Cecile Lipton of Highland Village didn’t have enough Burr Oak acorns needed to fill her yard with trees.

But through a growing online network, she found someone who did.

Freecycle.org has become an online hotspot for millions of people worldwide who are looking to dump things they don’t need but find a home for it with people who do.

The network is different from other similar online services, such as Craig’s List. Freecycle only accepts postings about items that are free.

The network, which began taking shape in 2003 in Tucson, Ariz., now stretches across the globe. But it doesn’t take world travel to get the items. The website groups “junk”-seekers together by cities to make pick-up trips easier, and Flower Mound is one town that has hopped on board.

Lipton is one member who has benefited from the site. She has used Freecycle to find a sheet of vinyl flooring, a picnic table and a doghouse that she uses for her goat. And, then there’s the bag of Burr Oak acorns. “Maybe people will think that getting a bag of acorns is unusual,” Lipton said. “But, I got what my heart desired. It’s hard to find those. I saw a couple of squirrels burying them one day, but I can’t just ask them where they got them.”

Lipton has also been on the giving side, providing dance shoes, bed frames and firewood to those who expressed interest. She also gave away 100 plants and children’s garden tools to an elementary school for a beautification project.

She said giving and receiving is the best way to use the network.

“People think I’m dumb for not selling my stuff on Craig’s List,” Lipton said. “But, we have too much consumerism in us. It’s an ugly attitude to have, so I’d like to subtract that from my life. You get to meet great people who aren’t trying to make a buck.”

Lewisville resident Mikie Doyle has given and received many items including children’s clothes.

“It’s a great place to be for people with kids,” she said. “I like being able to get things like toys. My 3-year-old will get a new toy and play with it for three weeks before being ready to move on to something else. Then you just send it on its way.”

The operation of the site is simple. People post what they have to donate and/or what they need. Once there is a match, the interested parties correspond via e-mail to arrange a time for the person in need to pick up the items, which are usually left on the person’s front porch. Givers can choose who they will save the items for, and sometimes e-mail politeness is a factor.

DeDe Duncan, of Flower Mound, is the owner and moderator of Flower Mound Area Freecycle, which consists mostly of residents in Flower Mound, Highland Village and Lewisville.

Different groups have different guidelines. Duncan, for example, is more lenient on the residency of people who want to use the Flower Mound group.

“I accept a lot of people because some places like Roanoke, Double Oak and Southlake don’t have one,” Duncan said. “But, the purpose is to stay close to home and not have to drive far and spend a lot of gas. So, we try to keep them within 15 miles.”

Some standard rules apply in all communities, such as not accepting posts for weapons or items considered vulgar.

That doesn’t mean eyebrows aren’t raised on other items, though.

“One of the strangest things I saw was someone donating a toilet seat,” Duncan said.

But donating anything keeps items in circulation, which is one of the biggest goals for the network.

“This keeps things from going into the landfills,” Duncan said. “Someone might want that. A broken TV might need just one tube, so a person who sees that could fix it.”

The Freecycle Network started May 1, 2003, when Deron Beal sent out an e-mail to various people and non-profit organizations announcing a recycling effort by his company. After realizing several perfectly-functioning items were being thrown away, he began an email group to find homes for those items. In October, the network surpassed four million users.

Flower Mound’s group began in June 2006 and has grown to about 520 members.

Like any group with several people, conflict can arise. Duncan said Flower Mound’s group has had minimal problems, though. She recalls only one incident in which two women argued over a pick-up arrangement.

Network members encourage safety when arranging pick-ups.

Lipton also cautioned about paying attention to the item you’re seeking to make sure it’s what you want, as well as giving accurate information about the item you’re looking to donate.

“Whatever you have in mind, make sure you inquire about the details,” Lipton said.

And, if the item doesn’t work for the new owner?

“You can always freecycle it,” Lipton said.