Edit: people leaving one star reviews because THEY didn’t know they have to make a donation appointment in order to donate items? How is it the store’s fault that YOU can’t follow directions? Being denied from donating does not mean they were being rude to you. I repeat: y’all are fragile.
Great little store, amazing prices and consistently friendly staff who are always able to point me in the right direction.
Side note: the people leaving bad reviews seem a bit fragile. Claiming to unequivocally support art stores yet leaving one star reviews bc they didn’t greet you like a robot the instant you walk through the door is pretty sad.
Had an unpleasant experience trying to donate some things. These were items we bought at this store, so I knew they would be able to re-sell them.
The person at the front desk told me that currently I'd need to go through an intake process through email and asked how many items there were. When I showed them (there were 5-6 items, and they were all originally from this store), they took them without a word. I thanked them, and they were dead silent.
This didn't have to be unpleasant, but this person decided to make it so. They could have refused the items , but instead they decided to give me the silent treatment.
How you treat people matters, even in the little interactions. The only mistake I made was not realizing they were currently only accepting donations through appointment, but I was treated like I was imposing by even talking to the person at the front desk. There was barely anyone else in the store. I guess the good news for that person is that I probably won't go again.
Wonderful place to explore for anyone who loves a hunt for bargains and reusable arts and crafts stuff. That said, if you are looking for particular items (needle, fabric, beads, paper etc), you are better off buying at our local stores or online. There is no calling ahead or perusing online because this is a nonprofit store with volunteers running it.
Unlike the tool library model where you can sign up for membership, this is a retail store of donated products. Will require you to manage expectations of staff and merchandise.
So go ahead and visit, explore, treasure hunt. Lucky you if you find your items, if not, move on to the other wonderful small shops in the neighborhood =)
The prices are awesome and I've enjoyed rummaging through in the past. However, I recently called in with a question and was really taken aback by the dismissiveness of the the employee who took my call. I get that the retail shifts are volunteer-run, but a more neutral tone would have gone a long way. I would be weary of coming in here if you have accessibility needs that require one-on-one assistance from the staff.
Recycle, reuse, renew: very cute store with tons of bits and pieces of art supplies. I got a ton of glitter for around a dollar . However, recently while shopping I witnessed a very unsavory interaction. A woman came in with 4 new/unused packages of yarn. She asked the person tending the desk if she could donate them. The clerk responded by asking the donator if she had an appointment and when she said no, without even bothering to look up from her phone the clerk told the woman she could not donate the yarn without an appointment… It blew my mind how uncomfortable the woman trying to donate was made to feel. I’ll continue shopping there…but I will be hesitant to donate and hope the shop managers will take this into consideration.
The customer service was wonderful! I will be going to these lovely ladies store for all of my crafting supplies and creative things to try! Will be making tie blankets for a while! I want those who are outside to be taken care of!
I used to recommend this place to craftsy friends from out of town. Some of the reviews mention rude interactions, and I see what they mean! Since Seattle Recreative is volunteer basis and not for profit it’s just strange. I'm hesitant to come back after the negative interaction.
Great place. You can’t get many of the items like threads and zippers for anything like the price elsewhere. Nice to know the store is reducing redundant waste. Remember it’s a nonprofit, not a perfect business aimed towards the perfect customer experience. Started coming here after the Joann’s closure and wish I’d known about it so much sooner!
Any time I'm near this location, I will do everything to stop in. I love this store and its mission. This is a craft supply resell store to excite -- tons of random and usable items at great prices. Need a single green button? A shade of paper? Particular yarn color? I stop here first.
If you're a goblin and you like searching through stuff for cool finds, this is the place for you.
Love the business, but the Georgetown location is way better in my opinion. The space, the organization, and definitely the prices are all WAY better.
EDIT: Points were made so I'll readjust my review and make sure I keep going to Georgetown since it's my fave anyway and it's all the same cause.
What a fantastic gem! One of my favorite stores in Seattle. So many treasures and deals. I always stop by when I am in the area and it's my first stop to buy craft supplies before I buy new. Selection varies, but they also sell non-craft supplies like greeting cards, gift wrap, and holiday decor. Sometimes staff isn't very helpful, but they are volunteers so ymmv.
Also, be careful about donations! You have to make an appointment in advance and give them a list of what you want to bring. They will only accept items of their choice. You cannot bring anything and everything (even though it looks that way in the store).
Wonderful spot for crafters!! They have a wide variety of craft items so make sure to check out every part of the store. We’ve come to browse and found some great knitting and embroidery supplies. If you come looking for something specific, they might not have it, but if you come in looking for something more broad (green yarn, blue embroidery floss, red fabric), they’re likely to have what you need :)
Such a cute, well-organized, craft supply shop! Stumbled upon this place and it reminded me of the room of requirement. You never know what you'll find there. I ended up finding a replacement piece for one of my board games! It got me thinking about all the crafts I could do with these materials and I'm definitely going to donate my craft remnants here so they can bring joy to others!
Rude staff and ridiculous prices. I've been to many reuse, recycled art supply places around the country. All, quite fair on prices. Because of this, these stores are willing to take on more donations and things move faster. I was excited when Seattle Recreative opened. But always disappointed when visiting.
$2 radioactive orange poster never seen anything like it, $3 rainbow felt marker set, all the old kitsch sewing kits you will ever need, very sustainable design. You're really limited to how much a vision you can concoct with the abundance of organized items they put before you at an affordable price. The art hanging on the walls is just a start to what you can do with it that you never thought you could before. The offering itself had me feeling guilty about not melting down my old rubber boots to fix them and sewing my old shoes. I have chronic fatigue. Sometimes you just can't but it's a good challenge to try to.
If you love crafts, especially knitting, this is a must to visit. I have found so many knitting needles, yarn and fabric here! My kids also love coming here to find treasures to use to create their various big craft ideas and school projects. Bonus it's keeping craft items out of the landfill and finding second uses! Like all second hand stores, its based on what has been donated so inventory is always changing. Definitely stop here before heading to a craft store!
Amazing idea for a store. I love the ingenuity and creative aspects of this store. However, whilst I was in there today the front worker asked only me and nobody else in the store to wear a mask. If you are to enforce this rule I do suggest to greet people with this rule at the door when they enter and apply this to every customer. I felt profiled and uncomfortable when they only asked me and not my partner or the other customers. I won't be returning for a while due to this because I thought it was weird and it made both me and my partner uncomfortable. I will always still support this business through suggesting it to cohorts and friends and family though!
I was excited to visit based on the reviews. This is a small business and I understand space limitations! With that said, I have a disease that causes mobility problems. I used my small 3 wheeled scooter and could navigate 2/3 of this shop. The rest was not accessible. Also, the person working did offer to help me with the door as I left- that was my only interaction with anyone working there.
I love craft stores that bring together used crafting items and try to find them a new home. Seattle ReCreative has a lot of different crafting, fiber, hobby and various findings. The medium you're looking for is pretty much grouped together at this shop. My biggest criticism is that some of the items seem like garbage. There was a basket of wrapping paper tubes in the back section near office supplies. I didn't look to see if they were for sale. There was a pile of fabric scraps- some seemed small/ragged-in a large bin without a price (I couldn't locate it easily).The displays seemed dingy, for example- dollar store plastic bin with a ripped piece of painters' tape labeled 'compasses'. Maybe the lighting was off, it seemed a bit dark to really showcase the abundance of things.
I could tell they were going for a craft variety shop vibe but, unfortunately it gave off a yard sale vibe.
Love this craft store, not ADA accessible.
I had come here once on my own, and the second time with a friend who's in a wheelchair.
Aisles are tight and crowded with products, Initially I only found it a bit bothersome but seeing as though my friend wasn't able to even comfortably move his wheel chair between aisles without bumping into boxes or getting stuck was disappointing.
I recommend reorganizing to make it more accessible for disabled folks, this is an important part of the community and it would show that you care about your disabled community members.
I'll be coming back but I really hope to see this important change next time!
Not having enough space is not a good excuse to not be accessible, we owe it to our community!
I don’t know if any other secondhand art store, but the staff here has always been extremely kind and I’ve gone here all my arts and crafts! For my drawing class at college, my own embroidery hobby, my friend’s crochet hobby, and now that I’ve picked up sewing I’ve gone here for patterns and materials. Extremely reasonably priced and I can do so much more with my hobbies with my budget. It can seem a bit crowded and overwhelming at first, but once you go a few times then you know where to look and it isn’t as overstimulating
An incredible treasure trove of delights to ignite your imagination and inspire creative pursuits of all kinds. Seattle ReCreative is a wonderful place to get lost while looking for supplies, and with truly an excellent mission. Everyone support it!
I go here once a month at least, I really love the concept of a donation-based thrift store. You can find both cool vintage items and tons of brand new, unused supplies for a lot of different artistic disciplines. I mostly come for sewing and knitting supplies and have had luck finding cool things or something that fits my needs every time. Since it's donation based, if you don't see what you're looking for one time try again in a few weeks and it may show up! Great selection of yarn, books, thread, zippers, etc. The fabric selection is very hit or miss for me but I've found some excellent and useful pieces (and even yardage) every once in a while. Staff are all very friendly and have helped me find specific things when I've needed it.
Fun store! Found some quality fabric for a nice price! I think their cottons are around 3$ per yard. Store is a bit overwhelming, but the workers were very friendly and informative. Street parking, easy in and out.
It is the most amazing store for craft and art supplies. Especially if you are a knitter, sewer, or make jewelry! I get all of my yarn here now, and it has a never-ending supply of new materials to make art with (scrapbooking, collage, they have lots of old photographs, greeting cards). It is a huge treat every time I go here. And its sustainable and low priced! The volunteers and workers here are lovely too. :-)
This place is fabulous. I wish it was a few dollars less, but also, you totally get what you pay for. There's an art docent, and toys and supplies and it's so fun. I only wish it was cheaper so we could come more frequently, totally worth it though.
The kids started in the toy area and eventually warmed up to the paint area and then went nuts with all the painting and drawing on the floor. So fun. Well be utilizing our punch card for sure!!!
I love this place! So much amazing material that is donated from other crafters. And super cheap! Plus a play space and they have workshops so great for rainy days!
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