DIY workshop at North Suffolk Goodwill
Published 10:29 pm Thursday, October 11, 2012
A blogger who writes about her budget-wise refashioning of cast-offs into one-of-a-kind accessories, home décor and functional household pieces, will present a workshop at the Harbour View Goodwill store on Saturday.
Deborah Craft of Sussex County had been blogging since 2008, “mostly on couponing and frugal living, that sort of thing,” when a $1 skirt from a Goodwill store took her in a new direction.
Deborah Craft, a blogger from Sussex County, will present a workshop on the do-it-yourself projects she writes about, at Harbour View Goodwill on Saturday.
“I liked the fabric, but the hemline was very out of style,” Craft said. “I ended up making it into a purse. I thought from there, why not do other things? It started from there.”
In January, she began a blog post on her transformations of cast-off treasures.
After discovering her blog, which has followers around the world, Goodwill asked Craft to lead a series of in-store instructional sessions.
The event Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the 6540 Hampton Roads Parkway Goodwill, will be Craft’s first.
“I started doing a weekly feature on my blog, and Goodwill picked up on it, and that’s how it has gotten started,” Craft said.
She said she would still be trawling Goodwill stores for transformable treasures, even if the Great Recession hadn’t descended.
“I like the whole aspect of helping out the environment too. I think that’s important as well,” she said.
Craft said she will be bringing projects from her blog to Saturday’s event, including clothing and purses, a fabric-covered corkboard and some small furniture items.
Repurposed thrift-store items make great Christmas gifts, Craft said. “The last few years, always at Christmas time … I have tried to give a Goodwill gift,” she said, adding, “It would be good for others to do the same.”
Craft says she would like to see others take up her pastime so Goodwill will benefit from the increased revenue.
“I work for a community service board, and Goodwill works to get jobs for a lot of those who receive benefit from us,” she said.
A nonprofit, Goodwill was founded in 1923 and provides job training programs and career development services.
Its vision is that “everyone will have the opportunity to find their purpose, reach their highest level of self-sufficiency, and become productive members of our
community,” a press release states.
Craft’s blog is at www.debbielynne.wordpress.com.
