Missoula's Best Kept Secret for Creators

Have a dream? The Makerspace can make it happen.

It’s Tuesday, and we’re spending another afternoon in the Makerspace.

We can’t help it. We discovered the Makerspace in September, and we are already spending about one afternoon a week here. So far we’ve made Christmas ornaments, word cut outs, and embellishments for decorative wreaths. On the agenda in the future: T-shirts and painted signs. Maybe we will even try out the 3D printer. With the guidance of Makerspace director Jason Stewart and some ingenuity, my kids and I are already well on our way to being finished with Christmas gift making. With a laser cutter/engraver, a 3D printer, a vinyl cutter, a T-shirt press, and a CNC machine, the Makerspace has everything you need and then some.

Six feet away, three teenage girls are cutting a genie’s lamp out of foam for their upcoming production of Aladdin. The Makerspace is under the umbrella of Learning with Meaning, an alternative homeschool co-op located across from Southgate Mall. Here students participate in every aspect of their productions for drama class, from set design, props and costume creation. Students in STEM classes make wood creations with the CNC machine or print their favorite characters on the 3D printer.

The Makerspace has all the tools and materials you need to get your make on.

But the Makerspace is open to anyone. Members of the public can come in and make anything.

Before Covid-19 changed all of our lives, The Maker’s Space could be rented out for crafting parties and events, similar to Painting with a Twist, AR Workshop, or Hearts Afire Pottery and Art Studio. Unlike those places, The Makerspace doesn’t have a corporate marketing machine behind it, making it the best kept secret in Missoula.

But Stewart wants to change that. Have a prototype or design that you want to bring to life? The Makerspace is open to all.

”The kids like to make cool, fun things on the 3D printer, but I want people to know that this space is open to anyone and your imagination is the limit,” he said. “People can make useful things here that you can’t find anywhere else.”

You can drop by anytime during the space’s normal business hours of Monday-Thursday 4-6 p.m. Or call and arrange a time to use the space outside of normal hours. To contact them, call (406) 493-6886 or email makerspace@learningwithmeaning.com. Or follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/endvrmaker.