Buttons, stickers, lasers, oh my! Get Crafty in the Design Lab with a multitude of resources available for student use.

Located on the first floor of the Schilling Math and Science Center, the two SPA Design Labs provide a creative destination for visionary makers and builders to produce whatever projects they desire. Design Lab supervisor Chris Huebner noted that he suspected too few students are currently able to utalize the Design Labs to their full potential due to the upper school-wide lack of knowledge about the labs’s accessibility. “I’ve spoken to several students this year who didn’t know they could use the Design Lab independently of any class,” he said. “If students want to use the lab for a class project or for fun, they can just show up,” he continued.

So, what can students create in the Design Lab?

Thanks to the wide range of materials and tools available for student use, the answer is truly whatever students desire. Huebner highlighted the following projects which could be carried out using Design Lab resources with ease.

Pins/buttons: First, create a design, which can be constructed digitally or drawn on paper. Next, use the button maker to transfer the design into a funtiontional pin. For example, faculty pronoun pins were created in the Design Lab in fall 2021.

Stickers: Begin by designing the sticker online. Then, print the design on the color printer in the library (with Huebner’s assistance) on sticker paper. Finally, use the Cricut machines located in the Design Lab to cut out the stickers. The Cricut software can be downloaded freely with ease from the web.

Lasers: The Design Lab is home to two Glowforge lasers, which can cut into wood or acrylic based off of a digital or paper design. Simple create a desired design and the laser will scan it and create it quick rapidly. Student examples of laser projects include keychains and jewlery.

Sewing: SPA’s Community Action and Service club (CAS) collaborated with My Very Own Bed in fall 2021, and supplies remain in the Design Lab for students to sew bedding. No sewing experience is necessary for students to participate, and examples include blankets, bedding bags, and pillow cases. Sheets of instructions come along with the sewing materials.

3D-printing: The Design Labs house many 3D printers. Students can print something of their own by utalizing Thingiverse, a website which thousands of free 3D printing designs. Additionally, students are able to design their own templates using the free softwares TinkerCAD or Fusion360.

Freshman June Dalton began taking advantage of the Design Lab at the beginning of the school year, and hasn’t looked back since. “I heard about the Design Lab in orientation and heard that you could make patches, and thats what I wanted to make more than anything in the world for a little while. I started hanging out in the sewing room with my friend Quenby and decided one day to venture into the actual Design Lab part and tinkered around until I started going there every chance I could get,” she said.

Her advice to prospective Design Lab creators is simple: start simple and allow room to practice a ton. She also noted that paying close attention to Huebner’s tutorials is vital for safety and success in the creation process of every project. “ I didn’t pay attention to the laser cutter and pin making tutorial and ended up making the room smell of burnt acrylic and ruined several good stickers from messing up the sequence of pin-making,” she reflected.

Huebner reiterated that all students are welcome in the Design Lab, and he has plenty of availability to chat or brainstorm with students hoping to carry out a project. “I’m in the lab all day except block 5 and most days after school. Free periods & tutorial are good times to stop by. Students can email me with questions or to confirm that the lab is available if needed,” he said.

Head down to first floor Schilling to check out what students are already working on, or begin creating something new.