Yesterday wrapped another amazing Maker Faire. Were you there??? Did you know Las Vegas has hosted their own Mini Maker Faire?

Today we wanted to share a visit we took to Syn Shop, a new makerspace in Las Vegas that is part of Downtown Project that is revitalizing downtown Las Vegas. It’s located on 4th Street just a stones throw from the madness on Fremont. But once you enter the space you are whisked off to a world of 3D printing, laser cutting, soldering and more.

My 12 year old self awakens when I visit a makerspace. I wore out my erector set and building model planes and RC cars was a passion of mine until I discovered girls and sports. I’ve fulfilled my maker needs but that doesn’t mean I don’t have a lot to learn and a place like Syn Shop is the perfect place to go all in.

A makerspace or hackerspace is simply a place where like-minded individuals can come together to tinker and build things. Using high-tech tools like a CNC router to design and build a wood sign, to soldering a circuit board, there are plenty of tools available for members to channel their inner maker.

The folks behind Syn Shop are a dedicated group and we had the pleasure of meeting most of the board including Brian, Pawel and Susan. Brian showed us around the shop and we couldn’t help but notice the twinkle in his eyes when he showed us the “danger” room where they have a large scale Shopbot as well as table saws, drill press and a number of other fast moving carving and drilling tools.

Here’s a great podcast featuring Susan and Pawel as they introduce Syn Shop in their own words.

If you are in Las Vegas and curious about 3D printing, robots or any other hacker related hobby, stop by the Syn Shop and see for yourself why this is really where the action is in downtown Las Vegas.

3D printed ring by Susan Hinton available at Owl Posse.

First time play kitchen builder

We’ve shown you play kitchens before in our massive gallery of 50 play kitchens but this new crop is better than ever and the detail and craftsmanship the parents put into these kitchens is unreal.

Shout out to Ana White who was the inspiration behind many of these Play Kitchens with the plans available on her website.

Sandcastle

No summer is complete without building a sandcastle. The feeling of sand running through your hands and feet is unlike anything and there’s a reason why children love playing in sand so much. It’s fun!!!

So break out the shovels and buckets and start building and if a beach is not available you can still be inspired to create these sandcastles in your own backyard or playground sandbox.

Send us a photo of your sandcastle or share it on Twitter #sandcastles. We’d love to add yours to our gallery.

They are growing tomatos and she shared her step-by-step process. Thanks Felicia!

Picking tomato plants at the nursery.

Black Gold soil, tomato plant and bucket.

Putting down a layer of Black Gold soil.

Adding the tomato plant with Moms help.

Patting down the soil.

Time for water! Now wait for the tomatos to blossom.

childrens play forts

Growing up, building forts was always one of our favorite pastimes. My favorite was a ditch I dug at the side of my house that I covered with a sheet of plywood and camouflaged with dirt and desert brush. Laura and her friend loved building blanket forts and had a different type for each day.

Thanks to you we’ve pulled together fifty kids forts that look like a lot of fun and hopefully inspire you to make your own. It’s as simple as taking a sheet and placing it over some chairs of piling up a bunch of pillows. If you need more help here are 5 tips for building the perfect fort.

If you see your fort listed in this gallery and would like it removed or conversely would like to add your fort photo, just send us a message and we will gladly oblige.

I remember going to the movie theater on my birthday and watching the Empire Strikes Back. To this day it remains my favorite of the Star Wars movies. The special effects were mind-blowing and the battle on the icy planet was amazing. The Imperial Walkers (AT-AT) were impressive and I always wanted one as a toy. These lucky boys got something even better than a toy as their dad built an Imperial Walker bed for them.

Here’s how he did it.

Started with the frame which was all 2×4 and 1/2″ MDF top.

BODY:
1/4″ Masonite
1/2″ MDF & Plywood Circles
1/2″ MDF detailing
1-1/2″ PVC split down the middle

HEAD:
1X3 Framing, 1/4″ Masonite skin
1/2″ Florist Foam Circles
Florist Foam Carving Details
PVC Cannons

The steps have built in storage and their is a window to peek in without having to walk around the back.

Congrats to the Dutilly family on this project and hat tip to ManMadeDIY for finding this.

There is no substitute for playing in the dirt and sand but it helps to contain it especially if you live in a small space. Sensory tables are perfect for pre-school and school-age kids to indulge their tactile senses by scooping, pouring and playing with sand, beans, corn or seeds.

You can purchase plastic sensory tables like these and use whatever type of materials you like. You can also build your own tables. We plan on taking a kids table and making our own which of course we will share in the How To section of this site.

We’ll add castles, trucks and other toys to the mix and include shovels, buckets and scoops for playing with the beans.

No matter what type of sensory tables you choose we know your kids will have fun and instead of downloading an new gaming app for the kids, consider letting them create their own games.

Our friends Rob and Ginger sent over a few photos of a project they did with their son Grayson last weekend. He’s shown an intense interest in art and to encourage his creativity they took some scrap wood they had laying around the house and used it to build an easel.

Rob is very handy and it looks like they affixed a piece of plywood to some white pine boards that were fashioned into an A-frame. Grayson got into the act and helped hold the boards together as dad screwed them together.

Ginger says Grayson uses this everyday and there are so many options. Paint, markers, crayons. Just get a big roll of paper and clip a new one to the board for each piece of art.

We asked Russell a few questions about his work with students, his process of furniture making and raising a kid builder.

1. As Furniture Chair and Instructor at the California College of the Arts, what skills do you feel are most important for incoming students to possess?
I look for students that are interested – not necessarily interesting. An interested student is motivated to try new things and hungry to gain knowledge. They have lots of questions and are secure enough to ask them. As far as a skill set, there is nothing specific required. I love watching people come through who at first know nothing about tools or furniture and watch them gain an understanding in the course of a 15 week class. The learning curve is vast.

2. When designing a piece of furniture where do you gain inspiration and are your first steps more conceptual or do you prefer to put hand to plow?
When I design I will often start with an abstract concept and build out from there. I have built projects around vice, identity, digital pixilation, emotional baggage, parenting and my parents among other things…

Once in awhile I find an object, material or technique that interests me in some way and it will launch me in a new direction. I draw some of the work but usually keep it to a minimum since I am always itching to get into the shop and work. I never look to other furniture for ideas – that always seems to cut out the best part of the project which is toying with ways to express a concepts that tells part of a story but not the whole thing. This way the audience actually has something to ponder as well and the work avoids becoming a one liner. I recently listened to artist Shea Hembrey speak in a TED lecture (awesome) and he talked about successful work having head, heart, and hands all present.

3. If there was one skill or lesson you would want your students to take with them after completing your class, what would that be?
An increase in their ability to problem solve. I have students propose objects that I have no idea how to make but together with the help of those around us we figure it out. It goes right along with the a developed sense of wonder. I would also add a understanding of the concept of building to spirit of the piece – meaning applying the right building techniques to compliment the concept of the work.

4. How do you best encourage a child to explore the “maker” side of their personality and do you have any tips for parents who wish to raise a DIY enthusiast of their own?
Be curious about things – pay attention to the overlooked and uncommon, explore things both close to home and far away, take everything apart, use tools, take risks, read books, don’t be scared of just making things up. My nine year old girl will suggest projects that at first seem completely unfeasible but with a little diligence we make it happen. We never throw away any household item or toy with completely stripping it down. Another great thing is give them a set of real tools of their own.

Here’s a sample of a project that my daughter started on her own that has blossomed into a side business with her and her friend selling their own work at Oakland’s Art Murmur. Last week the sold off about 80 pieces. It all started with adapting one toy and has now grown to hundreds. Their motto is “My Toys, My Rules.”

 5. What material is your favorite to work with and why?
I don’t really have a favorite – that is like a writer having a favorite letter they like to use.  Different materials say different things and it all depends on what you’re trying to say.

Mini-profile

Russell grew up in the central valley of California where he designed and built wooden toys for his family-owned company.  Upon moving to San Francisco in 1984, he earned a Bachelor’s degree in furniture from the California College of Arts and Crafts (pre-name change.) He went on to receive a Master’s of Fine Arts degree in furniture from San Diego State University in 1997.  Along the way he has studied and worked with some of the nation’s leading furniture makers including: Garry Knox Bennett, Gail Fredell, Wendy Maruyama, and Tom Loeser.  Currently he maintains a cooperative studio in Alameda, California and is the Chair of the Furniture Department at the California College of the Arts where he has taught for the last nine years.  His own work expresses his belief that the elements of wonder are a basic component of what makes us human and stand at the core of our relationship to each and everything in our lives.  He continues to examine how we receive and gather visual information from the many objects in the world around us.

Favorite color?
blood red

Coveted tool?
A scandanavian style slojd carving knife. It is a great tool and i the sharpest thing I have.  I know Del and he is an amazing maker.

Best meal?
Something cooked and eaten at home with my closest friends

Dream car?
My current truck seems to be fine.

Memorable book?
I read alot so without going too far back in time here’s some that come to mind: Cloud Atlas, Moby Dick, Mr. Wilson’s Cabinet of Wonder, Lush Life, City of Thieves, Under the Banner of Heaven, Dry Storeroom #1…

Favorite film?
Station Agent, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Legend of Leigh Bowery, Bomb It, The Saddest Music in the World, Encounters at the End of the World, Grizzly Man, Donnie Darko, Shortbus, The Science of Sleep, American Hardcore, Napoleon Dynamite, The Way Things Go to name just a few…

Ultimate travel destination?
A warm deserted beach, river, forest, field.  The key word is deserted.

First thing you ever built?
Furniture-wise a small table which I still have. Lots of wooden toys since that was our family business for years and years.
Here’s a link to Russell’s blog where he posts stuff he likes.

Designing Hunter’s nursery was a fun process. I gladly gave up my home office so we could start this project with a blank slate. We want our son to grow up surrounded by bold colors and inspired by art. We’ve started early by designing his nursery with these two themes in mind. But a third narrative begin to appear as his nursery was coming together and that was,  his nursery is an evolution of our childhoods with the majority his furniture and other items coming from our childhood rooms.

We weren’t interested in buying a lot of “stuff” for his nursery and realized early on that there are some essentials we needed but there are a lot of modern day nursery products that we feel are unnecessary. We are fortunate to have parents who held onto a lot of these items and kept them safe which has now saved us money and naturally led to Hunter’s nursery taking on a vintage look.

above photo: Hanging above the changing table is a collage from our friend and artist, Aaron Morse. It was a wedding gift and we couldn’t think of a more ideal place for it in our home. The lithograph to the left is from Alexander Calder’s show at LACMA in 1965 and we found it at a yard sale in Las Vegas a few years ago.

Hunter’s bassinet was Laura’s bassinet. It’s still in perfect condition. The personalized bag was a new gift from a good friend.

The trunk was from my dad’s days in the military and for years it served as my toy chest which it will continue to do for Hunter. The whale on top is a handmade stuffed toy that my aunt made for me before I was born which I enjoyed every day as a baby/toddler (still has some of my drool stains).

This lamp comes from Hunter’s grandma’s garage. It was sitting unused so we fixed it up a bit and it adds some color and a bit of a nautical theme. The dolls below are Laura’s and they have straps on the feet so you can tie them to your legs and dance with them. My first baseball glove is also displayed – it’s a Buddy Bell Wilson.

Hunter has a lot of books that we’ve saved through the years and many of them were the first books we ever read such as the complete series of Bomba the Jungle Boy. Laura has kept her cloth baby books which are perfect for little hands to comb through. One of my most cherished childhood items is this kid-sized hat rack made of building blocks. We’ll be building this project soon.

The TinTin panels we got while on a trip to Vietnam in 2006 and the rocking chair and dresser are from Laura’s nursery growing up.

Our home is a 1930s bungalow which means its small and storage is almost non-existent. Laura makes do with her closet but the opposite wall of the nursery also serves as overflow for shoes, hats and other special pieces. With a small home we make do with what we’ve got and we think that Hunter enjoys looking at all the fun hats.

Our boy loving his tummy time!