Canberra welcomes its own version of the viral – and wholesome – homemaker’s swap
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Designed for the makers, the bakers, the growers and the creators, the Canberra Homemaker Swap is bringing together like-minded women to connect, slow down, and share items made with intention.
It’s this philosophy that attracted Canberra mums Jess Muirden and Tam Green to the idea of a homemaker swap in the first place – a trend that has been sweeping Australia since Sunshine Coast mother Kaya Elliot first put the call out for creatives to swap homemade goods on social media.
“I have seen them starting all around Australia for over a year now on Instagram, and at the end of last year I wanted to bring one to Canberra for women to come together and do something outside of being a mum – which I adore,” explains Jess.
“I am crafty and creative myself, and I love cooking; my love language is sharing food. It just really spoke to me – creating a place for women to come together, support one another, and share love through what we make at home.”
The concept of the Canberra Homemaker Swap is simple.
Attendees bring five of the same items and swap them with one another. There’s time for coffee and cake, and towards the end of the event, each person will come up and choose an item until everyone leaves with five things made with love and intention.
The only rule? The item must be homemade or grown – think vegetables, preserves, baked goods, flowers, candles, and crafts.
“Anything that’s made with love and intention or grown with love and intention can be brought along,” says Jess.
“Tam’s grandma has brought beautiful handmade teddy bears which are just incredible. I often bring sweets like cinnamon scrolls or bath bombs, and zucchinis from the garden.”
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With no money involved in the process, it’s a wholesome way for women to connect over creative pursuits. But at its core, the Canberra Homemakers Swap is about much more than swapping homemade goodies.
The first event in March saw 21 Canberra women gather in Yarraluma’s English Garden. The June event grew to 40 women, with many returning due to the friendships they’ve made.
“It’s grown quite naturally, which has been beautiful,” says Jess.
“I’ve seen friendships form and I’ve created friends with a lot of the women I’ve met there…I love seeing that generational community coming together as well; talking, laughing and learning from each other.”
Another important aspect of the Canberra Homemakers Swap is that it encourages women to take a moment for themselves. With many women taking on unpaid caring roles (on average, women in Australia do 32 hours of unpaid work and care a week), the swap offers both a creative escape and an outlet.
“Being a mum myself – many other women there are mums or just busy with work or life – we all love to create, but sometimes can’t find a time or reason to,” explains Jess.
“People get really excited about what they’re going to make next month…not to make for themselves, it’s for that love and intention of the gift giving.”
While the swap is run and designed specifically with women in mind, Jess says that each session is also LGBTQIA+ inclusive. And in a society that’s both more connected and disconnected than ever before, she believes that Canberra needs more community events just like this.
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The Canberra Homemaker Swap welcomes women from all walks of life, and Jess and Tam hope to continue building a safe place for like-minded women to meet and share their love and creativity.
“We’re a judgement-free zone. We’ve been really trying to focus on empowering one another,” says Jess.
“I get many messages each month saying ‘I’m really nervous and stepping out of my comfort zone’… we just really try and support those women. When they come, we’ll point them in the direction of other women we know will make them feel at home. It’s been lovely to see people forming those friendships and connections.”
The Canberra Homemaker Swap is held monthly in Yarralumla. The event is free to attend, but registration is essential. Follow @canberra.homemakers.swap to see when the next swap is taking place!
