Photos: Supplied.
CONTRIBUTED BY REDLANDS COAST MUSEUM
As part of AdventureFest 2026, Redlands Coast Museum invites you to embark on The Heritage Artisan Faire Workshops: a hands-on journey through heritage skills, artistry, and self-discovery. Vintage trades meet modern creativity in a series of immersive workshops that celebrate craftsmanship as a living link between past and present.
Over ten days, explore the crafts and traditions that shaped Redlands Coast. Learn time-honoured techniques, uncover local stories, and experience the joy of making, guided by skilled local artisans and passionate museum volunteers.
Workshop topics include:
- Blacksmithing in the museum’s historic shed
- Burnt-brim hats using the art of pyrography
- Ceramic pottery surface decorating
- Glass fusing
- Silversmithing and metalsmithing for beginners
- Traditional bookbinding
- Toothbrush rag rug revival
- Wooden spoon carving
- Leather tooling
- Heritage soap making
Museum visitors can also enjoy the exhibition, Our Forging History, which runs from May 15 to 24.
This exhibition explores the history of the museum’s volunteer blacksmith, the Blacksmith Shed, and the tools and techniques of traditional forging. Visitors can see handcrafted items, including decorative bells, hearts, and poppies, with select pieces available for purchase in the museum shop. Live demonstrations take place on Thursday and Saturday mornings.
Also on display until the end of May is Napery over the Years – Tablecloth Treasures 1888–2000.
This new textile exhibition reveals a collection of intricately crafted tablecloths and serviettes spanning more than a century. Featuring fine embroidery, crochet and Battenberg lace, each piece carries its own story, from wartime community projects to fundraising efforts for Brisbane’s Mater Mothers Hospital.
