The Hodges Library Makerspace hosted an open house on Friday, Nov. 3 to allow students to make Vol-themed buttons and bracelets and learn about the resources the Makerspace has available. 

Many students came by and took advantage of the change to make free Vol merch. The tables were filled with students stringing beads and designing their buttons.

The buttons were the most popular activity, with many students making their own Vols buttons to celebrate Homecoming. Part of the reason the open house was held close to Homecoming was to encourage students to come in and learn more about the space while making their own Vols merch. 

One of the students there to make their own merch was Zoe Urany, a junior majoring in psychology.

“I just wanted to make a button and a bracelet,” Urany said. “I thought it would be fun, especially before game day.”

Others did appreciate the bracelets because it gave them an opportunity to DIY their own merch like some found at the Vol Shop. 

Abby-Noelle Potter, a junior triple majoring in English, theatre and global studies was excited to make her bracelet. 

“I’m really excited about my bracelet,” Potter said. “I’ve been telling others that there have been really fun bracelets like this at the Vol Shop, but they’ve been a little out of my price range. So this is giving me a way to embrace the Vol spirit by doing it in a way that’s more accessible.”

In addition to getting to make their Vols merch, students also enjoyed the opportunity to take a break and be creative between classes. 

Hailey Doak, a freshman majoring in management, was one of many students who came out to take a creative break.

“I thought button-making would be fun, and I like to draw,” Doak said. “I actually wanted to get my own button maker, but it’s kinda expensive.”

The Makerspace has held other pop-up events to help promote the space and get students excited for the opening. During those pop-ups, students have also enjoyed creating their own buttons. Because of how popular button-making tends to be among students, the button maker will be one of the many resources available to students when the Makerspace opens. 

Some students, like Lindsey Fiscor, a freshman mechanical engineering major, showed up because they had been to previous button-making events.

“I saw it on Instagram and it looked like fun,” Fiscor said. “I had done one of the other button-making events, and I wanted to make another.”

In addition to making their buttons and bracelets, students were able to find out more information about the Makerspace and the resources that would be available there. 

Michelle Brannen, a librarian at Hodges and the head of the immersive spaces and technology department, talked about some of the tools that would be available when the space opens.

“Inside the Makerspace, we’re gonna have four overall categories of making tools available,” Brannen said.

Those four categories are arts and crafts, repairs, fabrication, and textiles. Each of the categories will have plenty of different tools to help students make the things they want or need.

Students were able use part of the arts and crafts supplies today while making bracelets and buttons, but there will be plenty of other tools in the Makerspace.

“We have basic hand tools but also tools like electronic repair kits,” Brannen said. “So if students are needing to take apart their phone and fix something, we’ll have the tools here for that.”

For students who are interested in fabrication or textile arts, there will also be equipment for those projects available. 

“We have 3D printers and the Cricut and things like that,” Brannen said. “And also we have textiles, which I’m really excited about. We have sewing machines. We have knitting needles. We have crochet hooks and all the little accessories for hand sewing stuff.”

While students could not use these tools during the open house, many of the supplies and machines students will be able to utilize at the Makerspace were on display. 

Sewing machines, dress forms and other sewing tools were set up. The 3D printer was running to show students how it worked. There were also vinyl stickers cut out by the Cricut machine that students were able to take. 

While the Makerspace has not opened yet, they plan to open the space to students soon. When the Makerspace opens, students will be able to reserve some tools while others will be available on a first come, first served basis.

This story has been edited to correct the spelling of Lindsey Fiscor’s name.