Adelaide has lots of fabulous places offering sustainable living workshops and classes on developing your skills to be more self-sufficient while having fun.
Searching youtube how-to tutorials is just NOT the same as having a real life person showing you exactly how to make or do something yourself.
So if you’ve ever wanted to make more from scratch, try your hand at DIY projects and connect with other like minded people in the community, then these are the BEST places to check out around Adelaide.
Think it’s all too expensive and time consuming?
Well some are free or just a gold coin donation and you can pick up a new skill in an hour.
Others are a little more intensive and do cost more, it all depends on what you choose.
These are all valuable in creating a life that is more self sufficient and less reliant on plastic, packaging and shopping.
Do you have more places to suggest? Share them in the comments
The Adelaide Remakery
Located in the centre of Adelaide they offer a big range of useful lunchtime, evening and weekend workshops and classes.
Learn to sew reusable bags,
Weave a fabric rug,
Upcycle textiles,
Repair clothing,
Make beeswax wraps and more.
They also offer some fun eco-friendly workshops and activities for kids.
Adelaide Sustainability Centre / The Joinery
Located in Franklin Street, Adelaide, The Joinery is home to the Adelaide Sustainability Centre and the Foodprint Experience sustainable café.
They offer a mix of events and workshops;
Make your garden native bee friendly,
Discover reusable zero waste items and make them yourself (like upcycling fabric into produce bags),
Attend sustainable film nights,
Clothes swap parties
Head to the repair café for help to repair your own items.
While you’re there, look out for the Grow Free Cart to swap home grown produce and seeds, and check out the electric car share.
Head to The Joinery and Adelaide Sustainability Centre
Image from The Joinery
WEA (Worker’s Education Association of South Australia)
This place has been around since 1913!
WEA have a lot on offer and usually run classes and workshops on weekends and evenings.
Learn;
How to live off the grid
Tips for Going Zero Waste
Gardening Stuff (pruning, composting, propagation, permaculture, Aquaponics)
Beekeeping,
Furniture restoration & upholstery
Cooking from scratch
Sewing (from basic to advanced, including altering and mending clothes)
Mosaics & Pottery
Leather Sandal Making
DIY Candles, soap making, and aromatherapy products
TAFE SA
TAFE has so many courses available and many people don’t realise they have a great selection of short workshops which are super practical;
Sewing & Pattern Making
Screen printing
Jewellery Making
Pottery & Ceramics
Carpentry, furniture making and home maintenance
Beekeeping and Horticulture
Cooking (Artisan breads, beer brewing, cheese making, fermenting, smoking, sausage making)
Basic car maintenance and repairs
Living Smart
I'm officially a Living Smartie after attending weekly evening sessions a while ago. It is a brilliant way to get started on reducing your footprint, it's loads of fun and very family friendly.
Topics covered include;
Simpler living
Reducing waste
Water and energy use
Gardening for biodiversity and food
Healthy home and healthy you
Transport and community
Visit their site here and ask your local council to organise one in your area.
Willunga Environment Centre
Located South of Adelaide, the Willunga Environment Centre is another hub for sustainable eco living skills.
They offer lots of free workshops on a variety of topics and provide a place to drop off recyclables too.
Learn about;
Foraging
Basket Weaving
Create Reusable Party Decorations
Growing Nuts, fruit & veggies
Soap Making
Blending Your Own Teas
Port Environment Centre
Nestled in the western suburbs of Adelaide, the centre is community driven with a lovely focus on marine and coastal issues.
Workshops and events include;
Fish Basketry
Reducing Plastic (see below)
DIY Beeswax Wraps
Make your own produce bags
Compost and worm farming
Coastal native gardening
The Pear Cafe
A neighbourhood café based in Alberton (west of Adelaide) and hive of local activity.
You can learn to;
Knit
Cross stitch on hessian
Make reusable produce bags
DIY kokedamas and terrariums
Propagate plants in water
Book making
Native plants
Macramé
Botanical fabric dyeing
Make your own kombucha
The workshops change regularly so keep an eye out on the Facebook page and website.
Image from The Pear
This is really just a start to the places around Adelaide where you can learn skills to live more sustainably, increase your self-sufficiency and have fun all while reducing your impact on the planet.
P.S. I have a growing list of smaller, more specific topic focused classes & workshops around Adelaide that I'll share in the near future, stay tuned...
So let me know what others you have found that should be added.