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I’ve always said that solving problems is one of the most important parts of being a maker. It is a lot of fun to solve a problem by making something. That is essentially how an inventor thinks. If you are tired of sitting on the ground then why not build a chair? If you your chair isn’t comfortable then you can always sew a cushion. My problem was too many shoes in my closet at home. I could have easily

I have always liked the idea of making my own tools. While the complexities of an electric drill are far beyond me, a simple wooden mallet is well within reach. By making your own, you can customize it to fit your needs and aesthetic. A wooden mallet is great for tapping chisels and easing joints together. Unlike a metal hammer, it isn’t hard enough to dent chisels or mar a wooden project. Additionally, it is l

Nick, one of our Maker Corps Members, describes the workshop he planned: Recently, I had the opportunity to teach a workshop called “Wooden Automata”, in which kids created kinetic wood projects. When I started planning my workshop, I immediately knew I wanted to do something with wood, since it’s my favorite material to work with. I realized that for a lot of kids, wood is seen as purely static, an

Derek and I had the privilege of using the Robinson Township Library’s extremely large activity space to teach woodworking.  We taught visitors how to use hammers, hand drills, saws, sand paper and screwdrivers. We planned to have the families experience and learn about the tools.  Some of the families asked if they could create something (a sculpture or a structure) using the tools and wood.  We would never st

I love boomerangs. No matter how much I understand the physics behind them, there’s still something magical and artistic about them. I’ve made a few at home, but wanted to make some with kids here, and no visitor would be up for the many hours of sawing, sanding, testing, sanding, finishing, sanding, and other frustration that comes with making a wooden boomerang. So I tried making them out of cardboard.

I have noticed over the past year that MAKESHOP has become such a great resource for home school families. Every visitor can benefit from something in the Museum, but MAKESHOP allows for an extremely hands on experience. A couple of days ago a group of sisters ranging from age eight to twenty spent a couple of stupendous hours in MAKESHOP. We worked on some simple wooden picture frames. All three of these projects sl