A group of 10-15 people gather around a long wooden table with creative projects in front of them. — Haystack Mountain School Fab Lab Residents Jiyoo Jye and Nathan Melenbrink engage a rapt group of participants in a 2025 workshop in the Fab Lab. COURTESY IMAGE.

By June Donenfeld

Do you love tinkering?

Been longing to learn your way around a 3D printer, table saw or pottery wheel but don’t want to invest in expensive equipment? Or are you simply looking to expand your horizons in the company of avid creators of all ages and backgrounds?

One of Maine’s makerspaces may be just the ticket.

A makerspace is a cross between a lab and a workshop, a place that gives hands-on creators, from novice hobbyists to expert engineers, the equipment and support they need to bring their ideas to life—and forge community in the process.

As makerspaces gain in popularity, if you don’t see any in your area now, there may well be one soon. (A word of caution: if you are unfamiliar with how to use a particular tool the correct and safe way, ask an experienced fellow maker or staff member—they’ll be glad to help.)

Haystack Mountain School of Crafts: Fab Lab

Blue Hill

Exterior view of Haystack Mountain School building with cedar siding and 2 people standing in the distance looking at trees — Collaboration and the exchange of ideas are a constant at the Fab Lab. PHOTO: DAN RAJTER; IMAGE COURTESY OF HAYSTACK MOUNTAIN SCHOOL OF CRAFTS

Up the coast in Blue Hill, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts collaborated with MIT in 2011 to establish the Fab Lab, a cuttingedge digital fabrication and technology studio that plays a key role in the school’s mission to think more expansively about the field of craft and develop innovative and community programs. The Fab Lab does not operate as an open-access makerspace. In summer, workshop students use the Fab Lab when faculty explicitly include digital fabrication as part of their classes. In summer and fall, creators with expertise in craft and digital fabrication take part in the multi-session Fab Lab Resident Program to conduct independent research and experimental projects. In winter, the Community Artist and Makers Program Series (CAMPS) offer programs and workshops for the local community to explore digital design and traditional craft techniques, with a focus on skill development, knowledge exchange and innovation. Along with some free activities, CAMPS offers fee-based project and online CAD workshops. The school is also working to expand programming within the local school system on Deer Isle and the Blue Hill Peninsula, by integrating digital technology and design proficiency into area classrooms.

haystack-mtn.org | 207-348-2306

Bangor Makerspace

Bangor

A room full of various equipment for woodworking and crafting — From woodworking to electronics—and a whole lot more—the Bangor Makerspace has everything it takes to bring members’ ideas to life. PHOTO: ERIC LOVEJOY

Opened in 2021 as an inclusive and community-oriented space for experimentation in technology and art, the nonprofit, member-owned and -operated Bangor Makerspace fosters learning through workshops, classes, seminars and mentoring. A key part of their mission includes outreach to disadvantaged groups and individuals to encourage learning and practice in science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics (STEAM). Members have access to a wide array of resources, including woodworking tools, 3D printers, computers and electronics. The space is usually open 24/7, and there’s also storage for projects and materials. Want to check them out? Come to one of their free, open-to-the-public “build nights” at 6 p.m. on Tuesdays and see updates on their Facebook page.

bangormakerspace.org | 207-401-5878

Factory 3

Libbytown, Portland

Two women smile over a weaving loom — Makers of every background and interest come together at Factory 3 to learn, teach and engage in all manner of creative pursuits, from tech to textiles. PHOTO: PATRICK WALKER RUSSELL

Factory 3’s motto is “Come for the tools, stay for the community.” Located in Portland’s Libbytown neighborhood, the spacious, well-organized facility offers extensive resources, a welcoming atmosphere and a membership that includes beginners, experts and everyone in-between, with all sharing a love of making and learning from others. The clean, bright space houses manufacturing equipment, tools, common areas to finish and assemble pieces, and communal space for maker meetups. There are studio spaces onsite, too, for monthly rental fees that include full-time membership. Factory 3 also has a rich roster of classes for both members and the general public in such skills as woodand metalworking; art; fiber (machine sewing, needlework, weaving, quilting); tech (laser cutting, computer-aided design or electronics soldering); creative writing; and even business skills for artists. Some classes are open to youth aged 8 and up.

factory3.org | 207-358-9412

Open Bench Project

Deering Oaks Park, Portland

Two young boys work together on an electronics project — It’s never too early to scratch your creative itch at OBP, where the sky’s the limit for exploring, making and thinking. PHOTO: JACK RYAN

In their 7,500-square-foot facility southwest of Deering Oaks Park in Portland, Open Bench Project (OBP) provides a shared work and learn space that prizes exploration, collaboration and critical thinking. Members include amateurs, professionals, hobbyists, artists, scientists and engineers eager to bring their ideas to life, learn (and teach) new skills, and collaborate across disciplines. There are three levels of membership, all of which include access to studio, work and storage spaces, tools, and discounts on art supplies and classes. OBP includes an impressively equipped wood shop, metal shop, electronics lab and screen-printing area, as well as an all-purpose space dubbed “The Sandbox,” with a bounty of equipment and supplies, from LEGO robotics and sewing kits to glue guns and a drill press. OBP holds a two-hour informal open house on Saturday afternoons.

obportland.org | 207-329-0686

MakerSpace at Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine

Thompson’s Point, Portland

Several young children work on creative projects while teenage counselors stand in the background — Fun, curiosity and skill-building are all in a day’s work in the bright, well equipped MakerSpace at CMTM, where imagination and learning rule. PHOTO: HANNAH ELLSWORTH/CMTM

The MakerSpace in the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine (CMTM) in Portland aims to make art accessible and available to everyone. Youngsters (under accompanying adult supervision) can revel in open-ended creation as they draw, sculpt, build or engineer something entirely new. Serving more than 162,000 visitors a year, the welcoming space is stocked with recycled and reclaimed materials that children might also find at home, like cardboard, wood, tubes, and ribbon. Child-friendly glue guns and art supplies are always available. MakerSpace also organizes rotating activities to inspire imaginative problem-solving, like LEGO Monoprinting and Make It Move, along with staff-guided projects that teach children how to use wood and hand tools safely and enjoyably. Makerspace is included with CMTM admission and is open at least twice daily. Workshop tables, benches and sink are Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant, and easy-grip scissors and paintbrushes are on hand, along with silicone grip straps to use with art supplies or hand tools. All ages welcome.

kitetails.org | 207-828-1234

Running With Scissors Art Studios

East Bayside, Portland

Jenny Ibsen in ceramics studio — Day and night, RWS is a hive of creative activity where dozens of artists bring their visions to life, as ceramicist Jenny Ibsen does here with one of her in-progress works. PHOTO: BRET WOODARD

Founded in 2003 by three art students, Running With Scissors (RWS) offers a tiered membership program that serves more than 80 emerging to established makers, artists and craftspeople working in diverse processes and media. Set in a muraled, industrial building in Portland’s East Bayside neighborhood, the 16,000-square-foot space houses a community of creators who have 24/7 access to shared equipment, ideas, tools and support. RWS offers private and semi-private individual studio spaces and a fully equipped clay center, print shop, woodshop, open table workspace and media center for photographing finished pieces. The clay center features electric potter’s wheels, hand tools and glazes; in the printing department, facilities include areas for etching, relief, screen, monotype and non-traditional photo and print processes. The woodshop has plenty of room for wood sculpture, general carpentry, framing and all-purpose making and is complete with professional-grade tools and an efficient dust collection system. RWS also has an artist-in-residence program to support artists as they make the transition from student to practicing professionals.

rwsartstudios.com | 207-376-5536

But there’s more….

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Made in Maine – by YOU

Spend a day at one of these workshops across Maine and leave with a unique work of art…made by you!

Take things into your own hands at these Maine makerspaces