See the transformations revealed at the ReDesign Showcase November 6th! All funds support Perennial’s non-profit mission of creative reuse for all.
We had an amazing and creative 2015 with our outreach partners! In December, the women from St. Patrick Center, the Center for Women in Transition, and Lydia’s House came to our shop for a holiday crafting party. Every woman left with a t-shirt yarn scarf, hand-warmers, and a mini jewelry rack to keep for themselves or give… Read more »
Inspired by a donation of cigar boxes, our teaching artists showed the women in our outreach programs how to transform these wooden boxes into custom purses, lunch pails, and storage spots. The women at the Center for Women in Transition, St. Patrick Center, and Lydia’s House customized their cigar boxes with cardboard, leather, and a… Read more »
With just a few simple supplies, the women in our outreach programs created breathtaking sun-catchers this month! Our instructors visited the Center for Women in Transition, St. Patrick Center and Lydia’s House to teach their clients how to cut scrap glass and reassemble it into new compositions on salvaged picture frames. With just a little… Read more »
This month, the women in our outreach workshops learned basic woodworking skills and created custom pendants. The women at St. Patrick Center, the Center for Women in Transition, and Lydia’s House cut, carved, and sanded scrap wood to create medallions for bracelets, necklaces, and keychains. Perennial’s teaching artists showed the women how to use Japanese pull saws, power… Read more »
This month, the women at St. Patrick Center, the Center for Women in Transition, Lydia’s House, and Shalom House learned to make personal looms from found cardboard boxes. After setting up their warp, the women wove coasters, pot holders, and placemats from t-shirt yarn. Our teaching artist also brought back yarn that the women cut and dyed… Read more »
This month, the women at St. Patrick Center, the Center for Women in Transition, Lydia’s House, and Shalom House learned to make personal looms from found cardboard boxes. After setting up their warp, the women wove coasters, pot holders, and placemats from t-shirt yarn. Our teaching artist also brought back yarn that the women cut and dyed… Read more »
With the start of summer, we can’t stop thinking about outdoor time in the garden. Perennial’s instructors decided to bring a little bit of the outdoors into our outreach workshops this month with botanical textile dyeing. The women at St. Patrick Center, the Center for Women in Transition, Lydia’s House, and Shalom House learned to cut yarn… Read more »
This month, our teaching artists traveled to St. Patrick Center, the Center for Women in Transition, Lydia’s House, and Shalom House to share the simplicity of leather working! Using leather from damaged jackets and purses, the women designed and created coin purses, phone cases, and more. One participant wrote that she learned, “Leather tooling and re-using old materials.”… Read more »
In honor of Earth Month, we’ve been making mini insect hotels with the women of St. Patrick Center, the Center for Women in Transition, Lydia’s House, and Shalom House. These little tin-can homes help attract beneficial insects and pollinators to gardens. Our artists taught the women about our declining bee populations and the importance of creating habitats… Read more »
In our outreach workshops this month, we are traveling with junk mail and a blender to St. Patrick Center, the Center for Women in Transition, Lydia’s House, and Shalom House. We’re making paper! Perennial’s teaching artists are showing the women how to blend scrap paper into pulp and use DIY screens to pull new sheets of handmade… Read more »
February DIY Workshop: This month in the spirit of Valentine’s Day, we brought self-care and self-love themed projects to our outreach partners at St. Patrick Center, the Center for Women in Transition, Lydia’s House, and Shalom House. Perennial’s artist showed the women at each agency how to use a sewing machine and how to hand… Read more »
January DIY Workshop: We kicked off a new year of outreach programs this month with St. Patrick Center, the Center for Women in Transition, Lydia’s House, and Shalom House. For our January workshop, we wanted to help the women set out on a positive and productive path in 2015. Our teaching artists had the women brainstorm… Read more »
December DIY Workshop: Last month, women upcycled wool sweaters into fingerless arm warmers at St. Patrick Center and the Center for Women in Transition. We washed and dried old sweaters to shrink them into felt, and the women hand-stitched custom winter accessories from the material to keep their hands warm and fingers free this season. Some… Read more »
Perennial is a community workshop + store that transforms trash into treasure and teaches the St. Louis community how to do the same. Perennial’s programs teach do-it-yourself skills and encourage everyone to use their own creativity to live resourcefully and sustainably. Perennial is accepting proposals for educational programs to be offered in the… Read more »
October DIY Workshop: We brought the art of book making to the women at Lydia’s House, St. Patrick Center, and the Center for Women in Transition this month. Each woman crafted and personalized a journal from a salvaged hardback book to hold her thoughts, notes, and to-do lists. Not only did the women get to… Read more »
September DIY Workshop: Getting ready for the Fall weather, we are teaching the art of finger knitting in our outreach programs. The women at Lydia’s House and St. Patrick Center learned to make yarn from old t-shirts and, with just their fingers, transformed the material into a warm and stylish infinity scarf for the cooler… Read more »
June DIY Workshop: We brought the tools down to Lydia’s House and St. Patrick Center this month to handcraft miniature flower presses. The women got to learn some woodworking basics as they drilled holes with hand-powered and electric drills, sanded their wood, and painted designs with all-natural milk paint. We are hoping that next month… Read more »
April DIY Workshop: This month we brought our newly repaired fleet of sewing machines along to our programs with our partners. The women transformed old t-shirts into new bags that they can reuse the next time they pick a few items up at the store! Everyone learned sewing machine basics, stitched up the bottom of… Read more »
March DIY Workshop: We prepared for spring this March with the women at Lydia’s House and St. Patrick Center. Transforming wine bottles into self-watering planters, participants learned to cut and decorate glass as well as a bit about plant care. Each person left with a freshly planted sprig of mint, and we can’t wait to… Read more »
Hello folks of the Perennial-verse! This is Catherine, one of this summer’s handy interns, and I come baring the news of Soy Gel! It’s golden and thick, and like honey, it’s wonderful. Unlike honey, it can strip the finish off of anything, without harming the environment or your skin. As someone who has been literally… Read more »
Perennial is getting ready for another hot St. Louis summer! Cool off and keep the bugs away in style this summer. We’ve been working hard in the shop making paper fans out of old maps, and fly swatters out of recycled wood and old leather. These summer essentials work great, look awesome, and are made… Read more »
Introducing our new summer interns Catherine and Nancy! They go to the same school! They live in the same house! They carpool! This summer Perennial is fostering two art students from Washington University who share our love of scavenging and our commitment to the environment. Previous to employment here, Nancy once found some top-notch… Read more »
Don’t miss out on Bridget’s Rag Weaving Workshops! Session 1: June 18 + 25 // Session 2: September 5 + 12 Registration for Session 1 ends tomorrow! 1. What is your favorite reclaimed material to work with? I love finding old sheets from the 70’s. They weave up into great rag rugs. 2. What is… Read more »
Don’t miss Theresa’s Recycled Paper Making workshop! Click here to register by 6.5.13 1. What is your favorite reclaimed material to work with? Saved Heirloom Seeds 2. What is the most interesting/weirdest item you have found in an alley, the trash or a thrift store? Our kitty, Daffodil–Both interesting and weird 3. What artist/designer/person inspires… Read more »
Perennial has been selected as State Farm Neighborhood Assist Top 200 Finalist, and we’re in the running for a $25,000 grant.
From Wednesday 8/15 – Friday 8/24, you can cast 10 votes each day to support Perennial!
Vote Now!