Exciting news – our digital Materials Library catalogue has had a makeover!
Dive into our new and improved Materials Library digital catalogue to explore the natural wonder of glass formed by lightning, the manmade marvel of translucent concrete, and the intoxicating power of the rarest raw perfume ingredients in the world.
Also test out its new functionality: filter by form, search for smelly materials and curate your own selections of materials that delight or inspire you.
Read more about our new and improved Materials Library on our blog via the link in bio.
#Materials #Making #InstituteOfMaking #MaterialsLibrary
Testing, trying, playing and making in preparation for this year’s Festival of Stuff. Join us on Saturday 27th June to get involved!
Location: The Institute of Making Stratford lies on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, in the UCL Marshgate Building, E20 2AE
Time: 13:00 – 17:00
Date: Saturday 27th June 2026
Free and open to all – drop in, no booking required! Find out more via the link in our bio.
#Making #Materials #FestivalOfStuff #UCL #UCLEast
The Festival of Stuff returns on Saturday 27th June and you’re all invited!
Here’s a behind the scenes look at some of our Festival activity prep – from creating unique guesstimation games to copper chain making, scale model assembling and beeswax candle dipping.
Location: The Institute of Making Stratford is located on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, in the UCL Marshgate Building, E20 2AE
Time: 13:00 – 17:00
Date: Saturday 27th June 2026
Free and open to all – drop in, no booking required! Find out more via the link in our bio.
#Making #Materials #FestivalOfStuff #UCL UCLEastQueenElizabethOlympicPark
Whilst our workshops were closed for Easter, our tech team were busy building new, exciting additions for our Bloomsbury space.
We’ll update our members fully when the changes are finished and implemented, but in the meantime, here’s a behind-the-scenes sneak peek of the process.
#InstituteOfMaking #Making #Materials #UCL #Workshop #UCLWorkshop
The Festival of Stuff is back! Join us for our annual, large-scale, drop-in, completely free Festival at the Institute of Making Stratford on Saturday 27th June 2026.
In honour of UCL’s bicentenary, for this year's Festival of Stuff, we’re exploring the theme of measurement. Play with perception, test your timing and hone your calculation skills with a range of hands-on activities, from bespoke guesstimation games to scale model making. Try your hand at inlaying ancient bog oak with silver, making copper chain and dipping beeswax birthday candles. Get up close and personal (and high!) in a scissor lift, delve into mini microscopic worlds, and learn about the recording of time through fossils, accompanied by the complex rhythms of Taiko Japanese drummers. All this and much, much more.
Location: The Institute of Making Stratford lies on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, in the UCL Marshgate Building, E20 2AE
Time: 13:00 – 17:00
Date: Saturday 27th June 2026
Free and open to all – drop in, no booking required! Find out more via the link in our bio.
#Making #Materials #FestivalOfStuff #UCL #UCLEast#QueenElizabethOlympicPark
A sneak peek of our Stratford ceramics room shelves, filled to the brim with wonderful member pieces. Swipe for a cheeky bonus.
#InstituteOfMaking #Making #Materials #Ceramics
Some of the projects made by members this year!
From blown sugar fruits in our Stratford experimental kitchen to constructing laparoscopic games in the Bloomsbury workshop, members have been busy across both of our sites.
Projects in order:
1. Blown sugar fruits in the Stratford experimental kitchen
2. Constructing laparoscopic games in the Bloomsbury workshop
3. Experimental borosilicate lampworking in the Stratford metal room
4. Bridal dress hemming in the Bloomsbury workshop
5. Dremel jewellery engraving
6. Fresh ghee making in the Stratford experimental kitchen
7. Cat den making in our Bloomsbury workshop
#InstituteOfMaking #Members #Making
Uncovering the playful possibilities of plaster with artist and ceramicist, @helenjohceramics
This masterclass delved into the magic of plaster, with our members shaping and manipulating the quick-setting material; working to produce unique forms using moulds, indentation and rotation techniques.
Head to our Flickr (link in bio) to see more masterclass photography (taken by Institute of Making Communications Interns, Grace Lee and Tia San-Norton).
#InstituteOfMaking #Masterclass #Plaster #PlasterMasterclass #Making #Materials
Members making miniatures during our Scale Model Making masterclass with modelmaker and artist, @mazweineck_maker .
Together we drew, designed, measured and cut, making 3D objects using card and thin timber across a range of dimensions. From the creation of tiny chairs to assembling the facade of the UCL Marshgate building (the home of our Stratford site), collectively we explored the detail-oriented, precise world of scale model making.
Head to our Flickr (link in bio) to see more masterclass photography.
#InstituteOfMaking #Masterclass #ScaleModel #ScaleModelMaking #Making
Exploring the material strength, repetitive rhythm and sturdy beauty of curb chain making with @luciegledhilljewellery
Together we learnt how to transform a simple piece of copper wire through the methodical repetition of closing, soldering, forming and twisting.
Swipe to see photography from the masterclass (taken by Institute of Making 2025-6 Communications Intern, Grace Lee), and head to our Flickr (link in bio) to see all images.
#CurbChain #Making #Materials #Chain #InstituteOfMaking
If you’re fascinated by food and all of its joys and complexities, then the most recent episode of the BBC’s Kitchen Cabinet, recorded live at the Institute of Making in Stratford, is perfect for you.
On Wednesday, 4th February, our Stratford site was transformed from its usual multi-materials workshop into a fully-fledged recording studio, welcoming
Jay Rayner @jayrayner1 , Tim Anderson @cheftimanderson , Jocky Petrie @chefjocky , Melissa Thompson @melissafood and Institute of Making Director, Zoe Laughlin @zoelaughlin_ , to talk all things food.
Each guest brought their own unique perspective to every topic, debating various questions and quandaries: from brainstorming different pickle-centric meal combinations to weighing in on the crunchy vs crispy debate, which was further explored by the Institute of Making Noisy Food Choir (captured here in rehearsal mode). Tune in to find out what was concluded!
Listen to the full episode on the BBC Kitchen Cabinet website, via the BBC Sounds app, or wherever you get your podcasts. Website listening link in bio.
Read more about the evening on our blog, link also in bio.
#BBCR4 #BBCTKC #TheKitchenCabinet #InstituteOfMaking #UCL #Podcast
Drilling, sanding and filing pendants made from generational bog oak; transforming them using silver inlay with jeweller @sarah_king_jewellery 🪵
Visit our Flickr (link in bio) to see all masterclass photography.
#InstituteOfMaking #JewelleryMaking #BogOak #Making #Materials
