Search Makers
Portland is a bustling hub for artists, entrepreneurs and makers of all stripes.
The Rose City is a haven for makers, with a seemingly endless supply of community studios, warehouses and makerspaces that let you DIY your way around town. Whether you make it yourself or buy it from a local artist, finding a made-in-Portland souvenir should always be on your to-do list.
Makerspaces to Visit
Behind the doors of warehouses and studios across the city, highly skilled locals craft everything from candles to clothing to custom furniture. The best part? These makers not only create and sell their goods but also offer workshops and tours. Discover your inner DIY-er and see the creative process up close at the city’s most celebrated makerspaces.
Learn a Craft
Classes & Workshops
Modern Domestic
Settle in at one of the premium sewing machines at Northeast Alberta sewing studio Modern Domestic and take part in classes of all levels for crafting apparel, quilts, bags and accessories. This sewing studio is also a retail store, so if you run out of buttons or batting mid-project, they’ve got you covered.
Bridgetown Forge
“My biggest joy is hand forging,” says Arnon Kartmazov, founder of North Portland’s Bridgetown Forge. Trained in Israel and Japan, the blacksmith shares his joy — and his exemplary skills — by teaching classes such as basic smithing, tool making and knife making. Beginners welcome.
Independent Publishing Resource Center (IPRC)
Offering classes on letterpress printing, bookbinding, screen printing and graphic design, the Independent Publishing Resource Center is geared to lovers of books and creative expression. A mix of workshops, kids’ classes and free events like Open Collage Night make this Southeast Portland resource center a progressive space for literary crafters of all stripes.
Klum House
Klum House is a one-stop bag-making shop and school offering bag-making kits, patterns, tools, supplies, and online classes to help makers like you create heavy-duty bags on a home sewing machine.
Make & Mary
Make & Mary provides arts and crafts classes for the “highly inspired.” Their calendar includes painting, macrame, wood burning, embroidery and a self-care series where students make their own CBD-infused massage oils, tinctures and bath salts.
Roosevelt’s Terrariums
Roosevelt’s Terrariums is the largest terrarium store in the world. It features pre-made rainforests in miniature, unique laboratory glass and hand-blown glass vessels, and workshops where students combine tropical plants, live mosses, rocks and minerals, and — in the shop’s largest vessels — even poison dart frogs.
WildCraft Studio
WildCraft Studio offers craft, textiles, studio art, Native art and nature-based workshops for diverse, adult learners from their Southeast Portland studio and off-site classrooms near the city on local farms, forests and beaches.
Past Lives
Established in 2020, Past Lives is a 26,000-square foot (2,415.5 sq m) makerspace in the Central Eastside — beginner classes teach unique skills like framing artwork and forging a shoehorn or sign up for the single-session “Forge a Date!” metalworking class, where you and a date will get a crash course in blacksmithing.
Tours
Spooltown
Get behind the scenes at sewing factory Spooltown, the production force behind handbags and accessories for brands big and small. Book a tour for up to 25 people at info@spooltown.com to check out this Central Eastside makerspace, their robotic cutting table and their team at work cutting leather, skiving (slicing fabric) and sewing.
Grovemade
Crafting wood and leather accessories for home, office and lifestyle (think planters, laptop stands and minimalist wallets), Grovemade does everything from product conception, design and manufacturing to photography and marketing at their Southeast Portland headquarters. See their production process, milling machines, industrial lasers and woodshop; tours for up to seven people can be booked at hello@grovemade.com.
PSAA
Portland Street Art Alliance offers interpretative tours of Portland street art, via biking, walking or driving tours. This volunteer-run organization sends expert tour guide leaders who have experience in community art making, public policy, urban and public space studies. Learn about the history of Portland street art while exploring all of the neighborhoods.
Maker Events
Visit with local artists and find inspiration for your own next project at these events.
Portland Open Studios
For two weekends every October, Portland Open Studios invites visitors to explore the houses and offices of artists across the city.
Crafty Wonderland
Portland’s biannual art and craft fair boasts unique handmade wares from 225+ local vendors.
Portland’s Plus-Size Fashion Scene
The body-positive movement is flourishing in Portland, making it a plus-size shopping destination, complete with designers, boutiques and fashion shows.
Upcoming Maker Events
Explore the city's vibrant maker scene these upcoming events.
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