Latest revision as of 17:55, 15 May 2021

Check out Past Workshops to see more workshops Bloominglabs has held.

[edit] 2021

May the Sith be with you Day= May 5th, 2021 -- 7:00PM to 8:00PM

• Come to the dark side, we have cookies! our Slack group call to chat and bake cookies
• https://bloominglabs.slack.com/ -- Email contact@bloominglabs.org if you need an invite to Slack

Discardia: Trashion Refashion Workday May 2nd, 2021 -- Noon-4pm

In collaboration with Discardia, in preparation for their Trashion event: Come to Bloominglabs at 1840 S. Walnut on Sunday, May 2nd, for a Trashion Refashion work day. Put those last touches on your outfit to get ready for the submission deadline. Bring materials to share. There will be a few sewing machines available, but feel free to bring your own. We have lots of room at Bloominglabs to spread out and will open the doors and windows to get good airflow. If the weather is nice, we can even work outdoors. To find Bloominglabs, go down the driveway beside the liquor store to park. We're around the back of the white building. Please send email to contact@bloominglabs.org if you need more information. Get those Trashion designs started soon!

Pick It Up Day

• • Bloomington Parkour and Bloominglabs will be participating in Bloomington's Pick It Up litter reduction initiative. Meet at Bloominglabs at 3p and pick up trash around the creek and Switchyard Park.
    • When: Sunday, March 21st, 3pm
    • Where: Meet in front of the main Bloominglabs entrance and Auto lift garage door.
    • What: Clean up trash and litter around the creek and Switchyard Park.

Pi-Day!

• Slack group call to chat and to show off pie photos Sunday, March 14th, 2021 7-8p.

Radio Fox Hunt 2 January

[edit] 2020

Coronavirus Call to Action

Radio Fox Hunt

[edit] 2019

"Giving of Thanks" workshop in honor of Staci Radford-Vincent

Come join us for a "Giving of Thanks" workshop in honor of one of Bloominglabs' early champions, Staci Radford-Vincent. During Bloominglabs' early years, we greatly benefited from our partnership with Wonderlab, and that relationship was largely fostered by Staci. Her enthusiasm and creativity inspired a lot of our first events. She was always willing to do crazy workshops at Wonderlab and make fun things in sustainable ways.

To thank Staci for her role in our early success, we will hold a ScribbleBots workshop. Scribblebots are fun for adults, so come make a bot and remember all the fun we had in those early Wonderlab workshops. You don't need to be there the whole time, but make sure you come early enough to leave about a half an hour to make a robot. Refreshments will be provided.

Cost: Free. We will be taking donations in Staci's name to split between Wonderlab and Bloominglabs

When: Sunday, November 10th from 1 to 4pm

Who: Family friendly and all ages welcome. Under 12 need a parent or guardian.

Boo!minglabs More information

Book Binding Workshop - Sunday 27th October 2019

Come learn how to create a hand-bound hard-cover journal, and take yours home! We will fold our pages, sew them, and make our own covers from just boards and decorative cover paper. Learn about the components of a book, how they hold together, and take away the skills to make many more on your own.

Cost: $50 for Non-Members, $45 for Members

All materials provided.

When: Sunday, 27th October 2019 1pm-4pm.

Location: Bloominglabs

Registration required. Register here:

Are you a member?

Non-Member $50.00 USD Bloominglabs Member $45.00 USD

Plant Tower Workshop - 9/29

Plant towers are a vertical garden that can house 50+ plants in 4 sq ft of space. Plant towers also contain a composting tube to allow users to easily return their vegetative waste back to their plants.

Participants will build their own plant tower and compost tube from a recycled food grade barrel. 3 hour class.

Cost: $40 for members, $50 for non-members Time: 1pm - 4pm

Winter Field Day with SIARA

January 26th-27th
Cost: free
Time: 2pm-2pm

The Southern Indiana Amateur Radio Association will be hosting their Winter Field Day ham radio event on Saturday January 26th from 2pm through 2pm on the 27th. This is a great way to learn about and get into ham radio. This event will be hosted at Bloominglabs, the public welcome to attend (free admission).

[edit] 2018

Essential Oils Workshop
December 8th
Cost: $15 for members, $20 for non-members
Time: 2pm - 3pm

Description: Learn how to make your own essential oil body care products.

Nabors Holistic (Jessica Nabors) will be leading a class where you learn the science behind how essential oils can support a healthy lifestyle. You will also learn how to make 3 of your own body care products, which can save you money in the future. This would also be an excellent opportunity to use what you learn to create awesome, non-toxic Christmas gifts. The cost is $15 for members and $20 for non-members. There are only 10 spots available for this workshop, so sign up quick as it will fill up fast!

Halloween Workshop: Freaky Felting
October 23
Cost: $10 for members, $15 for non-members
Time: 6pm - 8pm

Description: Spooky, stabbity, squishy fiber mutilation mayhem!

Stab together some wool into ghosts, ghouls, and Great Pumpkins. Learn the art of avoiding stabbing yourself in the hand with a barbed needle while making an awesome decoration for Samhain, All Hallows Eve, or that most festive of holidays, The Last Day of October.

This workshop will run for approximately 2 hours, costs $15, and includes project materials.

The streets will flow with the blood of needle felters!

Make a Plant Tower
November 18th
Cost: $40 for members, $50 for non-members
Time: 1 pm - 4 pm
Description: Plant towers are a vertical garden that can house 50+ plants in 4 sq ft of space. Plant towers also contain a composting tube to allow users to easily return their vegetative waste back to their plants. Participants will build their own plant tower and compost tube within a 3 hour class.

• Makevention!
  • Our annual celebration of local makers
  • August 25, from 10am until 4pm at the Monroe Convention Center
  • Bring your belt sander to race!
  • New this year: presentations and workshops
    • Learn how to solder, crochet, make chainmail, and more!
    • Learn about the re-creation of the Howe Horseless Carriage
  • Get hands-on with soap, puzzles, locks, lasers, and robots
  • Fun for all ages and degrees of nerdery
  • Check out more at http://makevention.org

• Blender 3D Modeling and Animation
  • Nine weeks, April 3rd - May 29th
  • Learn essential 3D modeling skills in Blender 2 hours every week. Applicable for 3D animation, model making for 3D printing, and more.
  • The cost is $150 per attendee, class runs from 7-9pm each week.

• Sustainabarrels!
  • Any of these dates: April 14, 21, and 28, 11am-3pm
  • Make your own rain and compost barrels from reclaimed bulk shipping containers!
  • Cost is $40 (includes 1 barrel), 8 students max, pre-reg required.

• Needle Felting
  • April 7th, 7-9pm
  • Learn needle felting with this 2 hour workshop. Cost is $20 per person.

• Learn to Laser Cut
  • April 21 and 28th
  • 11am-3pm (formal "class" time), 3pm-5pm (project help provided)
  • Come learn to use our laser cutter to make cool stuff with wood and acrylic!
  • Cost is $40 per person, plus $25 for materials.
  • Bring your own laptop with Inkscape installed.
  • Pre-reg required.

• Machining Fundamentals
  • April
  • Our appologies, this class is already full. If you are interested in future machining classes please email us at contact at bloominglabs dot org. Thanks!

• Retr0bright Day
  • May 5th, 10-3pm
  • Do you have an old computer or electronic device from a by-gone era? Has the non-painted plastic case faded from its once beautiful white/grey color to a nasty shade of yellow? Come rejuvenate your device at Retr0bright day! What is Retr0bright you might ask? It’s a simple formula made from common household chemicals which when combined with exposure to UV light will remove the nasty faded stain from old plastics to make them look brand new again!
  • We’ll assist you with the Retr0bright process. You must be prepared to disassemble your own devices as the plastic covers must be removed. We can provide assistance with disassembly, and we will provide the Retr0bright. The process does require several hours of direct exposure to UV light, if direct sunlight does not favor us we will provide an artificial source while you wait with us. Afterwords the solution is washed off to reveal fresh looking plastic once again.
  • Cost is $10 per person, bring as many devices as you can work on.

• Arduinos and Sensors! This pairs with the MicroPython class
  • June 16th, 1-4pm
  • This workshop focuses on sensors and making things using Arduino microcontrollers. Cost is $25, pre-reg required. For members, cost is $15.
  • You need to bring your own laptop, preferably with Arduino software installed: https://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/Software
  • No programming experience needed (but it's always nice) - this is introductory level.

• Welding Day
  • June 23rd
  • This is a beginners workshop, come learn MIG, TIG, Arc, and torch welding, and use a plasma cutter in this half-day workshop.
  • Price is $120 for the public, pre-reg required.
  • Seats for this workshop are locked until we get further along with logistics. We will make an announcement soon! In the mean time, you can let us know about your interest by sending mail to contact at bloominglabs dot org. Thanks!

• MicroPython, IoT, & Microcontrollers
  • July 17th and 24th, 6:30-8:30pm
  • Come learn how to run Python on a microcontroller! Limited to 6 seats, pre-reg required (send email to contact (]at[) bloominglabs dot o r g.).
  • Topics include MicroPython fundamentals, logging data to a service and responding to that data, and standing up a web server on a $15 microcontroller and controlling devices via the web.
  • ESP32 Modules will be available for purchase at cost, but this is optional - we'll provide them for the class.

• Learn to Solder
  • July 30th
  • Come learn to solder! No prior experience necessary. You will assemble a fun working electronic circuit.
  • Cost is $20 per person, class runs from 7-9pm.

[edit] 2017

• 4th of July Parade
  • Bloominglabs will be marching in the 4th of July parade
  • Contact us if you'd like to join us!

• ArduinoDay2017
  • Join us from noon-4pm April 1 to celebrate the little microcontroller that lured some of us into the Maker/Hackerspace world!

• Soldering Workshop
  • Tuesday, April 25, 2017, 6:30pm to 9:00pm
  • Come to Bloominglabs and learn the basics of soldering - your key to entering the world of building, altering, and repairing electronics - by assembling a “phaser” electronics kit to take home (flashing LED, buzzer, and frequency knob)
  • No prior experience necessary, and all tools and materials are provided
  • All ages are welcome although children ages 15 and younger need to be accompanied by an adult
  • The workshop including a basic phaser kit is $20 non-members/$5 members.
  • Spaces are limited, so reserve your spot by emailing contact@bloominglabs.org today!

• Cluster System Administration Class
  • Tuesday evenings, 7:00pm-9:30pm, starting January 24th and ending March 7th
  • Class will be hands-on
  • Syllabus can be found here
  • Class website is at ClusterSysadminClass
  • $50 for members/$125 for non-members

[edit] 2016

• Pumpkin Chunkin
  • Bloominglabs participated in the Bloomington Pumpkin Launch on Saturday, October 29th. We won the precision prize, missing the target by only 1 foot, 9 inches!

• Hour of Code
  • At MCPL
  • Teen event (Ages 12-19), December 5th, 5pm-7pm
  • All ages event, December 7th, 5pm-7pm
  • We'll be programming Arduinos to control NeoPixel lamps, building video games using Scratch and Makey Makey controllers, and playing around with Raspberry Pis and BeagleBones.

• St. Nick's Workshop
  • At MCPL, Saturday, December 10th, noon to 5pm
    • Discardia will be bringing sewing machines and Bloominglabs will bring scrap fabric
    • The vacuum former will be there
    • Soap molding
    • Pop-up cards
  • All ages welcome and family friendly. Come make gifts for your loved ones for the holiday season.

• Pumpkin Chunkin
  • Bloominglabs has built a trebuchet for the Bloomington Pumpkin Launch
  • https://bloomington.in.gov/pumpkinlaunch
  • Saturday, October 29, Monroe County Fairgrounds, 5700 W. Airport Rd.
  • Gates open and activities begin at 11 a.m. Launching begins at noon.
  • Bloominglabs participated in the Bloomington Pumpkin Launch on Saturday, October 29th. We won the precision prize, missing the target by only 1 foot, 9 inches!

• Fund drive for a new 3D Printer
  • we bought a Makerfarm 12-Inch Pegasus 3D Printer
• Makevention
  • August 27th from 10am to 4pm at the Bloomington Convention Center
  • Come celebrate the DIY spirit with makers from Bloomington and the surrounding communities
  • Do it with us at Makevention!

• Make a Useless Machine
  • Email contact ]at[ bloominglabs.org to sign up! Workshops can be taken individually.
  • Arduino Workshop
    • 1 day, 3 hours of class time
    • April 25th, 6:30pm-9:30pm
    • The Arduino is a popular, affordable, and accessible microcontroller that can be used in a myriad of projects.
    • Learn how to use an Arduino to control LED lights, take inputs from buttons and switches, and drive a stepper motor.
    • Learn how to program a microprocessor to control your Useless Machine.
    • Bring your own laptop with the free Arduino software installed.
    • Cost for non-members: $25 ($15 for the class and $10 for the materials)
    • Laptops may be available upon request. All other materials will be provided.
  • Laser Box Cutting Workshop
    • 2 days, 2 hours of class time plus printing time, shared with 3D Printing Workshop
    • May 2nd and 9th, 6:30pm-9:30pm
    • Learn the basics of how to use a laser cutter/engraver to make a customized box for your Useless Machine (or for fun) and decorate it in your own style using Inkscape.
    • Bring your own laptop with Inkscape installed.
    • Cost for non-members: $13 ($10 for the class, $3 for materials and laser time)
  • 3D Printing Workshop
    • 2 days, 2 hours of class time plus printing time, shared with Laser Box Cutting Workshop
    • May 2nd and 9th, 6:30pm-9:30pm
    • Learn the basics of using a 3d printer so that you can print your own Useless Machine finger, game pieces, specialized parts, cool art pieces, or whatever you can think of using FreeCAD.
    • Bring your own laptop with FreeCAD installed.
    • Cost for non-members: $12 ($10 for the class and $2 for materials)
  • Useless Machine Bundle
    • Take the above 3 workshops plus come on May 16th from 6:30pm-9:30pm to put it all together
    • April 25th, May 2nd, May 9th, May 16th, 6:30pm-9:30pm
    • Includes the Arduino Workshop, Laser Box Cutting Workshop, the 3D Printing Workshop, plus one Put It All Together Workshop on the 16th.
    • Bring your own laptop with Inkscape, FreeCAD, and the Arduino software installed.
    • Cost for non-members: $55 ($35 for the classes and $20 for the materials)
  • Laptops may be available on request.

• All About Radio
  • 2 days, 3.5 hours per class, followed by a separate Ham radio testing day for those who wish to pursue licensing
  • May 24th and 31st, 6:00pm-9:30pm, Ham testing is Saturday June 4th
  • Learn the fundamental principals of radio, how it was discovered, and how it works with visual demonstrations. We will build a solid foundation of knowledge then move up to practical applications and hobbies based around it. Modulation techniques, antennas, scanners, part15 broadasting, Ham radio, and other topics will be covered. Recommended for ages 12 on up.
  • Ham radio test-prep will be included. The cost of the Ham VE testing is NOT included in this course ($15).
  • Cost for non-members: $30, members are $15.

• Machining Fundamentals
  • 4 days, 3 hours per class. There is a limit of 3 people for this class. There is homework which must be completed before starting the course.
  • 6/6 (Monday), 6/14 (Tuesday), 6/21 (Tuesday), 6/28 (Tuesday)
  • This is a machine tool workshop focusing on manual mill and lathe operations which will get participants started with a basic understanding of these and other related skills. We will start with safety, then cover proper operations of the mill and the lathe. Then we will cover indicating and measurments followed by the project. The project will be an aluminum plumb-bob.
  • The cut-off for signing up is May 30th in order to complete the homework in time.
  • Cost for non-members: $80, members are $20.

[edit] 2015

• Intro to Computer Programming class Thursdays from 6:00pm until 8:30pm
  • See class notes at IntroToProgramming
  • This 10 week long class will start on September 17th. We will skip some Thursdays. All classes will be done by Christmas.
  • The course will be taught in C and a syllabus can be found here(subject to minor changes).
  • We will cover what would be covered in a rigorous freshman Intro to Programming college course.
  • Text will be Kernighan and Ritchie's "The C Programming Language: 2nd edition"
  • Cost is $125 non-members/$50 members and all proceeds go to Bloominglabs!
  • You need to be committed to attending every week and there will be assignments to work on outside of class (but no exams!).
  • Send an email to contact]at[bloominglabs.org if you are interested in attending.
• Makevention
  • Our next Makevention will be August 29th, 2015
  • Keep an eye on the Makevention website for more information

• Workshop Bonanza!
  • Send an email to contact ]at[ bloominglabs.org to sign up or get more information about the following workshops.
  • Bloominglabs can supply a limited number of laptops and Arduinos for classes requiring them. Please request these at time of enrollment.
  • All Workshops 12+ unless accompanied by adult.
  • Instructional fees waived for Bloominglabs members.
  • Help us advertise by posting a flyer.
  • Payment required to reserve a spot.
  • Class sizes are limited, so reserve your spot today!

• • Arduino Workshop
    • Two days, 4 hours of class time total
    • Mondays: February 2nd and 9th, 6:30pm to 8:30pm
    • The Arduino is a popular, affordable, and accessible platform for microcontroller programming. It can be used to control LED lights, motors in a robot, and to trigger sounds. It can be used to make game controllers or art projects, or anything you can dream up.
    • Bring your own laptop with the free Arduino software installed. All other materials will be provided.
    • Cost for non-members: $30

• • Motors Workshop
    • Two days, 4 hours of class time total
    • Mondays: February 16th and 23rd, 6:30pm to 8:30pm
    • This workshop is all about motors. Use an Arduino to control three types of motors - DC motors, stepper motors, and servo motors. Control a DC motor using PWM. Use a potentiometer to control a servo motor's position. Use an H-bridge (L293D) to control the direction and speed of a DC motor. Use the same H-bridge to control a stepper motor.
    • Bring your own laptop and, if you have one, an Arduino UNO. Class materials include motors, a breadboard and the H-bridge - all for you to keep.
    • Cost for non-members: $45 ($20 for the class, $25 for materials)

• • Laser Cutting Workshop
    • 4 days, 8 hours of class time total
    • Tuesdays: February 24th and March 3rd, 10th, and 17th, 6:30pm to 8:30pm
    • Learn how to use a laser cutter/engraver to make cool stuff with wood and acrylic.
    • Bring your own laptop with Inkscape installed.
    • Cost for non-members: $65 ($40 for the class, $25 for materials and laser time)

• • Machining Workshop
    • 4 days, 12 hours of class time total
    • Sundays: March 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th, 1:00pm to 4:00pm
    • Learn the basics of machining metal with manual mills and lathes.
    • Cost for non-members: $150 (includes materials)

• • Sustainabarrels
    • 1 day, 4 hours of class time total
    • Saturday, March 21st, 1:00pm to 5:00pm
    • This workshop is designed to help you construct your own rain or compost barrel from used barrel containers.
    • During the summer months, lawns and gardens account for an average of 40% of household water useage. Water barrels can help to reduce water usage and bills by allowing you to tend to your lawn and garden using naturally harvested rain water.
    • Compost barrels work to decompose reusable yard, fruit, and vegetable waste that would otherwise contribute to growing landfills and greenhouse gas emissions. Save money on trash pickup, garbage bags, fertilizer, and mulch while providing your garden with rich nutrients--including nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus--from your own yard and kitchen refuse.
    • Cost for non-members: $40 (includes one barrel)

[edit] 2014

• Meet Your Maker
  • Costume workshops/Membership Drive
  • We'll be open to the public every night, October 27th-30th, 7pm to 10pm
  • Come by to work on your Halloween costume, carve pumpkins, work on your projects, check out our new space, or just hang out
  • Each visit will count towards your three visit requirement to become a member

• Scribblebots workshop at Wonderlab
  • October 9, 1:30pm to 4pm
  • Check out Wonderlab's page for more information
• Open House and Flea Market
  • August 23, 2014, 8am to 2pm
  • We are a stop on the Resale Trail for the Hoosier to Hoosier sale
  • Come check out our flea market and see our new space!

• Makevention!
  • August 30, 2014, 10am to 4pm
  • Bloominglabs hosts and organizes a makers "convention" where we get all the awesome makers in Bloomington to show off their stuff at the Bloomington Convention Center.
  • Check it out at http://makevention.org/

• Circuit bending with MCPL, July 26 and 27

• MCPL Maker Days
  • Make a hat, June 28, noon to 4pm

• Critical Playshop - Ubiquitous Sensing
  • April 12 and 13, 1pm to 5pm

Come Joins us for two, 5-hour hack and play sessions! We will be working to build projects that answer specific prompts, which will be about surveillance, anxiety, and persuasive design. We will provide some materials to play with, but feel free to bring your own as well. Please see the Playshops page for more details on the series, or Critical Playshop - Ubiquitous Sensing for more information about the next Playshop. These playshops are supported by Bloominglabs in partnership with the Cultural Research In Technology (CRIT) research group at Indiana University Bloomington's School of Informatics and Computing, and with Intel's ISTC-Social Computing program.

• Ctrl+Alt+Lets-Eat! Fundraiser Dinner
  • When: May 13th from 5-8pm
  • Where: Bloomington East Pizza Hut, 250 Pete Ellis Drive, Bloomington, IN 47408

This will be an evening of dining and socializing for geeks. Pizza Hut will donate 10% of the proceeds to Bloominglabs.

• Spring Flea Market
  • When: May 10th from 10am to 3pm Rain or Shine
  • Where: Bloominglabs

Come join us for our annual flea market. Techno-junk, computers, electronics, and household items will be available for sale. We will also have our laser cutter running and most likely some hot dogs being grilled so stop on by!

• Soldering Workshops
  • Feb 18, 6:30pm to 9pm

Come to Bloominglabs and learn the basics of soldering - your key to entering the world of building, altering, and repairing electronics. In this workshop, participants will assemble a “phaser” electronics kits to take home (flashing LED, buzzer, and frequency knob). No prior experience necessary, and all tools and hardware provided. The workshop is $20 with the basic phaser kit. Other soldering kits from AdaFruit will be available for an extra fee. All ages are welcome although children ages 15 and younger need to be accompanied by an adult. Spaces are limited, so register today!

Note, the following 2 weeks we will have workshops covering SMT techniques: Intro the first week, advanced the 2nd.

Get tickets here: Soldering Class Tickets

• Artificial Intelligence Class
  • Thursday nights from 6:30pm to 9pm for 10 weeks, starting January 30th
  • Costs are $25 for members/$125 for non-members

[edit] 2013

• St. Nick's Workshop
  • December 14th from 10am until 4pm
  • This will be a joint event held with Discardia at the Monroe County Public Library
  • Make molds, mold soap, make popup cards, use a sewing machine to make all sorts of stuff, make personalized refrigerator magnets.
  • Checkout St._Nick's_Holiday_Mini-Workshops

• Arduino Workshops Coming in October

The Arduino is a popular, affordable, and accessible platform for microcontroller programming. It can be used to control LED lights, motors in a robot, and to trigger sounds. It can be used to make game controllers or art projects, or anything you can dream up.

Sessions are Oct 17th and 24th at 7pm, the price is $30 for 2 2-hour sessions (although we’ll hang out longer if you want to experiment and play some more). Please bring your own laptop with the free Arduino software installed (you can get it here:http://arduino.cc/en/main/software ) All other materials (Arduino, breadboards, sensors, motors, piezo speakers, and LEDs) will be provided.

• Speaker making at Wonderlab
  • September 21, 2pm to 4pm
  • Contact Wonderlab for more information

• Summer Workshops
  • We'll be holding a variety of workshops this summer and will post dates both here and to our announcement mailing list when we finalize them
  • These should include: rain and compost barrel making, machining, vector graphic design and tool use, cutting and engraving with the laser...
  • Our members are also working with WonderLab and the Monroe County Public Library to help each with summer educational programs

• Decorate the 4th Street pedestrian bridge for WCIW!
  • The third week of April is World Creativity & Innovation Week. Bloominglabs is going to celebrate by decorating the pedestrian bridge that runs over 4th Street connecting Fountain Square Mall to the Garage Art parking garage.
  • We met at Bloominglabs on Tuesday, April 16th, between 6pm and 10pm to brainstorm. We came up with quite a few decorative ideas for the bridge.

• Makevention
  • Come celebrate the maker's movement in Bloomington!
  • Exhibitors will be charge a nominal fee ($10 a table, free if you bring your own)
  • The event is free for attendees
  • Outdoor and indoor exhibitor space
  • August 24th at the Bloomington Convention Center
  • Check out http://www.makevention.org/ for more information.
  • Also check out the Makevention page

• Bloominglabs Blue Barrel Bonanza: Rain and Compost Barrel Workshop
  • The Bloominglabs Blue Barrel Bonanza is a 2-part, affordable workshop designed to help you construct your own rain and compost barrels using pre-used containers.
  • Two Sessions at Bloominglabs: June 8 at 10am, and again June 15 at 10am
  • $20 for the course, covering both types of barrel (waived if you're a Bloominglabs member)
  • $30 per barrel for a non-food-grade barrel (it's safe for compost, just don't lick it or drink from it) and additional hardware
  • +$10 for a food-grade barrel--please let us know ahead of time if you'd like one

[edit] 2012

• Annual Holiday Mini-Holiday Mini-Workshops Sat. Dec 8 from 1-4pm

Our annual Holiday workshops are lots of fun. This year we're holding it on a Saturday afternoon so more people can bring their kids. Personalize your holiday gifts by making them yourself! The mini-workshops will consist of: soap molding (bring something in and use our vacuum former to make a mold), shopping bag sewing, popup cards, bows, and more. Bring a pair of old jeans and you can make a purse(more info).

• Intro to Computer Programming class Thursdays from 6:30pm until 9pm
  • See class notes at http://harold.uits.indiana.edu/~jtillots/IntroToProgramming/
  • This 10 week long class will start on October 4th and end on December 20th with no meeting on November 15th or November 22nd.
  • The course will be taught in C and a syllabus can be found here(subject to minor changes).
  • We will cover what would be covered in a rigorous freshman Intro to Programming college course.
  • Text will be Kernighan and Ritchie's "The C Programming Language: 2nd edition"
  • Cost is $125 non-members/$50 members and all proceeds go to Bloominglabs!
  • You need to be committed to attending every week and there will be assignments to work on outside of class (but no exams!).
  • Send an email to contact]at[bloominglabs.org if you are interested in attending.

• Intro to Arduino Programming Workshop
  • October 9th and October 16th from 7pm to 9pm
  • Learn how to program an Arduino! Use the Arduino you built in the previous workshops, bring your own Arduino you bought from Adafruit or Radio Shack, or use one of Bloominglabs' Arduinos.
  • Please bring your own laptop (running Linux, Mac OSX, or Windows). Bloominglabs will have a limited number of laptops available.
  • More information on what will be covered is forthcoming
  • $30 for non-members for the two day course/free for members

• Circuit Board Printing Workshop
  • Tuesday, September 18th from 6pm to 9pm
  • Bring your own circuit board design to print or print an Arduino circuit board or ATTINY AVR programmer circuit board
  • Leave the workshop with a printed circuit board all drilled and ready to be populated!
  • Heat transfer method or photo resist method (for an extra fee)
  • $20 for non-members/free for members ($5 extra for the photo resist method)

• Soldering Workshop
  • Tuesday, September 25th from 6pm until 9pm
  • Populate the circuit board you printed in our previous workshop or Adafruit kits will be available including Minty Boosts and TV-B-Gones. We will have some simple buzzer circuits available as well.
  • $10 for non-members/free for members - plus materials cost (between $5 and $20 depending on the project chosen)

• NOTE: Take the Tackle the Ardunio Challenge! Build your own Arduino by printing a circuit board in our Circuit Board Printing Workshop, buy the parts from us (between $15 and $20), and populate the board in the Soldering Workshop. Then learn how to program it in the Intro to Arduino Programming Workshop. All workshops are free to members!
  • The space will also be made available on October 2nd from from 6pm until 9pm for people to finish up their Arduinos if necessary.

• OpenHouse
  • Saturday, September 8th from 10am-3pm
  • Tell your friends!
  • See you there!

• Thursday, July 12, 1pm to 4pm
  • Bugbot workshop at the Wonderlab Kids Camp
  • Will be held at University Elementary School
  • Go to Wonderlab for more information.

• Intro to Computer Programming course Thursdays from 6:15pm until 8:45pm
  • http://harold.uits.indiana.edu/~jtillots/IntroToProgramming/
  • This 15 week long class will start on January 12th and end on April 26th with no meeting on March 15th for spring break.
  • The course will be taught in C and a syllabus can be found here(subject to minor changes).
  • Text will be Kernighan and Ritchie's "The C Programming Language: 2nd edition"
  • Cost is a minimum of $50 for the 15 week long course (feel free to pay more if you want!) and all proceeds will go to Bloominglabs.
  • I also ask that you be committed to attending every week and there will be assignments to work on outside of class (but no exams!).
  • Send an email to contact ]at[ bloominglabs ]dot[ org if you are interested in attending.

• Friday, April 6, at 1:30pm to 4:30pm
  • Bugbot workshop at Wonderlab
  • Go to Wonderlab for more information.

• April 13-15
  • The Indiana Linuxfest in Indianapolis
  • Bloominglabs will be hosting the Hacking Village
  • Come on down and say "Hi!"

• Saturday, March 31st, 1pm until 9pm
  • Game day at Bloominglabs
  • We will have board games, video games, online games - if it's a game, it's welcome!
  • Pandemic, Settlers of Catan, Smallworld (both regular and underground), Dominion, Carcassonne, Ticket to Ride.
  • $5 for non-members

• Friday, March 30th, 12:30pm until 2:45pm
  • Harmony School Science/Math Expo
  • At the Expo will be:
    • Theremin that Harmony kids built with Bloominglabs' help
    • Speaker building
    • Nick's bike pedal power
  • Come by to check it out or lend a hand!

• Two week soldering workshop February 21st and 28th from 6:30pm until 9pm - $20 for one week, $30 for both weeks
  • First week is intro to soldering, the kit is a simple "phaser" with adjustable flashing led and piezo speaker element (all through-hole components)
  • Second week is surface mount soldering and also finish-up of the first week's kit if needed
  • Both classes include a kit to solder, additional electronics kits available at additional cost
  • Everything you need will be provided for you, but if you wish you may bring your own soldering iron and hand-tools
  • Send an email to rsvp ]at[ bloominglabs ]dot[ org to sign up! RSVP early while seats are still available!

[edit] 2011

• St. Nick's Workshop on December 6th from 6:30 to 9pm
  • Come join us from 6:30 to 9pm on Tuesday, December 6th 2011 when Bloominglabs presents our Annual Holiday Mini-Workshops. The mini-workshops will consist of: touchscreen gloves, soap molding (make a mold of almost anything with our vacuum former), shopping bag sewing, bean bag sewing, and making popup cards and bows. Or bring your own project to work on and collaborate. See some pictures of the fun we had last year: http://thecollaborationroom.org/enter/2010/12/st-nicks-holiday-workshop-was-rad
  • $10 for adults, $5 for kids. Personalize your holiday gifts by making them yourself!

• AVR workshop on October 18th and 25th from 6:30pm until 8:30pm
  • You, programming a microprocessor? Yes, my friend. We’ll show you the basics of programming using the AVR ATMega8 microprocessor in this painless, tears-free workshop. Not only that, but you will gain experience “breadboarding” - building prototype circuits. You will upload your program to the microprocessors to tell it what to do – the first step in harnessing the power of this pervasive technology.
  • Course is 4 hours long spread over two days
  • Learn how to program Amtel's AVR microprocessors
  • Attendees will breadboard small circuits and program an AVR to control them
  • Circuits will involve controlling devices including pulse width modulation and handling inputs including pull-up resistors.
  • Although programming experience will be helpful, it is not required for this course. Basic electronic knowledge also helpful but not required.
  • This is a more advanced version of the Arduino course held in August. Many of the same subjects will be covered at a much lower level.
  • Course material can be found at AVR_Class
  • Advance registration required and seats are limited
  • Cost is $20 for the entire course
  • Email contact at bloominglabs dot org to register or for more information

• Getting Started with the Arduino
  • When: August 23rd, 2011 from 6:30pm until 8:30pm
  • Where: Bloominglabs
  • Cost: $20
  • The class are limited to six people so signup early!
  • Who should attend: People who want to learn how to get started using the arduino board. Attendees will learn
    • How to get the arduino software
    • Where to order a board
    • How to connect the board to the computer
    • How to connect LEDs to the board
    • The very basics of programming to write a small program to flash the LEDs.
  • The class attendees will be using a computer so basic knowledge of Windows and typing skills would be required. Kids are welcome but under 15 need to be accompanied by a parent.
  • Attendees are not required to bring anything and will leave with a hand out of material of the class.
  • Contact jsissom (at) bloominglabs (dot) org with questions or to reserve a space
  • This course is a good introductory course to how to use a microprocessor to people who have little programming or computer experience.

• Wonderlab BugBot Workshop
  • Aug 13th, 2011 1-3pm
  • Contact Wonderlabs to register

• Getting Started with the Arduino
  • When: July 23rd, 2011 during our Open House
  • One class will be 11am to noon and one class will be 2pm - 3pm.
  • Classes are limited to six people each. These are first come, first serve and there will be a sign up sheet in the space on the day of the open house. Make sure to get there early to get a seat in the class.
  • Who should attend: People who want to learn how to get started using the arduino board. Attendees will learn
    • How to get the arduino software
    • Where to order a board
    • How to connect the board to the computer
    • How to connect LEDs to the board
    • The very basics of programming to write a small program to flash the LEDs.
  • The class attendees will be using a computer so basic knowledge of Windows and typing skills would be required. Kids are welcome but they should be at least 10 years old.
  • Attendees are not required to bring anything and will leave with a hand out of material of the class.
  • Questions? Contact jsissom@bloominglabs.org

• OpenHouse July 23rd from 10am-4pm at the new space! 3927 W. Roll Avenue. Tell your friends! See you there!

• 4th of July parade float
  • Suggestions:
    • Air cannons: http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/experiment/00000076
    • Build some kinda of twinkie launching device.
    • Build a ride-able beetlebot. Jenett has 2 large DC motors that would easily move a person. Dosman found an electric wheelchair that will serve as the motors and chassis! A charger has been acquired and it works. Joe suggests we steer by grabbing the antennas.
    • Build an IR LED wall that can only be view with cameras
    • Build a strandbeest: http://www.strandbeest.com/
    • Marching band of hacked instruments
    • Float of some kind
    • Nathan's truck with the Bloominglabs banners down the side

Participate in the discussion and contribute your ideas at the 4th Of July Project page.

• GeoCaching Boxes
  • Kevin Makice has a project page about this at http://www.wisdomofplay.com/toy-boxes
  • Need to be built by May 1st
  • Please go to the link above and submit your ideas by Apr 8th!

• Indiana LinuxFest Hardware Hacking Village
  • March 25th, 26th, and 27th
  • http://www.indianalinux.org

• February 16 from 6pm to 11:00pm
  

  

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  • Contact Microphone Building Workshop with the DeKalb Hackerspace CMKT4
  • CMKT4 will show you how to solder up a piezo-electric pickup and house it sturdily in a recycled bottle-cap housing.
  • CMKT4's band will be performing after the workshop
  • The workshop is $15 but interested onlookers are welcome for free
  • The event will be held at 1021 South Walnut Street behind Russian Recording

• January 22 from 11:30am to 3:30pm
  • Build Beetlebots with Bloominglabs at the Wonderlab Robotics Program.
  • As seen at Make Magazine
    • Instructions at: http://makeprojects.com/Project/Beetlebots/20/1
    • Get your own kit at: http://www.makershed.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=MKSB018
    • We buy the Mabuchi FA-130 motors from Hobby Engineering - http://www.hobbyengineering.com/H2242.html
    • We buy the AA battery holders from Digikey - http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&name=SBH-321AS-ND
    • We buy the SPDT switches from Digikey - http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?vendor=0&keywords=SW764-ND