The recipe is the same: sit down, order a drink, and start a craft. Ranging from small plant pots and concrete coasters to nail and string art to longer projects of wrapped bracelets and succulent terrarium gardens, the options are endless and the only skill you need is the desire to learn. These craft opportunities tend to run anywhere from $20 up to $50, depending on how much time it will take and supplies you’ll need to make it. Oh and as a bonus? That first drink is also usually included.

Places like DIY Bar in Portland, Oregon hand over a single menu as you enter the bar, but on this menu, you’re expected to make two selections: what beer you would like to drink and what project you would like to make. With “Craft-Tenders,” who work as bartenders as well as craft coaches, the bar has everything in place to make sure you’re able to complete your project while double-checking your glass isn’t empty. The walls of the establishment are painted white but covered from ceiling to floor with different colors of paint, string, and wood stains, making their location a true Maker paradise.

In the Highland Square neighborhood of Akron, Ohio lives Mr. Zub’s Deli, a restaurant and bar where you can disappear for a few hours and just create. Creating an atmosphere that is truly a one-of-a-kind restaurant experience, they’ve integrated wildly popular craft nights. Tiffany Prochaska-Nemr, one of the owners of Mr. Zub’s, explained her thought behind opening their space to DIY activities: “We wanted to create an environment that could engage a person on multiple platforms; we invite you to hang out, be creative and have dinner or a drink.” Their most popular events feature DIY shot-skis, succulent pots, as well as flower arranging workshops and creating small house planters. The cost of events like these will typically run you $15-32, which pays for supplies for the event.  The restaurant also teams up with local companies for their DIY nights, giving neighborhood businesses a chance to network and sending guests home with free merchandise.

In many other cities that don’t have specific restaurants designated for making, another solution has gained popularity. Organizations like PopCraft out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania cater to bringing crafts to you. Though PopCraft tends to relocate from place to place to conduct their crafting time, they can be booked at certain locations consistently and their online sign-ups go up to a month in advance. PopCraft offers many of the same crafts that other maker bars and coffee shops offer, however, they also offer many take-home projects so that crafting can continue later. They come to each location with all of the necessary supplies in order to make sure everyone can make their project…and we’re not just talking about fabric or nails, either: they even bring tools like hammers, leather shears, and more.

Thankfully, Maker Workshops aren’t the only places where people have the opportunity to create. Bringing making into local bars and coffee shops–places everyone already feels comfortable in– can make a huge difference in creating a maker community that is welcoming and communal. For those who don’t tinker on a daily basis, it provides a creative outlet to relieve stress and make new friends. And with the maker movement gaining more and more popularity, we’re sure this is only the beginning.

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At their base, community workshops are gathering places where people can meet up to use tools like 3D printers, laser cutters, and lathes that they might not have at home. Traditionally these spaces have someone scheduled to work or volunteer within the space to assist those who might not know how to use the equipment. As previously mentioned in our Makers & Maker Movement blog post, populations of large cities tend to skip running to the hardware store because small apartments aren’t ideal (or safe) for large projects. Community workshops are a great space to utilize equipment and expertise that many in large cities don’t have space or a constant need for.
Spaces like these were created in reaction to the Maker Culture rise and greatly increase community engagement and development. We spoke with Jessie Tymoczko, who worked at Pittsburgh’s TechShop (as they made their transition to Protohaven), about what she noticed about the community that formed around the workspace:

“TechShop had a ‘hub’ area with computers and tables that were constantly bustling. The tables were communal, so people were often working on different projects at the same time.  That shared space really fostered a helper mentality.  If someone was working on a project and ran into a roadblock it was pretty easy for them to look up and find another maker who would at least have some ideas about what the issue might be, ranging from metalwork and fabrics to robotics and glasswork.” She continued, “I also saw and experienced the friendships that formed in the shop, people would often come to the shop even if they were not currently working on a project because it was a community space and a place for like-minded people to meet up and spend time together. It was really neat to see people of all ages and backgrounds working alongside each other and interacting, kids learned how to interact with adults and on more than one occasion an adult remembered what it was like to find joy in the ‘magic’ of making while working with the kids.”

As for individuals, workshops like this offer a haven for creative types and a sense of community in a large city. They offer classes and tutorial workshops where groups can gather and learn together about anything from making a messenger bag to motorcycle maintenance. According to Tymoczko, most places tend to offer both paid and free events and that safety and basic use classes are required if you wanted to use certain machines. These workshops are not only great for getting out of your bubble to meet others in the city, but they teach skills which can be used for many other things.

Makers in cities everywhere can utilize the sheer size of the space to complete projects with tools which would be a waste of money to have around the apartment, all while having a community around them to offer tips, support, and advice. Community workshops are positive spaces and anchors to the Maker communities of large cities and towns. With the prevalence of the Maker Movement and the help of community workshops, many can grow to become more confident and self-reliant within the world that they’re making.

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