ABOUT

MAKE SMTHNG is an international series of fun, hands-on events that celebrate creativity and use a positive message to challenge consumerism and its impact on the climate. The flagship event, MAKE SMTHNG Week, coincides with Black Friday and the start of the Christmas shopping season and hacks a mega-moment for consumerism.

MAKE SMTHNG empowers people by helping them improve their skills or by teaching them new ones – how to fix, upcycle and create special and unique things from reused materials. We believe that if you have made something, you will buy more consciously next time, whether it’s food, fashion or mobile phones. Your experience of creating an original will lead you to reflect on your consumption patterns and you will be more likely to find a way to repair, care for and share your goods before throwing them out. It is essential that we restore this culture in our communities and make spaces, where skills and knowledge are shared, an essential part of our urban life.

Consumption has been estimated to represent 60% of global greenhouse gas emissions and the majority of this consumption happens in cities. If we want to have a chance of staying below 1.5C, we need a system change fueled by many more people taking everyday climate action and changing the way we live, consume and behave in our cities.

Luckily, urban movements around the world are already practicing the new system we need.

Within the last three years the MAKE SMTHNG movement grew to unexpected proportions. Working with partners like Fashion Revolution, ShareableArts Thread andFab Labs, we saw tens of thousands of people engage with MAKE SMTHNG and joined with local organizations and makers in their communities, attending hundreds of MSW events across many different countries. See for yourself.

Let’s MAKE SMTHNG in our everyday lives. Join our global movement and MAKE CHANGE!

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Many of you already practice the art, craft and joy of making and doing it yourself:

cooking, mending clothes, fixing electronics, building toys, upcycling, growing your own food, making your own cosmetics and cleaning products, going plastic-free, aiming for zero waste, or sharing your clothes, bikes and homes with each other. Let’s share our skills, knowledge and experiences with each other and discover and practice new ones.

Organize your own event

  • Makers – we want you!This year – due to Covid – our amazing DIY-festival can only take place digitally – but we invite you to participate in numerous activities on our social media channels during MAKE SMTHNG Week! The motto for 2020 is: MAKE SMTHNG for your CITY – make your city more sustainable with us! Whether Digital Makerism, Repair, Waste Avoidance or Fashion – from 21. to 29.11. there is a different topic every day. In our overview ‘TOPICS’ below you can see when which topic is on and start your own MAKE SMTHNG activity.

Join the movement

  • Want to learn more about zero waste, minimalism, plant-based food, slow fashion, upcycling or creative DIY, making and repairing? Join our community to receive inspiration and exchange experiences with others.

Share and contribute

For MAKE SMTHNG Week 2020 we are collecting stories from different cities around the world, each day a different topic is covered.
Therefore we are looking for international makers who are interested in supporting us to create content on our platforms, especially Instagram Story.

Become a MAKE SMTHNG ambassador and take part in our participatory activities:

  • Share your activity in form of pictures and videos (Post/Instagram Story/Reel) with the MAKE SMTHNG community and tag your amazing projects with #MakeSmthng #DisruptBlackFriday #MakeSmthngForYourCity
  • Create your own tutorial, upload it to your Instagram account, tag @makesmthng and use the hashtags #MakeSmthng #DisruptBlackFriday #MakeSmthngForYourCity

Become a MAKE SMTHNG Ambassador

Become a MAKE SMTHNG Ambassador in your city. You will represent the movement by reaching out and connecting to other makers in your community, coordinate and organize a joint event, do press work and participate in global virtual trainings, get connected to our global maker community.

Topics

21.11.

Fashion

Which 10 pieces are essential in your capsule wardrobe?

22.11.

Digital Makerism

Online platforms, digital communication, Open Source & Co

23.11.

Repair

FabLabs, Tool Libraries, iFixit: How and where do you repair your broken things?

24.11.

Zero Waste

How does recycling work in your city?

25.11.

Food

Foodsharing and Fairsharing

26.11.

Sustainable Mobility

Ideas for a bike-friendly city

27.11.

Black Friday

BUY NOTHING!

28.11.

Urban Gardening

Changing cities with gardens

29.11.

Home

What is it like to live in a tiny house?

Global Event Calendar

  • 21.11. to 29.11. MAKE SMTHNG WEEK 2020 Online Push
  • 27.11.2020: Black Friday
  • 30.11.2020: Cyber Monday
  • January 2021 – Global Zero Waste Month / Veganuary

 

Tutorials

Check out the inspirational tutorials and toolkits from our partner organizations, makers and initiatives around the world and contribute your own ideas #makesmthng.

RESOURCES

Check out our design templates, press kit and some inspirational tutorials and toolkits from our partner organizations, initiatives and makers around the world.

RESOURCES