Picture this: You take a glance into your closet and think, “You know, my suit could fit me better.” You go online to find a tailor and consider what you’ll need done.
It will need the sleeves shortened, and the waist and sides taken in. Not bad; can’t be too pricey, right?
Be prepared to pay between $150 and $200, according to recent estimates from Lucho, a custom clothier in Houston, Texas.
Screw that. You have a friend who sews.
You sit and watch as they navigate stitches with needles, maneuver a clunky machine and poke around with pins. They say it will be a while until it’s finished, but the process enthralls you
You want to sew. You want to be creative with your clothing. Maybe the spur-of-the-moment decision to have your suit tailored was just the first thread.
You find a $10 sewing starter kit at Walmart and add it to your cart. You had to purchase thread separately, but it wasn’t steep either.
You patch some holes in weathered wares around the house and feel you’re really getting somewhere. Your friend comes to drop off your newly tailored suit. You ask them, “How much did it cost for you to get into sewing?”
According to an article by Sunday Sewing Club, that number sits at $240.
Around $240? As college students, I think we can collectively agree that’s a good amount of money to put towards something we may love in the moment, but could drop at any time. I’m sure you’ve been guilty of this, as have I (I’ll get back into music production someday).
Photography is another example. Yes, it’s possible to get good quality photos with an iPhone camera, but technically even an iPhone costs upwards of $700. For decent photos that could be sold or capture smaller details, the entry price is nothing friendly.
According to Canon’s website, the EOS R50 kit currently runs for $799.99, not including taxes and fees.
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Remember, these are starter prices for these hobbies. These aren’t top-of-the-line, luxury products here. I will spare you from knowing what you might have to spend if you end up wanting to go further with either endeavor.
This expense applies to plenty of other creative hobbies. Music production sounds splurgy with a decent setup charging $250 to $400, according to MusicTech. Similarly, 3D printing goes for $250 to $450 for that first layer of equipment, according to 3dprinting.com. To mix podcasting into your life, $150 to $400, according to an article by Castos.
But Miami University has resources that eliminate those costs.
If you take a walk down to King Library and enter the marvelous Makerspace, you can use a sewing machine for free that retails for $1,799. All you have to do is make a reservation online. That really cuts costs.
How about a podcast, or even a YouTube channel? Everyone today has opinions to share, and it can be very fun and rewarding to start something tangible, all based on chatting with your friends. The Makerspace holds two studios with lots of professional equipment at your disposal.
Of course, you’ll need to edit that footage. Adobe offers a discount for the Creative Cloud if you’re a student, but why pay anything? Miami’s library allows you to install the software on your computer for two weeks for no charge.
The Makerspace also holds embroidery machines, laser printers, 3D printers, laminators and best of all, makerkits. For seven days, you can check out an entire sewing machine to use on your own time, in your own space.
The library will even let you borrow laptops, audio equipment, digital cameras and projectors.
Though it may be daunting to begin a creative project because of the costs associated with it, Miami does a great job of providing students access to the tools they need to get crafty. Nothing says it better than the Makerspace’s website: “We guide students through the sometimes-uncertain creative process and support them as they grow their confidence and become independent creators.”
So get out there and go make something.
Anthony Caprara is a sophomore student majoring in media and communications with a co-major in fashion. He is a writer for the Opinion section of The Miami Student. He is also involved with Redhawk TV and Miami University Fashion & Design.
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