The WasteShed

The WasteShed The WasteShed is a nonprofit creative reuse center for gently-used art, craft and school materials

The WasteShed is a nonprofit thrift store for art, craft, and school materials and a neighborhood center for sustainable fun.

Both WasteShed locations will be closed this Friday, June 19th in observance of Juneteenth! We will be open again on Sat...
06/18/2026

Both WasteShed locations will be closed this Friday, June 19th in observance of Juneteenth! We will be open again on Saturday!

Introducing our summer Glass Case Gallery artist Sophies house .co !!Sophia Pedro is a multimedia artist from the West S...
06/12/2026

Introducing our summer Glass Case Gallery artist Sophies house .co !!

Sophia Pedro is a multimedia artist from the West Side of Chicago whose work blends community, memory, and storytelling. Her practice spans film, photography, and jewelry making, often in collaboration with local creatives and youth.
Through her creative umbrella, Sophie’s House, Sophia explores different mediums to honor personal and collective narratives.
Sophia’s art is grounded in care, culture, and the everyday beauty of her community.

Sophia gives old silverware another life by turning it into jewelry. Come see some of Sophias spoon rings this summer, June- August!

We like to say that The WasteShed's impact on our community is immeasurable, and it is! However, when teachers who get f...
06/12/2026

We like to say that The WasteShed's impact on our community is immeasurable, and it is! However, when teachers who get free stuff from our Free to Teachers section self-report 1) their school/organization and 2) the estimated value of their finds, we can get a glimpse!

Northwestern's 180 Degrees Consulting analyzed our 2025 data from some of our programs, including Free-To-Teachers, a continuously replenished shelf of educational supplies at each of our locations, and here are some trends they spotted:

-Last year, the larger program provided over $15,000 of creative supplies to over 500 educators from nearly 400 schools and community organizations, with an average of $30 in savings per teacher per visit.
-We were particularly interested in our Evanston location, as we will be leaving that site soon. The materials there reached schools in a 22 mile radius, going to 10% District 65 schools and 13% CPS schools.

Thank you to our staff and volunteers who work ceaselessly to keep these sections orderly and usable, and to Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, Illinois Arts Council Agency, Evanston Arts Council, and our donors for supporting this and a host of other programs we do as part of our regular operations; not everyone sees the value in this work, but we hope you do 💜

PATCHES, PAINT, PICTURES, PLAID, PINS, PAPER SCRAP PACKS, PRETTY RINGS, PRIDE 🏳️‍🌈…and frank(not for sale). >Come say hi...
06/11/2026

PATCHES, PAINT, PICTURES, PLAID, PINS, PAPER SCRAP PACKS, PRETTY RINGS, PRIDE 🏳️‍🌈…and frank(not for sale). >

Come say hi! We have new stuff for you! You can shop our recent glass case gallery items too!

Doll yourself up!We’ve got even more doll parts. It’s getting weird 👁️👄👁️We also have some cool photo slides, scrapbooks...
06/05/2026

Doll yourself up!

We’ve got even more doll parts. It’s getting weird 👁️👄👁️
We also have some cool photo slides, scrapbooks and journals, yarn, a wax melter, and a haunted ghost figurine.

no seriously, come get these dolls and figurine. i’m getting scared. they’re watching me…

…

¡Compra una muñeca!

Tenemos aún más partes de muñecas. Esto se está poniendo raro 👁️👄👁️
También tenemos diapositivas, álbumes de recortes y diarios, lana, un fundidor de cera y una figurita de una fantasma.

En serio, ven a buscar estas muñecas y la figurita. Me estoy asustando. Me están mirando…

Happy belated 30th birthday to The WasteShed Chicago's microwave! This comrade object's first two decades are veiled in...
06/04/2026

Happy belated 30th birthday to The WasteShed Chicago's microwave!

This comrade object's first two decades are veiled in mystery, but she has served our Humboldt staff and volunteers with about 10 years of softened ramen and warmed leftovers.

A chunky and sensible Ta**us, she sailed through her Saturn returns with a singular purpose and her powers undiminished, her only quirk an occasional rebellion at sharing an overloaded power strip, and a stubborn unwillingness to acknowledge the "1" button.

Many happy revolutions, "-ana-"!

Join us for our 2nd ever quilting bee: Rethread at the Shed: Park Picnic! Our quilt block packs are now available on our...
06/02/2026

Join us for our 2nd ever quilting bee: Rethread at the Shed: Park Picnic!

Our quilt block packs are now available on our website and at both locations! They include enough fabric to make a 12.5 X 12.5" quilt square and a how-to zine made by

The WasteShed is raising money for creative reuse by hosting year 2 of our community quilt fundraiser! Help us make a scrappy quilt with 100% reclaimed textiles and support your friendly neighborhood creative reuse center in the process!

Stay tuned for upcoming quilt block making classes and events!

We will be accepting donations the last two weeks of the month, Wednesday-Friday. If you have any questions about donati...
06/01/2026

We will be accepting donations the last two weeks of the month, Wednesday-Friday. If you have any questions about donations, or have an especially large donation and want to check if we can accept it, feel free to call the store! More information about material donations can be found on our website.

Come collect some pieces to make something new! We have doll parts, foundry wax, seed beads, scrapbook frames, more doll...
05/30/2026

Come collect some pieces to make something new! We have doll parts, foundry wax, seed beads, scrapbook frames, more doll parts, and even a typewriter! Be a doll and visit us soon!

THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone in our community who helped us make the match for WasteShed Evanston's Moving Fund! Shout ...
05/27/2026

THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone in our community who helped us make the match for WasteShed Evanston's Moving Fund! Shout out to Dana Pearl for the $15,000 challenge match, and to the 120 donors who helped us meet it!

We're 4 months into a complex and exhausting search process, and we so appreciate your support and patience as we metal-detect this haystack. Both stores are fully operational until further notice, and these funds will be an enormous help in making the transition as smooth and minimally disruptive as possible 💜

Address

1754 N Kimball Avenue
Chicago, IL
60647

Opening Hours

Wednesday 11am - 6pm
Thursday 11am - 6pm
Friday 11am - 6pm
Saturday 11am - 6pm
Sunday 11am - 6pm

Telephone

+17736665997

Website

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