Owner enjoys new DIY shop at RePurpose it

RePurpose It, a boutique in Washington that shares a building with Carson Plumbing, has expanded its store to include a new Do-It-Yourself workshop. While the store already hosted paint and craft lessons before the addition, Owner Leslie Allender said there was a need for more square footage.

“We were already hosting workshops, and we saw the need to grow our space so that we could host larger parties,” owner Leslie Allender said. “It didn’t work wonderfully, we used to have to move furniture out of the way, we would slide merchandise aside and set up tables and do workshops that way.”

The new area meets that need, giving enough room for tables, supply storage, and space to work on projects. The room is big enough to support two groups meeting at the same time, or larger groups that need every table.

Allender has led every one of the classes held in the new space. She was initially self-taught, but trained more formally as demand climbed and new materials were stocked.

“I love it, the best part of my day is hosting workshops,” she said. “We have been doing it for eight years, and I have taught every workshop that’s come through here, I have not missed one.”

Allender said popularity for RePurpose It’s workshops had grown since opening the space in September of 2021.

“Last year we had record numbers for our DIY workshops, just in general,” she said. “We normally see a slow time between February and June, but this year it wasn’t until June that we saw things slow down. And we still hosted more classes this year than we did last year in June.”

Many groups attend workshops as social outings, rather than for educational purposes. While the store does host in-depth programs like “Chalk Painting 101,” its sign-making class is more popular as a one-off.

“The group that’s here tonight, they’re not really here to learn techniques about painting, they’re here to come as a group, socialize, have a good time,” Allender said. “But we’re going to walk them through every step when they come in. They start off with bare wood, they sand, they paint, and then they’ll stencil on top of that and walk out of here with a new sign.”

Allender said she hoped to add more to the creative options available in the new space.

“We want to expand what we’re doing, and haven’t yet decided what we want to introduce,” she said. “The struggle is finding something that fits not only a budget, but the time allowed, but also the excitement that comes with it. It’s a lot of thought process that goes into that.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com