Free Repair Workshops
Fix It Forward – a new hands-on workshop series is calling on New Bedford and Dartmouth residents to repair, reuse, and reimagine everyday items—helping households save money, reduce waste, and build practical skills. For more information, call (508) 979-1493, text (774) 503-0254, or email marissa@gnbrrmdistrict.org.
Community Repair & Swap Day
November 7, 2026, 10:00 a.m. to noon
Keith Middle School, 225 Hathaway Blvd., New Bedford
The biggest Fix It Forward event yet is coming to New Bedford! Join us for a free Community Repair & Swap Day to learn practical repair skills, connect with neighbors, and give everyday items a second life.
Community Repair & Swap Day offers hands-on workshops led by local experts, along with a Holiday Decor Swap where community members can share and discover gently used seasonal decorations. Whether you’re looking to repair a favorite item, learn a new skill, drop off decorations, or find something new-to-you, everyone is welcome. No registration is required, and you do not need to bring something to take something home from the swap.
Event Details
- Date: November 7, 2026
- Time: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
- Location: Keith Middle School Community Room, 225 Hathaway Blvd., New Bedford
- Cost: Free
Repair Workshops
Participants can attend any of the following workshops:
- Furniture Repair & Refinishing: Learn the basics of wood furniture restoration through a live demonstration covering repairs, sanding, and finishing techniques.
- Furniture Upholstering: Learn how to upholster chairs and cushions. Optional: Bring a cushion or a wood chair with a small cushion that you would like to work on!
- Clothing Mending: Bring a favorite clothing item, accessory, or stuffed animal with a tear. Learn to thread a needle, sew on a button, and make simple repairs. Materials provided.
- Knife Care & Sharpening: Learn how to sharpen and maintain kitchen knives and scissors. Bring up to five items for sharpening.
Holiday Decor Swap
Give your holiday decorations a second life by sharing them with others in the community.
- Shopping Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
- Drop-Off Hours: 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Accepted Items: Clean, dry, gently used decorations from all holidays and seasons, including wreaths, ornaments, lights, centerpieces, seasonal tableware and linens, costumes, and small holiday trees up to 3 feet tall.
Please Note: Large items, inflatables, and broken, dirty, or moldy items cannot be accepted.
Questions?
Phone: (508) 979-1493
Text: (774) 503-0254
Email: marissa@gnbrrmdistrict.org
About the Event
This workshop series is offered in partnership with the Greater New Bedford Regional Refuse Management District, New Bedford Free Public Library and Mali Lim.
The workshop series is supported in part by the Art is Everywhere! grant funded by the City of New Bedford through its Arts, Culture & Tourism Fund, and is facilitated by New Bedford Creative at the New Bedford Economic Development Council.
PREVIOUS WORKSHOPS
Mending, Darning, and Patching – Oh My!
March 31, 2026, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Howland Green Branch Library, 3 Rodney French Blvd., New Bedford
Workshop
The Fix It Forward series launches with its first workshop, “Mending, Darning, and Patching – Oh My!”, on March 31, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Howland Green Branch Library, 3 Rodney French Blvd., New Bedford. Limited parking is available in a parking lot behind the library off S. 1st Street. Led by local artists Claudia De Sousa-Baptista of Bushwood Tailors Opportunity Shop and Elaine Alder and Beatrice Alder of Alder & Alder, participants can explore the techniques of slow stitching (also called visible mending) while learning how to replace buttons, repair zippers, and darn woolen socks and sweaters. Participants are encouraged to bring an item to repair.
To encourage continued repair at home, five sewing kits will be randomly given away to workshop participants, courtesy of the Greater New Bedford Regional Refuse Management District.
Sewing and Fabric Arts Swap
The event will include a sewing and fabric arts swap. Items for donation may be dropped off ahead of time at Howland Green, Wilks, Lawler, and Main Library branches starting March 23. Swap items can also be brought on the day of the event.
Examples of swap items include yarn, crochet and knitting tools, thread, buttons, fabric, embroidery floss, and sewing tools.
On March 31, residents can visit the Howland Green Branch Library, 5:30-7:30 p.m., to browse all the sewing and fabric arts supplies and take home something new for their projects or repairs. Individuals without items to swap are still welcome to browse and select materials. Swap participants are welcome to take part in the workshop, but participation is not required.
Knife Sharpening & Dyeing Fabric
April 28, 2026, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
St. Andrew’s Church 169 Belleville Road
Dyeing To Make Something New Again
Learn basic techniques about dyeing fabric and fibers, and have fun experimenting with different types of natural and synthetic dyes.
Bring an article of clothing or a small piece of fabric that you’d like to try dyeing.
Led by Ann Carpenter, Youth Services Librarian, Brooks Free Library (Harwich).
Registration required. Click here to sign up.
Knife Care and Blade Sharpening
Learn how to sharpen kitchen knives and scissors, as well as how to take care of and properly store blades to preserve their edge. Bring up to 5 knives and/or scissors you’d like to sharpen.
Led by Fred Carpenter, metalsmith and owner of Cape Cod Cutlery.
No registration required.
A Bicycle Fixed by You
May 9, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Howland Green Branch Library, 3 Rodney French Blvd., New Bedford
Click here for a flyer about the event.
The next session, “A Bicycle Fixed by You,” will be held on May 9, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Howland Green Branch Library, where participants can learn how to troubleshoot common bike issues. The workshop will be led by Bill Trimble of Youth Opportunities Unlimited. Community members are encouraged to bring their broken bikes to the May workshop and get back on the road with confidence.
The workshop will be limited to 12 participants. Registration required. Click here to sign up.
Interested residents can also donate bikes to Youth Opportunities Unlimited on the same day as the workshop. Bring bikes to the Youth Opportunities Unlimited bike shop is located at 195 West Rodney French Blvd.
Jewelry Repair 101
June 6, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Wilks Branch Library, 1911 Acushnet Avenue, New Bedford
Click here for a flyer about the event.
Jewelry Repair Workshop
Learn to fix common jewelry issues—like restringing beads and replacing clasps.
Led by Jenny Arruda of TL6 The Gallery, this beginner-friendly session will teach you simple, practical skills you can use again and again.
Bring a piece of jewelry to repair!
We’ll also offer eyeglasses repairs and collect used eyeglasses for donation to the Lions Club.
Registration required. Click here to sign up. If you can no longer attend, please cancel your registration as soon as possible to allow others to participate. To cancel: update your SignUpGenius, call (508) 979-1493, or email marissa@gnbrrmdistrict.org.
Join the Jewelry Swap – happening at the same time as the workshop!
Bring your unused or gently loved pieces and discover something new!
Everyone is welcome! No items to swap? You’re still invited to browse and take home jewelry.
The Art of Sashiko
October 3, 2026, 2:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Wilks Library, 1911 Acushnet Avenue, New Bedford
Discover the history of Sashiko, a traditional Japanese stitching technique used to reinforce worn fabric and repair textiles, and learn its fundamentals through hands-on practice. Participants will create and stitch Sashiko samplers while gaining an appreciation for the cultural roots of this enduring mending tradition.
You are welcome to bring a clothing item you would like to work on.
This course is open to people of all skill levels, and all necessary mending supplies will be provided.
Registration is required. Click here to sign up. If you can no longer attend, please cancel your registration as soon as possible to allow others to participate. To cancel: update in SignUpGenius, call (508) 979-1493, or email marissa@gnbrrmdistrict.org.
About the Instructor: Mariko Sugimori of Mona & Zoe Mending (www.monazoemending.com) explores visible repair through kintsugi and textile mending, drawing from her experience repairing items for friends and neighbors. She is passionate about making mending a meaningful and accessible practice, both in her own life and within the broader community.
This workshop series is offered in partnership with the New Bedford Free Public Library and the City of New Bedford’s Department of Community Services.