A New Life for Old Fabric Samples

A dirty secret of any interior design studio is how many of discontinued fabric and wallcovering samples end up in the garbage.  It’s always hard to find a creative reuse for these samples, no matter how beautiful they are – after all, you can only make so many throw pillows before they take on a life of their own – and take over your sofa!

I recently read about the School Resource Center at the Lee County Schools Foundation, located on Second Street between Jackson and Hendry Streets in downtown Fort Myers. The dedicated staff at the School Resource Center collect corporate and individual donations of school supplies, art supplies, books, and classroom materials.  Lee County teachers can “shop” for free, getting much needed supplies for their classrooms and their students.   Most classroom teachers purchase supplies for their students on their own dime, so the Resource Center fills a great need.

When Collins & DuPont’s resource library had a sizable number of fabric sample books to discard, I thought they might enjoy a new life in classroom art projects.  This afternoon, I’m taking our second car load of sample books to the Resource Center. The teachers are happy, our design librarian is happy, and we did our part to “reduce, reuse, and recycle!”

To make a donation, or for more information, call the Resource Center at 239-337-0433.