Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse

Happy Holidays from us here at Creative Reuse and thank you for your support! We can’t wait to see what 2021 will bring.

Happy Holidays from us here at Creative Reuse!

Show us how you use materials from Creative Reuse by using the hashtag #creativereuseprojects for a chance to be featured on our social media! You can even add the tag to photos that you’ve already uploaded by editing the caption. For example, @justinwray got this plant pot from us for just 50 cents and made a DIY plant pot holder. And @paullavra made these amazing pants with fabric from our store! Check out their profiles on instagram for more info on the featured projects.

@yeetnpark has made some funky earrings using items from our card catalog and vintage photo slides! If you love them as much as we do, she sells em on depop (link in her bio). Thanks for sharing, Celeste, these upcycled earrings warm our hearts For a chance to be featured on our social media, share your projects using materials from our store and use the hashtag #creativereuseprojects

Happy birthday to our Executive Director, Ash Andrews, who was recently named a Pittsburgh Magazine 40 Under 40 honoree! Something in the human spirit needs art and creativity, Andrews says. Reuse is a natural part of how we do humanity. Read more about Ash's work with the center in this mini-article: https://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/2020-40-under-40-honore/

There’s still time to snag some of these new items in our online store before we close for the rest of the year! Faux produce, toy grab bags, eco-friendly binders and more at www.PCCR.org/online-store You have until 10am this Thursday to make your final purchases and then you can pick up your order that same day between 12:00 and 2:00pm. If you place an order in our online store over the holidays, you can plan to pick it up on Sunday, January 3rd from 12-2pm. Thank you!

We’re excited to help you through this holiday season with gift ideas, gift wrapping materials, holiday crafts and decor, and more! For example, this amazing embroidered silk fabric might just be the perfect gift for the fabric lover in your life. We also have stickers and craft books to get in the holiday spirit, frames for your family photos, jewelry, etc. Here’s the link: PCCR.org/online-store The last day for Curbside Pickup is December 24th and then we will be closed from the 25th - January 1st!

FYI we will be closed from December 25th to January 2nd, but you still have time to shop! Our last curbside pickup for 2020 will be on December 24th from 12-2pm. Regularly scheduled pickups will resume on Sunday, January 3rd. You can still place order through our online store over the holidays, but our personal shopping & delivery services will be on hold until January 4th. Thanks, and happy holidays!

Did you know that more than 100 million plastic utensils are used every day in the U.S. alone? They can be difficult to recycle due to their size/shape/inconsistent materials, and they can take up to 1000 years to decompose. So why not transform them into amazing holiday decor, like these festive trees made out of plastic spoons? Finding creative ways to upcycle single use plastic is a great way to be a part of the solution while also having fun! It also helps to carry reusable cutlery, bags, etc. If you’re feeling inspired, we have an abundance of plastic utensils in our online store (PCCR.org/online-store) that you can reinvent however your heart desires. Show us what you come up with by tagging us in your photos or using the hashtag #creativereuseprojects

Jerome Chu Charles is a photographer, illustrator, and muralist based in Pittsburgh, PA. Charles’s interest in graffiti had a huge influence on his creative career. He was charged with criminal mischief for tagging in 2016: three months later, he had his first exhibition where he showed work under his signature tag name Chu. Since then, he has had several solo and group exhibitions and has developed a reputation for turning trash into works of art. One of his more recent ...exhibitions Still Good had a theme of garbage which was both literal and figurative. He used recycled/discarded materials as inspiration and canvas for his work. The show also focused on garbage as a feeling, for example, feeling like trash or being a garbage person. While the objects in this exhibition were considered damaged or no longer useful, Chu saw their potential and showed that they were indeed Still Good. Find more of Chu’s work on his website (jeromec.squarespace.com/) or by following him on social media @everyonehateschu on instagram See more

Here are some brand new items from the online store including yarn, block printing ink, lots of scrapbooking supplies, and more! We offer delivery, shipping, and contactless curbside pickup. Visit our website for more info on the online store: PCCR.org/online-store

2020 has taken many things from us but it can't take our annual, intense craft competition, Craftical! Try your hand at the at-home version of Pittsburgh's wildest craft competition ever with our brand new Craftical Kits, featuring an incredible variety of your favorite materials from Creative Reuse. (But shh! We can't tell you exactly what's in the kits - it would ruin the surprise!) For more details about Craftical: At Home Edition and how to host your own virtual event click here: https://creativereuse.square.site//craftical-at-home-/2491 Thank you so much for supporting Creative Reuse with your Craftical: At Home Edition purchase. Your support helps us make it through this tough time, and hopefully brings you a little slice of the joy of Craftical! We can't wait to see what you make!

Inspire creativity by purchasing a one-of-a-kind craft kit from Creative Reuse this holiday season. You support the hands-on learning of someone in your life while also keeping materials out of the landfill! Our newest kits include the Home Office Kit for those working at home, and DIY collage card kits for sending holiday greetings. We also have kits related to drawing, weaving, playing, bookmaking, and even building your own terrarium! here's the link: https://creativereuse.square.site/shop/creative-reuse-kits/8

Fun and festive items recently added to the online store! PCCR.org/online-store

Katie Kameen is a sculpture, metalsmith, and jeweler that experiments with premade plastic objects. Kameen received her BFA in 3D Studio, and her MFA in Metalsmithing and Jewelry Design and she’s based in South Carolina / Georgia. Kameen has said that her sculptures are the result of discovering life in objects that have outlived their intended functions. She uses her work to explore the ways that premade materials can communicate with us. In her artist statement, Kameen disc...usses how our use and treatment of these everyday objects reflect our social behavior, and therefore allow for a deeper understanding of human connection. To see more of her work, follow @katiekameen on instagram and check out her website : katiekameen.com Cheap plastics were made to serve a specific purpose, and to do so with a limited lifespan. I manipulate these objects to subvert both qualities, and make these materials, so often ignored from oversaturation, visible again. - Katie Kameen Images courtesy of the artist

Halloween won't be the same this year (thanks Covid-19!), but we can still make it fun, creative, and reuse-y with a Creative Reuse Costume Contest! Get into the holiday spirit by fashioning a stay-at-home costume that incorporates creative reuse and share your efforts with us on social media. The winner gets a $25 gift card and a private, in person shopping experience at Creative Reuse! Here's how to enter on Facebook: 1. Like our page... 2. Tag two friends on this post 3. Take a pic of your costume that incorporates reuse Post the pic between Oct 24 & Nov 2, tag us, and use #reusecostume2020 We can't wait to see what you come up with!

The Creative Reuse staff is ready for spooky season: Vivienne even turned into a ghost for the occasion! You can find lots of Halloween themed items in the online store, and were always adding new materials. PCCR.org/online-store

If any of these new materials catch your eye, you can find em in our online store (along with many other options) PCCR.org/online-store

Fulfilling your creative reuse needs one day at a time! We offer delivery, shipping, and free curbside pickup for our online store: PCCR.org/online-store

Fulfilling your creative reuse needs one day at a time! There’s a link to the online store in our bio. We offer delivery, shipping, and free curbside pickup!

So many new items were just added to the online store, including even more Halloween decorations, a book binding machine, yarn, a variety of paints, and more! PCCR.org/online-store

Happy Friday! Our online store has supplies to help you maximize your creativity this fall. Find discounted copic markers, funky notebooks, a variety of vintage items, and other craft materials. Visit PCCR.org/online-store to shop!

Check out these items in our online store! Discounted art supplies, yarn, vintage items, DIY craft projects, and more. We offer delivery, shipping, and curbside pickup! pccr.org/online-store/

New! Let us shop for you using our new personal shopping service. http://pccr.org/shop/alternative-shopping-experiences/

These woven baskets are a great way to store your Halloween treats this month, and they’re super simple to make! We also have baskets in the online store: http://pccr.org/online-store/

Finding beauty in the commonplace, artist Willie Cole transforms household items into magnificent sculptures, installations, and works on paper. He uses steam irons, ironing boards, hairdryers, high-heeled shoes, bottles, and other similar objects to create unique masterpieces. In recognition of his own African-American heritage, Cole creates work that celebrates African art and culture and confronts viewers with the painful history of slavery in America. For example, he ha...s constructed African masks out of high heeled shoes, slave ships out of iron marks, and sculptures of African fauna out of kitchen chairs. He explains The objects have a memory and history of their own. So if you have a slave, or just a domestic worker, people working for little money, their objects have a memory of that experience. View more of his profound work by taking a look at his website: williecole.com and follow his facebook page. His instagram is @williecoleart See more