Waukesha nonprofit hopes to make crafting affordable, sustainable

WAUKESHA, Wis. - Being crafty can sometimes come at a big cost. Art supplies are expensive, and not everyone can afford them.

New nonprofit's mission

Local perspective:

A new nonprofit in Waukesha aims to paint a different picture. It may not look like much now, but consider their space on North and Maria streets Teresa Heier’s blank canvas.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android

"I’ve been a crafter my whole life," Heier said.

After visiting an art supply thrift store a few years ago, Heier decided to open her own shop when she retired. She teamed with her friend, Milwaukee Public Schools teacher Justin Belot, to open Scraps and Sparks in Waukesha.

"The mission is to provide arts and crafts supplies at a very discounted price to the community," Heier said.

Heier and Belot are asking for the community’s help to get started. If you have half-used paints, old brushes or papers – the nonprofit will take them.

"We just got a donation of duct tape, it’s all brand new," Heier said.

Affordable and sustainable

Why you should care:

Heier said the store will ultimately help keep these materials from landfills. A similar store, The Scrappy Elephant in Virginia, told FOX6 News it saved nearly 19,000 pounds of art supplies from going into landfills in just one year.

"We’re going to have a drive-thru here in the parking lot where you can drive through, drop off your items," Heier said.

Scraps and Sparks also plans to offer classes on making crafts like "junk journals."

"It really is a take-off on the old scrapbooking – I was a big scrapbooker," Heier said.

At a time when buying new art supplies comes with rising price tags, Heier and Belot hope to make art affordable for all – and sustainable, too. They are welcoming the community in to create.

"It’s kind of a form of self-care. You just kind of release the worries of the world and just do whatever makes you happy," Belot said.

When does Scraps and Sparks open?

What's next:

Scraps and Sparks is located on North and Maria in Waukesha, not far from North Pillar Brewing Company. They will start accepting art supplies starting Friday, July 17. The store's grand opening is Aug. 8.

Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6’s Bret Lemoine and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.

WaukeshaNews