With a little know-how, you can infuse new life into old, discarded furniture. | PHOTO: A.C./UNSPLASH
Upcycling 101 for Food, Fashion and Furniture
Live and Learn: Lessons on how to reduce your carbon footprint.
By Alexis Nicols
Slow food, slow fashion and slow furniture design are all part of the sustainability movement. Peel back the layers of time to recall when wasting food was out of the question. Mending clothes was the norm, instead of fast-fashion shopping. Furniture was passed down to the next generation and lovingly repaired, not replaced. Nowadays, convenience is always top of mind and time is of the essence. According to Manitoba’s Department of Environment and Climate Change, the province generates 900,000-plus tonnes of municipal solid waste annually.
It’s never too late to reassess your impact and get more in sync with sustainability initiatives. Consider learning practical strategies by taking classes that develop skills you may not even know you have — and that help keep “stuff” away from landfills, reducing your impact on the environment.
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Upcycling and mending clothes
Sustainable cooking classes
Give new life to your space
Creative woodworking
Upcycling and mending clothes
Embracing green living can be fun and satisfying, as you stitch your way through the contents of those too-full closets. Opt for mending clothes to preserve, say, a much-loved shirt or pair of pants. Or perhaps coax out your creative side and upcycle clothing by way of a sewing class to enhance your existing wardrobe.
In-person: Many public libraries in Manitoba have drop-in sewing and crafting sessions. The ideaMILL “makerspace” at Winnipeg’s Millenium Library offers classes where you can learn to sew as well as use the sewing machines — with expert guidance available on-site.
- Free of charge with a library card
- Sewing Saturdays 1-hour session
- Visit your local library or check online for class schedules and drop-in events
Online: Closet Core Patterns offers virtual classes focused on sewing as a sustainable alternative to fast fashion. Learn about sewing machines, tools and techniques or opt for lessons on how to fabricate a wide range of clothing pieces (including jeans, coats, lingerie and even swimwear).
- Beginners basics to techniques for experienced sewers
- From $73.75 per class
- Visit closetcorepatterns.com
Tip: Sewing-supply stores often host private classes, group sessions and retreats based on local interest and demand. Phone or head over in-person to your local notions shop to ask if they conduct sewing lessons on-site.
With visible mending, the repair stitchwork turns a tear or hole into a creative feature. | PHOTO: KATYA PHOTO/ADOBE STOCK
The Mend Trend
Visible mending is a unique and creative sewing style using colourful thread to turn small clothing tears into works of art. Damages and imperfections are highlighted, not hidden away — a wonderful and sustainable way to add a design element to a blown-out knee on blue jeans or a small hole in a favourite top. This approach aims to revitalize clothes, express your personal style and extend the life of your clothing.
Online: Take a visible-mending workshop with textile artist Arounna Khounnoraj of Bookhou. She teaches creative-repair sewing techniques that utilize colourful thread and yarns coupled with eye-catching patterns. It’s ideal for those who prefer learning from home.
Sustainable cooking classes
Reducing food waste is at the core of sustainability in the kitchen. Learn how to utilize each and every part of your ingredient. Turn vegetable scraps into a tasty, delicious broth. Repurpose leftover meat into dumplings and make marmalade from citrus peels. Cutting back on waste enhances your cooking skills and helps you organize pantry staples and create meals that are good for your family and good for the environment.
Online: PlantYou Scrappy Cooking Recipes is guided by Canadian plant-based cooking expert and best-selling author Carleigh Bodrug. She provides a collection of recipes with videos, pictures and explanations that walk you through reducing food waste with her “scrappy” cooking techniques.
- Creative recipes for leftovers
- Free
- Follow along at your own pace through recipes and videos
- Visit plantyou.com
Give new life to your space
It’s a given that, in any home, there’s a furniture piece that would benefit from a little extra TLC. Maybe it’s a dresser that has been relegated to the basement to house miscellaneous odds and ends. Or it could be a chair that requires you to sit on it just right for comfort. A little know-how goes a long way to returning it to a place of pride in your house. Learn how to upcycle old furniture or how to repair it — give your imagination free rein.
In-person: Furniture Facelift by Kobi is a family-run business specializing in environmentally friendly and unique custom furniture creations. They provide a wide range of supplies, do-it-yourself furniture repair and upcycling and offer classes and workspace.
- From beginner to expert
- Custom individual and group workshops
- Visit furniturefaceliftbykobi.ca
Online: Funky Junk Interiors offers video tutorials on how to upcycle old furniture into whimsical and wonderful new pieces.
- Geared to novice furniture upcyclers looking to repurpose a beloved piece, learn paint techniques and improve on their basic upcycling skills
- Free of charge
- Visit funkyjunkinteriors.net
Tip: Eager to start a workshop but not ready to set up yet? Get that sawdust going in a shared venue, such as Creation Nation Makerspace in Brandon. They’re equipped with everything you’ll need, from small tools to large machinery, plus the creative inspiration and support of others sharing the space with you.
Creative woodworking
Reclaimed wood is a great material for crafting small objects for the home. You work with your hands and practise sustainability at the same time. As your skill level grows, so will the scope of your projects. To up the element of sustainability, borrow tools; don’t buy them. Check in with a friend or hit up a tool library, where you can rent specialized tools that you might need. Besides reducing your consumption, you’ll also be cutting back on your costs.
In-person: Bronx Park Woodshop offers hobbyist woodworking classes that can take you from beginner to advanced, with lessons that build on previously learned skills. It’s located at the Bronx Park Community Centre in Winnipeg.
- Budding and hobbyist woodworkers
- $244 + $40 for materials; 8 weeks
- Visit woodshop.bronxpark.ca
Online: Woodworking masterclasses are conducted online by accomplished craftsman Paul Sellers and his team. There are a wide range of lessons, from learning how to set up tools to building fine furnishings.
- Targeted to both beginners and experienced woodworkers
- Wide range of lessons
- Visit woodworkingmasterclasses.com
Get started
Taking a class lets you explore your creativity, discover hidden talents and have some fun — all while learning how to live more sustainably. CAA
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Upcycling and mending clothes
Sustainable cooking classes
Give new life to your space
Creative woodworking
Upcycling and mending clothes
Embracing green living can be fun and satisfying, as you stitch your way through the contents of those too-full closets. Opt for mending clothes to preserve, say, a much-loved shirt or pair of pants. Or perhaps coax out your creative side and upcycle clothing by way of a sewing class to enhance your existing wardrobe.
In-person: Many public libraries in Manitoba have drop-in sewing and crafting sessions. The ideaMILL “makerspace” at Winnipeg’s Millenium Library offers classes where you can learn to sew as well as use the sewing machines — with expert guidance available on-site.
- Free of charge with a library card
- Sewing Saturdays session 1 hour
- Visit your local library or check online for class schedules and drop-in events
Online: Closet Core Patterns offers virtual classes focused on sewing as a sustainable alternative to fast fashion. Learn about sewing machines, tools and techniques or opt for lessons on how to fabricate a wide range of clothing pieces (including jeans, coats, lingerie and even swimwear).
- Beginners basics to techniques for experienced sewers
- From $73.75 per class
- Visit closetcorepatterns.com
Tip: Sewing-supply stores often host private classes, group sessions and retreats based on local interest and demand. Phone or head over in-person to your local notions shop to ask if they conduct sewing lessons on-site.
The Mend Trend
Visible mending is a unique and creative sewing style using colourful thread to turn small clothing tears into works of art. Damages and imperfections are highlighted, not hidden away — a wonderful and sustainable way to add a design element to a blown-out knee on blue jeans or a small hole in a favourite top. This approach aims to revitalize clothes, express your personal style and extend the life of your clothing.
Online: Take a visible-mending workshop with textile artist Arounna Khounnoraj of Bookhou. She teaches creative-repair sewing techniques that utilize colourful thread and yarns coupled with eye-catching patterns. It’s ideal for those who prefer learning from home.
With visible mending, the repair stitchwork turns a tear or hole into a creative feature. | PHOTO: KATYA PHOTO/ADOBE STOCK
With visible mending, the repair stitchwork turns a tear or hole into a creative feature. | PHOTO: KATYA PHOTO/ADOBE STOCK
The Mend Trend
Visible mending is a unique and creative sewing style using colourful thread to turn small clothing tears into works of art. Damages and imperfections are highlighted, not hidden away — a wonderful and sustainable way to add a design element to a blown-out knee on blue jeans or a small hole in a favourite top. This approach aims to revitalize clothes, express your personal style and extend the life of your clothing.
Online: Take a visible-mending workshop with textile artist Arounna Khounnoraj of Bookhou. She teaches creative-repair sewing techniques that utilize colourful thread and yarns coupled with eye-catching patterns. It’s ideal for those who prefer learning from home.
Creative woodworking
Reclaimed wood is a great material for crafting small objects for the home. You work with your hands and practise sustainability at the same time. As your skill level grows, so will the scope of your projects. To up the element of sustainability, borrow tools; don’t buy them. Check in with a friend or hit up a tool library, where you can rent specialized tools that you might need. Besides reducing your consumption, you’ll also be cutting back on your costs.
In-person: Bronx Park Woodshop offers hobbyist woodworking classes that can take you from beginner to advanced, with lessons that build on previously learned skills. It’s located at the Bronx Park Community Centre in Winnipeg.
- Budding and hobbyist woodworkers
- $244 + $40 for materials; 8 weeks
- Visit woodshop.bronxpark.ca
Online: Woodworking masterclasses are conducted online by accomplished craftsman Paul Sellers and his team. There are a wide range of lessons, from learning how to set up tools to building fine furnishings.
- Targeted to both beginners and experienced woodworkers
- Wide range of lessons
- Visit woodworkingmasterclasses.com
Tip: Eager to start a workshop but not ready to set up yet? Get that sawdust going in a shared venue, such as Creation Nation Makerspace in Brandon. They’re equipped with everything you’ll need, from small tools to large machinery, plus the creative inspiration and support of others sharing the space with you.