The Dover Public Library hosts many events for different groups of people. It hosts the Makers Lounge every Monday and Thursday usually from 2:30 pm to 6:30 pm. They are usually advised by the librarian Liz when she is there. Luckily, my friend Phoenix Davis and I have been trusted enough by the staff to let us use the maker’s lounge even when they are low on staff. I’m not trained in everything there, but the things I know how to do are always fun to mess with.
The Makers Lounge is a small part of the Teen Room, where there are many tools and supplies to work your creative magic. I use the Sublimation Printer, Heat Press, and Button Machine. The sublimation printer and heat press are used to make t-shirts, keychains, pencil pouches, mouse pads, coasters, ornaments, tapestries, and tote bags. The heat press is the most popular item I see people use but, during Teen Tuesday we use the perler beads a lot and people seem to like that.
“I think the Makers Lounge is a great place. It’s a community space filled with creativity and great ideas. It’s open and great for anyone looking for a place to hang out and create wonderful works of art.” – Phoenix Davis, grade 10 and volunteer for the Library
Heat Press
I love the heat press so much. It’s enjoyable because I can make pretty much anything that they offer. The most popular items that I’ve seen people make are t-shirts or tote bags. My personal favorite to make are the keychains and the pencil pouches. I would say that they take the least amount of time to make, so you can make 5 keychains in the time it takes to make 2 tot bags. The only problem with making a shirt with the heat press is that after you wash it, the print kind of fades away and it’s noticeable.
Buttons
The button machine is really fun to do because you can play with the shape stamps to add designs or draw. From first-hand experience, it is cool to say that you were the one who made the button on your bag or shirt. My favorite button I made was my cow one with the little hearts and the spots on him. Making buttons is time-consuming, especially the design part but putting the button together isn’t hard and fast to do.
Perler beads
The Perler beads are super fun to make and design. The only thing I don’t like about making Perler beads is the process of melting the beads down to stick them together. It is really fun to see what other people make with them during Teen Tuesday or when the Makers Lounge is open, but I like seeing what other people make on any project you can do at the library. These are the most time-consuming projects because it is a very tedious process when placing all the beads in the right spot, so it looks like what you are trying to make.
The library is such a fun place to be. I love going there after school to hang out with my friends. Everyone there is so nice and super easy to talk to. The Teem Room can get loud at times, but it is a good place to go and do homework or study if you don’t have a study hall at school. I have had so many good memories there, and it is never a bad experience when I’m there. If anyone has the time, they should come to the library because it is always fun. Even if reading isn’t your thing, they have other events that anyone can participate in.
