Community
By Melissa Johansen
Livingston’s third annual Craft Supply Swap will be held October 25th, from noon to 4 pm at Old Lumberyard (122 North F Street). This is a fun, free community event that centers creativity, reducing waste, and connecting our communities.
There is a lot of community excitement and collaborations emerging to make the Craft Supply Swap possible. From drop-off sites to experts in certain crafting areas and people lending tables and other equipment, many individuals have been contributing what they are able to, enhancing our community through access to craft supplies and building community.
This event gives the community an opportunity to gather and donate unused art and craft supplies from their homes. Crafters are encouraged to de-stash rather than hold onto supplies they don’t intend to use. Donations must be in good, usable condition and can include things in these categories: fabric, sewing, patterns, fiber, needlework, drawing, paint, canvas, paper, beads, jewelry, art and craft tools, frames, craft and art books, general craft supplies, and clay.
Donations can be dropped off at one of seven early drop-off sites in Bozeman (Studio Wheelhouse), Gardiner, Emigrant (Wildflour Bakery), Livingston (Old Lumberyard), Big Timber (Carnegie Public Library), or Clyde Park (Glenn’s Shopping Center and Crazy’s). Volunteers will collect donations from drop-off sites, transport them to the Swap location (Old Lumberyard), and then sort and display the items on tables. An hour before the Swap begins, people have one final chance to submit donations. The first early donations begin October 15th at Crazy’s in Clyde Park. Dates and times for all drop-off locations can be found on the website.
Swappers (those who donate supplies) get early access to browse and take free-of-charge whatever supplies they will use. After early access for swappers, anyone can “shop.” Swappers are encouraged to take their time browsing and also enjoy coffee, tea, and treats, the Museum of Unfinished Projects, and opportunities to connect with other crafters, classes, supplies, and more.
In addition to getting craft supplies into the hands of individual, organizations and groups that need art and craft supplies have an opportunity to retrieve supplies as well. Staff or volunteers from groups and organizations can come “shop” during the final hour of the Swap (from 3 to 4 pm).
After the Swap, volunteers will pack up all leftover supplies and bring them to storage before continuing to find a new home for every last supply.
With the holiday season approaching, many crafters in our community will use the Craft Supply Swap to get supplies and materials to create unique and personalized gifts for friends and family. Crafting gifts makes for a more meaningful experience for both the giver and the receiver. This is also cost effective and environmentally responsible, as well as fun. The available supplies at the Swap inspire what crafters will create, or, ask a fellow swapper or volunteer at the swap for ideas or tips on Do It Yourself (DIY) gifts.
A growing group of volunteers helps with a whole variety of tasks that make this community event happen. Many of the volunteers became connected through first attending the Swap. They loved finding free supplies that they wanted to help make it possible for others to do the same. In addition to donating craft supplies, people can help support the Swap by promoting it to friends, coworkers, and family, volunteering to help with set up and clean up, transportating supplies, or providing extras like snacks to help make the Swap run more smoothly and bring delight to swappers. Volunteers are also needed to assist with volunteer coordination, email maintenance and setup, graphic design, writing thank you notes, and tracking Swap metrics.
Someone who donated to the Craft Supply Swap in May said, “I’ve been waiting to bring these items somewhere that they would get to people who would use them.”
A community member who came to the Swap said, “One of the things I was impressed with at the last swap was the quality of what people brought. People didn’t really bring in junk. It's all nice quality.”
The creators of the Craft Supply Swap are opening a creative reuse center in downtown Livingston this fall. Co-located with Studio49 at 129 S. Main St., the new Creative Reuse Montana shop and shared workshop space will make more creative supplies and activities available to our community throughout the winter months and between swaps.
Similar free craft supply swaps are popping up across Montana. The Billings Public Library will hold a craft supply swap on Saturday, October 18th and the Harlowton Public Library will hold one from October 20th through the 24th.
More information about the Livingston Craft Supply Swap can be found at www.craftsupplyswap.org or contact them by email at craftsupplyswap@gmail.com.