Partner Q&A

Heather Bouley of SCRAP DC

A thrift shop for artists, crafters, teachers, parents, DIY-ers, and anyone else who loves to create, SCRAP DC seeks to inspire creative reuse and environmentally sustainable behavior. Since its founding in August 2010, SCRAP has diverted more than five tons of materials from local waste streams, installed art shows, and offered educational programs and affordable crafting supplies to the community. We spoke with SCRAP’s co-founder and D.C. director, Heather Bouley (above).

How did you find out about Knowledge Commons DC?
I was tabling for SCRAP at the Meet Market and started talking to a fashion blogger who raved about KCDC.

How did you get involved?
After taking a few classes I decided to make a foray into teaching. My favorite was my class on hemming jeans. Most everyone started out terrified of sewing machines, but totally conquered them by the end of the class.

What do you like about KCDC?
The people are friendly, creative, and passionate.  I love that.

How has SCRAP contributed to the broader community?
We’ve hosted classes at SCRAP beginning at our first location at 52 O Street Studios. Our first class was an “Iron Chef”-style challenge. We gave competitors a “secret ingredient” on which to base a craft project, then opened up the store so they could gather materials.

Of the classes held at SCRAP, do you have a favorite?
There was a pretty cool weaving class at our old location. One of the participants liked SCRAP so much that she decided to come back to volunteer with us, which was a pretty exciting result!


Heidi Zheng is a student at the University of Rochester, where she majors in religious studies and prepares for her certificate in literary translation. A woman of letters in the making, she is utterly smitten with words, and kittens. And mittens. But mostly, words.