In February, the popular national art supply chain Joann Fabrics announced it would be shuttering all its stores—a loss that was felt throughout the fine arts and crafting communities. While similar stores still exist, Joann Fabrics functioned for many as a chief source of affordable, varied supplies, as well as a place to take classes and gather with fellow makers.
This June, Columbus’ first reuse craft store opened to help fill that void. Craft Raccoon, located in Merion Village, is the result of owner Rachel Wallis’ passion for craft and community. “All flourishing is mutual,” says Wallis, quoting author Robin Wall Kimmerer. “That’s what I’m trying to center in my life and work with the store—how can we flourish in a way that enriches the lives and practices of all the people around us?”
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Take a visit to Craft Raccoon, and you may find yourself accidentally inside its neighboring store Dye Mad Yarns (a local yarn store and dyer). “When you love crafts, craft materials come to you,” says Wallis, who had been inheriting hand-me-down supplies for years and storing them in her garage. In December 2024, she stocked a shelf in Dye Mad Yarn with a handful of supplies that were sold on a pay-what-you-want model. Proceeds were donated to the Returning Artists Guild, which supports currently and formerly incarcerated artists.
With a positive community reception, Wallis had her sights set on the vacant space next to Dye Mad Yarns. “It just sparked something in me. I thought, we’ll wait. If they find a new tenant before then, I’ll know it wasn’t meant to be,” she says. “Then the new year came, and the space was still empty.”
The stock at Craft Raccoon is entirely donated. There’s something for every kind of maker, experience level and budget—bolts of fabric, skeins of yarn, sewing and embroidery thread, paintbrushes and palettes, and much more. You can even find equipment, including sewing machines and rare finds—like the antique yarn spinning wheel that sat, rather temptingly, by the front door during my talk with Wallis. “This stuff is really valuable. It was valuable to the person who owned it in the first place, and it has a lot of value to the community as well,” she says.
Craft Raccoon hosts several classes led by local makers and artists. There’s also a membership program, which gives access to the store’s studio, a weekly members-only brunch and a discount on all classes and supplies. Yet even for non-members, Wallis says the stock is generally priced under 50 percent of its original retail value.
“People feel burnt out by buying things and disposing of them and buying more things,” Wallis says. “I like the idea of reuse, of making sure that we’re using products to the end of their lifespan.”
This story appeared in the November 2025 issue of Columbus Monthly. Subscribe here.
This article originally appeared on Columbus Monthly: Reuse Art Supply Store, Craft Raccoon, Makes Crafting Affordable and Sustainable
Reporting by Lucy Clark, Columbus Monthly / Columbus Monthly
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