Thanks to Minnesota Locks for their support.
West St. Paul is hosting a free Art & Craft Supply Swap to encourage the reuse of crafting supplies.
“It’s magical when you see someone’s eyes light up with ideas inspired by stuff that might have otherwise been thrown away,” said West St. Paul’s recycling coordinator, Courtney Selstad, who organized the event. “I hope that encouraging people to reuse and reimagine materials during their hobbies helps them naturally do the same in the rest of day-to-day life.”
- When: Thursday, May 8 from 6 to 8 p.m. (donations can be dropped off beginning at 4 p.m.)
- Where: West St. Paul City Hall (1616 Humboldt Avenue)
- What: Gently used creative supplies—everything from paints and brushes to yarn and fabric. No donation required to shop the swap.
- More details: Find more info, including a list of potential items on the event’s Facebook listing.
Previous success: Selstad hosted a similar event last year in South St. Paul. About 60 people showed up and 320 pounds of materials were collected—”which is a lot when you consider that many art and craft supplies weigh very little,” Selstad said. About a third of that was leftover at the end of the event and was redistributed to other organizations.
In demand materials?: “Basic tools and equipment such as scissors, cutting mats and paint brushes went first,” Selstad said. “People also liked larger pieces of fabric (one square yard or more). Smaller fabric scraps were difficult to rehome, so we will not be accepting those this year.”
“I loved seeing younger folks come in with parents or grandparents and each person finding something to take home,” Selstad said. “It shows art truly is for everyone!”
We keep the community informed thanks to the generous support of our members.
