LAURINBURG — For people in search of a one-of-a-kind lamp or a table to serve as a conversation starter, the folks at Habitat for Humanity ReStore may have just what you are looking for.
Beginning this week, the store is offering what it is calling a Holiday Crafternoon Workshop to teach people how to take used items and give the objects a new purpose.
The first two-hour class was held Tuesday afternoon and lead by Habitat volunteers Trish Dooling and Anastacia Sitnikova. The women had been hosting craft demonstrations since early November, but decided to offer do-it-yourself workshops as well.
“I come here fairly frequently … to repurpose and upcycle things for fun and then inflict my creations on my friends whether they want them or not,” Dooling said.
Dooling said she and Restore manager Jamie Kegebein found they had similar tastes on Pinterest in objects that could be reused in such a way as to create a product of a higher quality than the original.
“We both saw the value in things that were being overlooked,” Dooling said. “She suggested I come in to spend an afternoon and do what I do and that maybe other customers would be inspired to find creative ways to use items in the store.”
Dooling, who began painting objects as a child, has been making her creations for years for herself and for charities to resell.
“I was doing it even before it was the thing to do,” she said with a laugh. “I had fun with the trash to treasure idea. It was a kick.”
Dooling recruited her friend, Sitnikova, who volunteers with the Scotland Memorial Library, to help with the project.
“Arts and crafts is a hobby that I’ve done most of my life,” said Sitnikova, a native of Russia. “We gather materials from the store and make something new. Our goal is to have enough people to make something with us.”
There are openings for 10 people in each class. Participants are charged a $15 fee that includes supplies and refreshments. Students leave with a finished project that may include a vintage picture frame outfitted with chicken wire to hang a photo or keepsake, a uniquely painted vase or a chair given a fresh look with chalk paint.
“The store is full of things that are solid and strong that can fit a modern decor whether it is shabby chic or an urban farmhouse look,” Dooling said. “The ReStore is a great resource. The same as if you went to Pottery Barn or Crate and Barrel, but you can do that here for 20 percent of the cost. That is what were hoping to show and do and demonstrate.”
Helping Habitat
Kegebein said the workshop should help increase revenue for the store whose proceeds go toward the Christian ministry that works to build affordable houses for families in need.
Kegebein also hopes the classes give customers a new outlook on merchandise at the thrift store.
“The new upcycling program at the Habitat ReStore gives people the opportunity to challenge their creativity by finding new uses for items that would normally be disposed of in the landfill,” Kegebein said. “The classes and the demos not only show people what they can do with an old lamp, table or candle holder besides its intended purpose, but it also brings people in the community together to socialize and learn something new about recycling.”
Classes will be held once a month with new dates announced on Facebook and through fliers in the store. Demonstrations will be done weekly, usually Tuesdays or Thursdays, according to Kegebein.
Participants can sign up for classes at the front register. The Habitat for Humanity ReStore is at 12340 McColl Road in Laurinburg.
For information, call 910-276-3337.
