Nillumbik Repair Cafe

11/10/2026

Coffee machines were the items of choice for yesterday's Nillumbik Repair Cafe. We had 5 machines and a milk frother though the door, amongst the usual assortment of brake-less bikes, wobbly chairs, treasured holey blankets, non-lighting lamps and more! Thanks for our ever super crew of volunteers. Our last repair cafe for the year is Sat 14 November. Get it fixed then or wait til February 2027!

09/10/2026

Last minute reminder that it's Repair Cafe this weekend: Sat 10th October, 9.30 to 12pm, Hurstbridge Hub. All our repairers will be on board to fix your stuff. :)
Book here or just drop by https://events.humanitix.com/repair

30/09/2026

Our super-popular sharpening workshop is on again Saturday 14 November at the Hurstbridge Hub. Hosted by our resident sharpener John, this one usually books out, so get in quickly.

Only $10 for a 90 minute workshop. Learn how to read an edge, find the correct angle for sharpening different items, and maintain your knives, scissors, and tools at home with basic equipment and skills.

Supported by the Nillumbik Shire Council Community Fund.

Learn the Japanese paper technique for turning waste paper into a soft, durable, fabric-like material.

09/09/2026

There's no Hurstbridge Repair Cafe this weekend as our venue is closed for works. See you all on 10 October for more fixing fun.

02/09/2026

NO repair cafe this month, folks. The Hurstbridge Hub is closed for works. We'll be back on 10 October for our regular fixing.

Send a message to learn more

31/08/2026

Any beginner sewists out there, or young people wanting to learn? Check out this free workshop from our good friends at REthink Nillumbik. Coming up at Edendale Repair Cafe on 19 September.

16/08/2026

𝐈𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞, 𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐭?
When something stops working, many of us have been trained to reach for a replacement before we've even assessed the problem.
- "The seam is split" (dead to me)
- "The cord is frayed" (dead to me)
- "The handle broke" (dead to me)

Repair cafes exist to make 'Can this be fixed?' the question people ask first.
Well can it be fixed? Hit us up in the comments to ask, or bring your broken item to the next repair cafe to find out. 😁

14/08/2026

𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐛𝐞? I don't mean the most expensive thing, but the one that's most meaningful to you. The one you'd fix a hundred times over rather than replace.

Mine's this old flanny that's already seen a few goes round the repair circuit. Our sewists replaced the elbows last year and it's now heading for new cuffs. I could buy a new work shirt; but this one's practical, familiar, and worn-in just how I like it. What's your forever object?

13/08/2026

We had 50 items come in for the August repair cafe last weekend: 34 successfully repaired, 10 not repaired, and 6 people given advice on alternative solutions. My favourite? The little lid that got a new k**b. Now there's the title of a kids book.

FYI we are fair LOVING all the lamps and appliances that are turning up, so keep em' coming. If we can't repair them, we'll at least give you:
- advice on what to try next
- a referral to a professional who might help
- the peace of mind that comes from confirming an item is 'totes kaput' (tech term) before committing it to the electrical burial grounds ... aka e-waste.

𝗕𝗜𝗚 𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗘: 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝗡𝗢 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗳𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝘂𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗛𝘂𝗯 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀. 𝗪𝗲'𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿.