The Upcycle Exchange

Owner started a very unprofessional brawl with the City of O’Fallon over a craft show. She was completely dishonest about her intentions and her points in that dispute. I was a long time supporter of her craft fair, but I will not support her or her store or her craft fair again.

Delightful store with unbelievably AFFORDABLE prices! Autumn, the owner is informative and friendly and her shop cats are curious and ready for your attention. Check out Autumn’s WISHLIST on her website and bring in items in exchange for in shop credit! Very happy crafter!

The first time that I had ever ventured into this place was when they were on meramac and had just opened. The moment I walked into the space, I was entranced with all of the items that were there to be purchased for those into crafts.
The yards and yards of different types of cloth alone are astounding and they have quite a vast selection for those of you whom like to quilt and perhaps making clothing? While, I am not one of those I find myself just liking to check each and every color out and fabric that they house on their wall of remanants. I would suggest coming here to check it out if your in the market for such things.
They also have buttons, jewelry, paper and any other craft items that you need.

As an amateur crafter, I have a lot of ideas but don’t want to spend the money on supplies if the end result is going to look like something a 4 year old threw together. This store is great for people like me– I was able to get everything I need for a small amount of money, and Autumn was enormously helpful and gave me a ton of great advice.
Plus, I’m completely on board with any business that has shop cats.

While well organized and cozy (complete with a cat curled up in a suitcase) I was very disappointed with the customer service here. The shopkeeper sat at her desk in the back and mumbled how the shop worked and didn’t get up to help me find the things I needed. She said, ‘it’s all in bins, you just have you look.’ Not even a thank you when I checked out. Great idea and location… Poor delivery of service. Such a shame… I live close and had hoped to be able to use frequently and recommend to friends. They lost a potential customer.

This place seems really cool. You have to have lots of time to search, dig and hunt for things. Great idea though

I completely lack the knowledge to do anything crafty, and I still loved this shop. They carry recylced raw materials, like yarn, fabric, craft supplies.
I have been looking for a cheap scarf and have refused to pay $ 15+ bucks at all the other vintage and goodwill stores I’ve stopped by. So imagine my surprise when they had a huge suitcase of scarves for $ 1.
This store is like a giant box of color. They have an entire wall of cubbies with fabric and yarn, all sorted by color and hue! Every shade of any color was represented.
They also sell things like vintage aprons ($ 10!).
I could envision renting out this place for an awesome kids party — I’m not entirely sure they do that sort of thing, though…
I also want to give extra stars for the acrobatic friendly cats, but since I’m at 5 stars, I guess there’s no extra stars to give.
The bf spotted the cutest vintage hand towels with a 1965 calendar on it. This store is so fun!

Great idea, great store, lots of fun to browse.

Meh. Honestly i didn’t love it.
I like the pay whatever you want concept. But I always feel weird when it’s up to me and i feel like i end up overpaying in the end.
Shop itself is cool with a really nice vibe. I didn’t necessarily find anything I was looking for. But i guess it’s based on what donations come in. If i’m looking for something specific I probably wouldn’t come here. But if I’m just looking around for some inspiration this is a cool spot to hit up.

A lifesaver. I needed a very specific fabric for my OBI-​WAN KENOBI Halloween Costume, and they had the perfect material. The owner, a total doll, helped me out, and I was in and out in under 5 minutes.

I really enjoy going to this little shop to search for vintage craft projects. I brought in a bag of very nice fabric cuts the other day and was given a $ 4 credit, which I thought was generous. I just really support this idea of reusing and recycling. I hope this place makes it!

Cute «Pay-​as-​you-​wish» (about $ 20 per milk crate) second-​hand textile craft shop.
Includes fabric, notions, ribbons, frames, vintage, scrapbooking…
Check the .pdf list on the web-​site for complete list of items.
What I appreciate most is how clean, bright, cute and orderly this shop is.
This shop is definitely on the leading edge of the sustainability movement, by re-​purposing textiles that would ultimately end up in the landfill.
Super nice people too!

As more of an idea person than an execution person, I found this store to be a little overwhelming. Overwhelmingly awesome, that is.
I’m not saying I could actually create something with the millions of upcycled craft items here. I’m just saying that sometimes I like to buy craft supplies so that I can attempt to hand-​make Christmas gifts before giving up and going with gift cards.
When you first walk in, it looks like Martha Stewart’s walk-​in closet. Like, über pristine. It almost looks like an empty store. That’s because everything in here is perfectly organized into bins and put away. This is the complete opposite of how I store crafts at my house. The owner gives a brief explanation of how it works (you fill a basket with whatever you want and pay by the basket, not by item) and then leaves you alone so you can wander around being confused by all the crafting components, and also marvel at how much cheaper everything here is than if you bought it new at Hobby Lobby.
I say go frequently because stock changes, obviously. I had much more luck on my second visit today. My first time in I was just browsing, but this time I had a mission. I spent a really long time in there going through every bin. I only filled a quarter of a basket, but the supplies I got would have cost me $ 100 at Hobby Lobby. Also, most of that stuff they wouldn’t have even HAD at Hobby Lobby. I get nervous on the name-​your-​own price thing, so I asked the owner for advice. She said about 7 dollars. I could not believe it. SEVEN DOLLARS. I got beads, buttons, iron-​on decals, rubber stamps, stamp pads, postage stamps, postcards, a bunch of color swatches, sheet music, a record, pages from an antique book, poker chips, cute guitar picks, maps, a zipper, and more stuff I don’t even know. If you are making a scrapbook, you HAVE to go here. The pages I made this afternoon with the stuff I got here are the best pages I’ve ever made and look so much more unique than the pages I can make with generic and overpriced crap from a hobby store.
The owner was extremely friendly to me today and chatted with me for a long time, even though she was really busy. She also chatted with other customers, most of whom seemed like regulars. I was much more comfortable taking my time this time, sitting at their long tables, sifting through their magical bins of hope and wonder.
This place is an absolute hidden gem. The owner is the epitome of everything I worship in an entrepreneur. Part of what makes this store successful is that they are really picky about what they take. I know that can suck if you are trying to get rid of stuff, but they are a business, and they know their customers well and they know what will sell.
They are doing cool new stuff all the time, and this is definitely a business to follow on social media. They are launching some sort of textile website, and will be having a Kickstarter campaign in the fall for some new exciting things.
This store blows my mind. The first time in was just a toe in the water of this ocean of inspiration, treasure hunting, and creativity.

I love this shop. Supply is customer submitted, so it will vary for time to time. Its like craft thrift, but everything is in like-​new condition and there is a great supply of cloth and yarn. The owner even sells a few of her own crafts and they are always lovely– from rustic chalk boards to hand warmers, it will vary much like the stock.
There’s even tea for customers in lovely cups, and occasionally there are craft workshops and charity knits. The owner is kind and personable– I was surprised to read another review where someone said she was rude, as I have been in the shop many times and this has never been my experience, nor have I witnessed her be rude to any other individual.
This is a great place if you do textile based crafts, and its always fun to see what unique vintage finds she will bring in!

Amazing. As a crafter, this place is paradise! One entire wall, the length of the store, is cabinets filled with supplies including a 6′ tall display of fabric and yarn. The other awesome thing I love is that because people are making trades and donations regularly, the inventory is always changing. I’ve found some incredible things and it’s my go-​to spot for supplies. From sewing thread to picture frames, there’s no shortage of supplies for the imaginative person. Also, the shop owner, Autumn is incredibly helpful and will help you pull together supplies for a project if needed and even helped people with costumes around Halloween. I LOVE this store. It’s a wonderful addition to the south Grand area and St. Louis as a whole!

I’ve been here about 4 times now and I’m already excited to go back again! As mentioned below, the store has a pay-​as-​you-​wish policy and they recommend that you pay $ 20 per carton. But they also don’t stand over your shoulder as you decide what to pay – they try to make you comfortable. You can receive store credit if you bring craft materials to donate to the store – the store gets their whole stock from donations from people like you and me! Many people often drop off the donations without asking for store credit, too. It’s such a great way to upcycle things we no longer need to benefit others who consider this stuff treasure, instead of letting it sit in your basement.
I came with a few friends the first time I went, with a box filled with some craft materials I no longer needed (make sure you check their website to see what materials they accept or not). The best perspective to have when entering the store is not expect that you’ll receive the same amount of store credit you originally paid for your materials – you might be disappointed. Because of their pay-​as-​you-​wish policy, I don’t mind this!
Autumn is always helpful and she’s answered my questions countless times. I always have a craft project in mind when I come here so that I know exactly what to look for. Otherwise I get too happily overwhelmed by all the fabric, sewing materials, stamps, cardstock, yarn, paints, etc etc. The selection changes every time I come in which keeps it fun. I like that everything is labeled so it’s easier to find what you need! I try to take only what I need – eg. cutting off the exact amount of fabric I need.
A few weeks ago I came in searching for baker’s twine and they didn’t have any, so Autumn took the time to help me handmake baker’s twine out of red and white yarn/​string. I really appreciated the final product and it demonstrated the quality of service if you need advice or help with projects!
They also have community events and Pinterest parties that have free or cheap admission to learn how to do crafts, so check out their facebook page or website! I will forwarn you that it is easy to spend hours poring over the pictures of stuff they just received… it will make you want to go to the store right away to snatch the newest stamp or bauble that just arrived!

Very cool place! I had been searching high and low for some fabric for our little girls nursery. They had something that matched my rug swatch perfectly at an incredible price.
Come here before you go to any other fabric or craft store!

This place is a freakin’ goldmine if you’ve even got an inch of crafty in you! Heck, make that a millimeter! There’s so much cool stuff here, that just walking around is bound to give you some inspiration for a project or two, or three!
Every time I come here, I am silently lamenting the loss of my sewing machine!!! Well, it’s not dead, it’s just in another state. Remind me to get that darned thing soon! The beautifully colored and patterned fabrics here are like a feast for the eye! She even sells moss terrarium kits! So cute, and would make a perfect gift! Seriously, manboys, go to this place and buy your significant other a moss growing kit. It’s so much more creative than a box of chocolate, and probably way cheaper too (and no cavities!)
The best part about it is that I see new stuff every single time I’m here, it never gets dull. The owner is super nice and knowledge able about what she’s selling and can help you with project ideas too. They sell earrings as well – mostly vintage stuff – which I found to be really cool. I think some of the earrings are sold by weight and yes they do take credit cards via Square.
I definitely want to come back here with lots of time on hand to browse the cute selections of fabric and such! Hope her business sticks around.

Donate as much as you wish and buy what you can pay for is pretty much how it works.
As you read in the first review, Nicole covers all the bases as far as pricing goes with the craft items such as yarn and stuff of that nature. As far as beads go – you pay $ 3 per ounce.
If there is one thing I can encourage you to do, please take the time to look at the picture I uploaded and see the creation that Autumn Wiggins, the owner, and I made. She had the supplies of the frame and the glue gun that she was ever so generous to let me use. I had a huge stash of wine corks that I’ve been saving for over 8 months.
Initially when I went in, I was simply looking for a frame and I was going to tackle the nifty little project of creating a cork board myself. It turned out to be a 3 hour endeavor that Autumn insisted on helping me with! In exchange for her help, I voluntarily agreed to give her all my corks that I had saved up. After looking at some frames she had, she gave me one with chicken wire on it. She said it was from one of her previous projects and that she had put the chicken wire and the paint on the frame on herself. I absolutely loved the color. It was a Tiffany Blue kind of shade. Some of the paint was even chipped which I think added a bunch of character.
Autumn was totally amazing. She even stayed 25 minutes past her closing time of the store while it started snowing really hard outside just to make sure we go it completed. I absolutely love it! It is now hanging on my wall in my apartment.
So the run down of this place –
– The owner is awesome and very helpful! … that’s a given.
– They are all about helping the craft community with decently priced supplies.
– You can trade goodies but more encouraged to buy goodies.
– The accept credit/​debit card and cash.
– They have fabric, different types of frames, records, beads, yarn galore, buttons, wine corks (courtesy of yours truly), cloth of all sorts, items for scrapbooking, photography matting, sewing items, and tons of other things I can’t even remember.
– Pinterest obsessed. You should go check out her page on there plus Facebook page. You should ‘like’ that too.
If you are looking to be creative, don’t hesitate to stop by and ask her. She works 7 days a week just for your convenience. Plus, you know you will have friendly service.
Check out Upcycle Exchange!

If you are crafty in any way you need to come check out this store. They have fabric, papers, yarn, beads, sewing items, scrapbooking items and so much more!
How it works: it’s a store in which you can pay whatever you want for they items you take, seriously. There are a few caveats though, one purchase per person per day. They also have bins that you would use as your cart and once filled it is suggested that you pay $ 20 for the items. They except cash and credit/​debt.
When I walked in there were two girls crafting and one of them showed me around and told me how it works. I walked out of there with some charcoal paper and a map for a craft project I have been thing about doing. I think this store is a really good idea and I will be back many times.