Makerspace: Internet Resources

This is an award-winning website, one of the most popular online destination for makers, crafters, inventors, tinkerers, and amateur scientists. The site features breaking DIY news and information, original content on building, repairing, and modifying the technology that surrounds us, and step-by-step project articles on a broad range of topics.

Maker Media also produces several popular video series that run regularly on the site which showcase cool projects, kit builds, and explain (in plain English) how various technologies work.

A place that lets you explore, document, and share your creations, Instructables often includes step-by-step instructions for a variety of DIY's.

This all-in-one guide will give you an overview of today’s maker movement, resources for getting started, 3D printer reviews, links to actual project designs and instructions, maker publications, events, and directories, videos about 3D printing and maker culture, and an article list of resources about libraries and makerspaces.

Maker projects don’t need to be the result of thousands of dollars of space renovation, equipment or special staffing. The projects on this site, a collaboration of Instructables and the American Library Association, are a great way to begin exploring the maker world.

DIY is the best way for kids to get skills, meet others who share the same passions, and generally be awesome. Every member has their own portfolio where they share what they make and do, and earn embroidered skill patches for completing sets of challenges.

Adafruit was founded in 2005 by MIT engineer, Limor "Ladyada" Fried. Her goal was to create the best place online for learning electronics and making the best designed products for makers of all ages and skill levels.

The Adafruit Learning System allows us to make a wide range of awesome tutorials fast and efficiently.

SparkFun is an online retail store that sells the bits and pieces to make electronics projects possible.

In addition to products, SparkFun also offers classes and a number of online tutorials designed to help educate individuals in the wonderful world of embedded electronics.

Ravelry is a place for knitters, crocheters, designers, spinners, weavers and dyers to keep track of their yarn, tools, project and pattern information, and look to others for ideas and inspiration. The content here is all user- driven; we as a community make the site what it is. Ravelry is a great place for you to keep notes about your projects, see what other people are making, find the perfect pattern and connect with people who love to play with yarn from all over the world in our forums.

This Libguide from Collegiate School, a JK-12 college prep institution, directs you to books, web sites, videos, etc. that encourage and support making, playing, and tinkering.

GCLS's Libguide has links to various maker resources.

A Libguide for Chesterfield County Public Schools that showcases resource links and guides to makerspaces.

MakerBot's Thingiverse is a thriving design community for discovering, making, and sharing 3D printable things.

A browser-based 3D design tool, used to create and modify designs to be printed on a 3D printer.

Also includes a gallery of designs created by other Tinkercad users.

Autodesk 123D contains a variety of apps for 3D modeling and printing. The software is free, though there is a paid premium membership.