New Tucson art thrift store gives discarded craft supplies a second life

“A candy shop for art supplies.” Sounds magical, doesn’t it? That’s how owner Misa Gonzales describes her new art thrift store, Tucson Creative Reuse, which saves discarded art and craft supplies from the landfill by giving them a new life in new homes.

The store opened just a few weeks ago on July 14, and inside the shelves and tables are filled with all kinds of creative materials including coloring supplies, vintage magazines, lace, vintage glassware, tons of fabric, leather, ribbons as well as paper and sticker products.

“There’s a little bit of everything,” Gonzales said.

Most of the items came from her parents, who both worked as art teachers for most of her life. Gonzales said she had the idea to open the store as a way to sell the craft supplies they had accumulated over their careers.

“They had a bunch of supplies in storage, and my parents were like, ‘oh, we need to clean it out. We need to do something with it,’” Gonzales said. “And I had seen a creative reuse store in Oakland two years ago, and I was like, ‘Hold on, mom, hold on, dad. I have an idea.’”

When she saw the space at 419 N. Fourth Ave. up for rent, she knew it was fate.

“I was super excited with this location because I grew up two blocks away from here right south of Tucson High, so I know this community,” Gonzales said.

Since opening, she said that same community has shown up to support her new store, and the reception has been extremely positive.

“It's been really wonderful. Everyone’s been so open and welcoming and sharing,” Gonzales said. “People are coming in and saying, ‘oh, we saw you online,’ or ‘my friend told us about you.’ So it's been good.”

Most items in the store are priced by the pound, which allows customers to purchase their supplies in small quantities and spend less than they would buying in bulk.

“Finding a little bit of leather, or a little bit of something, is really hard to find,” Gonzales said. “People get to pick out one of something they need- one piece of paper or one bead instead of having to buy a whole pack.”

Beyond the thrill of a cheap find, Gonzales said the draw of an art thrift store like Tucson Creative Reuse is the desire to reduce waste. She said people are happy to donate to pass materials on to someone who will use them, and share their hobby with beginners.

“I think we all want to make sure that these beautiful supplies we have don't go into a landfill,” she said. “People need a place to put the craft supplies they're not using anymore, and they're not excited about other places to donate, or the trash. Nobody wants to throw it away. We want to make sure somebody is going to care for it or want it, and so they've been bringing it here and then somebody else sees it and goes, ‘oh my gosh, I love this!’”

Tucson Creative Reuse joins a growing number of similar stores popping up across the country and is now the second art thrift store in Tucson alongside ReArt Craft & Art Thrift Store, which opened on the east side back in February 2025.

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Similar to Gonzales, owner Jessica Badowski and her husband Michael initially opened ReArt as a way to sell stored inventory that she couldn’t use for her wholesale company, Betty'sBits&Bobs.

“We curate and put together craft packs of vintage ephemera – fabric, paper – 1979 and older, and that’s sold to stationery stores, gift stores, craft stores,” Badowski said. “I had intended to downsize my stuff, because as I get the things that are vintage for the wholesale company, I get stuff that's 1990s, which is still vintage but too new.”

In addition to donated art and craft supplies, ReArt also sells vintage fabrics, patterns, papers and stickers, collected by Badowski.

“We get vintage ironing transfers and stuff from the 80s,” Badowski said. “It's so cheesy, but sometimes people buy it because they remember it or they want it.”

Over the last year and a half, Badowski said they have seen interest in art supply thrift stores like ReArt and Tucson Creative Reuse surging.

“Very early on, a customer said there were quite a few creative reuse centers in Colorado, and so with Snowbirds, a lot of people were familiar with that,” she said. “As time went on, more people found out about us.”

According to Badowski, their customers range from young adults looking to score art supplies on the cheap to longtime scrapbookers and crafters, and everyone in between.

“We find a lot of people who are trying something new, and they are price conscious because it's expensive to start a new hobby,” she said. “We do get artists, we get hobbyists, we get a little mix of everything.”

To give back to the community that has supported them, ReArt donates a portion of its proceeds to local charities, and Badowski said they have contributed materials to craft swaps and back-to-school events.

“Our mission is to get low-cost art supplies back in the community, and at the lowest cost possible, and to be able to divert and provide a resource for people who are going through really challenging times,” said Badowski.

As for Gonzales, she said she has big plans for the future of Tucson Creative Reuse. Gonzales is an artist herself, specializing in leatherworking, quilting and beadworking, and she hopes to eventually offer classes to teach her skills to the community.

“I'm going to do some sewing classes for the community, we'll have leatherworking classes. We're just new, so we’re trying to figure out the schedule,” she said. “We'll have open tables, so you can come in. If you're like, ‘I don't want to be at home crafting,’ or ‘I need some inspiration,’ you can just come, bring your little project or whatever you're working on, and sit and work for a couple of hours.”

Her dream, Gonzales said, is that Tucson Creative Reuse will be a space that creatives can go to for information, resources and encouragement.

“We're working to make sure that artists, crafters, and teachers are cared for and can try things cheaply and get to experience the craft that they love,” she said.