Wine corks by the jar. Buttons by the bag. Fabric, yarn, and ceramic pieces by the pound.
One shop in Missouri sells salvaged craft supplies this way, and every price sits below typical craft stores.
The stock comes from things people no longer wanted. Old book pages, picture frames, salvaged windows, and reclaimed wood all get a second shot here.
The shelves keep changing, so no two trips look quite alike.
I like how the whole place feels like a treasure hunt with a purpose. It keeps more than 20,000 pounds of materials out of landfills each year.
That’s a lot of rescued stuff.
I can’t imagine a crafter walking away empty-handed. You might go in looking for buttons and spot an old window that sends your next project in a completely different direction.
Grab A Jar And Fill It With Somebody Else’s Leftovers
Shopping by weight changes the whole game. At Perennial, many salvaged supplies are sold by the jar, bag, or pound, which feels wonderfully old-fashioned.
You don’t have to buy a pack of fifty buttons when you need six. You grab what your project calls for and leave the rest for the next crafter.
The selection leans delightfully random. Wine corks come whole or pre-cut, which is great news for anyone building a corkboard or coasters.
Ceramic and tile pieces show up too. Those are mosaic gold if you’ve ever wanted to cover a flowerpot or tabletop in colorful bits.
Thread, yarn, and fabric also appear often. Bedsheet yarn and t-shirt yarn are frequent finds, perfect for rugs, baskets, or chunky weaving projects.
Prices stay below typical craft stores across the board. That means you can experiment without feeling guilty when a first try goes sideways.
My advice is simple. Bring a rough idea, but stay flexible, because the shelves might hand you something better.
A loose plan works best here. You might come for buttons and leave with a jar of tile chips and a brand-new weekend project.
Secondhand Tools Mean You Can Start Without Spending Big
Learning to knit shouldn’t require a pricey starter kit. Perennial sells secondhand tools, including knitting needles, crochet hooks, and screwdrivers.
That’s a smart setup for beginners. You can test a new hobby without committing a pile of money to shiny new gear.
Used tools still do the job just fine. A crochet hook from someone’s old stash loops yarn exactly like a new one does.
Experienced makers benefit too. Maybe you need a second set of needles in a different size, or an extra screwdriver for the junk drawer.
The shop also sells handmade DIY kits and tools. Those kits help when you want guidance packed right into the bag.
Eco-friendly restoration products are part of the mix as well. They’re handy for refreshing furniture or wood pieces you’ve rescued elsewhere.
Pair a secondhand tool with salvaged materials, and you have a full project at a friendly cost. Your wallet will notice the difference.
Honestly, it’s a refreshing approach. Craft hobbies can get expensive fast, and this place quietly pushes back against that problem.
No Two Visits Will Ever Look The Same
Reclaimed lath sits near old picture frames. Magazines and book pages wait beside salvaged windows, all looking for a second life.
The inventory at this shop is always changing. Donations come in, crafters buy them up, and the shelves shuffle into something new.
That keeps things exciting. A trip on Thursday might look nothing like a trip on Saturday, so frequent browsing pays off.
Paper lovers can collect book pages for collage, journals, or paper beads. Old frames are ready for paint, chalkboard coating, or a fresh photo.
Salvaged windows deserve a special mention. People turn them into wall art, shadow boxes, or even mini greenhouses with a little effort.
Reclaimed wood is another strong draw. Lath strips are thin and easy to work with, which makes them great for signs, frames, and wall patterns.
Here’s a practical tip worth remembering. If something catches your eye, grab it, because it may vanish before your next visit.
Treat each stop like a quick scouting mission. The fun lives in not knowing what will turn up next, and that surprise keeps people coming back.
Beeswax, Jojoba, And Walnut Hulls Are Waiting In Bulk
Grated beeswax isn’t something most craft aisles stock. Here it sits alongside jojoba oil, coconut oil, and carnauba wax, all sold in bulk.
These ingredients support DIY beauty projects. Lip balms, lotion bars, and solid perfumes all start with basics like these.
Natural dye fans get a treat too. Perennial offers alum, mordants for dyeing, sandalwood, and black walnut hulls.
Mordants help dyes bond with fabric fibers. Without them, colors may wash out faster than you’d like.
Black walnut hulls produce rich brown tones. They’re a classic choice for anyone curious about plant-based color on yarn or cloth.
Buying in bulk means less packaging waste. It also lets you measure exactly what a recipe needs instead of buying giant containers.
Try starting small with one simple recipe. A basic balm needs only a few ingredients, and success builds confidence quickly.
I love that this shelf exists at all. It shows the shop cares about sustainable making beyond just recycled scraps and leftover fabric.
Bring a list and a container if you like. Then let the bulk bins do the rest.
A Workshop Built Entirely From Found Materials
Practicing what you preach takes commitment. The workshop space at Perennial was transformed and built entirely with found materials.
That detail says everything about the mission. The building itself proves that discarded stuff can become useful and even beautiful.
The facility holds three main areas. There’s a small retail shop, a full woodshop, and a dedicated reuse crafting studio.
The woodshop gives makers room for bigger builds. Not everyone has space or equipment at home for cutting and shaping wood.
The crafting studio handles smaller hands-on work. Sewing, mosaics, and bookbinding fit nicely in a space designed for creative reuse.
Having all three under one roof is handy. You can shop for materials, learn a skill, and start building in the same visit.
It also sets a tone right away. Everything around you hints at what’s possible with a little imagination and some salvaged supplies.
If you’ve ever stared at a pile of scraps and felt stuck, this setting helps. Seeing reuse done on a large scale makes your own small project feel very doable.
Classes Cover Everything From Stained Glass To Bookbinding
Curious about stained glass? Perennial offers classes in that, plus woodworking, mosaics, sewing, dyes, and bookbinding.
The range is impressive for one small organization. You could spend months working through skills without repeating a topic.
Each class connects back to creative reuse. That means you’re learning a craft and a mindset about materials at the same time.
Bookbinding is a lovely entry point. Old paper and scrap materials can become a handmade journal you’ll actually want to use.
Mosaics put those tile and ceramic pieces to work. It’s satisfying to watch broken bits turn into a finished pattern.
Woodworking classes make great use of the full woodshop. Beginners can build basic skills in a guided setting instead of guessing alone.
Sewing remains one of the most practical skills around. Once you know it, mending and altering clothes gets much easier.
My suggestion is to pick the craft that scares you a little. A class lowers the pressure, and you’ll leave with new skills plus a story about the first thing you made with your own hands.
Saturday Crafternoons And Open Studio Time Keep Things Social
Crafting alone at the kitchen table gets lonely. Perennial’s Community Workshop offers a better option for makers with their own ideas.
This open studio program gives individuals access to the space, tools, and supplies. You bring the project, and the workshop helps you finish it.
That’s huge if your home lacks room or equipment. A sewing project or small woodworking build suddenly becomes realistic.
Then there are Saturday Crafternoons. These sessions feature themed crafting along with open studio time.
Themed sessions help when inspiration runs dry. Someone else picks the idea, and you just show up ready to make something.
The organization lists its values as Creativity, Sustainability, Resourcefulness, Accessibility, and Fun. Saturday Crafternoons seem built around that last one especially.
Consider bringing a friend along. Making things side by side turns a simple afternoon into a memorable outing.
Open studio time also works for stubborn unfinished projects. We all have one sitting in a closet somewhere.
Maybe this is the weekend it finally gets done. A shared space and a little encouragement can do wonders for motivation.
Every Purchase Feeds A Bigger Mission
More than 20,000 pounds of materials stay out of landfills each year thanks to Perennial. That number is worth pausing on.
Founded in 2011, the organization is a 501(c)3 social enterprise and nonprofit. Its mission is to build a creative culture of sustainability.
The idea came from community artist and educator Jenny Murphy. She developed the concept of turning discarded goods into cherished resources.
All purchases directly support the nonprofit mission and educational programs. Your bag of buttons quietly funds classes and outreach.
That outreach matters. Perennial partners with social service agencies to engage women in transition through special programs.
So shopping here does several good things at once. You save money, reduce waste, and support people in your Missouri community.
It’s a rare kind of win. Most shopping trips don’t come with that much positive ripple effect.
Keep this in mind when cleaning out your own craft stash. Unused supplies can feed the same cycle that stocks these shelves.
Nothing goes to waste when creativity steps in. That simple belief has guided Perennial for well over a decade now.
Look For The Green Facade On South Broadway
Spotting the building is easy once you know the clue. Perennial sits in a brick building with a green facade at Chippewa and South Broadway.
The full address is 3762 S. Broadway, St. Louis, MO 63118.
It’s in the Marine Villa neighborhood of South St. Louis.
Plan your timing carefully, because the retail shop keeps short hours. It’s open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 11 AM to 5 PM.
That means no Monday morning supply runs. Mark your calendar so you don’t arrive to locked doors and disappointment.
Give yourself plenty of time once you arrive. Browsing salvaged shelves is slow, happy work that shouldn’t be rushed.
A list helps, but leave room for surprises. Some of the best finds are things you never knew you needed.
Bring reusable bags too. Since items sell by the bag, jar, or pound, it fits the whole spirit of the place.
For Missouri crafters, this stop deserves a spot on the regular rotation. Where else can a jar of corks and a sheet of yarn spark an entire weekend of making?
