The Cricut Explorer Air series connects with Cricut’s online design platform that allows users to cut pre-designed templates as well as images that individuals upload. By taking advantage of the latter, we have cut custom stencils of school portraits by using the Cricut. This year, we embedded stencils to create custom Valentine’s cards, but there…
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Featuring our reflections and insights, the projects that didn't work and projects in the works.
One goal of Rebels Makerspace is to show that makerspaces don’t have to be high tech. Makerspaces don’t necessarily need circuit boards, robots, soldering irons, or any other special equipment. Instead, makerspaces can regularly build using simple, readily available materials. Makerspaces can be low tech. And, low tech is a beautiful thing. At Rebels Makerspace,…
The most popular makerspace question goes something like this: “What should I buy for my makerspace?” Follow up makerspace questions only serve to specify exactly what to buy, such as “Should I buy 3D printer X or 3D printer Y?” (for my opinion on whether or not to buy a 3D printer, click here). In…
When most people hear “Makerspace”, they think of a space where students are building with circuits, LEGOs, and 3D printers. Or, students are coding with Scratch, Spheros, or Makey Makeys. Basically, most people imagine students making things with their hands. Unfortunately, needlework (crochet, stitching, embroidery, weaving) is not given its rightful due in makerspaces. This…
“It was easy to be great. Every entertainer has a night when everything is clicking. These nights are accidental and statistical: Like lucky cards in poker, you can count on them occurring over time. What was hard was to be good, consistently good, night after night, no matter what the abominable circumstances.” – Steve Martin,…
Want to build something high tech with low tech materials? Looking for a futuristic makerspace project but without the Silicon Valley budget? Then consider building a 3D hologram projector. Truth be told, the hologram projector does not produce a true hologram. And, this hologram projector work best on tablets and smartphones – producing a small…
Makerspaces are built for fundraising. I go to my fair share of farmer’s markets and Christmas Craft fairs, and I’m confident most of the DIY goods sold at such markets or fairs can be made in a makerspace. Thus, one of the goals of Rebels Makerspace is to make objects for the purpose of one…
If there is a list for good makerspace projects that are also cheap to run and environmentally friendly, tin can lanterns would be on the list. There’s not much else needed except a hammer, a nail, a pair of pliers (in case the nail gets stuck), an empty tin can, and a thick towel (or…
Buying a 3D printer seems to be a right of passage when it comes to equipping a Makerspace. People spend lots of time sifting through Amazon reviews and geeky maker websites to find the right 3D printer for their space: one that has the perfect speed, print quality, and price for their needs. With makerspaces…
I believe a Makerspace should be able to run on a shoestring budget. Upcycling – reusing (discarded objects or material) in such a way as to create a product of a higher quality or value than the original – is a good source of makerspace events. The challenge of finding the perfect upcycle project is…
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