Themed Craft Supply Swaps

Find supplies, find your people! 

What is this?! 🙋

We will accept almost any art or craft supply related to the swap theme. Donated items should be in good, usable condition. Drop them off and then go "shopping" from what others have brought. We will sort and arrange all the materials into a second-hand craft supply extravaganza. 

• Swap items are free.

• Open to all. You do not have to bring supplies to participate in the Swap. Swappers do get to shop first.

• Please join us in the spirit of this event: to get materials into the hands of people who will use them, saving money and waste - no stashing.

• Items remaining after the swap will be redistributed through Creative Reuse Montana! We work hard to find a new home for every last supply. Some of the items may supply our community shop (including kits or workshops) or be shared with local programs through our Art & Education Supplies project.

Suggested Materials 🎨 

These swaps are about usable crafting and art making materials and supplies. Bring clean, new or gently used craft supplies donations including:

Fiber/YARN!!! - Saturday, April 18

THINK: anything related to knitting, crochet, felting, weaving! 🧶

• yarn (neatly rolled/stored) and thread

• knitting needles, crochet hooks, stitch counters, and other accessories

• felting needles, tools, patterns, pads, shape making tools

• wet felting tools

• wool, wool and mohair locks, wool nepps

• needlecraft/weaving supplies (see May 2 list and decide which day makes sense to you!)

• Have a collection of wool clothing that could be made into something else? YES

• kits, books, patterns, magazines, children's craft kits and supplies

• Museum of Unfinished Projects: YES

Fabric, Sewing, Needlepoint, etc. - Saturday, May 2

THINK: garment making, home goods, quilting, slow stitch and visible mending supplies, needlecraft 🧵

• Fabric: all kinds! Our community especially wants fabric for garment-making, because it is harder to find around here!, felt

• Notions & Tools: sewing notions, thread (neatly rolled/stored), trim/binding, bias tape, zippers, buttons, pins/needles, pin cushions, fabric ribbon, velcro / hook & loop, elastic, leather, lace, vintage trims, seam rippers, scissors, rotary cutters, cutting boards, fabric dye and paint, patches and other embellishments

• Machines: sewing machines/other equipment (working order), mannequins/dress forms

• Sewing baskets/cases and storage

• Needlecraft: counted cross stitch, embroidery supplies, hoops, floss (neatly stored), sewing needles

• Vintage table clothes, clothing, home linens in clean, good condition

• kits, books, patterns, magazines, children's craft kits and supplies

• Museum of Unfinished Projects: YES

Artist Mediums and Paper Crafts - Saturday, May 16

THINK: painting, drawing, mixed media, cardmaking, scrapbooking, collage, mark making 🎨

• Marking Tools & Drawing: colored pencils, pencils, crayons, pastels, drawing pens, calligraphy tools and books, erasers, sharpeners, graphite, charcoals, markers, inks and usable ink pads, printmaking tools

• Paint & Brushes: acrylic paint, oil paint, watercolor paint and paper, washable paint, tempura paint, brushes (clean), palettes

• Canvas & Paper: clean canvas, watercolor paper, drawing paper, scratch boards, panels, sketchbooks, construction paper, newsprint, small wood cutouts (unpainted), mixed media books, butcher paper

• Frames: Picture frames (empty), shadow boxes, framing supplies

• Tools: scissors, cutting mats, rulers, glue, easels, hole punches

• Photo equipment

• Tools (in clean, working order): scissors, glue guns, craft knives, hole punches, easels, pottery tools, rulers

• Scrapbooking and Cardmaking Supplies: craft & scrapbooking paper,  rubber/foam stamps, embossing tools/heat tools, 

• Other Paper and Paper-like Items: wallpaper samples, stationary, postage stamps, cards, stickers, handwritten letters, sheet music, washi tape, maps, collage materials,bookmaking supplies

• Containers: Small Storage Containers

• Clay, Candle making, Soap making: tools, supplies, equipment, wax

• kits, books, patterns, magazines, children's craft kits and supplies

• Museum of Unfinished Projects: YES

Beads and Jewelry + Tiny Cute Things - Sunday, May 31

THINK: the cutest, tiniest, shiniest things you've ever seen that make you want to make things 💖

• Beads & Jewelry: Beads of all kinds & beading supplies, jewelry making supplies and tools, soldering irons

• Mosaics & Resin: Mosaic tools & tiles, mirrored tiles, resin supplies

• Miniature Items: vintage or small scale (12:1 or 16:1) dollhouse decor and supplies, tabletop and D&D miniature items, tabletop minature tools/supplies

• Shiny Things: well-contained sequins/confetti/glitter, bedazzle tools, rhinestones

• Small Fun Things: diamond dots/gem art, small plastic and drawstring bags, vintage ephemera and postage stamps, bottle caps, 35mm photo slides

• Fly Tying Supplies

• Small baskets and storage containers

• General Crafty Supplies: hot glue, hot glue guns, glue, tape, sandpaper, cotton swabs, toothpicks, popsicle sticks, popsicle sticks, googly eyes, craft feathers, trophies, plastic animal figurines, pipe cleaners, scissors, tape, glue, mod podge, rulers, craft foam, corks

• kits, books, patterns, magazines, children's craft kits and supplies

• Museum of Unfinished Projects: YES

Teacher Supplies - Wednesday, June 10 - in development!! 🧑‍🏫

THINK: Anything you have an excess of and want to get out of your classroom! Anything another teacher might make use of.

• In development!! Get in touch if you want to help shape this list!

• Bulk of anything

• Popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners (chenille stems), stickers, stamps, stamp pads, stencils, felt, craft foam sheets or shapes 

• Tools: yard sticks, color wheels, table easels, circle cutters, paper cutters (with safety), self-healing cutting mats

• Teaching supplies

  • Cricut: cartridges and machines

  • Sizzix: machines, tools, cartridges

  • Lamination: laminators, laminator sheets

  • Silhouette machines

⚠️ SAVE ⚠️ these items for our August Teacher Swap. We will hold another Teacher and School Art Supply Swap in August when you are stocking up your classroom. Want to help us get supplies to arts and education programs? We have lots of ideas and are excited to work with you this summer and next school year!  Sign up to help us make it happen! (Many hands make light work 💖)

• Markers and highlighters

• Crayons - Crayola preferred

• Glue: Elmer’s School Glue (white glue), Glue sticks (big and small)

• Children’s scissors with metal blade and blunt tip, scissors up to 6”

• Rulers including 1” with inches and centimeters

• Pencils: #2 packages, hand-held pencil sharpeners with and without receptacle

• Erasers: pink; small, kneaded

• Pencil pouch or school box

• Headphones (not earbud, not chargeable, not Bluetooth; must plug in)

• Small sticky notes (multiple colors), paper clips, staples

• Classroom supplies: tissues, cleaning wipes, bandages, zip baggies

Prepare Your Donation - Things to Know ⚠️

Please be sure to: 

• pack sharps in a labeled, hard-sided container

• pack your donation in boxes, totes, or bags that we can keep

• organize your items with like items

• extra bonus: measure, fold, and label fabric

Leave these items at home:

• items NOT in usable & sanitary condition. Examples: moldy, dirty, or smelly, smoke-damaged, insect-damaged (wool/yarn with visible moth damage), in bad condition, or mothballed 🙂 

• items that cannot be used immediately and without rehabilitation as a crafting material, supply, or tool).

• dirty or broken items

• sheets, drapes, fabric samples

• fabric with pins (ouch!)

• anything that held food, medication, or hazardous material