Our opening times

Mondays12-2pm: Textiles and upholstery
6-7.30pm: Bike repairs
Wednes12.00-1.30 – Woodwork and general
1.30-3pm: Quiet general drop In
6-7.30pm: Electrical and general
Fridays12-2pm: Textiles and general
Saturdays10-12: General and Tool Library

Video introducing the Makery

Many Thanks to Grace for Making this Video.

About Todmorden Makery

Todmorden Maker Space is a member-run space where volunteers help people do the following activities in drop-in and workshop sessions.

  • Repair – repair cafe activities – bikes, electronic appliances, anything that can be glued, knife sharpening & textile repairs 
  • Art and Craft Making – woodworking, textiles, low-cost crafting materials
  • Tool library – weekly rental of power tools such mitre saws, cordless drills and garden strimmers
  • Refurbishing Computers – for distribution to household that need them and software training
  • Family workshops- code club, art and tech workshops for family, kids and adults


Makery Newsletter – Leap Year 2024

Happy Leap Day! Here is a very quick newsletter for the Makery.

First of all many, many thanks to Todmorden town council for funding us towards our core costs of rent, insurance and materials etc. The town council were are first funders back in 2021, and while are have been very lucky to get generous donations from our members, we still rely on this support. Many Thanks Again!

Many Thanks for the support of Todmorden Town Council

New Timetable

Here’s our new timetable. Men in Sheds is now weekly.

Other Projects

Tech and Tea is happening March 1st – so tell your friends if you think they would benefit. We are also still collecting old phones and tech. That’s going really well!

Members meeting soon!

We usually have a members meeting a few times a year to get your ideas and help people get involve in the project. We’ll be having one soon in March. But if you have ideas please just reply to this email with your ideas.

All the best from the Makery.

Report on Recover and Remake Workshops

In September to November 2023 we ran the following workshops for Todmorden residents with help from the local Ward council who paid for resources and workshop leaders and CFFC who provided support via Nicola our volunteer coordinator.

We’ll report back soon with a fuller report

Two related digital projects at the Makery

For quite a while we have been finding new homes for older laptops that people have donated. We wipe the hard drive put on low power operating system and make sure it works well enough to browse the web.

We are now widening this out to phones and tablets. They are tricker to fix so we are also doing a partnership with St Augustine’s refugee project who can fix the devices that we can’t.

To back up this offer we are also going to do monthy Tech and Tea events to support people getting online. If you could help us by donating devices or volunteering at Tech and Tea please do get in touch on todmordenmakery @ gmail.com.

Create a Fantastical / Terrible Creature of Light as a puppet show

Vikki took a fun wide angle picture of our making session today for the after-school club.

We wanted to create a fun activity that mixed technology and craft making. Doing these puppets really seems to have attracted a good mix of people.

Gil & Artemus Video of Puppet show
Robyn’s
Joanie’s
Stephan’s

Recover and Remake Workshops – Sept, Oct & Nov 2023

Have a look at our upcoming workshops here.

The Makery has been a fantastic project to get involved with. As we come up to our second birthday we now have 6 weekly drop-ins and other regular Men in Sheds and Women in Workshops sessions. These are great spaces for doing repairs, getting on with your making projects or getting help to do particular project. These sessions are now usually thriving and lively. It can be a bit hectic for some. We now have a dedicated quiet session on Wednesdays at 1.30.

We also have one off workshops which are a great way of getting involved in the project. Have a look at the flyers below for more information.


Recover and Remake is a series of creative, sustainable textile workshops in a relaxing and friendly environment designed to support the mental wellbeing of Todmorden residents. Feel free to ask us any questions.

Do you think this would be a good thing for you or someone you know. If so please do get in touch.

To get more info and say your are interested email Nicola on todmordenmakery@gmail.com or come in to the Makery or Tod College reception. You can also phone 01706 318 132 .
Or more directly there is also an online form you can fill out here

We’ll get in touch on the week of the workshop to confirm. If we can’t offer you a space you should still be able to complete the project as we’ll provide materials and some guidance at our drop in sessions. Come in and ask about out project boxes.

The Makery as a welcoming and supportive space.

We want to try to make our workshop as welcoming as we can for many sorts. The sessions above are especially aimed to help people’s wellbeing. We have found that one off guided workshops are really good at getting new people involved in the Makery. Especially for people that may find the drop in sessions a bit hectic or are not sure how to get involved.

Also each of these workshops aims to create a project box which will contain materials and pictures and where appropriate instructions. These boxes will be stored under the main tables of the workshop making it easy to get them out and have a guided project to get started on.

Could you make or test out a Project Box?

Please do get in touch if you are interested in creating a Project Box for others could create a project box. We are starting to create a page on our website about these boxes here.

One job that needs doing is to test out a Project Box and check that it is easy to to use. You could then give feedback or if you want to go further improve it with photos or simple instructions. Just get in touch on todmordenmakery @gmail.com

About Todmorden Men In Sheds

Upcoming dates are

  • Oct 5th & 19th 2023
  • Nov 2nd, 16th & 30th
  • Dec 14th

The venue is the Makery workshop in Tod College next to Aldi in Todmorden.

Women in Workshops – Sept and Oct Dates

Drop In Sessions 
Tuesdays 6.30 – 8.30 pm
Monthly on First Tuesdays
Makery Workshop –
Tod College, Burnley Rd

“Build, brew & bond”

Upcoming dates
Tuesday 5th September  

Tuesday 3rd October 

Come along to Women in Workshop at the Makery (Todmorden’s Community Workshop project).
At these sessions you will have access to the tools and materials available in the workshop. Wood, Textiles and DiY etc.
What happens? It’s an informal learning space. Women come to work on their projects or to ask for help with specific ideas. Sometimes there are demonstrations of specific skills.  If you have questions feel free to get in touch on todmordenmakery@gmail.com

Sashiko Decorative Textile Repairing Workshop

Elaine and Christine ran a fantastic workshop on making decorative repairs. You can come into a Wednesday or Friday drop in in the days if you want to try to get help doing the same.

Make a Stool at the Makery Workshop 2023

Ben Duxbury ran this workshop which managed to fit in making stools into a very short timeframe by carefully planning the workshop to allow different pairs of participants to make one piece each which slotted together at the end.

New Free Workshops 2023 supported by Tod Town Council

We invite you to the Makery community workshop to use some of our equipment  and materials at these workshops. These Events are kindly supported by Todmorden Town Council.

You can book in the following ways 

  • Pop into the college and sign up at reception
  • Text your name and the date of the workshop to 07763395917 – we’ll text back to confirm
  • Email us on todmordenmakery@gmail.com
  • Follow us on facebook and message us there

If you have questions feel free to get in touch at todmordenmakery@gmail.com

What next at the Makery 2023

First up a practical one.

We are open today Wednesday but closed on Friday the 17th March 2023. Then  it’s back to normal service.

Secondly – you are invited to an event at the Makery next Friday

Come share ideas with us
Every now and then we have a Meet Up & Eat Up to share food and ideas for project, events and other things at the Makery.

All welcome to this open
Meet Up & Eat Up gathering

Friday 24th Mar 11-12
Makery Workshop – Todmorden College – Burnley Road

Finally, you are invited to a Photography Exhibition by Chris Foster – who made the photo frames with the support of the Makery and it’s volunteers.

1-31 March 2023 – Todmorden Information Centre – 15 Burnley Rd, Todmorden OL14 7BU

As the Covid 19 pandemic forced us into lockdown the word ‘gathering’ became synonymous with something we could no longer do, something which was in fact illegal. Yet, while we were forced to wave to each other from different sides of the street, to talk through windows, or to meet in some new virtual capacity, nature carried on without us. Perhaps even celebrated our absence from places we had previously dominated.

Forced to stay local, to be still, and seeking the connection I could no longer find with people, I began to wander areas I had not yet given attention, often due to a lack of time. As a commercial photographer it seemed that my work had dominated my creative output. The pandemic, it seems, forced many of us to slow down, to ponder, to reflect.  As the weeks became months, and even years, I became the observer of these gatherings in nature; places where starlings chattered amongst the branches, badgers collected in the evening light and rain drops congregated on leaves and webs.

Now we once again gather, enjoying each other’s company and revelling in the closeness of each other.  We come together for events, for groups, for company. Nowhere is this celebration of each other, of community more evident than in the Saturday Makery, where young and old gather to create, to talk, to share. In fact, it was in the Makery that I built the frames which hold the prints you see. As such 20% of all profits from sales will be donated to this group to ensure that we can continue to gather.


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Men in Sheds Spring Dates

Feb 23rd 

March 9th and 23rd

April 6th and 20th

May 4th and 16th 

June 1st

Can you help us with a donation

If this looks strange to you then click here to see it with better formatting

The Makery drop-ins

Mondays12-2pm: Textiles and upholstery
6-7.30pm: Bike repairs
Wednes12.00-1.30 – Woodwork and general
1.30-3pm: Quiet general drop In
6-7.30pm: Electrical and general
Fridays12-2pm: Textiles and general
Saturdays10-12: General and Tool Library

Screen Printing Workshop Oct 2022 Gallery

A recent free workshop led by Matt Davies on screen printing looked great. Let’s hope, it can be the start of on-going work on Screen Printing in the Makery. Screen Printing is a perfect project which could bring together all the different areas of the Makery and suitable for all ages.

Makery Textiles Swap Shop

Wednesday 9th November – 1pm to 3pm

Saturday 12th November – 10.30am to 12.30pm

Come and grab some bargains and declutter your unneeded fabric and haberdashery.

Bring your unwanted fabric, thread, knitting yarn, buttons, zips, knitting needles, patterns, bits and bobs, swap for something you’ll use. And give a donation if you can to help keep us going!

To help us plan the event, please let us know you’re interested at makery-textiles-swap.eventbrite.co.uk


Buy fabric and craft supplies to start, or finish, your project / repair job / slow sew. Refresh your supplies and support the Makery. 

This is more than a Sale:
The Makery is also a friendly community of makers. Share a cuppa and hints and tips to start a new soothing, calming piece of knitting or sewing, or learn how to take up a hem, make a door curtain and matching draft excluded, patch an elbow. To find out more how to join the makery to get updates see this page. If you want to support us with a one of or regular donation have a look here.

Men in Sheds – 2022 Dates

Here are the next Men in Sheds sessions.

DAYDATETIME



Thursday
3rd November
17th November
1st December
15th December



6.30pm – 8.30pm

Men’s Sheds and Women’s Tools Sessions

Here are a couple of new sessions upcoming at the Makery. Please get in touch or come into a drop in if you are interested.

RJam Imagineers Tech Styles!

15th June – 4.00 to 6.00 pm
Makery Workshop – Todmorden College – Burnley Road

Are you interested in: Technology and textiles, games, robots, buggies and other fun creative projects.
If so come along! All Ages Welcome. Free Event

This Month – Make something fabulous with textiles and technology. This could be something wearable or woven. It may flash, make sounds, spin or do something really useful.

Please book at http://tiny.cc/rjam-tod

For more details todmordenmakery@gmail.com 

After the Event – It was Great