5 Affordable Gifts You Can Create at the Library’s MakerSpaces

Want to give a gift this holiday season that comes from the heart and goes easy on your wallet? Let our state-of-the-art MakerSpaces be your workshops.

You can find our MakerSpaces at the Downtown Main Library and the Loveland, Reading, and St. Bernard branch libraries. Make a reservation for the machine of your choice, pay a small fee for any Library materials you use, and start creating! MakerSpace staff are always available to show you how to use the equipment.

To get your creative juices flowing, here are five gift ideas that are sure to wow everyone on your list.  

3D Printed Toys

Whether your gift is for a kid or a grown-up who's in touch with their inner child, a 3D printed toy is as cool as it is delightful. Our expert MakerSpace staff can walk you through the process if you’ve never used a 3D printer before, so all you have to do is choose what you want to make. There are thousands of free designs on websites like Thingiverse, opens a new window, Pinshape, opens a new window, and YouMagine, opens a new window that you can download right onto our equipment.  

Custom Magnet or Keychain

Magnets and keychains make great small gifts for people with big hearts. Choose the photo of a loved one or an image of a favorite character or saying to adorn your gift. They’re quick and easy to make with our button-making machines.

Heirloom Recipe Book

If your family is always sharing recipes, or maybe you’ve collected a few favorites over the years, printing and binding them on our Espresso Book Machine in a customized book is a thoughtful gift that can be handed down for generations—good luck convincing grandma to let you include her secret sauce!  

A Family Portrait  

Nothing beats a framed family portrait. It's a gift that lasts a lifetime. You can book our photo studio space to take a photo of your family for free. Then, print out copies on our printers. You also can receive digital files to use on holiday greeting cards, or use the video equipment to record a message for loved ones near and far. 

Digitized Home Videos and Old Photos

Technology moves fast. Some devices that were in every home 20 years ago have now been rendered obsolete. If you have home videos on VHS tapes or family 35mm slides, negatives, documents or photos, you can save ton of money by digitizing them yourself at the Media Conversion Station. Surprise your family or friends by re-living happy memories they haven’t revisited in years.  

Photo of the media conversion stationFor more information about our machines, and to book reservations, please visit our MakerSpace web page. Then, show us your MakerSpace creations by tagging @cincylibrary on social media.