[music] - One, two, three.

Go!

[music] - My name is Stephanie Christou.

I'm the owner of Bottom of the Bin.

We have locations in Seminole, Florida, and Brandon, Florida, and it's a second-hand art and craft supply shop where people can trade in leftover supplies and materials that they don't want anymore, to get store credit, to buy the things that they do want.

[music] I'm a lifelong crafter and I call myself a hobby hopper.

I'm constantly changing the different hobbies and projects that I'm into, and I end up just amassing so many supplies, I don't know what to do with them.

And so I had an idea to start selling them, and I used to own a clothing store where we would buy, sell, and trade used clothing.

So I was like, wow, why don't we do that with art supplies?

I just bought an 80 year old lady's entire craft supply collection, and we're opening it one bit at a time.

- I found this on TikTok.

I was scrolling and I was like, oh my gosh, it's a thrift store and a craft store, which is like my favorite thing ever.

Ooh, I came in to get a bunch of fabric and stuff because I got my new sewing machine in, and I'm trying to start a brand by the end of this year.

So I've been making a bunch of clothes and I'm running out of things to do.

- So the reason someone might prefer to shop here is because you don't have to buy large quantities.

- I needed gold glitter.

I only needed a little bit.

Came here three bucks.

That would have cost me like 15 bucks.

Got the glitter?

Bring it back.

Somebody else can use it.

It's kind of like I borrow it for a minute.

I borrow just enough of what I needed.

[music] - Creative Clay is an art center that supports and advocates for people with developmental disabilities, intellectual disabilities, and other kinds of neurodivergence.

We are located in beautiful St.

Petersburg, Florida a city that embraces and celebrates the arts.

So it's a really fun place to be.

We are at the corner of 19th and first Avenue South, and we moved here in 2017 from Central Avenue.

The move here is sort of the reason why we have creative thrift, because that move we realized we had stacks and stacks and boxes and boxes of things stored away and squirreled away in different spots around the building that we were in on Central Avenue.

- Well, when I get here, I always figure, okay, let's see what we need to organize today.

- Everything is donated so we can do this pay-what-you-can model, which works out fabulously because if you don't have it, you don't have it.

But we don't want you to have to have that interrupt your art making.

[music] - This space has a wonderful history.

It was the site of Scrap Topia, one of the first scrapbooking stores in Brandon.

And so I knew the space, and I was very excited that something was coming in where we could craft again and find supplies.

- I'm going to make a scrapbook.

I'm just really excited because I have all these pictures that I like have accumulated for so long and I can finally, like, do something with it.

And this place is just super cool, has all the things I need.

- And that's one of the good things about here, is you can find all kinds of really cool stuff.

- I love all the unique items I find, especially the things that aren't sold in the stores anymore.

- Myself, I've always purchased second-hand.

I like the thrill of the hunt.

I like looking for items that maybe you can't find anymore.

And so seeing the joy of someone who comes in looking for one specific thing and we have it, it brightens my day.

I feel like if you're a crafter, it's all your thing.

- One of the things I really love is every day they'll post items that they're going to sell.

I'm in the process of making a little miniature greenhouse, and just yesterday they posted the tiniest little terracotta pots.

So within seconds I'm in my car, driving up there like a mad woman to try to hurry and get it before anybody else buys it.

- Somebody's going to grab that for sure.

- I love to come in and look at everything that they have in their little organized bins and think, What can I do with this?

What can I make with this?

I love to look at the bead area and say, oh, this little bead can become a coffee cup.

Or I can look at this little paper craft item and say, oh, that would be the perfect picture frame.

So it also one of the things I love about coming here is it helps open my creativity and helps me look at things outside the box to kind of create things with.

[music] - Most of the people who come to the thrift store are women, but we do have a mix of everything.

I mean, to all ages.

- Definitely a lot of local artists, which is great.

And college students.

I remember when I was in college and couldn't afford art supplies, I leaned heavily on the thrift store.

Even people who might not consider themselves artists, but maybe keep photo books for their kids, or like to have a little more personal of a card that they give.

- I make greeting cards, and I make, uh, kind of like wiry jewelry.

[music] - We never imagined creative clay would be into this, this kind of line, but it really fits in and supports our mission.

I mean, we save money on art supplies.

We are able to make new friends in the community with other artists.

Artists who come in here and then spread the word.

Then that increases the possibility for new donors and new people to come in and support not only buying art, but supporting through buying merch.

Or maybe, maybe they want to be a donor, you know?

So it is a community maker.

[music] - I think customers who are looking for more sustainable ways to use products is definitely a trend, but it's something that's always been around and probably will always be around.

So people are always looking for ways to save money, reuse things, and I don't see that changing anytime soon.

- Do you need a bigger budget?

I always end up with a bigger basket or it's super full.

[music] - To learn more, visit these websites.