Makerspaces Carve Out a Place for Creativity
- Sharon Stello
- 42 minutes ago
- 16 min read
DIY centers are growing in Orange County, offering 3D printers, laser engravers, sewing machines, wood and metal shops, and more.
Imagine having a garage filled with a wood shop, metal shop, laser cutters/engravers, 3D printers, sewing and embroidery machines and other tools to make gifts or embark on a creative endeavor whenever you feel like it.
Of course, most people don’t have a garage that big – or one at all if they live in an apartment – not to mention the money to buy so much equipment. But communal makerspaces with these types of machines, tools and even teachers have been popping up across Orange County, making it easy to access everything that’s needed to bring your next creative idea to fruition.
Some makerspaces are completely free, such as two at local libraries, while others operate like a business with monthly memberships or a break-even venture with hourly fees to recoup costs; some also offer classes and workshops. Free materials are available at a few of these facilities while others require people to bring their own wood, metal, fabric or 3D printer filament. Most, if not all, have safety training or orientation sessions that must be completed before using equipment.
And the possibilities are seemingly endless when it comes to what you can make: from furniture to signs, cutting boards engraved with family recipes, one-of-a-kind clothing, bags or hats embroidered with logos or characters, plastic toys, personalized wedding favors and cake toppers, replacement parts, drone components, chassis for robotic rovers, enclosures for video game electronics, wooden boxes with intricate designs, artwork and more. And there’s a high demand for these spaces as people seem to be craving an activity that allows them to set aside their cell phones for a while and even socialize or collaborate with others.
“I think, especially with how tapped in everyone is to screen time, and being in such a digital world, I think coming here, it’s something that’s hands on,” said Kamy Mata, marketing coordinator at Urban Workshop, which was founded in 2014 in Costa Mesa and runs on a membership model.
At 28,000 square feet, Urban Workshop is one of the largest makerspaces in North America and also serves as a technical training facility, with welder certification among other courses. The space also features auto lifts, allowing mechanics to work there. In fact, many businesses operate out of the facility, from a member who makes wooden beer tap handles to someone manufacturing foldable bedframes for car camping. Kids classes and camps as well as holiday-themed workshops (like forging a metal clover keychain for St. Patrick’s Day) round out the facility’s offerings.
“It’s a different kind of third space. Because I feel like we all need them and they can’t always be a coffee shop,” Mata said. “I mean, obviously, coming here isn’t free, but you’re going to get something more out of it than a thing you can put in your hand. It’s a new skill, it’s a new ability, it’s a new hobby, a new craft, a new business. You get so much more out of it than just like a matcha. I think that’s what people like about it.”
The makerspace trend is definitely catching on across the region. A free one opened in the fall at Anaheim Public Library’s Haskett Branch while membership-based The Makr Lab launched in January, also in Anaheim, with plans for more in other cities. Brain Builders STEM Education is remodeling its Laguna Niguel location to become a makerspace; it will be called Create a Maker, formatted as themed classes and days catered mostly to kids with about 25% for adults. Another one called Youth Maker Space is also in development in Anaheim Hills for tweens and teens to take monthlong, project-based classes.
Ethan Coulter, co-founder of The Makr Lab, also produces a family-friendly event called Maker Faire Orange County with demos and vendors at the OC Fair & Event Center. Coming up Sept. 12-13 this year, it brings together a wide range of artists, crafters, tech enthusiasts and DIY hobbyists.
And once you feel that spark of inspiration, you’ll no doubt be searching for a place to become a maker yourself.
PHOTO 1: Sewing machines at Huntington Beach Public Library Makerspace. PHOTO 2: Examples of items made at Huntington Beach Public Library Makerspace. Photos by Sharon Stello, Culture OC
Library Lessons
Huntington Beach is home to a popular makerspace, tucked away in a small room on the lower floor of the Central Library. Started right before the pandemic with funding from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, the space now has a team of friendly volunteers serving as coaches, gently guiding users in operation of the various equipment, which could otherwise feel intimidating for first-timers. They can even suggest ideas for those who want to try it out, but don’t know what to make. One-hour appointments are required, but usage is free along with plenty of donated materials.
“We’re the best-kept secret in Huntington Beach,” said makerspace coordinator Ron Krasnitz.
On a recent day, Rene Johnson of Huntington Beach was using the laser engraver to make a wooden sign for her daughter’s home, complete with her last name and decorative images.
“It’s just really cool. I could never have this machine at my house. It’s really expensive,” Johnson said.
Anny Lau of Huntington Beach, who’s involved with Guide Dogs for the Blind – Huntington Beach, CA Puppy Raisers, was recently using the embroidery machine to test the group’s logo to put on bags and shirts. But she can often be found at the laser machine creating night lights, magnets or pencil boxes engraved with an image. She’s already working on an advent calendar box for next Christmas.
“It’s hard not to keep coming,” Lau said. “It is truly endless. If you lack the skill to make it, the coaches will help you and you learn from other people. Like all creative things, you get inspired by other people. It is magical.”
In addition to laser engravers, the Huntington Beach Makerspace (as many of them do) includes a CNC (Computer Numerical Control) router, which offers computer-controlled routing to cut out three-dimensional shapes and engrave on wood, plastic, Corian and more; 3D printers for producing models, sculptures, replacement parts and prototypes; a Cricut Maker for creating paper decorations, personalized greeting cards, signs, vinyl iron-ons and T-shirt transfers; sewing machines including an industrial one for working on heavy material like leather, canvas and upholstery; a serger to trim and finish fabric edges; and embroidery machines including one loaded with eight thread colors for adding logos, names and characters to shirts, hats, bags, blankets and more. When it gets busy in the afternoon, the room is buzzing with activity.
“When we’re open, we’ll have usually 30 to 35 people a day come in,” Krasnitz said. “And we’re open three days a week, so that’s close to 100. Last year, I think we had 4,500 people – (not unique individuals) – we have a lot of repeats … and we have about 15 volunteers.”
Krasnitz, who has an engineering background and ran an industrial distribution business, picked up woodworking as a hobby in retirement. “Now, I’m helping people make things,” he said. “And, honestly, I get a bigger thrill out of somebody making things and getting all excited about how they made it. It’s very rewarding to me.”
Krasnitz recalled one of the most memorable items made there: A worker from Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Mars project used the 3D printer to create an identical replica of the Mars surface and equipment used to take surface samples to see how it would sit and how the robot would pick it up.
Some people save money by tailoring their own clothes or 3D printing replacement parts for various equipment. But, for many, creating things at the makerspace is more than a hobby – it’s a refuge.
“This one woman, her husband has Alzheimer’s and she comes in and makes different gifts, whether it’s earrings or whatever. She’s constantly making gifts. And she said, ‘If I didn’t have this as an escape, I wouldn’t survive,’ ” Krasnitz recalled.
PHOTO 1: Sewing machines in the makerspace that opened in October at Link Labs in Anaheim Public Library's Haskett branch. PHOTO 2: The makerspace that opened in October in Anaheim Public Library's Haskett branch. PHOTO 3: Patrons work on projects in the makerspace in Anaheim Public Library's Haskett branch. Photos courtesy of Link Labs
Teaching a Trade
At Anaheim Public Library, grant funding and donations helped to establish a makerspace at the Haskett Branch to teach trade skills that might be useful in the job market and also to bring the community together for intergenerational learning.
“In 2020-21, we kind of saw how COVID hit the manufacturing jobs and just, in general, the employment shift,” said Magali Rivera, principal librarian with Anaheim Public Library. “We had seen how many people were being unemployed and they took to other trade skills like sewing and now they were selling their materials on Etsy, making a name for themselves because they had one door close on them and now they opened up another door. And we saw a lot of people were also retiring in the manufacturing sector and a lot of retirees take that knowledge with them.”
The makerspace is part of the library’s Link Labs, which also include a media lab with a recording booth; green, white and blue backdrop screens for photography or podcasting; and a memory lab station to digitize documents, photos, slides, 8 millimeter film and VHS videos. This high-tech space was developed after a successful pop-up makerspace at the library’s Ponderosa joint-use branch in late 2019.
The new makerspace – with 3D printers, laser cutters/engravers, sewing and embroidery machines, a serger, Cricut and sublimation machines – has proven popular with some equipment sessions already booked into June. Two-hour appointments are required to ensure that one of the two part-time library assistants are available to help users. Eventually, the plan is to recruit volunteers, Rivera said. Use of the machines is free, but patrons must bring their own materials except for basic colors of thread and black or white 3D printer filament.
On some Saturdays, staff lead workshops where patrons can drop in, learn how to use one of the machines and make a project. “It’s so the public becomes familiar with our machines and with our spaces,” Rivera said. “And sometimes patrons just don’t know what to do … so it gives them ideas.”
Rivera especially likes seeing people come in and “make something their own,” such as using sublimation to add their design to a shirt or cutting out vinyl designs and adding them to socks with a heat press. While many are concerned with the final product, “What I found more interesting is people learning the process and not being intimidated by software or by the computer,” Rivera said.
Since some teens might not attend colleges or universities, she wanted to create a space where anyone could come learn to use equipment they might not otherwise have access to.
“And hopefully it just circles back to … teach the next generation,” Rivera said. “I teach my neighbor or I come back again and show (others) how to (do this). Maybe I can make a career out of this. In a sense, we wanted to create a collaborative space where people can come in and learn from each other and learn new skills.”
PHOTO 1: UC Irvine students Rishi Thakre (left), Nathan Willis (center) and Ethan Lee (right) watch a laser engraver creating holes in a wooden chassis for their rover project at UCI's FABWorks makerspace. PHOTO 2: Some 3D printers at UC Irvine's FABWorks makerspace. PHOTO 3: UC Irvine student Luis Sandoval works on his group's drone project on an outdoor workbench at FABWorks makerspace. The group used a 3D printer to create some components and planned to test-fly it in the makerspace's outdoor netted area; drones aren't allowed to be flown in the open air because the campus is too close to the airport. Photos by Sharon Stello, Culture OC
Maker University
Locals may not be aware that UC Irvine also has a makerspace that’s open not only to students and staff, but also the general public. FABWorks is located on the third floor of the Engineering Tower on campus.
Complete with a wood shop, 3D printers, laser cutter/engravers, sewing machines and more, it’s run by student workers and there’s an hourly rate that varies by type of equipment; for some machines, materials are provided. While appointments can be made, walk-ins can typically be accommodated.
Other spaces include RapidTech, with high-end equipment that can be used with permission and special training, and machine and welding shops that only provide access to students who have taken the required courses.
Ben Dolan, director of the UCI Makerspace including FABWorks, said the university’s first makerspace was RapidTech, part of a National Science Foundation program that began at Saddleback College many years ago. FABWorks was established in 2015 to be more public facing.
Dolan’s interest in making things started as a kid as both of his parents were woodworkers. “We always had tools and equipment in the garage, never a car,” he said. While he began studying math and physics in college, he switched to engineering for a more hands-on field. For a job, overseeing FABWorks seemed like a perfect fit.
“I love helping people make things, learning how to use the tools, be creative and solve problems,” he said. “I grew up with that and I think it’s just a wonderful thing for people to have.”
While mostly students use FABWorks for school projects like robots or enclosures to house electronics, others come in occasionally. One local kid often drops in to work on a fishing drone project. And during summer, workshops for middle schoolers and weeklong camps are offered. A few holiday-themed events have also been presented.
Open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday (except school holidays), there’s no time limit for using FABWorks. “People are free to hang out,” Dolan said. In addition to the indoor areas, covered outdoor corridors feature storage lockers and workbenches with power outlets.
Among the equipment at FABWorks are some photopolymer machines. Often used to make biomed devices, the machine utilizes light to cure a liquid resin. Dolan said one student used it to make a ring for his partner as it provides a modern alternative to the Old World technique of lost-wax casting. “Traditionally, jewelers used to carve wax. Nowadays, you just print the wax,” he said.
Dolan enjoys seeing the artwork and other projects created at FABWorks.
“For me, growing up with woodwork, the inlays and things like that … are really amazing,” he said. “I’m also a big fan of projects that are geared towards helping people …. A cellphone case can be interesting, but it’s way cooler if it’s … novel equipment that can make an impact for somebody.”
PHOTO 1: Ryan Flynn of Newport Beach works on a pickleball racket holder at Urban Workshop in Costa Mesa. PHOTO 2: An auto lift area for working on cars at Urban Workshop in Costa Mesa. PHOTO 3: Hand tools in the woodshop area at Urban Workshop in Costa Mesa. PHOTO 4: Jill Jordan (right) of Costa Mesa, who has been coming to Urban Workshop since July, works with a mentor to create a wooden tabletop for an existing metal base for her home. Photos by Sharon Stello, Culture OC
Building a Business
Urban Workshop in Costa Mesa – while available to anyone – has become an incubator of sorts for new businesses, offering a less expensive way for entrepreneurs to get their start.
One member makes metal fabricated chimneys while another repairs DJ gear. “His corner’s always fun. He’s testing out equipment and you always hear music playing,” said Mata, the marketing coordinator. “And then we have our auto shop. It’s probably one of the most used areas of the workshop.” Some full-time mechanics work there handling basic maintenance or converting gas cars to electric, while one guy even wraps cars.
Shina Chen of Santa Ana makes clear covers for dancing shoes so they don’t get scuffed. She also creates fashionable skins of various designs, from leopard print to sparkles, that “completely change the look of the shoe” without buying a new pair, Chen explained.
Her business, Pole Mom Design, caters to those who wear a certain type of platform stiletto shoes for pole or burlesque dancing. She came across Urban Workshop when researching places for her boyfriend to base his business; now both of them are members.
Chen said there’s a collaborative energy, with members teaching each other and offering advice. When she couldn’t figure out how to make clear covers to protect the shoe toes, other members suggested the vacuum forming machine, which led to creation of her product.
“There’s a lot of brilliant minds here,” she said. “This place helped me do research and development, prototyping. I think it’s a great space for entrepreneurs to invent something if they don’t have money to hire a development company.”
Longtime member Israel Hill has been coming to Urban Workshop for nearly a decade. “I accidentally found it online,” he said. Hill mostly does woodworking and uses the laser cutter/engraver because of its dual purpose. “It’s the most bang for your buck,” he said.
An Army veteran, Hill mostly makes items for other people such as plaques for military members or water bottles engraved with a kid’s football jersey number for friends. Now retired, he comes to Urban Workshop every day. “It’s kind of an obsession …. It’s the community,” he said of what keeps him coming back. “Makers are a different kind of people. They’re creative and they’re also collaborative … and we’ve got people here from all walks of life.”
Urban Workshop, which has approximately 300 members, also teaches the younger generation by offering 12-week STEM courses for homeschooled kids as well as summer and winter break camps. Youths work their way through projects at four levels of difficulty.
There are also a variety of workshops, classes and multi-session courses with both member and nonmember pricing. Youths can learn to make an electric guitar, for example, while adults (or teens ages 14 to 17, coming with a parent or guardian) can try jewelry soldering. There’s also instruction in blacksmithing, wood bowl turning and much more, plus courses that teach the basics for each machine or area like the wood shop.
PHOTO 1: The Makr Lab, opened in January in Anaheim, is a smaller makerspace at just 1,600 square feet. PHOTO 2: A mini lathe at The Makr Lab in Anaheim. PHOTO 3: A 3D printer at The Makr Lab. Photos courtesy of The Makr Lab
Neighborhood Niches
The Makr Lab, which opened its first location earlier this year in Anaheim, plans to open several more so that this type of DIY equipment is readily available to everyone. For the next one, Coulter is exploring partnering with an organization that has a building in San Clemente.
“We would love to just seed Orange County with this and put one in every city so it’s 10 to 15 minutes away from anybody in Orange County,” he said. “Will that ever happen? I don’t know, but I’ve got to put a dream out there.”
Coulter said The Makr Lab aims to offer a middle ground with more availability than the free library options and more affordability than some larger makerspaces.
“Our spaces are purposefully targeting smaller locations with smaller, closer to hobbyist level machines … because we know not everybody needs those big machines all the time,” he said.
Coulter, who spent most of his career in software development and cyber security, became interested in the maker world after buying his first 3D printer. “That was kind of my gateway into the whole maker space,” he said.
He was also dabbling in electronics and then became interested in robotics, which led him to become curious about how lasers work, then CNC machines. “I started growing my knowledge in all of those things and just found a passion for a lot of it,” Coulter said.
He enjoyed attending the Bay Area Maker Faire, one of the largest, attracting thousands of people over a weekend. It shut down in 2019 and Coulter discovered the next closest ones were several states away. He thought, “Why don’t I just start one?”
And, as the Maker Faire Orange County – marking its fifth edition this year – grew in popularity, Coulter and his team decided to try opening some makerspaces.
“We do a lot with the little bit of space that we have,” Coulter said, mentioning a laser corner, metalworking area, electronics bay, and sewing machines, sergers and heat presses – to make cosplay outfits, clothing or bags. “We really want to enable people to do whatever they want to do,” he said.
Another bay is filled with hand tools and power tools. And one wall is lined with 3D printers. The rest of the space is rounded out with CNC routers, stained glass grinders and vinyl cutters.
Some materials are free, thanks to donations. Others can be purchased at The Makr Lab or members can bring their own. Eventually, Coulter said the lab plans to bring in companies to teach CAD.
And The Makr Lab makes it easy for children to learn, too. A membership deal offers two free kids’ memberships when two adults sign up.
“We want to encourage the family to come together and explore things,” Coulter said. “We want it to be a joint learning and building session. We want it to be a community.”
Makerspace DIY Centers in O.C.
Huntington Beach Public Library Makerspace
Where: Huntington Beach Central Library, 7111 Talbert Ave., Huntington Beach
What: 3D printers, laser cutters/engravers, Cricut Maker, sewing machines, serger, embroidery machines, industrial sewing machine, button maker, CNC router
When: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday (pre-approved independent use) and 2-6 p.m. (coached sessions), and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday (coached); one-hour appointments required
Who: Ages 14 and up with a Huntington Beach library card (available to anyone living in California with a photo ID and proof of address); kids ages 8-13 are allowed during designated family days with direct supervision from a parent or guardian.
Cost: Free machine use and donated materials like wood and fabric are available.
Website: hbpl.libguides.com/makerspace2
Link Labs Makerspace
Where: Anaheim Public Library Haskett branch, 2650 W. Broadway, Anaheim
What: 3D printers, sewing machines, vinyl cutting machines, laser cutter and engraver, and sublimation heat presses
When: Mondays through Thursdays; two-hour appointments required (first appointment is at 11 a.m. and last appointment is at 4 p.m.)
Who: Ages 13 and older with an Anaheim Public Library card (available to anyone living in California with a photo ID and proof of address); children 12 and under must always be accompanied by a parent or guardian at the same station in the labs.
Cost: Free use of machines, but must bring your own materials except for basic colors of thread and black or white 3D printer filament
Website: anaheim.net/6668/Makerspace
UC Irvine’s FABWorks
Where: Engineering Tower, Third Floor, UC Irvine
What: 3D printers, laser cutters/engravers, CNC router, sewing machines, vinyl cutter, woodshop, electronics lab, drone testing cage, outdoor workbenches with power outlets
When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday (closed on school holidays)
Who: UCI students and staff and the general public
Cost: Hourly rates to use machines (some include added materials fee) from free to $19 per hour for UCI students, staff and faculty or $3 to $25 per hour for the general public; campus parking costs are additional.
Website: manufacturing.uci.edu/fabworks
Urban Workshop
Where: 365-A Clinton St., Costa Mesa
What: 3D printers, laser engravers/cutters, wood shop, CNC router, wood lathe, metal shop, auto lifts, welding lab, blacksmith area, computer lab, electronics lab, vinyl cutter, sewing machines, serger, silk-screening machine, heat press, plastics lab, CNC plasma cutter, various hand tools, materials retail store, event room, communal kitchen and co-working lounge
When: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekends
Who: Adults and children ages 12-15 (under the direct supervision of a parent or guardian if they are added onto the adult’s membership). Teens ages 16-17 can use the shop once their parents have approved and signed the waivers. Youth classes are offered for kids ages 10-16.
Cost: Individual memberships range from $149 per month for a hobbyist to $249 per month or $199 per month with an annual agreement; student and military discounts available; $175 per month add-ons available for husband/wife or kids ages 12 and up; classes open to both members and nonmembers (for an extra fee)
Website: urbanworkshop.net
The Makr Lab
Where: 1201 E. Ball Road, Suite F, Anaheim
What: 3D printers, laser engravers/cutters, CNC routers, stained glass grinder, vinyl cutters, metalworking lathe, welder and chop saw, electronics bay (DC power supply and oscilloscope), sewing machines, sergers, heat presses, heavy duty sewing machine for thick material like leather or canvas, hand and power tools, computers for digital design or CAD work
When: Noon to 8 p.m. Thursday through Sunday
Who: Adults and ages 13 and up (with parent/guardian supervision)
Cost: Individual memberships are $119 per month or $109.08 per month with annual contract; $60 per month to add a child age 13-17; for families, when two adults sign up, they get two kids memberships for free
Website: themakrlab.com
Maker Faire Orange County
When: Sept. 12-13
Where: OC Fair & Event Center, 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa
Cost: Early sale tickets start at $15 for one-day admission and $25 for the full weekend, plus processing fee
Website: oc.makerfaire.com
COMING SOON
Youth Maker Space in Anaheim Hills: ymakerspace.com
Create a Maker (renovated Brain Builders STEM Education site) in Laguna Niguel: brainbuildersed.org, instagram.com/createamakeroc
