Recently, Cynthia Sanford of Modern Mobler, a vintage furnishings store specializing in Mid-Century Modern and Danish Modern furniture from the 1950s to 1970s, found exactly what she needed at The Resource Exchange to create a “Winter Wonderland” store window display – paper snow saved from the New York City Opera! Read about her creative reuse project in her own words below.

By happenstance I was searching re‘s craigslist listings one night and saw the posting for the paper snow. I KNEW immediately that I had to have a box (or two) for my holiday window. A friend was going to Philadelphia to see his son who had just started at Temple. He kindly offered to stop at The Resource Exchange to pick up the snow for me. I was soooo excited!

In the meantime I acquired two unused white, pre-lit trees at a thrift store. The idea for my window started to come together, especially when the three-bulb chrome lamp came into the shop and I pictured it as a third “tree.”  I felt the warm red of the beautiful Milo Baughman chair lent a festive contrast. Throw in a couple of deer, salvaged from a free-cycle pile by the side of the road and I was all ready to go!

It was looking good, but I was dying with anticipation until we opened the box of paper snow and began drizzling it over the scene! The drifts that it forms in the branches of the trees and around the base are so realistic and make the window absolutely perfect. People tell me I have outdone myself this year and I chalk it up to the paper snow – it’s the details that make the difference and I love that I had the opportunity to use something that we would not normally purchase because, as an independent, small business we have to be creative with our resources.

People are stopping to take photos and selfies in front of the window! I could not be more pleased with the result. I hope the donations The Resource Exchange gets continue to grow because entities such as the re enable artists, small businesses, teachers, makers and individuals to use and experiment with materials they may not normally have access to.

I plan to use the paper snow into January and February, even March for my window so it will get lots of use!

Thank you, Cynthia, for helping support our mission of keeping reusable materials out of landfill. It’s always wonderful to hear our customer’s creative reuse stories and we’re very thankful when they share with us!