Maker Faire Preview: Get Crafty!

Like the myriad of exhibitors at the year's Maker Faire, the arts and crafts offerings will be far from ordinary. At the center of all the craftiness, Swap-O-Rama-Rama will give everyone a chance to become a fashion designer. Anyone attending Maker Faire is encouraged to bring a bag of clothes to alter, modify, or exchange at the Swap. Local designers will be helping out with sewing stations, on site screenprinting, and all manner of clothing mod tricks. There will even be a Swap-O-Rama-Rama reuse fashion show.

Bazaar Bizarre, a juried craft fair, will feature over 50 indie crafters and designers peddling their DIY wares. Far from the country clutter crap typical of many craft fairs, the Bizarre is always a great place to find hip gifts and great art (all the more reason to attend Maker Faire, since Austin's fabulous fashion extravaganza, Stitch, is taking a break this year). View the list of vendors before heading out to the fair grounds, and hit the ATM accordingly.

Many artists will take questions and demonstrate their crafts live at the event. Members of Austin's large blacksmithing community will be in Blacksmith Village giving live forging demonstrations and creating functional and sculptural projects. The Weavers and Spinners Society of Austin will be demonstrating all manner of fiber arts including felting, braidmaking, spinning, weaving, and other hands on activities that anyone can take for a spin (we just couldn't resist). Balancing out these traditional techniques with their modern offerings, Soft Circuit Embroidery will be giving introductory tutorials on using conductive thread to make circuits on fabric. Sure to impress, Pyrotechnics Meets Art will introduce spectacular flame effects by mixing sculptures, propane, forced air, metal salts, and of course, fire... a little something for the artist (or pyromaniac) in all of us.

Maker Faire, a celebration of all things do-it-yourself, is taking place in Austin on Saturday, October 18th and Sunday, October 19th at the Travis County Expo Center. Discount tickets are available now through Friday the 17th at the Austin Children's Museum and at Whole Foods on Lamar.