President Obama has announced the 2016 National Week of Making is June 17-23, but you don't have to go to Washington, D.C. to celebrate! You can attend a class here at the Maker Lab or at other Chicago locations, or check out a book and make something at home.
Making comes in all shapes and sizes—and forms. Whether you plan to knit a pair of socks, plant a garden, cook a meal or create a work of art, there's a book to help inspire you.
Street Craft showcases a new generation of artists and crafters who shape their communities through yarnbombing, light graffiti, street sculpture and guerilla gardening. Get some inspiration on how the art and crafts you create can make a statement in your community.
Almost everyone has to make at least a few meals a week, so why not try to make something different with a new recipe during the National Week of Making? Author Alice Randall and daughter Caroline's book Soul Food Love has dozens of delicious and healthy recipes to try.
Get ready for an upcoming baby shower by making something special for your new little friend. While it seems like people have been knitting items for little ones since the beginning of time, One-skein Wonders for Babies presents easy patterns for items you can actually finish making before the baby arrives!
Reuse old T-shirts and make them into new creations with DIY T-shirt Crafts, a book with over 50 different projects ranging from jewelry to home decor. Not only will you create something new, you'll avoid throwing those old T-shirts into a landfill, too.
If you're not sure where to start, but you'd like to make something that involves technology, check out The Big Book of Hacks. Written by experts at Popular Science magazine, the book has 250 different DIY tech projects to try.
Whatever you decide to make, we invite you to share it with us during the National Week of Making by posting a photo to social media using the hashtags #chicagomakes and #weekofmaking. You can also explore those hashtags to see what others are making around the city and nation!
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