CRAFT SUPPLIES — Katie Takats, founder of Re-Craft Steubenville, stood by her wall of craft supplies, donated by local individuals to be resold at a discount or donated to other community craft projects. -- Christopher Dacanay

STEUBENVILLE — Have you ever wanted to pick up a new craft hobby or learn a mending skill like sewing, but the cost of materials kept it out of reach? For anyone who that applies to, a growing, local business is working to lower financial barriers to crafting and mending, making it easy for all to engage in “community-centered, creative reuse.”

Founded in January 2023, Re-Craft Steubenville is a pop-up thrift store for art and craft supplies. Founder Katie Takats works with volunteers to collect donated craft items and sell them at a discounted price, making them more affordable for prospective crafters.

“The overall mission is to make arts and crafts accessible to people who otherwise wouldn’t have access to start them,” Takats said of Re-Craft.

Donated supplies are sourced solely from community members, Takats said, whether that be individuals who are moving or just looking to downsize their own stock. Re-Craft then sorts through the supplies and resells them at a minimum 50 percent discount, with more reductions applied depending on the item’s usage — if a spool of yarn has been slightly depleted, for example.

After only one year in business, Takats has already acquired a vast array of donated supplies for activities like knitting, crocheting and sewing, as well as other odds and ends not usually found in a typical craft store. There’s a sizable stock of fabric either in sheets or scraps, which Takats said can be just as useful for patching, stuffing or other purposes.

Takats said everything is acquired and repurposed with the idea of “creative reuse,” which is a model of sustainability for materials being used in a cycle. In a society where materials and clothes are often seen as disposable, Takats said she wants to combat the single-use mentality and help others economically create things that will benefit their lives.

An example Takats gave is cloth diapers, the constituent materials for which can be pricey. Re-Craft has cloth diaper materials available, meaning those with their own cloth diapers in need of repair can purchase materials to do so themselves, rather than spending more on brand new diapers.

“I’m always thinking of new things … (that) can be reimagined and given new life,” Takats said. “We’re rescuing (the materials).”

A supplies donation guide is listed on Re-Craft’s website, recraft.us. Takats noted that Re-Craft will accept most anything, except trash or recyclables.

In addition to selling discounted supplies, Re-Craft also donates supplies to various community groups for use in crafting projects, saving them from any financial burden. Re-Craft recently gave 16 spools of yarn and four pairs of knitting needles to Hilltop Montessori School to teach its elementary students to knit, and it gave stamps and paper to the Public Library of Steubenville and Jefferson County’s Toronto branch to make Valentine’s Day greeting cards.

Although the supplies are currently kept at Takats’ Steubenville home, Re-Craft itself will soon be adding a physical retail and donation space.

Takats said she is finalizing details around creating a dedicated Re-Craft space in the rear furniture section of Urban Thrift and Opportunity Center. In exchange for hosting community mending and craft classes at the store, Takats and Re-Craft will be able to display craft supplies that change seasonally, are restocked weekly and can be purchased with cash for a suggested donation.

The space is expected to be up and running within the next few months, Takats said, adding that her home will remain Re-Craft’s storage location and a donation center.

Re-Craft has had a vital hand in various community projects, including January’s Winter Mending Workshop at Urban Thrift, which offered mentorship and supplies to learn mending techniques, alongside co-host Strong Towns Steubenville.

Re-Craft also is taking part in Mending Mondays, a regular mending mentorship event that will provide an opportunity for experienced menders to work on their projects and novice menders to learn new skills. The first meeting will occur from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. March 4 at BookMarx Bookstore.

Raised in Northern Virginia, Takats herself acquired her master’s degree in theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville in 2014. After getting married, Takats and her husband — a theology teacher at Madonna High School — decided to live in Steubenville, where they’ve been ever since, having their son in 2018.

A freelance copy editor, Takats said she’s “always been someone who makes things” and she loves to pick up ideas and run with them. Her creative spirit is what led her to found Re-Craft, in addition to wanting others to join in the fun for cheap.

“Making things with your hands is empowering, therapeutic and enjoyable, and there’s an entire population of people who don’t necessarily have the resources to do that. … (So) to be able to make that accessible for people who don’t necessarily get the chance to do these types of things is a huge part of our mission.”

Takats is passionate about Steubenville and its residents who are increasingly dedicating “time, talent and treasure” to revitalize it.

Visitors to the city’s downtown First Fridays festivals may have seen Re-Craft’s community peg loom, measuring more than 4-and-a-half feet. Passersby could sit down at the loom for free and weave materials into a community art piece, which resembled a tapestry by the end. Takats said individuals of all races, genders and ages contributed to Re-Craft’s two total pieces, which Takats has displayed in her home office.

“It’s a really beautiful metaphor for community because everything in here is unique, … but when we bring it together, it becomes something beautiful and strong that we made,” Takats said.

Re-Craft was represented at all of last season’s First Fridays, Takats said, snd she plans to attend the upcoming season to create art and spread the word of Re-Craft even more.

As Re-Craft grows, Takats said she will be applying her and her family’s signature growth mindset to everything, looking failure as an opportunity to learn. Takats credits the story singer-songwriter Dolly Parton as her inspiration to “go at something you’re passionate about because … you always have something to gain, even if it’s just gaining knowledge from failure.”

Community members can help Re-Craft’s mission through supply donations or financial donations, which will help Re-Craft cover overhead costs of operating the new space, Takats said, adding that money from Re-Craft is always directed back into the business and not to herself. Also needed are volunteers to help with the space and other tasks.

“I believe in Steubenville, and I believe in this mission,” Takats said. “I’m thankful for everyone who’s donated, and … I’m excited for the future. I’m excited to be a presence for good and to encourage people to get crafty and live their best lives.”

For information or to make a donation to Re-Craft, individuals can call (740) 232-9954 or e-mail hello@recraft.us.

(This story has been edited to correct the date of the March workshop.)