Makerspaces

Makerspaces have popped up all over the world in libraries, museums, and on school campuses. Why not have a Makerspace in your own living space? Makerspaces can fuel innovation, critical thinking skills, and problem solving for teens. Depending on the space you have available at home, you can create a pop-up, temporary makerspace, or a dedicated area. What’s most important is having an environment to be creative.

Makerspace projects can be created using inexpensive and up-cycled materials. These flexible and low-cost learning environments can also build STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) skills, stimulate the imagination, and promote independent thinking for teens. In addition to building creative skills useful in college or future careers, taking projects from idea to completion can lead to a great sense of accomplishment. Your completed product could be digital, or three dimensional; it could be a necklace, a homemade fishing pole, a robot or even a drone!

Here are some recommended books about makerspaces and making that can help teens get creative at home with a variety of materials.

Getting the Most out of a Makerspace & Robotics by Jacob Cohen – This book introduces readers to the world of makerspaces. Readers learn how to find these spaces in their local community and use various for programming their robotic creations.

10 Great Makerspace Projects Using Science by Erin Staley – This book highlights community-based makerspaces. These spaces use cutting-edge technology and open the door to a wide and varied world of making!

We can also help you print your 3D creations on one of our 3D printers. Find out more on our DML page and if you’re looking for inspiration, check out 3D Printing Projects by DK on OverDrive.

Using the subject option of “Crafting” in OverDrive will bring additional titles for low-tech activities such as:

Sticky Fingers: DIY Duct Tape Projects by Sophie Maletsky – This book has wonderful step-by-step images for making a wide variety of items with Duct tape.

The Craft-A-Day Book by Kari Cornell – This title is a game-changer. The projects in this book all use recycled or repurposed materials!

If you are looking for some books in print to check out, here are a few titles:

The Big Book of Maker Skills: Tools & Techniques for Building Great Tech Projects by Chris Hackett – Starting with how to work safely and how to set up and organize a workspace, this is an exploration of a great variety of tools, how to use them, and the kinds of projects people can create with them.

The Big Book of Makerspace Projects: Inspiring Makers to Experiment, Create, and Learn by Aaron Graves & Colleen Graves – A hands-on book detailing low-cost makerspace projects that will inspire inventors and makers of all ages. Whether high or low tech, there is a makerspace for every interest.

These books will help get you started! If you have a particular project in mind, we would be happy to help you find the right books and resources to complete your project. You can try searching “makerspace” in Hoopla for even more ebooks. You can also give us a call, or use our My Next Read form to request a list of books made just for you.