Jewellery Repair Cafe at Reverse Garbage Queensland
I am excited to announce I am running my first Jewellery Repair Cafe!
Saturday 11th January from 10am-12pm*
Reverse Garbage Queensland, 20 Burke St, Woolloongabba QLD 4102
*Bookings essential and are limited. $10 non refundable booking fee which can then be used as $10 in-store credit. Visit eventbrite to secure your spot. If you are coming, I would love you to send me a picture of what you are thinking of bringing to help me best prepare the pieces to bring along on the day!
I have been thinking about running a drop in workshop cafe like this for a few years now, inspired by the repair cafe I attended at the Bower in Parramatta.
Bring along the pieces that sit in the bottom of your jewellery box, waiting to be fixed. Now is the time to finally do something about it! I have lots of ideas on how you could re-design the piece or give it a new life. Some pieces may be a very simple on the spot fix!
Some fine jewellery repairs will require soldering and more technical repairs so won’t be able to be done on the spot. But I will be able to offer advice and tips on what repairs are needed and what is involved in those repairs.
I will be bringing along a selection of basic supplies such as sterling silver clasps, chains and jump rings, which can be bought to finish your project. I will have thread, re-stringing equipment, glue and base metal findings which will be complimentary.
What to expect:
Bring your tired or old pieces of jewellery. Tools will be provided but if you have your own set of tools, bring them along. Light refreshments will be provided.
This cafe is proudly supported by Brisbane City Council as part of the Low Waste Living program. https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/whats-on-and-events/event/jewellery-repair-cafe-with-sinead-buckney-141077405
Find out more on the Reverse Garbage Queensland Facebook event page.
Examples of repairs - replacing of clasps, jump rings, chains. Restring a bead necklace or strand of pearls. Lengthen or shorten a necklace or bracelet. Gluing of costume jewellery. Changing over earring backs. Change a single earring into a pendant. Make a simple adjustable cord necklace. Lacquering and wax pieces against patinas and weathering.
Enlarging holes on beads. Replace a watch battery. Convert a silver ring to a toe ring. Convert a pendant to a brooch. Make a wine charm with your old beads. Make simple earrings with your broken bead necklaces. Cleaning your jewellery. Restoring a matt finish on pieces. Find out your ring size, reshape a misshapen ring. What to look for to find jewellery you can rework in thrift shops.
I will provide simple cleaning products, finger sizing equipment, a few basic bench tools and work peg. I will bring clasps, fittings, findings, jump rings, ear hooks, brooch fittings, chains, wire, cords, restringing equipment, glue, my bead collection. Examples of pieces that have been repaired or upcycled. I am also compiling some worksheets or a digital file with tips and resources.
If you are unable to attend this time, don’t worry as there will be another workshop later in the year. If you are not based in Brisbane, feel free to send me photographs of your pieces and I can discuss ideas with you over email! I hope to add some suggestions of things I have done over the next few weeks and will of course take lots of pictures of the pieces that we do fix in the workshop!
I am really excited about this as it is an issue very close to my heart, repairing and using what we have. Fixing the pieces we love but are not quite right so they can continue to be worn for many more years!
Do you know about Reverse Garbage Queensland?
Their moto is:
Waste is something we do, not something that is.
I love that!
Reverse Garbage Queensland is a not-for-profit worker run co-operative that promotes environmental sustainability and resource reuse. We collect high quality industrial discards, diverting them away from landfill and sell them at a low cost to the general public.
They run lots of different workshops like a clothing repair cafe and kids school holiday workshops. It’s a fabulous place to visit for inspiration for your next project or to get some craft supplies with the kids! I highly recommend following their Facebook page to hear about upcoming workshops and see some of the cool things that come in, often they sell out fast!