A Spotlight on Arts & Crafts Thrift Stores
You've shopped clothing and furniture secondhand... but how about art supplies?
Temperatures in Los Angeles are still hovering around 80, but there is a *slight* change in the air signaling fall is upon us. No less than 2 weeks ago, I was in a very “SUMMER FOREVER” mindset. But somehow I’m singing a different tune now, fantasizing about spending 3 hours making soup, bingeing a series (started Suits, not sure if I’m into it?), and doing some creative projects at home. Which leads me to my recent discovery of secondhand arts & crafts supply stores!
My discovery started on TikTok (shocker) about a year ago when my FYP served me this video spotlighting Art from Scrap in Santa Barbara. Simply put, these stores are non-profit, donation-based hubs selling all kinds of used art supplies - at a very affordable rate, no less. I not only visited Art from Scrap in my recent SB visit, but also made a stop by Remainders in Pasadena for even more ~research~.
Though I enjoy thrift shopping for clothes and furniture/homewares regularly, there is something extra fun about foraging for art supplies - I loved going in without a specific agenda, not knowing what I was going to find. Work has been a little nutty lately, so it was very nice to turn my brain off and wander aimlessly through the aisles of both shops and pick up what spoke to me. Feeling inspired by my art scrap shopping experiences, I decided to turn my upcoming housewarming into an arts and crafts party - using only secondhand art supplies! I’m so excited and will report back.
To make this a true TTS format - I’ve included mini day itineraries along with the brief overview of the shops below!
Store Name: Art From Scrap
Location: Santa Barbara
Brief Overview: Art from Scrap holds a plethora of supplies ranging from buckets full of leather scraps, to 100 cocktail napkin packs, to collections of National Geographic magazines from the ‘90s. If you can swing it, AFS hosts “Crafternoons” every Thursday from 3:30-5 PM. For just $8, you can use anything in the store to create and craft!
Donation: If you are interested in donating, find more information on their website here.
TTS Day Itinerary: Pick up coffee and a pastry from Helena Ave Bakery in the Funk Zone. Art From Scrap is about a 7 min drive from here. Once you pick up some art supplies, take your haul over to Mission Historical Park and craft on the lawn! Or if you feel like saving your supplies for another time, here are more ideas for things to do in SB :)
Store Name: Remainders Creative Reuse
Location: Pasadena
Brief Overview: Remainders is a 6000 sq foot space sitting minutes away from Colorado Blvd, the main hub of Pasadena. I would say Remainders is *slightly* more organized than AFS if I had to compare (and therefore a little less overwhelming). The shop uses colored stickers to code supplies, and also uses a per pound weight system to price items. It was very fun to watch the cashier weigh everyone’s items, i.e. the 12 balls of yarn pictured above.
Craft Workshop calendar here
Donation: If you are interested in donating, find more information on their website here
TTS Day Itinerary: Grab breakfast at Copa Vida or a coffee at mandarin if you need a quicker fix. I also highly recommend a visit to the Huntington Library & Gardens - I’ve been going since I was a kid and it’s always a treat. If you’re heading to the ‘Dena later in the day - head to Bar Chelou for a dreamy small plates & natural wine happy hour moment.
Ticket to Sarahdise Event Digest - Week of 9/25
Every week, I’m sharing events you should be checking out in LA. Here’s this week’s download:
Clink Wine Club 2 Year Anniversary - If you haven’t been to a Clink x Love Hour Friday yet, this is your moment on 9/29! Nothing better than burgers and natty wine with pals to kick off the weekend IMO
Fall Flavor Launches - Pumpkin spice szn. Starting to see some fall treats pop up around LA - like this Churro Bun at Saltie Girl or this Pumpkin Spice Concha at Mariachi Bakery. Also eagerly awaiting October limited launch at Kumquat and spotted a spin on pumpkin spice at goodboybob last week - must try!
Mas Vino Please Creative Studio Launch - My gal Andrea + her pal Jenna! are launching their new creative studio Twin Boots and throwing a little shindig on Thurs 9/28! More deets at the link
I’ll be dropping TikTok tours of both scrap shops this week for a more in-depth look, stay tuned! Thanks for reading, see you next week!