Peppermint Floods 2022

In the last week of February 2022, South East Queensland and Brisbane (the home of Peppermint HQ) was battered by an unprecedented rain event that left unfathomable damage in its wake. 

We were all devastated to see the loss of life, of livelihood and of homes as a result of these floods and we are thinking of everyone who has a long road of recovery ahead. If you want more information on how to help or where you might wish to donate, you can visit our non-exhaustive list of resources here. 

Heartbreakingly our office in Milton was one of the many that flooded and we lost the majority of our contents (more on this below from Kelley). As our computers were essentially the only things saved, we were able to continue our work from home while our office was being repaired and our furniture and belongings are slowly being replaced from the ground up. We will continue telling the stories of people doing good in the world. Now, more than ever, it seems like the time for good stories. 

If you wish to support us while we get back on our feet, or would like to just support our work, here are a few ways:

Buy a subscription 

Get Peppermint delivered straight to your door four times a year! Each gorgeous issue is filled with thoughtful, hopeful reads, clever craft and DIY and beautiful design and imagery. Best of all, our magazines are printed on Carbon Neutral-Certified paper, sent in plastic-free packaging and we plant a tree for every new print subscription. 

Buy a digital issue or subscription 

Our last three issues are available as digital downloads on our shop so you can enjoy your issue of Peppermint on your iPad, computer or phone! With this purchase, you’ll receive downloadable, fully interactive PDF and ePub files – yours to save and keep forever. You can also go through Zinio for a digital subscription that allows you to access four issues of Peppermint.

You could also grab a copy of Sew&Tell – our digital sewing magazine that brings together our most popular sewing stories and DIYs from the pages of Peppermint along with a plethora of new stories and inspo to boost your sewjo.  

Buy an issue 

We are very fortunate to have a storage unit that was safe from flooding or damage, and it is full to the brim with gorgeous issues waiting to be sent out! You can buy the latest issue or any back issues by ordering through our online shop. To find the latest issue, pop in to visit one of our wonderful stockists (as some of them have been affected by flooding too!) or support your local newsagent! 

Buy a digital DIY project 

Get crafty with one of our downloadable DIY projects – available from our website for only $2! Choose from cute Bush Buddies or lush Flora & Fauna embroidery! 

Make a donation when you download one of our FREE sewing patterns

Our beloved sewing patterns are always free and available for download. However, if you’d like to support our free sewing pattern initiative – which includes paying patternmakers to collaborate with us, hiring models and photographers for photo shoots, hiring sewers and pattern testers, including free printed patterns in the print magazine and lots of other good things – we’d love it if you could contribute $2 (or whatever you are able) when you are downloading your next pattern! 

Make a donation to support our work

You can also use this donation link if you’d like to just support what we do! Any donations will go towards the general running costs of our work at Peppermint, which includes producing a magazine, sharing great content and so more much!

A message from our founder, Kelley. 

It’s been a tough time (#understatement). 

To see my lovely Peppermint office (and my life’s work) go completely underwater in the Brisbane floods was heartbreaking and devastating to say the least. I managed to rescue some computers late at night in the rain, along with a few random important bits and pieces, but had to stop as the waters were rising. (Plus my house was being surrounded by water too, all while my son had Covid-19 – thanks, universe).

Once we were able to safely get into the office after the water had receded, it confirmed what we already suspected: we had lost virtually everything in there – all of our office furniture, plus books, ceramics, stationery, paperwork, letters and documents and lots of magazines (luckily a lot of our stock was safe and dry in storage), personal items and countless other small, but lovely things that made up our little space. I managed to save a handful of things – that went through a thorough bleaching! – but most was sent to landfill. I can’t begin to explain how upsetting it is, to see so much of everything I have worked for and on for 14 years ending up in the bin. For sure, they are just possessions, but I put so much love and care into creating a nice space for my team, and seeing that all vanish – along with our entire history of documents and treasured letters and other items – cuts deep.  

We will rebuild – and we will be ok. I say that from an admittedly shaky position, but I do believe it – in no small part thanks to all of you. To say we were overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support towards us during this time would be another understatement – our community has been incredible, in both offers of help in cleaning our office and setting up again, to all the donations that came through to help us get back on our feet. ⁠It all means the world to me and the entire team. As always, you have proven why we rise by lifting others. Peppermint is nothing without you. ⁠Thank you, thank you, thank you. 

My heart goes out to everyone affected by these devastating floods – don’t forget to check our list to see how you can help others right now. These floods are just another example of why we need climate action – and now. One of the best things you can do right now is to vote for leaders who will take the climate crisis seriously, to help reduce the likelihood of these extreme weather events happening again.

Stay safe, have hope. 

Kelley xxx

Scott Morrison visited our site here on Channel 7 (where he chats with our landlord Vadim).

Above: Helping our friends and neighbours at Biome with their clean-up (and product rescue!) efforts.

A few of our other neighbours who were devastated by the floods (who would love any support) include Anybody Pilates and Heimish Bleu Cafe.