Volunteered at FABSCRAP in Bay Ridge and had such a great experience. They work with companies to keep fabric scraps out of landfills, sorting through about 6,000 pounds a week, which is pretty amazing. The shift was about 3 hours, the staff was super friendly, and the music made it really fun. You also get to take home up to 5 pounds of fabric after, which is such a cool perk if you're into anything crafty. Highly recommend checking this out if you're looking for a unique and meaningful volunteer opportunity! read more

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A volunteer opportunity for everyone, no special skills required. Very well organized and run facility. They repurpose/upcyle fabric. You sort items into various categories according to their easy to follow charted system. I went with a friend and we worked alongside a few other volunteers. We used scissors to remove labels, zippers, buttons etc. It was interesting to see all the fabrics,sample clothing, trimmings etc. The staff is very welcoming and provide all the instructions. They are available throughout the shift to address any questions you have. At the end of the 3 hour shift you get yo take home 5 pounds of fabric of your choosing (free) . They have a shopping room that you can buy additional materials and trimmings too at 30% discount . The prices are way below traditional fabric shops. If you're a sew/craft lover you will be happy in the shopping room. If you're looking for a place to volunteer that offers a different experience then try a shift here. The shifts offered are 9am to 12pm and 1pm to 4pm. It's located in the Brooklyn Army Terminal. It's a warehouse type atmosphere but downstairs you can find food and coffee etc so don't think it's a desolate area. I look forward to doing some more shifts here. read more

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Fabscrap was such a cool and unique experience. I'm involved in a work committee where we try to do one big volunteering day each quarter, and we chose this one. We helped sort clothes for about 3 1/2 hours, then got to shop their store. We were allowed to take up to 5lbs of materials for free so if you craft, create clothes, cosplay, etc. this is such a good opportunity. It was incredible to see how much textiles are wasted and put into perspective how we shape the world around us. It is a bit of a hike to get to, but you do get to walk through the Brooklyn Army Terminaly which has a stunning area to it. read more

I have been here shopping two other times in the past. This time I was lured by their 15% off yarns. I ended up leaving with a handful of buttons. All the yarns on cones were too thin for hand knitting and the thicker ones were small balls that wouldn't end up making more than a hat if you combined colors. There's plenty of other things like fabric and leather as well as trimmings. read more

Ordered some yarn online for my knitting machine and was thrilled! The cones are mostly only $10-$20 for a whole pound of yarn. It's awesome to support such a great cause to reduce waste. Sustainability is something I'm passionate about, so I was very excited to find this place. Shipping was very fast! I live in New England and got it within 3 business days. read more

I love this place and the team here was awesome - I appreciated learning from the team. Please keep in mind that my perspective is different from others though since I'm not a designer or student. I went to volunteer with a group of people. I learned a lot about the recycling process and helped by sorting and bagging up materials. I was there for several hours and while I thought I made progress, it was a drop in the bucket compared to some of the giant mound of bags still left, which is kind of disheartening. I don't sew, but I still took the material given (we could select it ourselves) as compensation for our time to give to family. I think it would be better to have a scale in the fabric scrap room though because I kept running back and forth to checkout because I have no idea what five pounds feels like when it comes to fabric. It was awkward and delayed the process and even then I didn't get the full weight owed to me. FYI this place is a tad inconvenient to get to. The amount of money you pay to get here might end up being the same amount you saved, so make sure you calculate that beforehand. Also, be aware if you have allergies - you're going through old material so you may want to mask up. By the time I went here it was already a tad bit warm outside but being indoors where the heat was trapped made it a tad warmer. I can't imagine what they're like in the summer so I'd probably only go back in the early spring or winter. And definitely wear comfy shoes! read more

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This is one of the most difficult and unprofessional businesses I've come across. It's already difficult making the trip out here on transit in NYC to make it in time, because their hours close so early in the day, but on top of that they're not even consistent or honest about how they operate. I make the hour and a half trip here today and made it an HOUR before their page said they closed. And the door was locked, called their office multiple times and knocked for a hood 20 minutes. Nothing. I want to support a smaller charity driven business that helps the environment, BUT it seems like they don't want YOU to actually. So unprofessional and unacceptable that they can just lie about wether they're open. People travel all the way the out to y'all and to be so flippant and unreliable is disrespectful. Not cool and please keep this review in mind before you shop or volunteer read more

I learned about Fab Scrap as I started to do my research on slow fashion and sustainable ways to build an apparel brand. Fab Scrap is an organization that properly recycles through upcycling and downcycling and reuses fabric that would have ended up in a landfill. They have the opportunity to allow people to volunteer to help sort their fabric scraps and of course, I rose my hand! Plus each volunteer gets 5 lbs of FREE fabric of their choice and 30% off anything additional they want to buy. I was there for 3 hours and honestly, the time flew by. My fingers did hurt since I seemed to be stuck in the "sample kit" table but the work was theraputeic. Also, it's great that I'm using my time to do a good deed and help prevent textile waste. 2 and a half hours in, they start letting people go and shop around for fabric of their choice. Everything is organized by color, I personally wanted a specific fabric type but if you go to the warehouse, what you see is what you get and the fabric isn't noted on what type it is. I opted for the voucher, where I can come back to the warehouse or shop and redeem my free 5 lbs. I personally enjoyed the work and the feeling of contributing to a good deed towards the environment, It won't be my last time volunteering. Also, in June, they're going to be playing bingo where the winner can take an additional 5 lbs home. Win Win! read more

FABSCRAP - Posing as I rip off fabric off the sample packaging. RIP fore fingers - Fabric Stores Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

As someone working primarily in textiles - with an emphasis on repurposing fabrics - I had a number of people alerting me to Fabscrap. Finally went to scout and wasn't disappointed - You can volunteer and get 5 pounds free material ( + 30% off anything beyond that), shop the warehouse, or shop the online or physical store (26th St). I did an easy Saturday 10a-1p session and shopped after (see photos for my haul). Volunteer experience: - each person is set up at a table that's surrounded by bins; table clearly labeled which fabric goes where (you don't have to know fabrics) - aside from music they have playing, it was pretty quiet. Some people bring headphones, everyone is really left to do their own thing. Pretty meditative work - the women running it were friendly and standing by to answer any questions - be sure to reserve a spot online first, it does fill up! Shopping: - disclaimer: I often work on small scale items, so I was particularly thrilled by the selection. While the warehouse does offer yardage, you might want to check out the 26th street shop for more variety with that - my haul: 1.) a beautiful range of leathers/pleathers in both traditional browns/tans and great colors. If you're into making wallets/purses or other accessories, I highly recommend. 2.) furs! A dreamy selection of fur and wool swatches. But to disclaim again: not large stretches of each, the larger pieces up to 2ft and the smaller about 6in. 3.) laces and zippers: spools' worth of different laces, invisible zippers in a range of lengths/colors. They also have plenty of buttons (both loose and in sorted packets) and buckles. read more

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To be honest, if you are volunteering, it will be 3 full hours (9am-12pm) and then about 20 minutes to choose fabric afterwards. If you are motivated by the offer of the free 5 pounds of fabric, know that the pickings are real slim. It's mostly leftover and end of roll scraps set aside in the cubicle shelves to choose from. There used to be some decent rolls to choose from, mostly upholstery fabric that included some lightweight stuff that could be converted to dress fabric, despite that they were sending all the good stuff to the Manhattan store. But once they closed the Manhattan store, none of those upholstery-like fabric rolls are even included in the "volunteer's 5 pound for free" pick. If you want anything decent, they say you'll have to pay for it. And even then, the choices of those "exclusive" rolls aren't that great. And the prices aren't much of a bargain and can be gotten at a jobber in the garment district, Fulton street or Jackson Heights for the same price range or less. Who knows where all that rumored designer fabrics go, or even the nicer fabrics that could be gotten in the Manhattan store, because I have never seen them. They guilt you into paying and donating to the cause, and will always ask if you want to donate your "change" when you are buying fabric. Sure, you can make something from scraps of nothing if you are creative, but there are no real bargains here. Most of the recycling volunteer work is separating fabric scraps from paper and cardboard that is used in wholesale company to display the samples. There is a tremendous amount of scrap paper that gets recycled. More than actual fabric. The proprietary stuff (a/k/a designer fabric swatches) are separated elsewhere by paid employees. Volunteers never see designer stuff. read more

DON"T BOTHER! The help is rude and non existent. No selection. Trying to find this place is like trying to find a Trump supporter in Park Slope. If you need fabric go to Mid-Town 39 St and area. Their buisness model is not doable judging from a mountain of black garbages. The smart thing thing to do would be to break down all those scrapes and re wove int new sustainable fab. read more

I come here about once a month. It's a trek from my home base, but it's worth it because of the yarn prices. I only come for the yarn. They have lots of fabric rolls, fabric scraps, leather scraps, trims, and notions as well. Prices here are better than their Manhattan store or online. For best price come here. $5/lb for yarn or fabric. There is also a volunteer program. If you do a set amount of hours, you get 5 lb of yarn or fabric free, and $3/lb after the 5 free pounds. Fabscrap recycles any unwanted fabric and textiles from apparel businesses in New York City. They recycle any proprietary materials that can't be resold to create insulation, carpet padding, etc. They resell the non-proprietary textiles to designers and artists at discounted prices. read more

Very worthwhile visit. My 20 year old fashionista bought some scraps and made some great outfits. And she loved the experience.

Founder is brilliant, innovative, caring, inspirational, and someone we should all look up to. Every experience I've had with them has been great, and I've left learning more about the industry, feeling better about the world (especially the planet), and with a giant armful of fabric! Volunteering to sort fabric scraps was actually really fun, and I felt like it was a good way to see the current fashion trends as well as collect searches and learn fabric types. Nothing bad to say about this incredible company!!! read more