Make Do and Mend: A Beginner’s Guide to Repair Culture

 


Make Do and Mend: A Beginner’s Guide to Repair Culture

(Because your socks deserve a second chance)


There was a time when a torn shirt didn’t mean a trip to the shops — it meant a needle, a patch, and a cup of tea.
Welcome to repair culture — the comeback kid of sustainability.

In a world obsessed with “new” and “more,” mending something broken is an act of quiet rebellion. It’s a thumbs-up to the environment… and to your bank account.


Why Repair Culture Matters

We throw away over 336,000 tonnes of clothes in the UK each year. And that’s just clothing. Add in small appliances, electronics, furniture, and it’s a mountain of fixable things heading to landfill.

✅ Repairing reduces waste
✅ Saves money
✅ Cuts down resource extraction
✅ Builds skills, satisfaction and stories

It’s not just about being thrifty — it’s about being mindful.


What Can You Mend? (Spoiler: More Than You Think)

🧵 Clothing – buttons, seams, zips, tears
🔌 Electronics – phones, toasters, lamps (sometimes just a fuse!)
🪑 Furniture – wobbly chairs, scratched tables, flatpack re-dos
👟 Shoes – re-soles, cleaned laces, polished leather
🎧 Headphones – broken wires, worn-out padding

If it can break, there’s usually someone who can fix it — and sometimes that someone is you.


Getting Started with Repair Culture

🔧 Start Simple

  • Sew on a button

  • Patch a tear

  • Replace a plug

🧰 Build a Basic Toolkit

  • Needle, thread, glue, screwdrivers, duct tape, Allen keys, fuse wire

  • A few YouTube videos and you’re dangerous (in a good way)

🧵 Use Visible Mending

  • Make your repair a fashion statement. Contrasting patches are in.

  • Japanese sashiko stitching? Stylish and strong.

👥 Join a Repair Café

  • Free community events where volunteers help you fix things

  • Bonus: tea, biscuits, and smug eco-feelings

💬 Tell the Story

  • “This was my grandad’s jumper.”

  • “My kid painted that mark on the table.”

  • Repairs give things history and meaning.


Final Thought

Repairing is not just about fixing — it’s about reconnecting.
To your stuff. To your skills. To a world that doesn’t throw everything away.

So dig out that broken lamp, find your grandma’s sewing kit, and give it a go. You might fix more than just the zip.

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