Christmas with a Conscience
- Words by Peppermint
Does the thought of busy shopping centres, long checkout queues, mountains of plastic and Jingle Bells on migraine-inducing repeat make you cower just a little? Then why not give malls the kick this Christmas and check out the range of independent and fair trade markets happening right around the country instead. Not only will you find a much friendlier, less-chaotic environment, but you can shop happy knowing the gifts you buy will keep on giving directly back to makers, be they local artisans or fair trade co-ops in all corners of the world. As Fair@Square founder Susanna Bevilacqua says: “Something as simple as a $50 handmade recycled rug can help a mother in Cambodia put her child through school, clothe and feed her children, and prevent them from a life of human trafficking.” Check out our guide to the best Xmas markets and events below.
Fair@Square Festival – over 80 market stalls for fair trade, sustainable and locally-made goodies. Sat Dec 1 & Sun Dec 2, Federation Square, Melbourne VIC.
Queensland Fair Trade Christmas Market – ethically-produced homewares, handcrafts, toys, clothing, food, jewellery and more. 9.30am – 3.30pm, Sat Dec 1 & Sun Dec 2 at St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School, Ruthven Street, Corinda QLD.
Manly Fair Trade Christmas Market – 40 stalls selling a huge variety of quality handmade Fair Trade products from around the world, including toys, jewellery, clothing, homewares, accessories, tea, coffee and chocolate. 9am-5pm, Sat Dec 1 at Manly Council Forecourt, Manly NSW.
Made By Hand at Object gallery – a pop-up shop of Australian designers including Polli, Lyn & Tony, Tjanpi Desert Weavers, Erin Lightfoot, Pouch Handmade, Stampel, Beneath The Sun and more. Upstairs at Object Gallery, 417 Bourke St, Surry Hills NSW. 11am-5pm Tuesday to Saturday.
West End Vintage & Designer Markets – a place for clothes and collectibles to find loving new homes! 9am-4pm, Sat Dec 1 & Sat Dec 22 at The Rumpus Room, West End QLD.
Ultimo’s Green Market – natural, organic, sustainable and fair trade shopping. Features live music and workshops for kids. 10am-4pm, Sun Dec 2 at Ultimo Community Centre, Harris St, Ultimo NSW.
The Olive Tree Christmas Markets – 150 stalls featuring some of the best handmade artists and designers in the Newcastle region. 9am-5pm Sat Dec 1 & Sat Dec 15, The Junction Public School, Newcastle NSW.
The Big Design Market – fashion & accessories, homewares & textiles, lifestyle & kids products, stationery & books. Fri Dec 7 (10am-9pm), Sat Dec 8 (10am-5pm) & Sun Dec 9 (10am-5pm), The Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne VIC.
The Bleeding Heart City Market – handmade arts, crafts, gifts and vintage. 10am-4pm, Fri Dec 7 at Bleeding Heart Gallery, 166 Ann St, Brisbane QLD.
WorldChangers Christmas Market – fair trade and ethically-sourced gifts, live music, rides, food and family activities. 5.30pm-9pm Fri Dec 7, 25 O’Briens Rd, Figtree NSW.
Sew & Tell Presents: A Very Crafty Christmas – taking place in beautiful Bangalow, Sew & Tell is the perfect place to find unique, handmade and vintage gifts for all your friends and family. Includes a Free Stall (yes, everything is free!), Unfinished Business Stall (where you can adopt an unfinished craft project) and a Man Cave! 9am – 1.30pm, Sat 8 Dec at A & I Hall, Station St, Bangalow NSW.
Made Artists Market – handmade and contemporary craft, art and design markets. 9am-2pm, Sat Dec 8 at St John’s Anglican Church Hall, Port Fairy VIC.
BrisStyle Indie Markets – browse the wares of a huge variety of independent artisans, crafters and designers from Brisbane and Northern NSW. Designers Markets – Sat Dec 8, 9am-4pm at Racecourse Rd, Hamilton QLD and Twilight Markets – Fri Dec 14, 5pm-9pm in King George Square, Brisbane City QLD.
West End Twilight Markets – an eclectic mix of treasures, tucker and performance. 4pm-9pm, Sat Dec 8 & Sat Dec 22 at Reclaimed Hangar, cnr of Wilson & Boundary Streets, West End QLD.
Home Style Market – Handmade Twilight Market featuring over 65 stalls. Sat Dec 8th from 3pm-8pm at Sherwood State School, cnr Sherwood & Oxley Rds, Sherwood QLD.
The Finders Keepers Spring/Summer Market – finely-curated indie design and art markets at Sydney’s CarriageWorks. 6pm-10pm Sat Dec 8 & 10am-5pm Sun Dec 9 at 245 Wilson Street, Eveleigh NSW.
If you know of anything else happening, please leave us a comment below!
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Look, I don’t want to make anyone panic but IT’S DECEMBER!!! If you’re planning to give homemade gifts, you’re going to have to act fast. …
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🌻 The Paddington 🌻
This is a much-loved staple, created for Issue 50 in 2021. We love seeing the #PeppermintPaddingtonTop continually popping up in our feeds!
How stunning is our model Elon MelaninGoddessEfon – she told us it was one of the first times she had been asked to come to a shoot with her natural hair. 🌻
We worked with South African patternmaker Sarah Steenkamp of @FrenchNavyNow_ to create this wardrobe essential – the perfect puff-sleeve blouse. Raglan sleeves make it the ultimate beginner sew, plus the gorgeous back buttons let you add your own personal twist.
Pattern via the link in bio! 🪡
Photos: @KelleySheenan
Fabric: @Spoonflower
Model: MelaninGoddessEfon
“In the 1940’s, Norwegians made and wore red pointed hats with a tassel as a form of visual protest against Nazi occupation of their country. Within two years, the Nazis made these protest hats illegal and punishable by law to wear, make, or distribute. As purveyors of traditional craft, we felt it appropriate to revisit this design.”
Crafters have often been at the heart of many protest movements, often serving as a powerful means of political expression. @NeedleAndSkein, a yarn store in Minnesota, are helping to mobilise the craftivists of the world with a ‘Melt The Ice’ knitting pattern created by @Yarn_Cult (with a crochet pattern too), as a way of peaceful protest.
The proceeds from the $5 pattern will go to local immigrant aid organisations – or you can donate without buying the pattern.
Raise those needles, folks – art and craft can change the world. 🧶
Link in bio for the pattern.
Images: @Gather_Fiber @NeedleAndSkein @a2ina2 @KyraGiggles Sandi.204 @WhatTracyMakes AllieKnitsAway Auntabwi2
#MeltTheIce #Craftivism #Knitting #CraftForChange
TWO WEEKS TO GO! 🤩
"The most important shift is moving from volume-led buying to value-led curation – choosing fewer, better products with strong ethics, considered production and meaningful stories. Retailers have real influence here: what you buy signals what you stand for. At Life Instyle, this means using the event to discover and invest in small-scale, planet-considerate brands that align with your values and your customer’s conscience. Consumers don’t need more things; they need better things, and retailers play a key role in selecting, contextualising, and championing why those products matter."
Only two more weeks until @Life_Instyle – Australia`s leading boutique retail trade show. If you own a store, don`t miss this event! Connect with designers, source exquisite – and mindful – products, and see firsthand why this is Australia’s go-to trade show for creatives and retailers alike. And it`s free! ✨️
Life Instyle – Sydney/Eora Country
14-17 February 2026
ICC, Darling Harbour
Photos: @Samsette
#LifeInstyle #SustainableShopping #SustainableShop #RetailTradeEvent
Calling all sewists! 📞
Have you made the Peppermint Waratah Wrap Dress yet? Call *1800 I NEED THIS NOW to get making!
This gorgeous green number was modelled (and made) by the fabulous Lisa of @Tricky.Pockets 🙌🏼
If you need a nudge, @ePrintOnline are offering Peppermint sewists a huge 🌟 30% off ALL A0 printing 🌟 when you purchase the Special Release Waratah Wrap Dress pattern – how generous is that?!
Head to the link in bio now 📞
*Not a real number in case that wasn`t clear 😂
#PeppermintWaratahWrapDress #PeppermintPatterns #SewingPattern #WrapDress #WrapDressPattern
8 Things to Know About January 26 - from @ClothingTheGaps:
Before you celebrate, take the time to learn the truth. January 26 is not a day of unity it’s a Day of Mourning and Survival for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
It marks the beginning of invasion, dispossession, and ongoing colonial violence. It’s time for truth-telling, not whitewashed history.
Stand in solidarity. Learn. Reflect. Act.
✊🏽 Blog written by Yorta Yorta woman Taneshia Atkinson.
🔗 Link in bio of @ClothingTheGaps to read the full blog
#ChangeTheDate #InvasionDay #SurvivalDay #AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe #ClothingTheGaps
As the world careens towards AI seeping into our feeds, finds and even friend-zones, it`s becoming increasingly hard to ignore.
We just wanted to say that here at Peppermint, we are choosing to not print or publish AI-generated art, photos, words, videos or content.
Merriam-Webster’s human editors chose `slop` as the 2025 Word of the Year – they define it as “digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence.” The problem is, as AI increases in quality, it`s becoming more and more difficult to ascertain what`s real and what`s not.
Let`s be clear here, AI absolutely has its place in science, in climate modelling, in medical breakthroughs, in many places... but not in replacing the work of artists, writers and creatives.
Can we guarantee that everything we publish is AI-free? Honestly, not really. We know we are not using it to create content, but we are also relying on the artists, makers and contributors we work with, as well as our advertisers, to supply imagery, artwork or words created by humans. AI features are also creeping into programs and apps too, making it difficult to navigate. But we will do our best to avoid it and make a stand for the artists and creatives who have had their work stolen and used to train AI machines, and those who are now losing work as they are replaced by this energy-sapping, environment-destroying magic wand.
Could using it help our productivity and bottom line? Sure. And as a small business in a difficult landscape, that`s a hard one to turn down. We know other publishers who use AI to write stories, create recipes, produce photo shoots... but this one is important to us.
`Touch grass` was also a Merriam-Webster Word of the Year. We`ll happily stick with that as a theme, thanks very much. 🌿
