Spend the day exploring over 230 independent designers and food makers, including more than 40 exciting new brands, all under one iconic roof. From thoughtful gifts and locally made treats to one-of-a-kind fashion, ceramics, art and homewares, you’ll discover unique pieces and exclusive “Only at Finders” offerings you won’t find anywhere else.

Come wander, snack, shop mindfully and soak up the atmosphere of Australia’s original festival-style design market – the perfect school holiday outing for curious minds and creative hearts alike.

Check out the full designer lineup below and RSVP to the official Facebook event for sneak peeks and updates.

Designers:

Foodies:

The post AW26 Melbourne Design Market Lineup first appeared on The Finders Keepers.

What a total blast it was, brought to you by our (now very weary) team with alotta love. We spent months preparing, planning, packing, styling, problem-solving and pouring our hearts into creating a market that we want you all to come along to, have fun at, shop mindfully through, and hopefully help make a maker’s day along the way.

So, from our team, we want to say a very big thank you for helping keep the world of small businesses turning. Your support of independent makers shows up in the friends you tell, the makers you follow, the mailing lists you sign up to, and the posts you engage with.

And with that, we wanted to share a few words from our very own “Mother Hen”, Katie, our General Manager, on what this market meant to us.

A message from our Mother Hen – Katie 

There’s always a strange feeling after a Finders Keepers weekend. Months of planning. Thousands of moving parts. Hundreds of makers. Tens of thousands of conversations.
Then suddenly, it’s just… quiet again.

And after our last Market, I’ve mostly just been sitting in that quiet feeling incredibly grateful:

• Grateful for our community.
• Grateful for the trust people continue to place in this event.
• Grateful that in a world moving manically, people are still deeply craving connection, creativity and thoughtful experiences.

This market felt special, and not because it was flashy or overproduced or trying to be everything to everyone. In fact, I think the opposite was true. We showed up as our true selves. A market that celebrates creatives.

After a difficult year for many small creative businesses, there was something really meaningful about seeing our stallholder community do well.

A market full of incredibly talented independent makers.
Thoughtfully made goods.
People purchasing with purpose.
Customers want to know who made something, where it came from and why it matters.

“Mindfully made, thoughtfully bought” has been one of our guiding values for a long time now, but this time it genuinely felt like consumers were meeting us there too. We’re seeing more and more that values-led purchasing isn’t just a trend. People want meaning attached to what they buy. They want story, connection, transparency and heart.

And honestly, that feels really hopeful.

Before this event, we held our Market Pulse session to better understand the realities facing Australian small creative businesses right now. We invited in experts (thanks Fiona and Mel) and had proactive conversations about what the future could look like for our businesses.

But I think one of the biggest lessons from that process was this: Informed trumps denial every single time.

The more openly we can talk about the challenges facing creative industries, the better positioned we are to respond to them with care, intention and actual solutions.

Pretending things are fine helps nobody.

At the same time, this event reminded me that creativity is incredibly resilient.
People still showed up.
They supported independent businesses.
They bought art, ceramics, fashion, prints, jewellery, skincare, homewares and little treasures that mattered to them.

And for me, that balance of excitement and intentionality felt really significant.

Operationally, this was one of the smoothest events I’ve experienced in a long time. But events only feel effortless because of the people carrying them.

One thing I will never take for granted is having a team of amazing women who treat this brand like it’s their own. The care, ownership, pride and passion they bring to Finders Keepers is visible in every tiny detail across a market weekend.

From bump in to bump out.
From signage to customer conversations.
From solving problems before they become problems.
From staying back late because they care about getting it right.

That kind of ownership is rare, and you can feel it when you walk through the doors.

To every stallholder, customer, team member, artist, musician, food vendor and supporter who participated, thank you.

Thank you for continuing to believe in independent creativity.
Thank you for shopping small.
Thank you for reminding me that coming together matters.

My cheeks are sore from laughing, my feet are wrecked, and my inbox is hanging on by a thread… but my cup feels very full.

Thx, kt

The post Thats all, folks! first appeared on The Finders Keepers.

The Finders Bar: 

Every market visit deserves a cosy spot to take a break, and this year, the Finders Bar does just that.

Created as a welcoming place to unwind and enjoy, the Finders Bar features a thoughtfully curated selection of independent makers from the market, so you can have a bevvie while you browse, AND take some home for later!

Come along and sip fresh, easy-drinking beers from Yulli’s Brews or try delightful drinks by Weerona Wines, Subtle Tea vodka, and Heathcote Gin. It’s all about slowing down and savouring the moment, with comfy lounge seating, a lively DJ setting a relaxed vibe, and a menu that highlights local producers doing their own unique thing.

Grab tickets now, WIN later:

There’s something truly delightful about planning your visit to the market in advance, especially when it comes with a little extra reward (Wahoo!). 

When you buy your tickets online for the Sydney Design Market, you’re automatically entered into a draw to win one of three $100 vouchers to Mapo Gelato (mmmmm ). 

We love to support past and present Stallholders at our markets in any way we can, and Mapo Gelato is one of them! Their commitment to thoughtful craftsmanship and quality ingredients makes them such a wonderful part of our creative community.

Three lucky winners will each get a $100 voucher to enjoy at any Mapo Gelato store, including just around the corner in Newtown. All you need to do is secure your tickets online before the event. Tickets are just $7 each day or $10 for the weekend, with free entry for kids under 13.

Indigenous Program recipient, JIMAWOOD:

Sometimes the most meaningful creations begin by accident.

Born from the red pindan soils of the West Kimberley, JIMAWOOD transforms fallen native wood into handcrafted incense that carries the essence of Country, memory, and connection. What started as a chance reaction between rainwater, sawdust, and resin has grown into a practice grounded in Yawuru cultural traditions and slow, intentional making.

Explore the full story of JIMAWOOD and the cultural practices behind their work in our feature blog.

Regional Program recipient, NOA Australia:

NOA Australia is a quiet celebration of place, memory, and natural beauty.

Created by maker and artist Nicole in the coastal town of Lakes Entrance, each piece is handcrafted using foraged shells, driftwood, dried flowers, gemstones, and pearls gathered from her surroundings. No two pieces are ever the same, and that’s exactly the point.

Rooted in slow making and deeply personal storytelling, NOA Australia transforms everyday natural materials into wearable keepsakes and meaningful objects.

Read more about Nicole’s practice, process, and inspiration in the full feature blog.

Debuts:

We’re excited to welcome some new faces to The Finders Keepers fam! With over 30 new designers on our list, you’ve got so much newness to find. Enjoy plenty of tasty snacks and discover unique, mindfully-crafted gifts from independent Aussie brands.

Your Lineup:

Your groovy lineup is now live (here) and just waiting for you to start your shopping lists! Meet, admire, and support some of the coolest people around! 

Join us at the Sydney Design Market from May 1st to 3rd at Carriageworks, just one week before Mother’s Day!

Mindfulness Mural and Little Works of Art Activations:

Creativity meets play at the Sydney design market’s Mindfulness Mural, brought to life by the delightfully cheeky Merchants of Nonsense. Under the theme “this must be the place,” Kerrie’s design celebrates all things joyful, nostalgic, and unmistakably Australian, from iconic references to playful, unexpected details. 

The merchants of Nonsense love to discover new ways to look at old places. With this thought in mind, Kerrie has created a large-scale illustrated work that’s been designed for everyone to take part in. Throughout the weekend, visitors of all ages are invited to colour, doodle, and contribute in a free, family-friendly space to pause, get creative, and become part of the artwork itself.

NEW! A cute treasure hunt

Pick up your treasure hunt prompt card when you arrive at the Sydney Design Market, and let us help you discover even more!

From trying new flavours to snapping selfies and winning prizes, can you tick off all the cute prompts? Might need to come back tomorrow, too. First prompt: Find your $7 tickets online!

The post What fun to be had at The Sydney Design Market first appeared on The Finders Keepers.

Notes of Australia

The name holds two things. It’s a tribute to Nicky’s son Noah, born during a period of upheaval, the pandemic, a move interstate, and a return to Victoria. And it stands for Notes of Australia: the landscapes, coastlines, and native world that have shaped Nicky’s creative instinct since childhood.

She came to craft not as a hobby but as a language. Painting classes as a kid. Shells collected with her mum. Her late grandmother’s button collection became a whole line of feather fascinators, selling out at the Camel Cup in Alice Springs. Every place she’s lived, Perth, Alice Springs, and Lakes Entrance, has left its mark on the work.

“I have always found myself coming back to beads. They’re so sustainable, can be made out of anything, and have been used in so many cultures for millions of years.”

– Nicky

Beads resist mass production by their nature. Works can be broken down and reimagined with almost no waste. In an era of fast everything, making something beautiful by hand, one bead at a time, is a quiet act of resistance.

Where the bush meets the sea

Tourists pull over at Jimmy’s Point lookout on Kalimna Hill every day to photograph the view Nicky drives past on her commute. She hasn’t stopped noticing it. That’s the pace of Lakes Entrance, unhurried, present, and it runs through everything she makes.

Some days she’ll create three pieces and discard them all. Other days, she has to stop herself from keeping everything. That tension between artist and business owner is part of the work, too.

One of a kind

Every piece Nicky makes is unique, not as a marketing line, but as a genuine conviction. Baroque pearls, dried flowers, natural gemstones: the materials themselves resist uniformity. Nothing in nature is perfectly symmetrical, and neither is anything from NOA Australia.

In 2025, she began teaching beading workshops at a local Neighbourhood House. Teaching something she’d always found intuitive showed her just how much she’d developed, and gave her back an appreciation for slowness, for process, for the quiet hours that are easy to overlook when self-doubt is loud.

What it means to be the Regional recipient

She applied on a whim. Read her own application back and thought the selectors would laugh. When the acceptance came, she screenshotted it and sent it to her mum,  just to make sure she was reading it right.

That detail matters. Because putting handmade work into the world, work you designed, threaded, and made by hand, makes judgment feel personal. Being selected wasn’t just an opportunity. It was validation.

The work keeps going

New this season: hand-stamped photo gift cards, made using linocut stamps Nicky carves herself. The idea came from a simple truth, her grandparents love getting mail, and so does her son. In a world where photos disappear into feeds and cards go in the bin, she wanted to make something worth keeping. Something sent through the post with a little hand-designed love in it.

It’s a small thing. But it’s the small things here that carry the most weight.

Find Nicky and the full NOA Australia collection at The Finders Keepers Sydney Design Market, Carriageworks, Eveleigh on Gadigal land, 1–3 May. One week before Mother’s Day. Daily entry $7, tickets on sale now.

The post The unique story behind our Regional Program recipient | NOA Australia first appeared on The Finders Keepers.

Alan’s father was working with native woods in Broome, making spoons and small things, when rain fell and mixed the sawdust with natural resin. It hardened. Becoming something new. When Alan lit one of the first sticks in Sydney, the scent hit immediately. Campfire. Pindan. Mangroves. The West Kimberley, whole and present, thousands of kilometres away.

“It was such an emotional, almost out-of-body experience. That moment really defined everything – the power of scent to connect us to memory, place, and home.” –  Alan, founder of JIMAWOOD

That is the whole story of JIMAWOOD. 

Country as a teacher

Growing up in the West Kimberley shapes you. The deep reds of the pindan. The green press of the mangroves against the water. The smell of native wood in the heat. There’s a rhythm to life up there, slow & deliberate, and Alan carries it into every decision JIMAWOOD makes.

The brand’s guiding philosophy is the “slow burn”: intention over efficiency, care over speed. Every stick is handmade from sustainably wild-harvested fallen timber, gathered on Country. Nothing taken that wasn’t already given. The wood is processed into sawdust, shaped into a dough by hand, then left to dry on Broome’s schedule, not anyone else’s. Humidity, rain, and season all play a part. No two batches are quite the same.

“It’s a slow, considered process, and that variability is part of what makes each piece feel authentic.” – Alan

Ancient practices, carried forward

JIMAWOOD draws on Yawuru cultural practices,  smoking ceremonies, among them, and brings them into conversation with broader incense traditions. ‘Ancient practices for the modern home.’ Alan holds that responsibility carefully.

“It’s important that everything is grounded in respect, while also creating something that helps people feel connected and present in their everyday lives.” — Alan

What smoke carries

Alan’s hope is simple: light one, go somewhere. For those who know the Kimberley, it takes them back. For everyone else, it opens a door.

“I like to think of each incense stick as a small, accessible way for people to experience that feeling. Like a quiet, and less expensive, trip home.”

– Alan

JIMAWOOD grew first through family and community. What struck Alan was how differently each person responded to the same scent, with entirely different memories. That’s the nature of the work. It doesn’t deliver a fixed experience. It opens a door, and each person walks through to something of their own.

Bringing Broome to the market

Broome is remote. For most people, it’s out of reach. JIMAWOOD makes that distance a little smaller, one stick at a time.

Find Alan and JIMAWOOD at The Finders Keepers Sydney Design Market, Carriageworks, Eveleigh on Gadigal land, 1–3 May. Just $7 daily entry. Tickets on sale now. One week before Mother’s Day.

The post Ancient practices for the modern home | The story behind JIMAWOOD first appeared on The Finders Keepers.

Nestled among the market’s tables and faces was a tablescape unlike anything most visitors had seen before. Beautiful, tactile, and built entirely from discarded oyster shells. It stopped people. They leaned in, touched the surface, and asked questions. And that was exactly the point.

This is the story behind it.

Meet Shuck Don’t Chuck

The tablescape was created by artist Emma-Sadie Thomson, in collaboration with Shuck Don’t Chuck, which is The Nature Conservancy’s award-winning oyster shell recycling program working to restore lost shellfish reefs across Port Phillip Bay.

Here’s why that matters. Centuries ago, more than half of Port Phillip Bay’s seafloor was alive with oyster and mussel reefs. These were thriving ecosystems that filtered water, sheltered fish, and supported entire food chains. Overharvesting, pollution, and disease gradually wiped them out. And when the reefs disappeared, so did the fish populations, the water quality, and the habitats that depended on them.

Shuck Don’t Chuck is changing that.

Shells collected from Melbourne restaurants and seafood wholesalers (the very same shells that would otherwise end up in landfill) are returned to the bay. There, they become the base for entirely new reef systems, giving juvenile oysters and mussels somewhere to attach and grow, meaning waste becomes habitat.

The Numbers Behind the Work

In 2025 alone, over 200,000 kilograms of shell waste were diverted from landfill across Melbourne and the Bellarine Peninsula. 

That’s roughly the equivalent of six backyard swimming pools!

Since the Reef Builder program began in 2017, 49 reef patches have been restored using tonnes of recycled shells, locally sourced rock, and millions of seeded oysters and mussels.

This is slow, patient, collaborative work, and results so far suggest it’s working.

Why Healthy Reefs Matter to All of Us

A single oyster can filter a bathtub’s worth of water every day. That cleaner water supports seagrass meadows, which shelter juvenile fish and strengthen the wider marine ecosystem. Shellfish reefs also help capture carbon and protect coastlines from erosion.

In short: when the reefs thrive, the bay thrives. And when the bay thrives, so do we.

Where Design Comes In

Emma-Sadie’s tablescape, a terrazzo-like surface made from discarded oyster shells developed with Change Climate, gave people something to stop and look at at The Art of Dining. 

You didn’t need to read a sign to understand it; the material tells the story. These shells were heading for landfill, and instead they became a centrepiece that people gathered around all weekend, prompting some curious, genuine conversation all weekend.

This Story Continues

We’re deeply grateful to Emma-Sadie Thomson, Shuck Don’t Chuck, The Nature Conservancy, and everyone who helped bring this collaboration to life.

The Art of Dining is coming to Adelaide, and we’re excited to carry this work and conversation into a new city and community.

The Art of Dining Adelaide (a design-led food festival!)⁠

Torrens Parade Ground, Victoria Tce, Adelaide/Tarntanya

9-10 May 2026 – Part of Tastings Australia

Get your $7 tickets online now

The post What Happens When Design Meets What We Leave Behind first appeared on The Finders Keepers.

Come celebrate the original festival-style design market with over 150 talented designers and food makers. Our lineup includes more than 30 exciting new brands, delicious locally made treats, and plenty of thoughtful gift ideas, perfect for the weekend before Mother’s Day. You buy the tickets, and she’ll find her new favourite treasures! Enjoy discovering unique designs, indulge in delicious food and drinks, and leave with something truly special that no one else has. 

Check out the amazing designer lineup below and RSVP to the official Facebook event for sneak peeks and updates.

Designers

Foodies:

The post AW26 Sydney Design Market Lineup first appeared on The Finders Keepers.

We gather to eat, yes, but food is so much more than just sustenance. It’s a ritual, an experience, shared and a comforting routine.

We are bringing together 70+ food and drink makers from across Australia into one delicious event. Join thousands of hungry food lovers across two days and sample the best local flavours in the country. 

This special food market series draws on the same ethos you know and love The Finders Keepers for: supporting thoughtful buying through local makers. It’s a design-led, food-lovin’ celebration of why we come together to dine.

At this event, food becomes a design experience. It’s more than just a market; it’s an immersive, thoughtfully curated food journey with flavours that tell a story. This event is part of the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival Special Events program.

Set against the backdrop of Melbourne’s working waterfront, The Art of Dining will take place at Seaworks in Williamstown, a vibrant maritime precinct where history, creativity, and community come together. Once home to bustling shipyards, this harbourside venue now welcomes makers, bakers, brewers, and food lovers to celebrate Melbourne’s thriving local food scene.

Meet the Makers

At the heart of The Art of Dining are the makers.

Across one weekend, you’ll meet over 70 of Australia’s most exciting food and drink makers, plus designers and artists, each sharing their unique stories, practices, and philosophies. Together, they create a collective exploration of sustainability, creativity, and connection. Expect everything from gourmet treats to everyday essentials, art to adorn your tables with and plenty of options for lunch, snacks, and pantry-stocking.

Our Emerging Food & Beverage Debuts section, curated by our friends at the Melbourne Farmers Market, shines a light on new and upcoming producers, giving you the chance to discover the next generation of thoughtful makers.

Knowing where your food comes from changes how it tastes. Check out our full lineup here.

Our markets are built on community, both the makers who have grown with us over the years and those stepping into our creative community for the very first time.

We’re thrilled to introduce a new group of stallholders joining our established creative family. Their ideas, energy and offerings add another layer to the rich tapestry of talent that defines our markets.

The Market Menu by Firecracker

Cassie Lucas and the team at Firecracker Event will bring the flavours of the market to life with an exclusive Market Menu, using as many stallholder products as possible across a generous snack bar and grab-and-go offering.

Market Menu sampler to tickle those taste buds:

1. Millet Road Crumpets with Lard Ass Butter and Short Hive or Collins Honey
2. Crisps loaded with white anchovies or jamon, guindillas and parmesan
3. Focaccia by Akimbo with mortadella, stracciatella and pistachio pesto
4. Naked Asian Grocer Vermicelli salad with Duc Nga tofu and veg, and Uncle Tsai Scallion Ginger oil + Umei Foods Mayo
5. Cheese platter with Long Paddock Cheese
6. Plus! A free hot sauce station will be set up featuring all our market hot sauce brands for you to choose from!

This is our friendly reminder to come hungry, you will be eating a lot at this food market! 

Breaking Bread: A Sunday Brunch Hour

‘Breaking bread’ is a phrase everyone knows, but its deeper meaning is often overlooked.

It originates in ancient Jewish tradition and early Christian scripture. It literally means sharing a meal, often bread. But figuratively, it’s a moment of connection, a pause to reconcile and come together. The idea is simple yet profoundly human: something as humble as a loaf of bread can create space for conversation, understanding, and shared experience.

At The Art of Dining Melbourne, we wanted to explore this idea in its fullest expression. That’s how Breaking Bread was born: a one-hour communal brunch designed to nourish, delight, and leave a lasting impression.

Bread and pretzels selected from Baker Bleu, Akimbo, Austro Bakery, and Noisette anchor a generous feasting table, accompanied by whipped butters, charcuterie, pickles, tomatoes, avocados, cloth cheddar, Meredith feta, and a seasonal galette or frittata.

“Breaking bread” means to share a meal.
But it also means to connect. To reconcile. To gather.

This is an event within the event. A small, intentional pause inside a busy market weekend. A reminder that sometimes, the most meaningful moments happen when we slow down together.

Tickets are limited to 24 spots, so make sure to secure them now before they sell out. 
UPDATE – we’re sold out!

More Ways to Gather

Throughout the weekend, you’ll find spaces designed not just for shopping, but for staying.

Styled Tablescapes & Sit & sketch
Enjoy our beautifully styled kitchen tables featuring locally made tablecloths, ceramics, and décor, offering inspiration for your own gatherings at home. Immerse yourself in the tablescape through our sketch and sit—take a moment to sketch what you see, sketch what you want to see, or simply sketch yourself in the moment.

Mindfulness Mural
A collaborative artwork by local artist, Good Juju Homewear, inviting visitors to reflect on the mindfulness that goes into each product at the market.

Sailor Grave Brewing & Pirate Tavern Takeover
An exclusive market ale paired with Finn’s Oyster Bar, sea shanties, and a playful nod to the site’s maritime spirit. Don’t forget to recycle your oyster shells when you’re done, with the Shuck Don’t Chuck initiative!

Wonki Bar

Bright, bold, flavour-forward, and unapologetically fun. Wonki will be serving up their vodka bevvies made using wonky fruit and veg.

Fin Wines Lo-Fi Bar
A low-intervention wine bar with a lo-fi, laid-back vibe — where process and atmosphere mirror each other.

Tasters Corner by Really Good People

A rotating program of in-situ tastings that spotlight emerging and noteworthy products, championing discovery through experience.

Shuck Don’t Chuck!
After you’ve enjoyed your fresh-as oysters from Finn’s Oyster Bar, you can recycle the shells! The Shuck Don’t Chuck initiative has so far used 825+ tonnes of recycled shells to support the restoration of 49 historical reef beds, including in Port Phillip Bay. These restored reefs improve water quality, biodiversity, and marine habitats. Cool!

The details:

A thoughtfully curated food market celebrating how we gather, share and dine.

Seaworks, Williamstown, Narrm
21-22 March
10am-5pm daily

Extended hours Saturday 5pm–7pm
After the market closes, join us for dinner outdoors by the sea! Free entry from 5pm.

Grab your $7 entry tickets now!

The post The Art of Dining Melbourne | The Art of Gathering first appeared on The Finders Keepers.

It originates in ancient Jewish tradition and early Christian scripture. It literally means sharing a meal, often bread. But figuratively, it’s a moment of connection, a pause to reconcile and come together. The idea is simple yet profoundly human: something as humble as a loaf of bread can create space for conversation, understanding, and shared experience.

At The Art of Dining Melbourne, we wanted to explore this idea in its fullest expression. That’s how Breaking Bread was born: a one-hour communal brunch designed to nourish, delight, and leave a lasting impression.

For just 24 guests, a long feasting table will be set, overflowing with breads and pretzels selected from Baker Bleu, Akimbo, Austro Bakery, and Noisette, and paired with thoughtful accompaniments:

• Whipped butters – black garlic, tarragon, salty
• Ham and pastrami
• Pickles – cornichons, pickled zucchini, guindilla
• Tomatoes, avocados, cloth cheddar and Meredith feta
• Seasonal galette or frittata

This isn’t just brunch. It’s an interactive, design-led experience that goes hand-in-hand with the ethos of The Art of Dining, where every element, from the selection of breads to the styling of the table, has been curated to encourage conversation, connection, and delight. Firecracker Event will oversee service, ensuring the flow of the feast is seamless and intimate.

Breaking Bread is an event within an event. A small, deliberate pause in a busy market weekend, designed to remind us of why we gather, why we linger, and why food, thoughtfully made and shared, is one of life’s simplest yet most profound pleasures.

It’s a chance to sit, to taste, to connect, and to reflect: to experience dining as more than sustenance, but as ritual, as design, as community.

This intimate feast is part of The Art of Dining Melbourne, a design-led food market celebrating the full cycle of dining, from growing and making to gathering and sharing. Learn more about the market here.

When & Where:

Seaworks Maritime Precinct, Williamstown – Held within the Art of Dining Melbourne
Sunday, 22 March | 10.15am arrival | 10.30–11.30am

$35 per person | Limited to 24 seats | Pre-booked (but if not sold out, available via Firecracker on the day) | Your ticket also gives you entry to The Art of Dining Melbourne

Grab your tickets here

The post Breaking Bread: The Art of Connection and Gathering first appeared on The Finders Keepers.

Within the rhythm of every market, we intentionally carve out quiet moments. A place where you’re invited to sit, observe, draw, colour, reflect, or simply take a breath. Our much-loved Mindfulness Mural is a key part of that, a slow, collective artwork that grows over the course of the weekend.

The mural isn’t just about filling a blank wall. It’s about creating room for stillness in a busy, sensory-rich environment. A moment to reset before stepping back into the buzz.

For The Art of Dining Melbourne, we’re delighted to welcome Julia of Good Juju Homeware as our Mindfulness Mural artist.

Julia’s practice sits beautifully at the intersection of art, food, and home. Her work draws from a Mediterranean upbringing where food is a love language, and gathering around the table is a ritual. Many of the dishes, drinks, and scenes Julia illustrates come directly from her yiayia’s dining table, as well as memories of travelling through Italy — moments of colour, warmth, and togetherness translated into playful, enduring designs.

Good Juju Homeware is rooted in a dedication to mindful craftsmanship. Julia designs each product and works with local producers in Melbourne, with printing nearby and homewares sewn by her mum, Angela (maybe you’ve met them both at our design markets before!). This creates a range of joyful, nostalgic textiles and accessories, including tablecloths, napkins, tea towels, runners, and wall art that are made for everyday living.

Italian influence runs through the brand, not as a trend but as a timeless reference. From sun-washed palazzos in Florence to vibrant homes in Capri, Julia is inspired by how Italian design embraces colour, pattern, and pleasure without the need to constantly reinvent itself. This sense of longevity shapes her work: pieces designed to be loved for years to come.

At The Art of Dining, visitors can also discover Julia’s latest wall art collection, ‘The Espresso Bar’, inspired by Melbourne’s iconic Italian cafés and her family’s enduring love of espresso culture.

We love how Julia’s approach mirrors the spirit of The Art of Dining: food as memory, dining as ritual, and design as a way to honour both.

Be sure to spend some time at the Mindfulness Mural this March 21-22 at Seaworks, add your own mark, take a moment for yourself, and experience a quieter kind of creativity within the market.

And if you’re curious… Julia’s favourite food?

Pasta. Always pasta. Because it feels like home.

The Art of Dining Melbourne
21-22 March 2026
Seaworks, Williamstown

The post Introducing our newest Mindfulness Mural Artist first appeared on The Finders Keepers.

Maybe you’re here simply because you love food – deeply, joyfully, and with curiosity. Hello, you’re in good company!

Welcome to The Art of Dining Melbourne, hosted at Seaworks in Williamstown, March 21-22. This special food market series is a design-led, food-lovin’ celebration of why we come together to dine.

We gather to eat, yes, but food is so much more than just sustenance. It’s ritual, experience, shared and a comforting routine.

At this event, food becomes a design experience – it’s about finding art in the flavour, atmosphere and experience. It’s more than just a market; it’s an immersive, thoughtfully-curated food journey that takes you through the full cycle of dining: from growing to gathering and learning to linger.

Across one weekend, you’ll meet over 70 of Australia’s most exciting food and drink makers, plus designers and artists, each sharing their unique stories, practices, and philosophies. Together, they create a collective exploration of sustainability, creativity, and connection.

This lineup invites you to slow down, to gather, and to remember why dining together can be so meaningful.

Pull up a seat, and let’s dig in.

Designers

Come and join us by the sea at Seaworks Maritime Precinct in Williamstown to celebrate The Art of Dining on March 21–22, as part of Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. Tickets are available now – don’t miss out!

The post The Art of Dining Melbourne | Lineup first appeared on The Finders Keepers.

We have developed something new, and it’s just for you! Our mega fans, the friends who attend every market and who are always finding and keeping. 

This is for you. This little present is a small way for us to say thank you to our mega fans. 

Introducing The Finders Keepers Fan Club

We spoke to a bunch of our market lovers (thanks for your feedback and ideas!), and we have developed a membership program based on your ideas and feedback, so here’s what we came up with to maximise your market experience in the first year of Fan Club!

For just $45 during the Early Bird sale (ending 31 December – or $60 after that), your first year membership gets you:

• Weekend passes to all our markets, including our new special food market series (tickets normally $10+ per market)
• Bring a friend for free to each event (double the fun!)
• Priority market entry (basically skip in)
• Discounted coffee (yusss)
• Priority bar access (ok whaaat)
• Fan Club meet-up area at the market – meet, chat, create, relax!
• Fan Club badge to wear with pride (it’s gonna be cute as – collect at your next market!)
• Fan Club online group to connect year-round
• Fan Club meet-ups, workshops, classes – at the markets and beyond.
• Locked in $45 membership for 2 years – if you want to renew, it’ll stay at $45 for your second year.

Our Mission is and has always been to support small, independent Australian makers to launch and thrive. And what better way to support our makers than to celebrate an audience that is dedicated to the cause of conscious consumerism? Their love of our events, discovering something new, meeting makers and supporting small, is what keeps our creative community thriving and growing.

Over the years, our markets have blossomed into a warm community gathering spot where shoppers connect with makers, share their love for creativity, and embrace the joy of discovering thoughtfully crafted goods. Imagine taking it a step further by creating a special space – at the markets and online year-round – where our shoppers can relax, enjoy their shared passion for quality products, and meet others who share their values.

If you’re reading this and thinking, “Wow, where do I sign up?” we’d say that’s a fantastic idea! This could be a wonderful gift for someone special this festive season or a little pressie just for yourself. Grab your memberships now, especially before the early bird sale ends on December 31!

The post Introducing… The Finders Keepers Fan Club! first appeared on The Finders Keepers.