Sometimes it’s difficult to know where to donate certain items when you’re working on an organizing project. My favorite place to donate quirky objects is a Portland non-profit called SCRAP. SCRAP takes used and excess art, craft and office supplies as well as any objects that might be useful for future art projects and sells them for a small fee at their store.
For example, on a recent visit there, I saw a barrel full of wine corks, a bin of empty tea tins, boxes of miniature plastic spoons, a box of old slides, shelves full of tiles, old mirrors, stained glass pieces and scrap wood, a box of used party decorations, a bin of fake flowers and foliage … You get the idea.
One of SCRAP’s purposes is to provide art supplies for public school teachers, who sometimes pay for these things out of their own pocket when the school budget can’t cover the costs. Their other purpose is “to inspire creative reuse and environmentally sustainable behavior by providing educational programs and affordable materials to the community.” This is the perfect place for starving artists to buy materials and for cash-strapped mamas to buy craft projects for their children (I bought an unopened Easter egg dye kit and Shrinky-Dinks kit there for $1.25 last week!)
To donate, call them at (503) 294-0769 and check their material donation policy to see if they can sell what you’re donating. Their store is located at 2915 NE MLK Blvd (cross street is Stanton) in Portland and is open Wed-Sun. Show them some love!
Image courtesy of SCRAP.
Yes! I have been meaning to get there since I heard about it. On my mind now are clothespin doll fixing. Think they have any?
Hmmm … I don’t remember seeing any clothespins, but they have everything else you need for making clothespin dolls like googly eyes, yarn and fabric scraps. But give them a call 503-294-0769 — they might have clothespins and I just didn’t see them!