Students work on their chosen crafts at 6 p.m. Oct. 1 in the Environmental Center.

The Environmental Center's Free Store at Fort Lewis College held a social event for students to sew backpack charms at 5 p.m. Oct. 1 at the Environmental Center in Student Union 145. 

The event turns old clothing into something new and teaches people ways to upcycle materials, Ava Leonard, Free Store project lead, said. 

“We realize we have so many clothes people donate that sometimes they sit in the free store for a long time,” Leonard said. “Then it’s like, is anyone ever going to really use this, because it’s kind of damaged?” 

The backpack charm event prevents clothing from ending up in the landfill in an attempt to reduce waste, Leonard said. 

The Free Store hosts an upcycling event once a month and creates something that everyone can make, Maya Simons, Free Store co-lead, said.

The event uses fabric and fabric scraps donated to the Free Store, which makes the event low-cost, Simons said. 

“It brings people into the Environmental Center, which is great because a lot of people just walk by and don’t really know what the EC is about,” Simons said. “But when they see our events and come, they get to hang out in the space.” 

Luke Curley, a double major in music and music performance, said he came to the event because he likes sewing.

His sewing skills are intermediate and he was sewing a skull that could potentially make it onto the patch jacket he was wearing, Curley said. 

Jaden Derendy, computer science and engineering major, said he would sew masks during COVID-19 and also dabbled in making little pillows and once a wallet. 

His sewing skills used to be good compared to now, Derendy said, noting that he was sewing together the character, Hornet, from the video game Holly Knight: Silksong. 

Bee Miller, an art K-12 major, said she was invited by her cousin and has a small interest in sewing her clothes when they tear. 

Her sewing skills were messy, and she was sewing together a cat plush, Miller said. 

Max Kensta, a double major in early childhood education and studio arts, said she has been to many campus craft events so far and enjoys having the trinkets afterwards. 

She mostly tailored clothes for herself and her family and enjoys sewing small items out of recycled scraps, Kensta said.  

Her sewing skills were intermediate and she was making a turtle plush for her bag because it was her grandma's favorite animal, Kensta said.  

“I like these events because people come with their friends and spend an evening hanging out, making something cute,” Simons said. 

These events are a way to teach people that it can be fun and easy to turn fabric scraps into something new instead of throwing them away, Leonard said. 

“I think it’s a really valuable skill, and I really love being able to teach that to students,” Leonard said. 

Once you know how to do a basic stitch, then you can mend your own clothing or make little things out of gifts, Leonard said. 

“It’s a really good way to not only keep things out of the landfill, but also a really awesome way to save money,” Leonard said. 

For more information on upcoming events from the Environmental Center, check the SkyHub events tab.