Years ago in our Shoreline neighborhood, a resident potter put up a glass-encased box on a pole in front of their house.
It was a crafty kid’s dream, holding little bags of clay, pots of pottery glaze, and hand-building tools. The invitation was simple: make something out of the clay, paint it with glaze, and return your creation to the box, the sign for which read “Little Free Pottery Studio.”
When the pottery artist, supported by King County’s 4Culture program, fired your creation, they posted it on their Facebook page. Thrilled neighborhood children scrambled to collect their art on the walk home from school.
In fact, Greater Seattle seems to love the Little Free movement, launched in 2009 when Wisconsin resident Todd Bol erected the first Little Free Library. Since then, more than 200,000 registered little libraries have gone up in 128 countries, over 1,100 of them in King County.
Step into almost any neighborhood in the county and you’re likely to find a Little Free Library, where residents find and leave books for each other. You can learn how to start one yourself with our article Check out the article, “How to start your own Little Free Library.”
But the movement is for more than free books. It’s about being a neighbor, spreading joy, and meeting needs. Besides the aforementioned pottery box, Little Free Pantries (where shelf-stable food is shared) have abounded here since 2016 and in 2020, Seattle-based artist Stacy Milrany launched Free Little Art Galleries, where artists showcase tiny art pieces. You’ll now find such galleries not only here but across the globe.
The Little Free movement sings of the simple power of sharing to build and nurture community. They inspire kids and parents to share children’s books that would otherwise sit unused in a garage.
After my kids graduated from high school, my partner and I put up a Little Free Library in front of our home. That little box full of books helped us connect with neighbors, and, by way of the notes we wrote in the flaps, we became trusted “reviewers” of parenting books and “recommenders” of kids’ titles.
Build a Little Free sharing box
We ordered our Little Free Library box kit from the Little Free Library site, but I should note it wasn’t cheap. Ours cost around $400 and currently small ones start at about $190. However, with the help of the folks and tools at Seattle REconomy’s Tool Libraries in Northeast Seattle and Shoreline or any of Seattle’s six tool libraries and not a lot of cost, you can make it with your crafty kid. Check out this video:
Learn how to start or stock a Little Free something by visiting:
