Austin Creative Reuse

Austin Creative Reuse Founded November 2009

Austin Creative Reuse is a nonprofit organization that collects, sells, and distributes donated reusable materials.
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We’re giving materials a second life! Core Values:

Every object has impact
All material items have a social, economic, and environmental impact that influences our relationship with Stuff; nothing is free. Reuse creates awareness
Reusing items sparks creativity, awareness, and exploration, fostering inspiration and engaged learning. Communities are powerful
It’s more fun to play together and coll

aborate with the experts in our area to conserve vital resources. Action is advancement
We believe in experimenting with new ideas and taking incremental steps to work towards goals. Our people make it possible
Staff and volunteers who are valued and engaged make ACR a joyful place to work, shop and create.

Summer break is here again and we’re bringing back ACR's Summer of Service! 🌞Summer of Service is all about spending som...
05/31/2026

Summer break is here again and we’re bringing back ACR's Summer of Service! 🌞

Summer of Service is all about spending some of your long summer days giving back to your community and supporting your favorite local non-profit! We're calling all students and families to join us at our Community Volunteering sessions, available almost everyday and easy for anyone to sign-up for. Pick your fancy, from testing glue and bundling pencils to measuring and folding fabric - there’s a project for everyone - come find YOUR favorite way to serve! As a bonus, volunteers get first dibs on any of the cool things they help us process.

Check out all the ways to serve with Austin Creative Reuse this summer by visiting our website: https://austincreativereuse.org/summer-volunteering

Happy National Creativity Day! 🎭🎨🖌📚🪡Today, we're taking to opportunity to celebrate the incredible creativity of our sta...
05/30/2026

Happy National Creativity Day! 🎭🎨🖌📚🪡

Today, we're taking to opportunity to celebrate the incredible creativity of our staff and volunteers. In honor of Me-Made May, here are some of the cool me-made 'fits that they've worn to work at the center this month!

1. Molly, Center Operations Manager: button-up top made from ACR fabrics and bandanas 👕
2. Jillian, Artist Programs Coordinator: top upcycled with felt mushrooms 🍄
3. Seespriya, Communications Coordinator: knit top made with secondhand yarn 🧶
4. Trin, Reuse Specialist: indigo-dyed pants 👖
5. Sal, Reuse Specialist: handmade overalls and matching jacket made from ACR fabrics 🧥
6. Carole, Board President: button-up top made from an upcycled tablecloth 💐

🌞 Reminder that applications for our June 28 Summer Sunday Mini-Market close this upcoming Monday, June 1! 🌞What's a Sum...
05/29/2026

🌞 Reminder that applications for our June 28 Summer Sunday Mini-Market close this upcoming Monday, June 1! 🌞

What's a Summer Sunday?

Join us on the fourth Sunday of each month, June to September, for a celebration of reuse art, community activations, and a mini-market featuring reuse art vendors on our shaded outdoor portico and sidewalk. Each Summer Sunday will have a general theme:

🏳️‍🌈 June 28: Community Pride Day
✏️ July 26: Back to School
🗳 August 23: Get Out the Vote
💃 September 27: Sustainable Style

Vendor applications for Summer Sundays mini-markets are open now! There's one application for all four events - just check the box for the date(s) you’d like to participate. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and will close on the first day of each month for that month’s event (except September!).

Learn more and apply to vend on our website: https://austincreativereuse.org/summer-sundays

05/28/2026

Our fine arts section is a treasure trove of craft supplies. We have materials for painters, illustrators, sculpture artists and more! All at an affordable price. Make sure to make time to visit our fine arts section next time you are at our center! 🎨

Earlier this month, we hosted a Girl Scout troop for a field trip at our center and they clearly had a blast! After watc...
05/27/2026

Earlier this month, we hosted a Girl Scout troop for a field trip at our center and they clearly had a blast! After watching a presentation about how ACR cultivates sustainability by keeping items out of the landfill, they received a tour of the center which included a scavenger hunt to help them understand where different items might be found in the retail space. Then they wrapped their visit up with a reuse mosaic craft - swipe to see their beautiful work! 🖼♻

Interested in bringing your Scout Troop, summer camp, or other group to ACR for a field trip this summer? Check out our Field Trip Guide on our website to learn more: https://austincreativereuse.org/educators

05/26/2026

To bead or not to bead? That’s not a something you have to worry about with this week's new arrivals! We’ve got something for you regardless of whether you like creating art or just collecting it. This week’s new arrivals include:

-Authentic Green Coral Beads
-Hand Carved Wood Block Prints
-Beginner Bead Making Kit
-Antique Late 1800s Japanese Vase
-Vintage Promotional Needle Kit

We're bringing back our Binder Sale! While supplies last, binders are 2 for 25 cents (the equivalent of buy one, get one...
05/25/2026

We're bringing back our Binder Sale! While supplies last, binders are 2 for 25 cents (the equivalent of buy one, get one free)!

Use them to get your paperwork in order or disassemble them for your own reuse purposes - the sky's the limit!

Find them in our Education section.

🚨Applications closing soon! Submit your application by 11:59PM on Monday, May 25 to be considered for the next round! 🚨📣...
05/24/2026

🚨Applications closing soon! Submit your application by 11:59PM on Monday, May 25 to be considered for the next round! 🚨

📣 Artist Call: Commission for Materials Mobile 📣

Help us turn our Materials Mobile trailer into a mobile work of art! Austin Creative Reuse is excited to partner with a local artist to creatively brand our Materials Mobile trailer, which we take to local schools to distribute reclaimed educational materials to educators at no cost to them. First round applications are due Monday, May 25 at 11:59PM.

We welcome applications from local artists of all kinds, including emerging artists. Learn more about this exciting paid opportunity and fill out the application on our website, linked in our bio.

05/23/2026

We get a lot of questions about what items we DO and DON’t accept and why. We fill a niche that other thrift stores don’t because a lot of the items we sell require more labor to bring up to a quality ready to be sold. We also take a lot of items that other thrift stores just don’t accept like yarn, crotchet needles, craft plastics, etc.

The items that we DON’T accept, like clothing or furniture for example, can often be donated to other thrift stores. We also can’t take medical supplies because we legally can’t sell them. We limit our selection of construction materials because we get too high of a volume compared to what we sell. A lot of the time we also just do not have the physical space for certain items.

We dedicate a lot of energy toward diverting materials we are not able to sell to other places. Such as other thrift stores or Austin Resource Recovery. When we receive items the we don’t accept it is a drain on our resources that could be better utilized serving our community. Being more intentional about what you donate and how it’s organized can go a long way in helping us fulfill our mission of fostering conservation and creativity more effectively. For an itemized list of everything we do and do not accept please check the material donations page of our website.

Every month, we highlight one of the amazing artists in our reuse community.This month, ACR has the privilege of spotlig...
05/22/2026

Every month, we highlight one of the amazing artists in our reuse community.

This month, ACR has the privilege of spotlighting Alexandra Cook, an Austin-based illustrator and jewelry artist. She used recycled materials sourced from ACR in the illustrations of her most recent children’s book, Arctic Adventure: A Tundra Tale, which centers around environmental themes, gentle activism, and colorful mixed-media illustrations for young readers. It was important to her that a book rooted in environmental themes also reflect those values in the way it was created, which is why she turned to ACR for her illustration materials! We’re thrilled to see reuse materials used to inspire the next generation to be kinder to our shared planet!

Learn more about Alexandra () and how she finds creative joy in the process of reuse in our latest interview on the blog: https://austincreativereuse.org/blog

Address

2005 Wheless Lane
Austin, TX
78723

Opening Hours

Tuesday 11am - 7pm
Wednesday 11am - 7pm
Thursday 11am - 7pm
Friday 11am - 7pm
Saturday 11am - 7pm
Sunday 12pm - 6pm

Telephone

+15123753041

Website

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