crafty places in our city: make

Places to Make Stuff

NextFab Studio - Located on Market Street in University City, this organization is encouraging people to try new fabrication technologies, learn new skills, and understand what exactly is available for modern makers.  They will have a new facility in the undefinable neighborhood of "Southwest Center City," "Graduate Hospital," or "Gray's Ferry" depending on who you ask.  Although they boast a lot of tech-heavy arts in their curriculum, like Making your own 3D Printers and various digital graphic courses, they also have more traditional "craft" offerings, like wordwork, machine sewing and embroidery, and working with metals.

Spool - As mentioned before on this blog, Spool is now fully dedicated to sewing classes.

Also, Spool is right next door to Loop, which is a bonus for knitter/sewer hybrids who need supplies and/or classes.

Philadelphia Woodworks - Located in Roxborough, just a little ways from Manayunk, you can use a 5000+ wood shop to make projects on your own, as well as learn just how and what to do with their various tools and machines.

Craft Foundry - In the hipster-heaven known  as Fishtown, one can find a little shop dedicated to such niche crafts as bookbinding, paper crafts, precious metal clay sculpting, and jewelry making.

The Expressive Hand - Probably the most unique craft studio in Philadelphia, this shop blends pottery painting and American Sign Language.  You can drop in for classes, plan parties, or hang out during happy hours.  Besides pottery painting, this shop offers mosaic making, an intro to ASL, and glass fusing.