Our workshops are aimed at helping you build your skills in repairing and teaching you how to use items from our library. We have a number of workshops available throughout the year, and more planned for the future. If you don’t see what you’re after below, you can be notified of future workshops by joining our e-mailing list here, or if you have ideas for workshops, please do get in touch via email with details.
Workshops
DIY Skill Share Series
Many of us would like to do jobs around the home, but don’t have the confidence to use the appropriate DIY tools – our DIY Skill Share series of workshops aims to help.
Look below for more details on our current workshops: Decorating 101 – How to Painta Room; Drilling 101 – The Basics of Drilling; Plugs 101 – Changing Fuses & Wiring Plugs; Sawing 101 – How to Cut Wood Safely and we’re currently developing Wallpapering 101 and Taps 101 which will launch later this year.
These workshops are developed and delivered by women, and are open to all.
We want to say a special thank you to VIVID Plus for funding which greatly subsidises the course and makes them free to VIVID Customers, alongside The Partnership Foundation for funding to develop the latest additions to our series.
Decorating 101 – How to Paint a Room
In this 1.5 hour workshop you’ll learn how to prepare and paint walls and woodwork with a brush or roller. You’ll get some practical experiences with filling and sanding, and have an opportunity to ask questions and enjoy a cuppa. By the time you leave, you should feel confident to safely paint a room in your home.
Saturday 21st March 2 – 3.30pm
Can’t make these dates? Be the first to hear about future dates by scrolling down to the bottom of this page and signing up to our eNewsletter.
Wallpapering 101 – The Basics of Wallpapering
In this 1 hour workshop you’ll learn how to work out how much wallpaper to buy, what tools you’ll need and it will include a live demo on how to cut, paste, hang and pattern match wallpaper. You’ll have an opportunity to ask questions and enjoy a cuppa. By the time you leave, you should feel confident to have a go at wallpapering a wall.
More dates to come.
Drilling 101 – The Basics of Drilling
In this 1.5 hour workshop you’ll learn about using a drill safely, get practical experience of drilling, have an opportunity to ask questions and enjoy a cuppa. By the time you leave, you should feel confident to have a go at putting up a shelf.
More dates to come.
Plugs 101- Changing Fuses & Wiring Plugs
In this 1.5 hour workshop you’ll learn how to change a fuse and rewire a plug with practical experience, have an opportunity to ask questions and enjoy a cuppa. By the time you leave, you should feel confident to change a fuse and wire a plug.
More dates coming soon.
Sawing 101- How to Safely Cut Wood
In this 1.5 hour workshop you’ll learn how to use a hand and jig saw with practical experiences, have an opportunity to ask questions and enjoy a cuppa. By the time you leave, you should feel confident to safely use a hand and jig saw to cut wood.
More dates coming soon.
Thermal Imaging Camera Workshops
Come along to one of our 1 hour workshops in collaboration with Switched On Portsmouth, where you’ll learn how to use a thermal imaging camera (borrowable from the Library of Things) to locate where heat is lost from your home, get ideas on how to reduce heat loss and learn about current funding available for energy saving home improvements.
Our 2025/26 winter workshops are now complete, but sign up to our newsletter to be the first to hear about Winter 2026 dates.
Happy Attendees
Fantastic class today learning how to cut wood safely. I now feel confident to try the different saws myself and it’s even better that I can borrow the tools rather than forking out to buy them all myself. Highly recommend to all!!!
Stacey
Really beneficial and has given me confidence to have a go with a drill – thank you.
