Ecologue

By Kyle Reed

Crack. Rip. Cachunk. Crunch. Boom. These sounds can be the cause of a ruined day, especially when your favorite pair of pants suddenly has a gaping hole in it, or your vacuum sucks in an entirely new way. Replacing these items can be an expensive hassle, and the problems may not always have obvious solutions. Luckily, the Repair Fair offers an alternative.

Offered twice a term, the Repair Fairs provide attendees the opportunity to receive free repairs for a wide variety of items, as well as the chance to learn how to make some quick fixes themselves in the future.

At the latest installment of the event, volunteers helped 31 attendees fix over 35 items, with lamps and clocks being two items that were brought in the most. Attendance at the Fair typically consists of OSU faculty and students, and members of the Corvallis community at large.

The skills offered at the Repair Fair vary depending on the volunteers’ skills sets. During the January event, the following  repair skills were offered: Clothing, Jewelry, Electronics and Appliances, and Housewares.

Drop-in demonstrations were also offered throughout the event, providing short five-minute demos on how to repair specific items. The first demo showcased how to darn clothing like socks, gloves, and jackets, all with only some string. Following that, a book repair workshop helped attendees prolong the life of their favorite stories. Lastly, a final workshop provided the tools and materials to create reusable bags out of old T-shirts.

Visit Facebook for more photos from the event, as well as photos from prior Repair Fairs.

If you missed this Repair Fair, the next event will be on Wednesday, February 19 from 5:30 – 7:30 pm. Visit the webpage for more details on which demonstrations and repair skills offered.