emiko-o reware

About to head into the second day of the much anticipated, annual Maker Faire! Just when you think it can’t get any bigger or hold more people, it just blows you away! Our Accessorize with Toys workshop certainly has a following after 6 years of doing this event and we look forward to the creativity and enthusiasm for craft and reuse in our participants, from 3 yrs of age to 80.

This time we’re focusing on Expressive Name Badges, our favorite project so far with people of all ages and skills. A very personal project, people invest in making the badge (even as signs for their bedroom doors at home, genius, Lucy!), and are very proud to spread the word about upcycling afterwards. And so many terrific badges today–there must have been close to 150 projects made in a mere 4 hours today. Can you believe we were out of glue sticks by 4pm, yikes!

Great seeing our repeat AWT Fans – anyone coming back again today gets to make for free. We thank everyone who contributed funds towards our supplies costs, and who dontated toy/game parts.

Best Upcycled toy redo of the day. Sparkle Pants!

Find us in the EXPO HALL, #253 closer to the South Delaware St entrance. Right between LEGO (drool, drool) and the large, luminous CRAFT orb. Today from 12-4pm. Come early while the pickin’s best. 

For more info, go to our page on Maker Faire’s website.

It’s that time of year again for the awe-inspiring, 2-day extravaganza that is Maker Faire! May 22-23 at the San Mateo Event Center. And yes, Accessorize with Toys workshop will be there for its 5th year, and finally this time in the Expo Hall where we best belong! We’re going to be in the craft section of the hall, somewhat near LEGO (very fitting for me, yes indeed). I know many of you missed us last year as we were in the Show Barn with Tech Shop, but this year we should be much more accessible.

And now Accessorize has a FACEBOOK FAN PAGE! Can you believe it – well, you can help us out right now by becoming a fan so that we can get our URL. We only need 44 more to go!

This year we have some projects for people to create: Personalized Name Badges, key chains (level: Easy), and Expressive Charm Bracelets (level: Advanced). To cover our costs so we can continue to bring the workshop to you, we’re asking people for a donation of $3 per project made. So don’t forget to bring some change with you! And of course bring some of your favorite toy or plastic parts from home to incorporate into your projects or just bring to donate. Nowadays Goodwill and other thrift stores are not accepting toy donations, so bring them to us – as long as they are smaller than 2″.

Here’s the skinny on the event:
When: Saturday, May 22, 11am-6pm; Sunday, May 23, Noon-5pm
Where: San Mateo Expo Center (where the county fair takes place). Parking is $17 (yikes!) but free parking is a 15 min walk away at Franklin Templeton. Check out the Maker Faire link on getting there. Carpool with your peeps! Caltrain and Sam Trans buses are great ways to take public transit there.
Cost: entry to Maker Faire starts at $20 for advance adult tickets, less for youth and students, MORE if you purchase at the gate. To make a project with us is a suggested donation of $3 per project.

Hope to see you there!