Donate Materials

The Craft Room accepts donations of clean, reusable art and craft supplies and found objects.

If you are anything like us, you’ve got a bin of unused art supplies gathering dust in your closet, a collection of buttons from unmended sweaters that you didn’t get around to fixing, or a variety of craft-related knick knacks and doodads that you’ve been saving for who knows what. Whether it’s from a project that you’ve already finished, or an aspirational hobby that didn’t stand the test of time, we’d be happy to help take these supplies off your hands and get them back into the rotation to spark more creative joy.

Please read our donation guidelines before donating as the accepted items may change depending on our current inventory. To help us make the most of your generous donation, please ensure all items are clean, usable, safe, and sorted. To help us manage our limited space, we typically accept donations equivalent to 1-2 shopping bags or 1 medium box at a time. If you have more to give, please email us with a brief description (photos welcome!) so we can ensure we have capacity and make arrangements for a drop off or pick up.

How to donate

1.Review our guidelines:

Please check our “Yes, please!” and “No, Thank You!” lists below to make sure your items are a good fit for our shop. If you have any questions, feel free to email us at hello@thecraftroom.co

2.Bag or Box Your Items

Ensure that all donations are clean, dry, and free of moths, mold, or mildew. We appreciate it if items are lightly sorted (e.g. all yarn in one bag, all paper in a box) etc.

3.Drop Off During Open Hours

Bring your donations to the front desk anytime we’re open! Please do not leave donations outside when we are closed. We accept donations Wednesday-Saturday 12pm-6pm and Sunday 12pm-5pm.

  • Items we generally accept:

    • paper crafts: cardstock, scrapbook, construction, & art papers; origami & tissue paper; stationery, envelopes, blank cards; unused stickers & decorative tapes; rubber stamps & usable ink pads; paper punches, craft scissors, paper cutters; art- & craft-related books & magazines; maps, calendars, photos for collage.

    • fibers, fabrics, & notions: fabric larger than a ½ yard; yarn (ideally wound); thread, embroidery floss, and roving; needles, pins, thimbles; buttons, snaps, zippers, elastic, Velcro; ribbon, trim, lace, bias tape, twine, rope; felt, leather, faux fur; sewing patterns.

    • fine arts supplies: acrylic, watercolor, or oil paints; paint brushes; canvases or boards; drawing pencils, colored pencils, pastels, charcoal; markers & craft pens; small easels.

    • general crafts & DIY: beads, jewelry making supplies; glue, glue sticks, Mod Podge; glitter; pipe cleaners, pom poms, googly eyes, craft sticks; soft/unopened air dry or polymer clay; small clean mosaic tiles (6” or smaller); floral & craft wire.

    • containers & storage: glass jars with lids, tins, cigar boxes, small wooden boxes & crates, small plastic organizers or storage bins; brown craft paper shopping & gift bags.

    • vintage & found objects: vintage notions, sewing tools, patterns; old photos or ephemera; game pieces, puzzle pieces, dice; corks; bottle caps; keys, costume jewelry bits; seashells, beach glass, driftwood; small hardware (knobs, hinges); picture frames.

    Still not sure? As a general guide, if Hobby Lobby, Michael’s, or JoAnn’s (RIP) carries it, we probably do, too.

  • Items we cannot accept:

    • anything dirty, smelly, moldy, rusty, broken, or hazardous

    • clothing, shoes, or wearable accessories

    • home linens, bedding, towels, curtains, or stuffed animals (unless vintage/unique for specific projects, please ask first)

    • furniture, appliances, electronics, or batteries

    • hazardous materials like house paint, spray paint, toxic chemicals, or solvents

    • most food containers especially styrofoam or single-use plastics

    • packing peanuts & styrofoam

    • newspapers, office files/folders, or binders

    • large/heavy items: anything requiring more than one person to carry

    • unsorted donations: large quantities of "mystery boxes"

    • holiday-specific items (except maybe 6 weeks before the holiday - please check first!)

Get Rewards for Donating

We believe in giving gently-used items a second life and rewarding our generous community! You can earn store credit for donations based on the volume you give.

  • $5 Store Credit: Earned for donations with a volume equivalent to a full Small Moving Box (or a tall kitchen bag or laundry basket).

  • $10 Store Credit: Earned for donations with a volume equivalent to a full Medium Moving Box (or two tall kitchen bags or two standard laundry baskets).

Have Larger or High-Value Donations?

If you are planning to donate multiple large boxes (3+), or have unique high-value items like specialized craft equipment, please email us so we can coordinate a drop-off or pick up and discuss potential credit options.

FAQS

  1. Are my donations tax-deductible?

    No, we are not a 501(c)(3) non-profit. We are a for-profit, mission-driven business. While your donation is not tax-deductible, we do offer store credit as a thank you for your generosity in helping us stock our community's creative reuse shelves.

  2. Do you accept partially used or open items?

    Yes! This is what makes us different. Unlike many traditional thrift stores, we are happy to accept items like partially used tubes of paint, open markers, and half-finished skeins of yarn, as long as they are clean and usable.

  3. Do I need an appointment to donate?

    No appointment is necessary! For standard donations (about 1-2 bags or boxes), you can bring them to our front desk anytime during our regular store hours. For very large donations, please email us first.

  4. What will happen to my materials?

    Your items will be sorted by our team and either sold at thrifty prices in our store, used in our drop-in craft area, or used for workshops. If we happen to receive items that don't meet our guidelines, we first try to pass them on to other local organizations or schools before disposing of them responsibly.

  5. Do you buy supplies or offer cash?

    We do not buy supplies or offer cash. Our model is based on community donations, which we then offer back to the community at thrifty prices. We show our gratitude for donations by offering store credit.

  6. Are you a thrift store?

    We are a creative reuse store, which is like a thrift store specifically for crafters! Many people ask, "Do thrift stores accept art supplies?" and the answer is often "no," or they don't know how to price or merchandise them. We specialize in these materials.