What you do with your unwanted stuff can be a radical act against overconsumption culture…but also an incredible way to care for your community!

Okay, but what is“Mindful Rehoming?”

Mindful Rehoming rejects the binary of “donation bin” or “trash bin” when it’s time to rehome our unwanted stuff.
In fact, Mindful Rehoming assumes that the donation bin should be your last resort.
Mindful Rehoming directs your unwanted stuff to people/places/organizations that will ensure it is used and has a positive impact on people.
Mindful Rehoming requires more time, thought, and effort, but it is worthwhile because nothing is disposable.

The future homes for your stuff might be found on your phone!

Your friends/family (and their friends/family) might be interested, so share on social media.
Try rehoming with your neighbors via Nextdoor or your local Buy Nothing Group.
Make a stranger’s day via Craigslist, Freecycle, or Facebook Marketplace.
Find mutual aid groups, local shelters, and specialized organizations via internet search. The subreddit for your city/region is also a good source of info.

Special homes for specific stuff:

Home & Kitchen Goods, Furniture: Refugee resettlement groups.
Professional/Work Clothing: University Career Closets, Dress for Success (dressforsuccess.org), local shelters.
Electronics: School STEM programs, local electronics/tech co-ops.
Tools and landscaping equipment: Local tool library.
Books: Correctional facility education programs (libguides.ala.org/book-donations/bookstoprisons).
Medical supplies/equipment: check with your local senior center or Knights of Columbus.
Sewing machines, craft/art supplies, fabric, yarn: find your local creative reuse center/secondhand craft supply store.
Towels, Linens, Pillows: Animal shelters and animal rescue groups.

And as a reminder: there are plenty of people in your neighborhood Buy Nothing Group who want/need these items!

Or make a few bucks reselling your stuff!

Online platforms: FB Marketplace, Depop, Mercari, eBay, Vinted, Poshmark, Craigslist.
Have a yard sale!
Take your items to a consignment or resale shop like Buffalo Exchange, Plato’s Closet, etc. Ask your friends/neighbors about locally owned shops.
Resell your books to a used book store (and get credit towards new ones).
Give to a reseller to sell online (and give them a big cut of sales).

Get social with it!!

Host a swap! Yes, clothing swaps are the most common form of swap events, but you can also swap craft supplies, fabrics, toys, home goods, beauty products, and more. It’s a great chance to spend time with your community AND mindfully rehome your stuff.
Have a “free store.” Basically: a yard sale where everything is free to anyone who wants it. Or they can make a donation to the mutual aid fundraiser of your choice. Get other friends to join in with their own unwanted stuff.

Most importantly:

Mindful Rehoming takes time! Procrastination leads to a last minute trip to the Goodwill or one of those random donation bins in the Target parking lot.
Take NO for an answer. Don’t pass the burden on to someone else. And call before showing up with a load of stuff.
The goal is to give to PEOPLE, not donation bins and big corporate thrift stores, so look within your community, including free closets, church groups. and mutual aid organizers.
Ask your friends, neighbors, and coworkers for suggestions. And share your own positive Mindful Rehoming experiences with everyone you know!

e easiest way of rehoming stuff for you may not be so easy for the people, animals, and plants living “downstream” from your unwanted stuff.

In a hyper consumerist, “fast everything” society, we are encouraged to buy and dispose without much thought because it’s great for shareholders and CEOs. The same system that wants us to buy as much stuff as possible, as often as possible…also wants us to close our eyes to the impact that overconsumption has on the world around us.

Slowing it down, thinking about the impact, and making better decisions? These are radical acts! Let’s get radical together!

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Clotheshorse is brought to you with support from the following sustainable small businesses:

Slow Fashion Academy is a size-inclusive sewing and patternmaking studio based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Designer and fashion professor Ruby Gertz teaches workshops for hobbyists and aspiring designers, so that anyone can learn the foundational skills of making, mending, and altering their own clothes. Ruby also provides professional design and patternmaking services to emerging slow fashion brands, and occasionally takes commissions for custom garments and costume pieces. She has also released several PDF sewing patterns for original designs under her brands Spokes & Stitches, and Starling Petite Plus. Check the schedule for upcoming workshops, download PDF sewing patterns, and learn about additional sewing and design services at www.slowfashion.academy.

Thumbprint is Detroit’s only fair trade marketplace, located in the historic Eastern Market. Our small business specializes in products handmade by empowered women in South Africa making a living wage creating things they love like hand painted candles and ceramics! We also carry a curated assortment of sustainable/natural locally made goods. Thumbprint is a great gift destination for both the special people in your life and for yourself! Browse our online store at thumbprintdetroit.com and find us on instagram @thumbprintdetroit.

Picnicwear: a slow fashion brand, ethically made by hand from vintage and deadstock materials – most notably, vintage towels! Founder, Dani, has worked in the industry as a fashion designer for over 10 years, but started Picnicwear in response to her dissatisfaction with the industry’s shortcomings. Picnicwear recently moved to rural North Carolina where all their clothing and accessories are now designed and cut, but the majority of their sewing is done by skilled garment workers in NYC. Their customers take comfort in knowing that all their sewists are paid well above NYC minimum wage. Picnicwear offers minimal waste and maximum authenticity: Future Vintage over future garbage.

Shift Clothing, out of beautiful Astoria, Oregon, with a focus on natural fibers, simple hardworking designs, and putting fat people first. Discover more at shiftwheeler.com

High Energy Vintage is a fun and funky vintage shop located in Somerville, MA, just a few minutes away from downtown Boston. They offer a highly curated selection of bright and colorful clothing and accessories from the 1940s-1990s for people of all genders. Husband-and-wife duo Wiley & Jessamy handpick each piece for quality and style, with a focus on pieces that transcend trends and will find a home in your closet for many years to come! In addition to clothing, the shop also features a large selection of vintage vinyl and old school video games. Find them on instagram @ highenergyvintage, online at highenergyvintage.com, and at markets in and around Boston.

St. Evens is an NYC-based vintage shop that is dedicated to bringing you those special pieces you’ll reach for again and again. More than just a store, St. Evens is dedicated to sharing the stories and history behind the garments. 10% of all sales are donated to a different charitable organization each month. New vintage is released every Thursday at wearStEvens.com, with previews of new pieces and more brought to you on Instagram at @wear_st.evens.

Deco Denim is a startup based out of San Francisco, selling clothing and accessories that are sustainable, gender fluid, size inclusive and high quality–made to last for years to come. Deco Denim is trying to change the way you think about buying clothes. Founder Sarah Mattes wants to empower people to ask important questions like, “Where was this made? Was this garment made ethically? Is this fabric made of plastic? Can this garment be upcycled and if not, can it be recycled?” Signup at decodenim.com to receive $20 off your first purchase. They promise not to spam you and send out no more than 3 emails a month, with 2 of them surrounding education or a personal note from the Founder. Find them on Instagram as @deco.denim.

The Pewter Thimble Is there a little bit of Italy in your soul? Are you an enthusiast of pre-loved decor and accessories? Bring vintage Italian style — and history — into your space with The Pewter Thimble (@thepewterthimble). We source useful and beautiful things, and mend them where needed. We also find gorgeous illustrations, and make them print-worthy. Tarot cards, tea towels and handpicked treasures, available to you from the comfort of your own home. Responsibly sourced from across Rome, lovingly renewed by fairly paid artists and artisans, with something for every budget. Discover more at thepewterthimble.com

Blank Cass, or Blanket Coats by Cass, is focused on restoring, renewing, and reviving the history held within vintage and heirloom textiles. By embodying and transferring the love, craft, and energy that is original to each vintage textile into a new garment, I hope we can reteach ourselves to care for and mend what we have and make it last. Blank Cass lives on Instagram @blank_cass and a website will be launched soon at blankcass.com.

Vagabond Vintage DTLV is a vintage clothing, accessories & decor reselling business based in Downtown Las Vegas. Not only do we sell in Las Vegas, but we are also located throughout resale markets in San Francisco as well as at a curated boutique called Lux and Ivy located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Jessica, the founder & owner of Vagabond Vintage DTLV, recently opened the first IRL location located in the Arts District of Downtown Las Vegas on August 5th. The shop has a strong emphasis on 60s & 70s garments, single stitch tee shirts & dreamy loungewear. Follow them on instagram, @vagabondvintage.dtlv and keep an eye out for their website coming fall of 2022.

Country Feedback is a mom & pop record shop in Tarboro, North Carolina. They specialize in used rock, country, and soul and offer affordable vintage clothing and housewares. Do you have used records you want to sell? Country Feedback wants to buy them! Find us on Instagram @countryfeedbackvintageandvinyl or head downeast and visit our brick and mortar. All are welcome at this inclusive and family-friendly record shop in the country!

Located in Whistler, Canada, Velvet Underground is a “velvet jungle” full of vintage and second-hand clothes, plants, a vegan cafe and lots of rad products from other small sustainable businesses. Our mission is to create a brand and community dedicated to promoting self-expression, as well as educating and inspiring a more sustainable and conscious lifestyle both for the people and the planet. Find us on Instagram @shop_velvetunderground or online at www.shopvelvetunderground.com

Selina Sanders, a social impact brand that specializes in up-cycled clothing, using only reclaimed, vintage or thrifted materials: from tea towels, linens, blankets and quilts. Sustainably crafted in Los Angeles, each piece is designed to last in one’s closet for generations to come. Maximum Style; Minimal Carbon Footprint.

Salt Hats: purveyors of truly sustainable hats. Hand blocked, sewn and embellished in Detroit, Michigan.

Republica Unicornia Yarns: Hand-Dyed Yarn and notions for the color-obsessed. Made with love and some swearing in fabulous Atlanta, Georgia by Head Yarn Wench Kathleen. Get ready for rainbows with a side of Giving A Damn! Republica Unicornia is all about making your own magic using small-batch, responsibly sourced, hand-dyed yarns and thoughtfully made notions. Slow fashion all the way down and discover the joy of creating your very own beautiful hand knit, crocheted, or woven pieces. Find us on Instagram @republica_unicornia_yarns and at www.republicaunicornia.com.

Cute Little Ruin is an online shop dedicated to providing quality vintage and secondhand clothing, vinyl, and home items in a wide range of styles and price points. If it’s ethical and legal, we try to find a new home for it! Vintage style with progressive values. Find us on Instagram at @CuteLittleRuin.