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Primary Menu 31 Events Near Me Search
  • Attractions
    • AttractionsView All Attractions
    • Attractions Open Now
    • Museums & History
    • Parks & Gardens
    • Family Friendly
    • Shopping
    • On a Budget
    • EVEN MORE THINGS TO DO
  • Culture
    • CultureView All Culture
    • Arts
    • Beer
    • Biking
    • Cannabis
    • Cultural Communities
    • Craft Spirits
    • Food
    • Makers
    • Music
    • Nightlife
    • Outdoors
    • Sports
    • Weird
    • Wine
    • MORE CULTURE
  • Neighborhoods
    • NeighborhoodsView All Neighborhoods
    • Alberta Arts District
    • Belmont
    • Central Eastside
    • Division/Clinton
    • Downtown
    • Hawthorne
    • Lloyd
    • Mississippi
    • Northwest / Nob Hill
    • Old Town Chinatown
    • Pearl District
    • St. Johns
    • Sellwood-Moreland
    • Williams
    • ALL NEIGHBORHOODS
  • Region
    • RegionView All Region
    • Near the City
    • Columbia River Gorge
    • Mount Hood
    • Oregon Coast
    • Willamette Valley
    • ALL REGIONS
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    • PlanView All Plan
    • Maps
    • Where to Stay
    • Tours & Itineraries
    • Transportation
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Courtney Tait

Courtney Tait

Courtney Tait is a writer from Victoria, B.C. who lives in Portland. Read More

See Portland makers\' creative process up close at these local makerspaces. See Portland makers\' creative process up close at these local makerspaces.
i
See Portland makers’ creative process up close at these local makerspaces.
Credit: Aaron Lee

Makerspaces to Visit in Portland

Take a DIY class or behind-the-scenes tour at these creative workshops.

Updated Apr. 30, 2020 2 min read
Courtney Tait

Courtney Tait

Courtney Tait is a writer from Victoria, B.C. who lives in Portland. Read More

A bustling hub for artists and entrepreneurs, Portland is proudly leading the maker movement in America. 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.

Classes and 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

Offering classes on letterpress printing, bookbinding, screen printing and graphic design, the Independent Publishing Resource Center (IPRC) 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 Division resource center a progressive space for literary crafters of all stripes.

Make & Mary

Housed within the privately owned design collective Tillamook Station, Make & Mary provides arts and crafts classes for the “highly inspired.” Their calendar of cannabis-themed workshops includes painting, macrame, wood burning, embroidery and a self-care series where students make their own CBD-infused massage oils,  tinctures and bath salts. BYOW (weed) is strongly encouraged.

PDX Hackerspace

PDX Hackerspace in North Portland’s Kenton neighborhood is open to the general public every Thursday evening and offers a variety of classes and events, including security and lock-picking workshops and hackathons.

Portland Open Studios

For two weekends every October, Portland Open Studios invites visitors to explore the houses and offices of artists across the city.

Read more

Shop Local Goods

More Makers
Peruse handcrafted leather products at Tanner Goods, including   wallets, bags, belts, guitar straps and even chairs.

Shop for Made-In-Portland Goods

These companies churn out consistently cool made-in-Portland products, from fashionable swimwear and accessories to leather goods and lighting.

Locally owned Orox makes gift-giving easy with its thoughtful, handmade leather goods.

Made-In-Portland Gift Guide

Ready to shop? Everything in this guide comes from Portland-based makers, and most of these goodies can be found at Made Here PDX. Happy holidays!

Beach Bones pieces feature organic lines and translucent colors.

Portland Jewelry Designers

Shop these Portland jewelry designers for beautiful, wearable art that exudes personal expression with a local touch.

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.

Makers
Related

Safe Spaces for Cannabis Consumption in Portland

Recreational cannabis use is legal in Oregon, but public consumption isn't. That's where these workshops, pop-up dinners and networking events come in.

Read more
5 To Try

Learn a Craft

  • Independent Publishing Resource Center (IPRC)

    Founded in 1998, this nonprofit provides access to the tools and skills to independently publish zines, books, comics and graphic novels.

  • ADX Portland

    ADX is a fertile creative space for artists, designers, makers, innovators, inventors, and other creative individuals and organizations of all stripes. In addition to their work spaces, they also offer classes and host events.

  • Modern Domestic

    Modern Domestic is a sewing studio and fabric store offering two fully equipped classrooms, a warm and knowledgeable staff and a community of creative craftspeople.

  • Tillamook Station

    Home of Make and Mary, Tillamook Station is a privately owned design collective and gallery space that showcases local artists, makers and hosts a variety of “cannabis-infused” workshops and yoga classes.

  • Bridgetown Forge

    North Portland’s Bridgetown Forge offers classes such as basic smithing, tool making and knife making. Beginners welcome.

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