Call for Volunteers: Santa’s Little Makers Adaptive Toy Buildathon

The holiday season is around the corner, and we’d love to bring back one of our most heartwarming community projects — the Santa’s Little Makers Adaptive Toy Buildathon! This annual event brings together makers, tinkerers, and kind-hearted volunteers to adapt toys for children with physical disabilities, making play more accessible for every child. We’re looking for a few enthusiastic helpers to make this event happen again this year!

How you can help

You don’t need to be an expert — just willing to lend a hand and learn! Sewing: No fancy stitches required — we’ll guide you. 🔧 Soldering: Basic skills are enough (think: button wiring, light repairs, simple circuits). Toy Donations: We need toys that have lights, sounds, or buttons and allow easy access to wiring — great finds can come from thrift stores or toy boxes at home! Donations for Parts: Each adaptive conversion costs about $5 per toy, so every little bit helps.

❤️ Our Goal

We’ll coordinate with Tingley Children’s Hospital to identify the toys and modifications most needed by children receiving adaptive gifts this year. Together, we can spread some serious holiday joy and make playtime more inclusive for everyone.

Want to Get Involved?

If you’d like to help organize, volunteer at the buildathon, or donate toys or materials, please let us know!

Free Training Opportunity for New Mexico’s Creative Entrepreneurs!

Mastering AI Visuals — Fast, Free, and Hands-On!

Tomorrow: 100+ Women Who Care — Los Alamos

Let’s rally for local impact! Tomorrow, Thursday, November 6 at 5:30 pm, the 100+ Women Who Care giving circle is gathering at the Los Alamos Posse Shack (650 North Mesa Road). Whether you’re a longtime supporter or curious first-timer, you’ll meet neighbors, hear quick spotlights on local nonprofits, and help direct a collective gift that makes a real difference—fast.

RSVP by 11/6 to WomenWhoCareLosAlamos@outlook.com

FormLabs Form 3 Resin Printing Demonstration 

Tuesday, October 28th, 6:00-7:00 pm

Participants will experience the precision and workflow of the FormLabs Form 3 SLA resin printer from start to finish. The session introduces the entire process of turning a digital model into a smooth, high-resolution physical object — perfect for miniatures, custom game pieces, or detailed prototypes.

Kathryn will cover: PreForm Software, Printer Setup, Printing Process, Removing the Print and Post-Processing. By the end, participants understand not just how resin 3D printing works in theory, but the real, tactile steps of creating and finishing a professional-quality print.

This hands-on demo is part of our Los Alamos Tech Meetup, click the link below to RSVP.

Free Soap-Making Workshop with Lively Faith Soap 

Thursday, October 16th at 6PM

Join us for a fun, hands-on evening at Los Alamos Makers and learn how to make all-natural goat milk soap from a local family business! 

Thursday, October 16th at 6PM 1789 Central Avenue, inside the Blue Window building  The event is free — donations are optional and help us keep offering creative community workshops. Reserve your spot today and discover the art of soap-making while supporting a local small business!

Denim Sewing Meetup this Friday!

Free Sewing Meetup: Denim Tips & Tricks

Learn how to handle heavy denim like a pro! Our instructor will share insider tips on needles, seams, and finishes for all skill levels. Bring a project or just come to practice.

Free to attend — $10 suggested donation welcome.

New date for our Tech meetup kick-off event

Join us for our upcoming kick-off event on Tuesday, September 16th, 4 to 6pm

Free kick-off event hosted by James:

"In light of frequent communication outages in Los Alamos County, residents are invited to Los Alamos Makers on Tuesday, September 16th, from 4:00 to 6:00 pm to explore Meshtastic, an innovative off-grid communication and location-sharing system.

Meshtastic uses small, low-power radios to create a resilient “mesh network” that allows people to send text messages and share GPS locations without relying on cell towers, Wi-Fi, or the internet. This makes it a valuable tool for staying connected with family members during emergencies, outages, and outdoor adventures in areas without reliable cell coverage.

Attendees will learn how Meshtastic works, see live demonstrations, and get hands-on experience setting up and using devices. Devices will also be available for purchase at the event, giving participants the chance to walk away ready to connect immediately.

The workshop will cover:

• How mesh networks maintain communication during outages

• Set up a Meshtastic node in your home or business

• Share real-time location

• Private communication with family and friends

• Practical uses for hiking, emergency response, and community resilience

Off-Grid Communication With Meshtastic
Tuesday, September 16th • 16:00 – 18:00
Location: 1789 Central Ave.

"

What's the Los Alamos Meetup?

We kept it broad on purpose to accommodate our community's broad interest and recent conversations happening at Los Alamos Makers.

Whether you just love connecting with curious minds, are exploring emerging technologies, or are building a startup, this meetup is for you.

What to Expect:

• Inspiring lightning talks from local techies

• Informal networking with founders, developers, makers, and engineers

• Discussions on startups, AI, 3D printing, quantum tech, cybersecurity, and more

• Opportunities to collaborate, pitch ideas, or find your next co-founder

Prepurchase a Meshtastic Device here

Los Alamos Makers Founder and President, Dr. Prisca Tiasse spoke about her organizationat at the 100+ Women Who Care - 10th Anniversary event.

Click the link below to read the article.

Join us at the Los Alamos Sewing Meetup for a fun and interactive session centered around sewing. This event will focus on knowledge sharing and collaboration between creative minds, whether you are a seasoned pro or a beginner in the world of sewing. Come ready to share tips and tricks with fellow enthusiasts or just try basic stitching. Don't miss this opportunity to informally learn how to sew, connect with like-minded individuals, and explore the endless possibilities. If you have a machine that you don't know how to use, please bring it with you, someone may be able to help!

Los Alamos Makers in the news! A nice write up about the 3D printing workshop for high school students.

Now Accepting Applications For Free 3D Printing Summer School For High School Students

Our monthly general meeting/open house scheduled for Tuesday 7/8 is rescheduled for Tuesday 7/15 at 5pm

Liz Martineau prepares for a meet-up recently at Los Alamos Makers

Our general meeting is June 10 at 5pm.  This evening is for members to meet, chat about projects, get help, socialize, make specific requests, provide feedback, volunteer, etc.

The event also serves as a community open house so non-members are welcome and invited.

Liz will share her winding journey combining sewing, quilting, and mixed-media with bookmaking. Participants will explore various book structures and techniques that have been adapted for use with fiber. These aren’t children’s books, they are mixed-media interactive art

The event is free and open to all. No membership required!

The saw stop brake arrived ahead of schedule.  Jacob was able to fix it, so it is good to go

Our first general meeting in the new location will be held Tuesday May 13 from 5-6pm.  Going forward this will be held on the second Tuesday of every month at 5pm.

These meetings are to facilitate interactions between current members and to brainstorm ideas.  These meetings also serve as an "open houses" for people to get a quick tour of the space.

I was able to revivie our old Discord account. Feel free to join and start conversations.

It is open to nonmembers. The inivitation is in the link below.