Creativity can foster both social skills and a sense of community, said Neil Gillbanks, owner of the crafting studio Make It Yourself Copperfield.

A civil engineer by trade, Neil said he always dreamed of having his own educational crafting studio—also called a makerspace—for community members. In December, he opened Make It Yourself on Cherry Park Drive, which he runs with help from his wife, Heather, and daughter Melissa.

Make It Yourself offers educational, guided creativity classes to help people get started with making their own craft projects out of paper, wood, plastic, cloth and other media.

“We’ve had a full range of ages of crafters, from 11 years old to 70,” Neil said.

Seizing on their passion for designing and making objects, Neil and Heather also teach creativity classes in the evenings and on weekends that can last three to four hours. The October theme for one of the make-and-take classes—where guests create something they can take home with them—is table centerpieces.

The studio has four instructors who employ various kinds of crafting expertise. As customer demand grows and more types of creative projects emerge, Neil said they will hire more instructors. Daytime classes are an opportunity for the future, he said.

“Some facilities focus only on 3-D printing or all leatherwork,” he said. “We mix and match. Some people come here for product developing, looking to manifest a new idea and bring the product to market.”

The process of designing a product starts with a consulting session, Neil said.

“[We] then determine what the best course of action is,” he said. “They may want me to do everything. They might want to learn a few techniques first.”

Melissa said the studio’s vision is to build a sense of community through crafting.

“Things can get expensive, even at hobby shops,” she said. “Why not make it yourself? It’s fun, and you’ll want to make more crafts.”

7510 Cherry Park Drive, Ste. B, Houston 281-856-0998 www.miycopperfield.com Hours: vary each week according to class schedule