Como Craftcycle may be small, but it is mighty.

The organization was started in 2024 by friends and lifelong crafters, Lisa Groshong and Ashlee Christiansen. The two met while serving in the Peace Corp and remained friends afterward. While Groshong was living in Kansas City, Christiansen visited her and the two visited ScrapsKC. They immediately caught the crafting bug.

Hailed as “KC’s First Creative Reuse Center,” Scraps is a nonprofit that operates as a thrift store for crafting supplies as well as a place for artists, families and the whole community to create art.

Groshong and Christiansen initially hoped another nonprofit would adopt the idea of opening a creative reuse center in Columbia. However, after pitching the idea to numerous other charities and organizations to no avail, they took on the workload themselves.

Groshong and Christiansen were able to turn the organization into a nonprofit, founded on three primary goals: to decrease the waste going to landfills, to encourage art-making through education and to provide craft supplies to the community at an affordable price.

They’ve already made good on their objectives. In 2025, Craftcycle saved more than seven tons of materials from the landfill, Groshong said. And, in the first quarter of 2026, they’ve already saved more than 800 pounds from being tossed out. Groshong is confident they’ll match 2025’s total by the end of the year. Their work is made possible through donations and partnerships.

“People are so supportive,” Groshong, a lifelong sewer, knitter and needle-worker, said. “We’ve gotten so many donations, financial donations and just people excited about it.”

Right now, Como Craftcycle's customer-facing space is their boutique in the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, while they receive, log, sort, price and package donations at their own building on Garth Avenue.

Materials that aren’t right for Craftcycle , such as usable clothing or housewares, are donated to other thrift stores. Materials that aren't likely to find their home in Columbia are sold online.

Craftcycle also holds onto some supplies to turn into crafting kits that they can sell at their pop-ups around Columbia, such as the recent one at the Columbia Art League, an event hosted in conjunction with their art exhibition “What Have We Here.”

Kelsey Hammond, the executive director of the Columbia Art League, has been collaborating with Craftcycle since the beginning, and was excited for the organizations to work together.

“We’re basically in the same playing field,” Hammond said. “And we’re trying to help each other win the game.”

All of Craftcycle’s events and programs are run by Groshong, the leadership board and volunteers. The board has six members, and a core cohort of nine or 10 volunteers in addition to dozens more who volunteer on a semi-regular basis.

“I have a couple volunteers who, honestly, I think work more than I do,” Groshong said, “which is amazing and fantastic. We couldn’t do it without them.”

Vicky Berry is one of these necessary volunteers, who was initially drawn to Craftcycle because of its resonant message.

“I’m somebody who hoards lots of craft supplies,” Berry said. After recently moving, Berry appreciated that Craftcycle offered her an alternative to throwing excess materials in the landfill. “We spent a lot of time and person-hours sorting through supplies and selling them through the Habitat ReStore.”

Craftcycle began working with Habitat for Humanity in March of 2025, and had their grand opening of their store in May of that year.

While relatively new to the brick-and-mortar space, Craftcycle is already looking to upsize with a new building of their own. Having more space would not only allow them more room to sell, but would also let them expand their educational and adult art class services.

“Education is part of our mission,” Groshong said. “The money will be to support education efforts around sustainability and crafting skills. Just encouraging people not to throw things away.”

Craftcycle is in the early stages of financial planning for their building. Groshong describes their current state as “fundraising mode,” as they prepare for sales and fundraisers that will make the storefront a reality.

If everything goes the way Craftcycle is hoping, they’ll have their storefront by the end of this year or by early 2027. For now, though, they’re focusing on their upcoming events to connect with the public and spread awareness for their organization. They are participating in the Columbia Public Library craft-supplies swap on April 11 and Columbia Earth Day Festival on April 26.

“A lot of people already know about us, which is really great and gratifying,” Groshong said.

And, of course, they’re accepting donations.

Como Craftcylce has a foundation, now they're ready for brick and mortar