Not really a fan. Nothing especially helpful that you couldn't find yourself for free with a little effort or calling a couple friends. I'm an artist and big fan of greener re-use, and I had high hopes for this outfit when I arrived in LB 5 years ago, but it's a little underwhelming. Besides the owner tends to give me the hairy eye whenever I walk in, even though she doesn't really know me and has never really introduced herself to me - probably has something to do with when she and her friends tried to run the arts nonprofit that my studio is in out of town on a rail.
I teach puppetry in schools and find the Depot to be a GREAT source for materials and inspiration! The store always has a great selection and I look forward to popping over there to see what's new! Lisa's vision and dedication to the recycling cause is awe-inspiring! Kudos from "the Puppet Lady"...ellen schulze
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I love this store!! I'm a teaching artist in schools (puppetry) and I always find the best materials here to help inspire my students. Lisa and her daughter are so committed to the notion of creative recycling that I am always re-inspired everytime I walk through the door! Keep up the great work!...Ellen Schulze, The Puppet Lady :)
This place helped me out so much during college. I was Child and Family Development Major and would create projects for children either for presentations in a classroom or for the children to participate and learn. Being able to buy miscellaneous items that I would not have been able to find some where else is amazing. Also it helped that I didn't have to spend to much money on the product, and for a struggling college student, that is a life savor.
All the items that are reusable can help people create so many things that are beautiful pieces of art. Not only has it helped me, but it has also helped my nieces express their creativity by opening their minds to the possibilities they can create. They have made items such as beds for dolls, harry potter wands, and many things they use to play with and they are always very proud to say they built them.
It's a great recycle, reusable and all around green creative store for awesome DIY projects. These ladies always greet you with a sincere and happy smile and their willingness to help is beyond compare. They have tons of creative ideas for anything you would like to make. And best of all they're promoting a greener planet by leading by example.
I work at another non profit down the street from The Long Beach Depot For Creative ReUse, and I give this concept and the owners a long Standing Ovation.
They are smart, green, community oriented , welcoming, extremely creative, and believe in giving back. If you have kids or are a teacher or a student needing to create a science project, or just a creative person in general, The Long Beach Depot for Creative ReUse should become your number 1 resource for filling your needs. The inventory changes all the time, and you can shop with confidence knowing that your purchase is going to a great non profit. The prices are Better than reasonable and the cause is even better. LOVE the Depot!!!! Stop by you will too!
As the resident artist of "The Depot", I think that being around so many interesting people and their collections of "junk" has really influenced my view as an artist. The only thing we should throw away is the mindset that everything is disposable. This shop takes all those extra beads, fabric remnants, broken jewelry, half-used notebooks, and lonely buttons and sells them for a VERY affordable price to artists, teachers, students, neighborhood kids, etc. I believe that creative reuse is a survival skill that everyone needs.
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As the resident artist of "The Depot", I can honestly say that growing up in the vicinity of so many interesting (and random) scraps and collections of "junk" has really influenced my view as an artist. The only thing we should throw away is the mindset that everything is disposable. This shop takes all those extra beads, fabric remnants, broken jewelry, half-used notebooks, and lonely buttons and adopts them out to the loving and creative hands of artists, teachers, students, neighborhood kids, etc. I believe that creative reuse is a survival skill that everyone, today's youth especially, should have. "The Depot' eliminates half if not all of the dumpster-diving. I feel that the neighborhood has truly blossomed in the 5 years that the shop has been here.
A Long Beach gem, this little store has some new and gently used items that can be reused for fun creative projects without having to spend a lot of money. It really is the only place where you can actually find items beginning at .01 cents like old postage stamps to unique local artists' work where they receive 100% proceeds! Support and donate generously, all monies go to literally help pay the rent of the space!
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For over 5 years now, the Creative Reuse depot continues to be the only place where you can not only be inspired to reuse items that might otherwise end up in the trash, but is a terrific role model for small businesses. The fact that they are still surviving especially during this economy shows that this type of business is a necessity in our community, if not the entire U.S.! Whenever I need just that little something to finish one of my pieces, they always have it or something even better. They always "far exceed" and deserve 100 stars for all of their efforts in educating us to be more "green".
I love this store, it's variety of reusable items and amazing recycling idea's. It also supports it local artist and surrounding communities. I love Liza and her daughter., their dedication and amazing customer service, not to mention their amazing kindness and generosity. Love them, love them, love them.....
This is absolutely the best little shop that teaches us how to creatively reuse items that would otherwise ended up in our landfills. A must see place to visit when in the downtown area and definitely a Beach treasure!
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"The Depot" has been serving not only the Long Beach community but all of SoCal for over 5 years now and there's a reason for this...It has and continues to be a much needed resource for teachers, students and our community! Please continue to support their efforts by donating funds to especially help cover rent which is $1500 a month! Thank you Depot for educating and inspiring me to Upcycle!
The Long Beach Depot for Creative Reuse is an environmental arts and supply store. This incredible store consists of donated items that otherwise would end up in the trash. By recycling, reusing and up cycling through education and art, this little train of a treasure is making a difference in keeping our Earth greener and oceans blue. Through its store, community out reach, partnering with artists, community involvement and fun and educational events including art classes and school tours, this non profit is a superstar of love for the environment and the arts, powerful movement. Additionally, the founders Lisa Hernandez and her daughter Yoshino Rosalia Jasso are inspirational and have a contagious passion that give hope for a better world. I am a supporter of their vision for up cycling and reuse through education while having fun. Love, love, love this non profit organization. The only one of its type in Southern California. The Long Beach Depot for Creative Reuse...the future starts here...
Founded in 2008, "The Depot" is still the ONLY Creative Reuse shop serving the Southern California area that inspires the equation "Environmental Education + Art = Creative Reuse & Up-Cycling!"
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Since 2008, "The Depot" continues to serve the Southern California community as the ONLY Creative Reuse shop open to the public 6 days a week. Infusing Environmental Education + Art = Creative Reuse, their mission has expanded to include "Up-Cycling" During this past year, the Mayor of Long Beach proclaimed June 2, 2013 as "Creative Reuse Day" in honor of "The Depot's" 5th Anniversary. Your contributions directly help cover operating costs in order to continue as a low-cost resource for reusable items along with hosting free creative reuse workshops for the local kids.
You will never find another store like this! It is amazing how many different things you can find here. Need something to finish that craft you started, they got it here trust me! The owner and her daughter are so sweet and always helpful. We go here and it's like a wonderland for crafters and artists.
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I love this place! My children and I frequently find ourselves here out of adventure. You never know what you might find. A few weeks ago we stopped by and I found dried gourds that I took home and painted for the Autumn center piece on our table. I bought corks to make into Christmas gifts and even found some AMAZING findings to use in my jewelry making. Lisa, the owner and her daughter are always on hand for help finding things or just a good chat. They are very familiar with the goings on in the neighborhood as well and have tipped me off to a few awesome events that we attended. I find myself relying on them for not only inexpensive up-cycling but also very useful in finding that hard to find little thing I might need to finish a piece.
This is a great stop for inspiration - they have a great assortment of everything under the sun and they have examples of ways to use it. They hold workshops and demonstrations to show you how to upcycle and they are also a great community hub - stop by to find out what's going on the LBC.
If you need something for an Art Project, School Project, or any DIY Project. Find stuff to make cards and gifts, or just go on a treasure hunt for something interesting that catches your eye.
Always so affordable - and you are being green, because they collect all the stuff that would be thrown out or discarded without a thought... and they hold it for you to come find your inspiration.
Bring your kids - or the kid in you.
This place is truly magical. I was just in there the other day looking for some scrap thread to finish the last few inches of hem I needed on a skirt I was making. I didn't expect to find anything in the same shade as my fabric, but I thought I would give it a try anyway. The Depot has saved me many times before on other projects. Lisa was very helpful and let me use a couple of trays to sort through the thread bin so I could separate the more favorable shades from everything else. I ended up finding the exact shade I needed and it cost way less than I would have spent if i went anywhere else.
This kind of result is typical at The Depot. Other customers I've talked to have the same life (or project)-saving experience. I absolutely love this store and I feel that it's existence greatly benefits the community.
I love this place! It is a great concept that makes everyone feel good! Our family loves donating just as much as finding treasures in the store!
I first met Lisa in 2009, when we were in the midst of planning the first Green Long Beach Festival, she was this spunky and intelligent woman with a huge heart. From that point on, I witnessed her dedication and sincerity in serving the community of Long Beach. She has been a pillar of resources and inspiration to the local art community here along with teachers, youth and general public. I personally have been able to donate items that would otherwise end up in a landfill and benefited as a client. As a customer I found items for my DIY Wedding and to use in the classes I teach. She is always there with a smile on her face, promoting local artists and community events and shifting the perspective of how we view the world. This place is a true gem in our big city.
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The Depot and the people who run it (Lisa and Yoshino) practice true stewardship. They have created this beautiful non-profit to help create a paradigm shift. Through their guidance they help people look at their world differently. Ordinary items that for many would appear as trash and end in landfills have now taken new light and serve as treasures for parents, artists, teachers, crafters and the general public. This is no ordinary business. The founders empower the community on a daily basis by hosting special events, classes, activities, supporting artists, partnering with neighboring businesses and like-minded organizations. They inspire us all to be more active citizens by engaging in the political process and always looking at how to make Long Beach a better place to live. Lisa Hernandez is a true leader and visionary. There isn’t anything quite like the Long Beach Depot For Creative ReUse. As a resident I have been able to donate items from my household and as a business owner, I have had the luck to work with Lisa on various projects and am so proud to have this great resource as part of our “Green City.” I wish them many more years of growth and success.
This place is fantastic! All I had to do was call and make an appointment to donate. Sometimes they get too many unscheduled donations and I have to wait until they have room again, but it's a great feeling when I get to drop off a bag of wine corks or paper rolls or old game pieces. My friends think I'm nuts for keeping all that stuff, but no one looks at me funny over there. Donating stuff also gives me an excuse to walk around the store and get some ideas for art projects. The ladies there are really helpful and I love seeing what other people do with my stuff.
When you think of the Long Beach community, you think of support. Lisa and Yoshino both are a great example of this. They support their neighbors, local artists, other nonprofits, and businesses. Most of all I really admire their passion to also spread the word on how precious the environment is by educating on how to reuse waste. They see the big picture and I am forever grateful for having such responsible, kind and proactive neighbors!!!!
The Depot is a precious gem here in our city. I've definitely cherished the level of knowledge, skills, and expertise both Lisa & Yoshi have in strengthening creativity and collaboration in our community. We're lucky to have a great avenue to share with family, friends, and neighbors! I always recommend visiting the Depot to my friends and visitors!
The Long Beach Depot is part of the Upycling movement - they play a key role in accepting donations of items that other organizations will not take - especially arts and crafts supplies and than distributing them to those in need for very little or for nothing. We all need to do our part but LBDFCR led by Lisa Hernadez and her daughter are doing great things for the Long Beach Community as they seek to Upcycle waste and divert from landfills. jeffrey s. lemanksy UPcycler in Chief @ Upcyclity.com
My 'other' names for The Long Beach Depot for Creative ReUse are "The Little Shop Around the Corner" and "The Clubhouse." It is not only an East Village Arts District phenomenon, but it also draws in the larger creative community, the whole City of Long Beach and beyond. One can find thingamajigs and buttons, gizmos and fabric, doodads and paint. You can also rummage around in "The Box of Awesomeness." Then you go home and make something wonderful with your stuff! I personally buy beads, yarn, and these wonderful little formica pieces that come in different finishes like granite, malachite, marble and wood. The joy of creating is enhanced by the knowledge that worthwhile items, already in the consumer world, are being reinvented or redesigned into something else that is useful, decorative or both. It's a win/win/win and a warm, welcoming and fun place.
Well organized and super friendly! This is a such a fun place to spend time treasure hunting in! It's so great that they are recycling art supplies and other items to be used creatively and offering them at such affordable prices. If you are anywhere near Long Beach I highly encourage you to come check it out!
Not only does the Creative ReUse Depot have a wonderful selection of trinkets, they offer services to the community so creative projects can happen as well as fairs and workshops to make trash into treasures! I have learned creative ways to reUse grocery bags into purses and cardboard into bus pass holders, business cards, and so much more. The part of this store that impressed me the most was when I took a group of artists with mental disabilities to the creative reuse depot and we were embraced with open arms. The staff patiently showed the group idea's for art projects and help supply items that we sold at our Farmer's Market Booth. THANK YOU CREATIVE REUSE!
I found the Creative Depot for ReUse while walking around Long Beach and entered a world of infinite imagination. Everything you thought could not be put to use but can is found here. Both Lisa and Yoshi have a smile that lights up a room greet you making you comfortable and family. The Depot brings the community together and inspires everyone who enters.
The Creative Depot for ReUse is one of my favorite stores to visit in Long Beach. I love their mission and think every city in the world should have one or more. The owner, Lisa and her daughter are always so friendly and helpful. The store is so organized and always is an enjoyable experience to find amazing reused items for art and craft projects.
The Depot inspires and builds unity in our community. It's a place where people of all ages meet and discuss projects and ideas together. My sister, a supporting artist of The Depot introduced me to them at the end of 2009. Since then, I have also been a supporting artist. They have made it possible for me, in these hard times, to make clothing and artwork, without having to spend a lot of money on materials, therefore allowing me to sell my products for a fair price. For the past few years I have made it one of my goals to have as low of an impact as possible on the environment. One of the things I have taken on is the challenge of reducing as much as possible the amount of trash and recyclable items I consume. The Depot does this quite well and in an organized manner, making it possible for visitors to find all sorts of colorful items. Therefore for me, The Depot is a planet saver, because they help "would be thrown away items" stay out of our landfills, keeping our city more and more eco-friendly and birthing environmental consciousness within our community. If I could, I would put one on every block. We humans consume too much and we need to wake people up before it's too late. The Depot has changed my life in such a positive way. I recommend The Depot to all my students, friends and family.
The Depot has become a bellwether in downtown Long each, a place where the public can find the most unusual items for - as the name explains - creative reuse, as well as everyday tools (wrapping paper cards, sage, toilet paper rolls, corks) for creative re-manufacture. A place where preconceptions should be left at the door and where everyone is welcome, The Depot is my home away from home.
I LOVE The Depot! The shop itself is organized, colorful, creative and I always discover something new and interesting...it might be on the wall, an odd item among the shelves or the latest community news from Lisa. And did I mention it's cheap? I never have to worry about breaking the bank with this place. I can fill my basket with artistic goodies and only pay three dollars! Besides art, my main passion is sewing and The Depot is a wonderful supplier of fabric--from childish to vintage--I will find exactly what I need. I also love sharing The Depot with friends. Their excited faces are only a reflection of my own. I feel so blessed to live near this special store!
I can't think of another non-profit offering so much REAL change in the field of environmental stewardship education and support of the local art community. The Depot also provides the larger community with an amazing option to donate their creative "waste," knowing that it is valuable and will be put to great use. The co-founders are true leaders:: Lisa is a fire-starter, constantly engaging the community and creating opportunities for greater awareness and fun; Yoshino is an incredibly talented artist and frequently shares her gifts for free to students of every age. I absolutely reap some of the tremendous amount of love that goes into and spills out of the Depot... It's an invaluable resource for our city and an example for our greater world community.
This is an amazing creative and political hub in a downtown that desperately needs it! I have received wonderful ideas from Lisa and Yoshino for how to integrate art into the classroom. These dynamic women are so inspiring and really setting up a business model that should, and really MUST, be replicated. They are in my head every time I walk to my trash can, which is actually a compliment! I have to ask myself when I spend money or throw things away- do I have to buy this new? Can this be reused? How can I look at this another way? What will it mean for my children and our future if I buy this or toss that? Support this business!
when i first visited "the depot" a couple of years back, i felt as though it is where i belong. i found like-minded folks who enjoy being inspired and challenged to reuse and recreate. lisa and yoshino are people that i want to stay in touch with... they are friendly, helpful and very community-minded. and now with small shops popping up all around "the corner", there truly is a community growing on third and elm. come visit the shops, meet new friends, attend upcoming events, join in the fun! P.S. your kids will LOVE the depot also!
I'm a teacher for an after school program, and don't have a lot of money to spend on materials for projects for the kids. But I always drop by the Depot for Creative Reuse and find something perfect for whatever the latest project is and for such a great price, they are practically giving it away! Love the depot, Lisa is fabulous, and they are so community minded, their role extends far past the shop itself.
This is where you go for creative inspiration. Whatever you are in to, they have something that can help you do it. I've picked up a tablet of drawing paper, a rack for hanging necklaces so I can find them easier, scapbooking paper for, well, scapbooks, photo albums and price tags for my resale boutique, cufflinks, beads for crafting, crayons for the grandbaby, books, current magazines, gift boxes...whew! And that's just for starters!
This shop is fun, always a pleasant experience, it VITAL to the art community, trendy and GREEN!
I love going here, taking people here for the first time, telling people to check this out. So CHECK THIS OUT!!
LBDCR is a really unique place to find gift ideas, all the knick-knacks and doo-dads are cool to assemble into your own fun idea. My friends 40th b-day was getting close and I found little gold 4's and 0's, along with puzzle pieces, polished stones, glittery tubes and a hand made card from a local artist. I put them all together in a big red envelope I also found in the store and sent it off to my friend...when she got it in the mail she wrote and said it was the most fun present she'd gotten from anyone! Thanks to everyone at the depot-)
The Long Beach Depot for Creative ReUse provides a wonderful service to the community of Long Beach. If you are in any way an arts and crafts person, a teacher, or if you believe in the practice of reusing rather than wasting materials, then this is your store. The store owner Lisa Hernandez is such a delightful person and on a personal level, I am very thankful to her for the inspiration and support she gives me as a contributing artist. "The Depot" is a shining example of a business that has set out to do good in the community while connecting artists and local businesses together! The store sells all sorts of things that can be used in arts and crafts projects and they rely on the support of the community. The Depot also offers classes on the weekends geared towards teaching children about creative reuse. This is truly a special place!
If you have never been to The Depot, as us shoppers like to call it, boy are you missing out! If you are a crafter of any kind, you must check out this store! Jewelry making, scrapbooking, card making, crocheting or knitting, sculptures, you name it. If you have a kids, you must check out this store! I have three, and my oldest LOVES going here. Not only that, Lisa and Yoshi constantly help the community and charity volunteers. They sell items from local artists, and support them endlessly. One of the best places in Southern California!
Incredible. A vision of the future. The city of Long Beach deserves to have so many more facilities just like this.
I love this place! I go here to get all kinds of things to run my Etsy business. Some of my favorites are colored paper, beads, cardboard, old calendars and posters! And there's so much more! It's in a great location too. Go check it out!
It's true that a place in your dreams can actually exist! You have to go there in person to understand that it really is beyond words alone. They carry all the little stuff that you can't really find any place else and cheap! For a small place, it packs a lot and you can spend hours there so if you drive, watch your meter! They are really helping the public and artists with their service and support. I go there whenever I'm stressed and need a positive place to hang out in. Thank you Creative Reuse depot.