Happy Tuesday friends! I hope your week is going well! I am still overwhelmed by the excitement from my post in August all about Creative Reuse shops and reviewing these places! I am so excited that y'all are so excited about this travel series! These stores are truly a treasure trove for artists, teachers, creators, homeschool and creative mamas, and anyone who loves to create. You can find a map of all of the shops HERE!
If you would like to know just basic facts about the this shop please just scroll down to the bottom of the post where I will be sharing basic information to help those who want to know more specifics about each of the creative reuse shops and some tips from each store!
Today I am sharing more about the Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse which is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Mom and I stopped there last October on our 2023 Eastern Fall Road Trip!
We purposefully drove to Pittsburgh after being in Cleveland, Ohio just to go visit this Creative Reuse store and to see a quick bit of Pittsburgh. For a time reference from where we were in the Cleveland area to this creative reuse center it was only about 2 hours away.
This store had so many fun offerings of all different types of craft and art resources and items. You can see from the pictures that while the space from the outside looked small, as soon as you entered you could tell that it was HUGE. We only had allotted about 2 hours in this space and we ended up staying right till they closed (which was about 3 and 1/2 hours) and we could have stayed longer!
Things are very organized, despite the amount of items and there were so many things to look through! Honestly, you could find so many different items depending on your craft/work/hobby here. It was truly filled with so many things and I loved the way that people had donated these items to be reused instead of just throwing them out into a landfill!
The prices were fair from our experience in visiting so many different creative reuse stores and the people and workers were friendly and helpful. One of the neat things with the workers that we interacted with was they truly seemed genuinely interested in what people were making and creating. As some people walked in we heard them telling people things like, "Joe, we got in more of _________" or "Kate, I saw that there were some photographs that came in that you might like for your mixed media projects." It was neat to hear as there was obviously a community that was common there and we were welcomed right into that. One of the workers asked us what we were making and creating and when we explained they started showing us all different things around the shop. Definitely a fun creative community experience!
It is definitely a place that we would go to visit again and I definitely recommend it! If we were within a couple of hours of this store we would definitely make a trip back there- the prices were fair and the unique assortment of items definitely was a fun treasure hunt experience that we had!
......PITTSBURGH CENTER FOR CREATIVE REUSE SHOP INFORMATION......
LOCATION:
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
214 N Lexington Street / Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15208
HOURS FOR SHOPPING:
Open everyday from 11am-5pm
TYPE OF SHOP:
Total craft experience: numerous items for crafting/mixed media/lots of different projects and types of creating and creating art of any and all kind
YEAR OPENED:
2008- read history HERE
MISSION:
(taken from their website)
Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse is a non-profit that inspires creativity, conservation, and community engagement through reuse.
We operate a non-traditional art supply shop located at the intersection of Wilkinsburg, Homewood, and Point Breeze, where people can donate used art and craft supplies, as well as shop for these unique items all in the same location. We also facilitate hands-on creative programming that educates the public about the benefits of reuse for the environment, community, and self. We see reuse as a vehicle for boosting self-confidence, learning new skills, and creating opportunity for all.
KEY DISTINCTIVES:
*none noted*
COST:
Compared to other shops we have tried and visited, the prices were fair even compared to shops around the country that exist in large and expensive cities.
PARKING:
There was street parking that was nearby, but on certain days of the week you couldn't park there. There were limited spots, but this might be a bit difficult depending on the time or day that you go.
CROWDED?:
It was busy when we were there.
DISABILITY /CHRONIC ILLNESS FRIENDY?:
Absolutely yes. The aisles were wide enough that a wheelchair could fit through. Another unique item about this shop is that from 11am-12pm each day they ask everyone to mask to provide a safer environment for immunocompromised individuals. As a lady who was very sick with an immune compromised situation and loved crafting - but at one point couldn't risk the tiniest germs- this is a really beautiful thing that they offer to everyone. They also offer online shopping for those who may not be able to make it into the store.
Thank you so much for reading today friends! Please let me know if you have any questions about Creative Reuse Shops or the Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse specifically! I am happy to answer and can't wait to hear about your creative reuse shop adventures! And again, if you would like to read about other Creative Reuse Shops that I have written about on the blog click HERE or click on the links below:
Have a wonderful day friends!
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