Erie Makes! Free Maker Events All Week Long Nov. 13-18

Makers unite for Erie Makes! This event is for maker enthusiasts of all interests from robotics to art to 3D printing. Celebrate creativity, curiosity and hands-on learning! Try something new: pick up a make-and-take kit or attend one of our programs. This is a family-friendly, free event for curious minds. Below is the schedule of events. Visit the Erie County Public Library's Erie Makes page for more details on these events, as well as maker videos, a meet the makers guide, and more!

Registration is open now, and spaces are limited, so register now for classes and programs you don't want to miss!

Here is a schedule of events:

Claytopia, 924 W Erie Plaza Dr.

• Paint a Tile (Registration Required): Join our friends at Claytopia to paint your own ceramic tile! Come back later to pick up your completed art after it has been fired. What kind of design will you make? Register to claim your tile. You can visit Claytopia from Nov. 13th to Nov. 18th during their open hours to complete this activity. Only those who register will receive a tile as there are limited spots. All ages welcome. Register Here 

Blasco Library, 160 East Front St.

• Scribble Bots, 3-4pm (Registration Required): Make your very own drawing robot! Using a few basic times, construct your own robot that shakes and wiggles making art on a page. Ages 8 to Adult. Register Here 
• Fall Buttons, 6-7pm (No Registration): Join us to make a button. Chose from one of our fall themed designs or draw your own design from scratch! No registration required. All ages welcome!
• Teen Event: Tiny Tin Shadow Boxes, 6-8pm (No Registration): Join us in the Teen Space to make tiny tin shadow boxes.  We will supply a variety of materials: tins, mini books, tiny figures, card and craft supplies and more! You can create a book nook, treasure box, or diorama.  Make it for yourself or as a gift.  Space and some supplies may be limited.  Free, teen program, ages 13-18 years old.  No registration required. 

Lincoln Community Center, 1255 Manchester Rd.

• Rainbow Wall Hanging: 3-5:30 pm (No Registration): Make a decorative rainbow wall hanging using yarn. You can make a rainbow design or mix and match colors to make your own striped design. Ages 6 and up. Available while supplies last.

Iroquois Avenue Branch Library, 4212 Iroquois Ave. 

• Beach Glass Art, 6-7pm (Registration Required): Join us to make a little decoration. Use beach glass and paint to make your own artwork. Make flowers, birds, snowmen or your own design with beach glass. Ages 10 and up. Register Here.

Edinboro Branch Library, 413 W Plum St.

• Craft Nights: Fall, 6-7pm (No Registration): Join us at the Edinboro Library for craft night! We will be making several different fall crafts! This program is open to children of all ages and their families.

Blasco Library, 160 East Front St.

• Paper Luminaries, 2-4pm (No Registration): Stop in to make a paper luminary by punching holes in paper to make a design. Your design will come to life when an electronic tea light/candle is placed inside. Ages 13 to Adult. 
•  Soap Making, 5-6pm (Registration Required): Join local maker Anush Dulgaryan Bruno for a lesson in soap making. Anush will talk about the soap making process and using a premade soap base, scents and other mix ins, you will make your own soap to take home. Ages 13 to Adult. Register Here 
•  Acrylic Pours, 6-7pm (Registration Required): Join local maker Brandon Borgia for lesson in acrylic pouring. Apply color in puddles, pools and marble-like patterns. Ages 14 to Adult. Register Here 

Lincoln Community Center, 1255 Manchester Rd.

• Magic Tile Art, 5-6pm (Registration Required): Join us to make snail tile art! Use a ceramic tile, engraved by the Idea Lab's Glowforge, and some sharpies to make a piece of unique art. Open to all ages. One tile per person. Register Here 
• Magic Tile Art 6-7pm (Tweens and Teens only. Registration Required): Join us to make mushroom tile art! Use a ceramic tile, engraved by the Idea Lab's Glowforge, and some sharpies to make a piece of unique art. Ages 10-17. One tile per person. Register Here 

Edinboro Branch Library, 413 W Plum St.

Make a Terrarium, 6-7pm (Registration Required): Make a small terrarium with a faux succulent. Use moss, stones, sand or soil to create layers in the jar. Add stickers to decorate the glass. Ages 6 to adult. Register Here 

Blasco Library, 160 East Front St.

• Make a Magnet 3-4:30pm (Registration Required): Register to reserve your magnet and stop in any time between 3-4:30pm to make it! Use infusible ink pens to draw a picture, and then iron on your drawing to the magnet. Poof! Your art is transferred to a magnet surface, ready to be displayed. Ages 8 to Adult. Register Here 
• Make a Website 6-7:30pm (Registration Required): Join Toni M. to learn how to make a website with Google Sites. This can be used to enhance resumes, store photos, or as a digital journal. A Gmail account is required. Feel free to bring in your own laptop or use one of the Idea Lab’s laptops. Ages 13 to Adult. Register Here
• Young Writer's Workshop 6-7:30pm (Registration Required): It's NaNoWriMo! Otherwise known as National Novel Writing Month! The perfect time to hone your writing skills, work on whatever stories you have brewing, or try creative writing for the first time! Help your story-telling powers grow! We will play some games to help get your creative juices flowing, give you some resources for submitting to sources that publish young writers like you, and you will get a notebook to decorate. Ages 9-12. Register Here 

Lincoln Community Center: 1255 Manchester Rd.

• Jewelry Making 2-3:30pm (Registration Required): Try your hand at jewelry making. There will be three stations to try. Use thread to make a friendship bracelet. Chose a pendant cut with the Idea Lab's laser cutter to color. Make a metal pendant by stamping letters or shapes onto the pendant's surface. Ages 10 and up. Register Here 

Blasco Library, 160 East Front St.

• Make a Charm Bracelet  2-3pm (Registration Required)  
  Try your hand at jewelry making. Use a Dremel to drill a hole in beach glass. While you wait for your turn at the Dremel station choose a few pendants, cut with the Idea Lab's laser cutter, to add to your bracelet.  Ages 13 and up. Register Here 
• Let's Start Creating Your Next Novel!  (Registration Required) 
  Do you want to write a novel but are having trouble getting started? Make a free 30-minute appointment with Next Chapters: bring your idea and we'll help you turn it into a full outline of your book to get you on your way. Register for one session below. 
  • Session 1 at 4-4:30pm 
  • Session 2 at 4:30-5pm 
  • Session 3 at 5-5:30pm 
•  Watercolor Flowers -7:30pm (Registration Required): Join Sarah Brown-Millspaw for a beginner watercolor class. Paint from life, using bouquets of flowers as your model. Ages 13 to Adult. Register Here 

Studio Blu, 1505 State Street APT 3N4 (PACA Building) 

• The Wonderful World of 3D, 4-6 p.m.: Stop in to visit Studio Blu, a 3D Design and media company. Color a 3D model! Using crayons and markers, we will color a UV map for a 3D model, scan it into the computer, and print out a picture of the render. All ages welcome. No registration required. 

Note: This location is on the 3rd floor of the building and will not have access to an elevator during the event. 

Blasco Library, 160 East Front St.

• Let's Start Creating Your Next Novel!  (Registration Required): Do you want to write a novel but are having trouble getting started? Make a free 30-minute appointment with Next Chapters: bring your idea and we'll help you turn it into a full outline of your book to get you on your way. Register for one session below.
  • Session 1 at 12-12:30pm 
  • Session 2 at 12:30-1pm 
  • Session 3 at 1-1:30pm 

Lincoln Community Center, 1255 Manchester Rd.

• Wood Cookie Owls 3-4:30pm (No Registration): Come craft with us! Stop in any time between 3-4:30pm to make a small owl out of a tree cookie. All ages welcome. Available while supplies last.  

Iroquois Avenue Branch Library, 4212 Iroquois Ave. 

• Homeschool Tweens and Teens: Paper Water Garden 1:30-2:30pm (Registration Required): Make a decorative garden with paper cut with the Idea Lab's Cricut machine. Twirl together different flower designs to make your own unique garden pond. Fill it with fish, frogs, lily pads and more. Ages 10 to 17. Register Here 

Whitethorn Games, 11 E 12th Street

• Meet Whitethorn Games 5-8pm (No Registration): We are Whitethorn Games, a video game publisher focused on approachable, inclusive, low stress games. Attendees can tour our studio, see what it is that we do, and play a few of our games! All ages are welcome.

 CAM Erie, 142 W 12th St.

• Design Your Own Podcast! (Registration Required): Make a personalized podcast in one of Community Access Media professional grade recording studios. Learn how you can start your own podcast or audio art. After the class, take a tour of CAM Erie production facility.  All ages welcome! Sign up for a time below. A session is reserved under one person Each session can have 1-4 people. Please call the Blasco Library reference desk at 451-6927 to register for a session at one of the following times:
  • 10:00-10:30am
  • 10:30-11:00am
  • 11:00-11:30am
  • 11:30am-12:00pm
  • 12:00-12:30pm
  • 12:30-1:00pm 
  • 4:00-4:30pm
  • 4:30-5:00pm
  • 5:00-5:30pm
  • 5:30-6:00pm

Blasco Library, 160 East Front St.

• Home Sweet Home Sign 10-11am (Registration Required): Join Stacie C, owner of Tangent Signs Co, to make a decorative home sweet home sign. Make a basic frame with a hammer and wood glue. Add letters with vinyl stickers. This program is for ages 18+ only. Register Here 
• Mosaic Painting- Community Art Project 12-3pm (No Registration): Stop in the Idea Lab to add to our community art piece. Choose a part of the canvas and add some watercolor. Your design can be simple shapes or you can make a small doodle. The finished canvases will be displayed in the Idea Lab. All ages welcome!
• Make-It Journals 12-3pm (No Registration): Stop in to create your own Make-It journal. Decorate the Journal cover with stamps, stencils, stickers and more. Fill the pages with creative prompts. Whether you are drawing, taking pictures, making music or 3D printing these prompts will help you get making. Ages 8 to Adult. Available while supplies last.
• Recycled Book Origami 2-3pm (No Registration): Goodbye, plain paper. Ya boring! Make awesome origami art from discarded library books! We have pages with Lego, dragons, nature scenes, graphic novels, and more! We will have origami books and print-out instructions for inspiration, from very simple to more complex. Ages 5-12
• Historic Letter Writing and Letter Locking 2-4pm (Registration Required): What did people do to send letters before the widespread use of the envelope? They folded their letters like origami to lock them so they could travel without opening! In this class we will learn a bit of history and etiquette of letter writing, some calligraphy basics, and learn a few letter locking techniques! Get ready to write some letters! Register Here 

Lincoln Community Center, 1255 Manchester Rd.

• Pixel Brick Art 10am-12pm (Registration Required): Join us during our regular Master Builders Block Party and create your own Pixel Brick Art picture. Each registered participant will receive a brick plate and materials to design and create their own Pixel Brick Art picture to make and then take home. Choose from a wide variety of colored bricks and the design is up to you. All ages welcome. Register Here 

Inner City Neighborhood Art House, 201 E 10 St.

• Art Stars 10am-12pm (Registration Required): You’re invited to tour the Art House and join us for a mixed-media star themed workshop. We’ll be decorating large star lanterns and paper mache stars to brighten your home for the winter. All ages are welcome. Register Here 

Erie Center for Arts & Technology, 650 East Ave.

Experience ECAT 11am-1pm (No Registration): Take a tour of the ECAT building and learn more about the art programs available for teens and adults. Try your hand at throwing pottery on the wheel and playing video games designed by students. Ages 8 to Adult. 

Grounded Printshop, 1902 Cherry St.

• Stamp-It! 1-5pm (Registration Required): Stop by Grounded Printshop to stamp a pre carved printmaking block onto handmade sheets of paper in various colors. Get a tour of their workspace while you are there to learn about the art of printmaking and papermaking. Register to reserve your spot and stop in any time between 1-5pm to complete your activity. All ages welcome. Register Here 

CAM Erie, 142 W 12th St.

• Design Your Own Podcast! (Registration Required): Make a personalized podcast in one of Community Access Media professional grade recording studios. Learn how you can start your own podcast or audio art. After the class, take a tour of CAM Erie production facility.  All ages welcome! Sign up for a time below. A session is reserved under one name and can have up to 4 people in the group. Perfect for a family, homeschool group or a private one-on-one lesson.  Please call the Blasco Library reference desk at 451-6927 to register for a session at one of the times below:
  • 10:00-10:30am
  • 10:30-11:00am
  • 11:00-11:30am
  • 11:30am-12:00pm
  • 12:00-12:30pm
  • 12:30-1:00pm

Lake Erie Woodworks, 1113 Walnut St.

Woodshop Open House 9am-2pm (No Registration): Lake Erie Woodworks will be open to get a tour their professional woodshop. They have lost of tools, and will be making things on the CNC. Have questions about wood working stop on down. All ages welcome.

Erie Art Museum, 20 E 5th St.

Sculpting Faceless Dolls - “Una Mezcla De Razas” 2-4pm (No Registration): Join us for "Una mezcla de razas," a creative art activity that draws inspiration from the Erie Arts Museum's current exhibitions, Entre Plantas Y Mujeres by Ana Balcazar, Las Calles De Oaxaca by Los Subterráneos, and Revolucion Chicha by artist collectives including Elliot Tupac, Amapolay, Familia Gutierrez, Nación Chicha, Moises Sants and Monky which feature the exploration of Latinidad and identity by Mexican and Peruvian artists. 

This activity expands to explore the broader concept of identity and representation within the Latino/Hispanic heritage. Participants will have the opportunity to craft faceless dolls, symbolizing the rich and diverse cultural tapestry of Latinx/Hispanic heritage, celebrating the fusion of indigenous, European, and African influences.

Let your creativity shine as you celebrate the rich and diverse heritage of Latinx/Hispanic culture!

Find out more about Erie Makes Week!