Makerspace

Come join us for crafts and creativity. We have machines and supplies that you can pick up and play with or ask our stand by teachers and volunteers for a tutorial. You can make your own projects and take them home with you. 

Free Play (Eastern Shore 2 - Middle doors ):

Try a new craft, learn new skills for your favorite craft, or just relax and make some friends around the table in our Free Play area. We have tools and materials for a variety of different crafts available to work on free of charge. If you need help getting started, one of our red-aproned volunteers would be happy to help!

  • Friendship Bracelets

  • Papercraft

  • Perler Beads

  • Crochet/Knitting

  • Rubber Band Bracelets

  • Buttons

  • Electronics

  • Leather

  • And more!

Drop-In Projects (Eastern Shore 2 - leftmost door):

We run multiple different drop-in sessions for guided projects that are quicker than a full workshop. Join us at any point during the class to get started, work on it at your own pace, and leave when you’re finished! Check the schedule in Guidebook.

  • Intro to Crochet

  • Intro to Machine Sewing

Workshops (Eastern Shore 3 - leftmost hallway, around the corner, left door):

Makerspace Workshops are hands-on lessons that last 1-3 hours where you get to learn how to make a new project and take your work home! These classes work like traditional panels with a set start time. 

Visiting Partners:

  • NOVA Labs: NOVA Labs is a Makerspace in North Virginia. They will be showing off projects that their members have made, answering questions about makerspaces and making, and doing workshops in the drop-in workshop area and Makerspace classroom.

  • TOOOL Lockpick Village: Want to tinker with locks and tools the likes of which you’ve only seen in movies featuring police, spies, and secret agents? Then come on by the Lockpick Village, run by The Open Organisation Of Lockpickers, where you will have the opportunity to learn hands-on how the fundamental hardware of physical security operates and how it can be compromised.

    The Lockpick Village is a physical security demonstration and participation area. Visitors can learn about the vulnerabilities of various locking devices, techniques used to exploit these vulnerabilities, and practice on locks of various levels of difficulty to try it themselves.

    Experts will be on hand to demonstrate and plenty of trial locks, pick tools, and other devices will be available for you to handle. By exploring the faults and flaws in many popular lock designs, you can not only learn about the fun hobby of sportpicking, but also gain a much stronger knowledge about the best methods and practices for protecting your own property.

Currently Accepted Donations:

We accept donations of new or lightly-used maker tools and materials. If the amount you are interested in donating is larger than a grocery bag, or you would like us to verify that we can use it please email makerspace@magfest.org, as our storage space is limited. 

We are currently accepting donations for the following items:

  • Fabric

  • Unopened patterns

  • Yarn

  • PLA filament

  • Pony Beads

  • Letter Beads