News

The wee shop inside a shop is now closed. I feel immeasurable gratitude for the 9 months I spent meeting you all, receiving your generous donations, and inspiring sustainable creativity. And I'm grateful to Lisa for her unwaivering support and unlimited generosity.  Donations are paused until further notice. Shopping MCRP will continue online here. Watch this space or follow on Instagram here for updates. Thank you! -Claire 💚💫

The amount of pencils, crayons, pens, and markers that I receive on a weekly basis is staggering. Please don’t buy these items new. I test the markers and pens and toss the dried up ones, but so many still have lots of life left in them. Please support creative reuse and help stop the madness!

This Sunday, April 26th, I’ll be vending for the third year in a row at Montclair’s Earth Fest, from 12-4pm on South Park Street (my view out the shop windows)! This year is extra special for me because popping up at events like this is what I did to promote the project before I opened the shop! I have lots of special things planned including newly donated materials, fill-a-bag items, larger items that don’t fit in the tiny shop, a fresh batch of Boomerang Bags as well as the kits to sew your own, and more! Come to Earth Fest...

At the Montclair Creative Reuse Project the customers always make the prices! The pay-what-you-can model of shopping gets the most fascinating reactions from customers- almost every time people ask me for suggestions or struggle to be fair. I never make suggestions, I trust people to know what they can afford and how much value the materials have to them.  Sometimes I receive donated materials that are of interest or have a value above what I'm comfortable selling at pay-what-you-can prices. These special items will now be available through silent auction on a weekly basis! The highest bid will always be...

Since August 2025 the Montclair Creative Reuse Project has been located in the back room of Culture Couture, 53 Church St in Montclair. Previously, I had been popping up at local events like Montclair's Earth Fest. My dream of opening a retail shop came true! The space is 100 square feet and I make the most of every inch! I've curated many items in the shop including maps, books, and vintage finds. My contributions round out the selection of generously donated materials which include everything from straight ahead art supplies like paints, markers, pencils, yarn, fabric, and sketchbooks to greeting...