As the cost of living crisis bites, refreshing yourself and your home does not need to be expensive. Livat Hammersmith is hosting a series of free events and activities throughout August, designed to help Londoners affordably and sustainably give their homes and wardrobes an Autumn refresh.

The Refresh & Re-love Hub at Livat Hammersmith will offer visitors a range of cost effective and sustainable ways to update the home & wardrobe – and keep the children entertained throughout the school holidays.

Demonstrations and workshops will be held every Wednesday and Saturday from 3rd – 29th August, with family-focused activities in the day followed by more in-depth, bookable workshops for adults in the evenings.

All events are free to attend, with adult workshops pre-bookable online.

Friendship bracelets are a simple but sentimental craft that is very popular with children. On Wednesday 3rd and Saturday 6th August children will be invited to come down and create friendship bracelets for their friends and family for free, using fabric off-cuts allowing them to take away their masterpieces on the same day!

For the adults on Wednesday 3rd pre-bookable workshops will be on offer to learn how to make their own personalised keepsake item, using old baby clothes or old fabrics that have personal memories. The workshop leader will teach 2 techniques, using a sewing machine and hand sewing which creates a great opportunity for residents to turn old fabrics into something to keep and treasure.

Starting a new term or new school is always a little scary, so on Wednesday 10th and Saturday 13th August children will be given the opportunity to get excited about returning to school as they personalise their new school accessories. Children will be given the opportunity to get creative with a recycled material pencil case to decorate and accessorise as much as they please!

In the evenings of Wednesday 10th pre-bookable adult workshops will be held to encourage visitors to embrace their inner Mrs Hinch – with free sessions to explore simple and affordable ways to get organised cupboards with perfectly personalised labels on jars available from IKEA.

Fast-fashion is going out of fashion fast! On Wednesday 17th August a hands-on pre-bookable adult workshop will be held which will showcase, teach and inspire visitors to upcycle their unloved clothes, giving them a new lease of life. Visitors will be able to bring along items of clothes from their wardrobe and give them a makeover, to increase their clothes-lifespan.

On Wednesday 17th and Saturday 20th August, children are invited to come and make their own keyrings to either attach to their school bag, pencil case or simply give to someone else. Children will be provided with all the tools and accessories they need to make their keyring, they just need to bring their creativeness!

As the school holidays start to come to an end on Wednesday 24th August, during the day, children can come and make a beautiful dreamcatcher for their bedrooms out of recycled materials. In the evening, adults can book into a workshop to learn the art of Macramé where they will be taken through a step-by-step guide of how to make their own plant holder, to take home and hang with pride.

Over the bank holiday weekend on Saturday 27th August is a sustainable clothes swap event, run in collaboration with Hammersmith & Fulham Council, with families invited to bring old school and work clothes along to swap with others and receive a more sustainable wardrobe makeover. A professional stylist will be on hand to help guide visitors on how to renew and refresh their clothes with a free face painter at the centre to keep the kids entertained – fun for all the family!

The grand finale on Monday 29th August will be ‘The Green Show’, mini-puppet shows led by StoryStock for all the family to enjoy, The puppet theatre will be built using old cardboard boxes, whilst a story surrounding sustainability is acted out – showcasing the fun that can be had, with items found around the home.

To be in with the chance of winning £250 worth of gift cards to use at Livat Hammersmith, the meeting place is holding an instagram competition where people are encouraged to share their tips and ideas for a more sustainable future. To enter, simply comment your best fashion, home or furniture. A further £100 worth of vouchers to spend at Livat is also up for grabs, by simply following @livat.hammersmith on instagram! The winner will be selected at random Monday 29th August.

To find out more on these events and what’s on offer at Livat Hammersmith, please visit https://www.livat.com/hammersmith/events?category=&search=