UpCycle Creative Reuse Center

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UpCycle Creative Reuse Center To inspire all people to explore and create by engaging our community in art-making experiences with reuse materials.

Creative reuse is the process of taking used or recyclable materials and turning them into works of art, home decoration, or other useful objects. At UpCycle, we rethink our notion of waste, collecting cast-offs from our community to serve as creative art materials. We collect, organize and prep items for use in a variety of creative capacities.

10/14/2026

New week - new goodies in the shop! We have lots of paint supplies this week in our back room - acrylic, flood acrylic , latex, gesso, glosses and varnishes, and lots of brand new canvases just waiting for your art! Visit us between 12-6 this week to stock up! We’re selling new items at low prices and gently-used are priced by the basket.

It's almost time for Halloween, and this weekend we're getting in the spirit by attending Chrysalis Development Group's ...
10/13/2026

It's almost time for Halloween, and this weekend we're getting in the spirit by attending Chrysalis Development Group's 11th Annual Spooky Mad Science Expo! Join us at Patrick Henry Rec Center this Saturday, October 17th from 3-7pm for an afternoon full of interactive STEM activities, games, Halloween costumes and more! The Expo is a unique event that brings young people, families, educators, scientists, engineers, universities, businesses, and community organizations together for an unforgettable celebration where science meets Halloween, and we are so excited to be a part of it for the second year in a row. This year, we'll be experimenting with physics in an exciting and spooky-themed STEM activity that's fun for all ages!

Register today and join us at the Spooky Mad Science Expo this weekend!

Reserve your spot here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdW3y297LTk5chsFm4E3l-I2U6TtJxP3LaxrOXGT7Ocm3mwg/viewform

October is officially in full swing! Come celebrate spooky season in style this Wednesday, where we'll be learning how t...
10/12/2026

October is officially in full swing! Come celebrate spooky season in style this Wednesday, where we'll be learning how to turn jewel beetle wings into beautiful jewelry and accessories. The iridescent wing casings of jewel beetles trace their roots as a crafting material back to 15th century India, where they were embroidered into clothing as natural sequins. In this workshop, you will learn multiple techniques for turning beetle wings into eye-catching pieces of jewelry, as well as learn the science behind how beetle wings keep their vibrant color and iridescence even centuries on.

Fun and sustainable fact: jewel beetles (Sternocera aequisignata) are an agricultural pest species and are harvested as an agricultural byproduct, making them a perfect candidate for upcycling into beautiful new jewelry!

​At the end of this workshop, everyone will have a pair of beetle wing earrings to take home. Don't want earrings? No problem! Bring in a hair clip, brooch, or other accessory to add some beetle bling to instead! All materials are provided, but participants are welcome to bring in personal jewelry to adorn with beetle wings if desired.

Last chance to snag your tickets for this week's workshop, so don't wait! Reserve your spot here: https://book.squareup.com/classes/z1q3za0r6i7ghh/location/8N218FSCK6240/classDetails/clssch_uid9onaj64ber4?dateStart=1792018800

10/10/2026

Containers, and boxes, and tins - oh my! We've temporarily reached our storage capacity for container donations, so we're unable to accept new ones at this time. However, now is the PERFECT time to come by the shop if you're organizing and in need of a way to contain it! We're open Weds-Fri 12-6 and Sat-Sun 10-4.

Calling all educators - we just received a donation from a former preschool teacher and have lots of new and gently used...
10/03/2026

Calling all educators - we just received a donation from a former preschool teacher and have lots of new and gently used items for the classroom, including:
•pencils
•copy paper
•crayons
•foam shapes
•kinetic sand
•plastic and wooden manipulatives
•erasers
•child scissors
•colored pencils
•chalk
•stickers
•hole punches
•sticky notes
….and so much more! Join us on this rainy Saturday until 4pm or Sunday from 10-4! If you don’t see it all out on the floor - just ask! We might have some in storage, too.

UpCycle is looking for volunteers! We're holding two volunteer training sessions this month, where we'll go over what ki...
10/02/2026

UpCycle is looking for volunteers! We're holding two volunteer training sessions this month, where we'll go over what kinds of opportunities we have available and what they entail.

If you love sorting and organizing, and want to be some of the first pairs of eyes on every donation that comes in, you'd be a perfect fit for the Shop! If you're looking for low-stress opportunities to make art with kids, adults, and seniors in the community, or you're an artist yourself with a special skill you'd like to share (anyone who knows how to use a sewing machine and would be interested in assisting with sewing classes in particular), we'd love to work with you in Programs! Volunteers are a vital part of our organization, and any support we can get from our wonderful community is another push that helps us keep working on towards our mission!

If any of these volunteer opportunities sound exciting to you, please sign up for a slot at one of our upcoming volunteer trainings, October 11th and 18th from 10-11am. We'll go over the different options, learn about how the shop works as well as what types of programming we're looking for volunteers for, and talk about schedules. If you have any questions at all ahead of the training, please feel free to reach out to us at [email protected]. We can't wait to work with you!

Sign up for a volunteer training session here: https://www.upcyclecrc.org/volunteer.html

10/01/2026

We have TONS of yarn right now - stop by today to get your yarn-by-the-basket - we have $5, $10, and $30 baskets to fill up. We also have some crocheted gift items for sale - blankets, accessories, shawls, etc all individually priced! The party goes Thursday and Friday from 12-6!

09/30/2026

A nearly-new quilled flower kit has arrived in the shop. If you’ve been wanting to try paper quilling - this is a great kit to start with - $30 gets you all you see here!

A huge thank you to the ALX Dog Walk for dedicating $5,000 of its proceeds to support UpCycle's work collecting discarde...
09/30/2026

A huge thank you to the ALX Dog Walk for dedicating $5,000 of its proceeds to support UpCycle's work collecting discarded materials and redistributing them to our community as resources for creative making, learning and living.

We are also excited to celebrate the launch of "Doggone Plastic," a new nationwide educational initiative designed to help other communities promote plastic-free living through fun events and activities. Congratulations to founder Julie Chapman and everyone who has helped the ALX Dog Walk grow from a local event into a model that can inspire communities everywhere!

And on Sunday, October 11, 2026, be sure to visit Doggone Plastic’s table at Paws in the Park from 11 am - 4 pm at Oronoco Bay Park. Discover practical plastic-free products and learn how simple swaps can make a difference.

To request the free Doggone Plastic guidebook, email [email protected], and follow on Instagram.

It's officially Fall, everyone! Keep your spooky season sustainable by shopping at UpCycle for all of your Halloween dec...
09/29/2026

It's officially Fall, everyone! Keep your spooky season sustainable by shopping at UpCycle for all of your Halloween decor and costume-making needs, and join us this October for a host of exciting and unique adult craft workshops! Check out this month's offerings:

- Sunday, Oct 4th from 2:30-4:30pm - Junk Journaling with Pamphlet Stitch
- Thursday, Oct 8th from 7-9pm - Pants Alterations with a Sewing Machine
- Wednesday, Oct 14th from 7-9pm - Beetle Wing Jewelry Making
- Sunday, Oct 18th from 1-3pm - Cabinet of Curiosities
- Thursday, Oct 22nd from 7-9pm - Sewing Machine 101

Come join us this October for some spoooo-ky upcycling crafting! Get your tickets today: https://www.upcyclecrc.org/adult-programs.html

Address

2397 S Dove Street
Alexandria, VA
22314

Opening Hours

Wednesday 12pm - 6pm
Thursday 12pm - 6pm
Friday 12pm - 6pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm
Sunday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

+17038618705

Website

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