, like I do.

Whatever your reasons, there’s no reason to necessarily shop at a big-box store’s web site; not only are there tons of sites for Fabulous Fabrics and Yearn-Worthy Yarns, there are loads of awesome craft stores, some selling supplies and some selling handmade goods, who would looooove to have your business:

My green crafting manifesto is clear about this: I craft primarily with recycled materials, and if I can’t make a recycled material work for my project, then I use primarily natural materials–cotton, hemp, wood, etc.

Generally, this makes the positives of green crafting quite clear. When I craft with recycled materials, then I know that I’m taking positive action for the environment even if what I’m crafting with was originally some sort of resource-heavy plastic–felting around dumpster-dived plastic Easter eggs to make shaker eggs or play food for my daughters, perhaps, or incorporating costume jewelry into a new piece.

The ethics of crafting even with natural materials, however, are trickier, because you have to consider not just the nature of your material, but also its provenance.

Take wood.

Do you like to make things for people who like to make things or would you rather just give them things that they can use to make things? Or, are you Julie’s mom? Either way, check out these affordable eco-friendly craft supplies that would make great gifts…maybe even to yourself!

While we’ve already covered passed crafting supply swaps like the one in Richmond, VA, we would be remiss if we didn’t tell you about one coming up that if in the Washington, D.C. area - you could participate in!

This coming Sunday, the Craft Mutiny Arts and Crafts Collective is having a Supply Swap at the fifth annual Crafty Bastards, Arts and Crafts Fair in Washington, D.C. The Supply Swap is a great way to reuse and recycle leftover craft supplies.

You can donate your leftover and slightly used craft supplies and trade them in for new-to-you supplies. Tried a craft that didn’t work out? Donate the supplies to the swap. Is your fabric stash threatening to take over your house? This is a great way to cull the herd. The swap will accept all sorts of supplies and materials from yarn to fabric to paint and beads. Things that are not swap-able are house paint, toxic materials and old clothing. You should try to bring supplies someone else would love to use and not that musty old fabric sitting in the garage!