The 6th annual Maker Takeover featured students’ experiments, projects, business and creative works to showcase the hard work taking place in Elon University’s Maker Hub.
From Nitrogen-cold ice cream and Puppypi, Elon’s robot dog; to learning the history of chainmail and Elon’s new escape room theme “Emergency Lockdown: Obtain Nanomeds,” the Elon community celebrated the creativity of students at the Maker Takeover event on April 30 in Moseley Center.
Maker Takeover is the Maker Hub’s largest annual celebration that brings students, staff, and faculty together to showcase their creative projects. The Maker Hub provides Elon students and faculty free access to 3D printers, sewing and embroidery machines, laser engravers and other creative tools to help bring their projects to life.
Lydia Credle ’27 grew up with hypermobility in her hands and required custom joint support rings, which were often expensive. She wanted to find a way to make the rings custom and effective for people suffering from arthritis and hypermobility, but also cheaper. With this idea for affordable healthcare, Credle applied for Elon Kickbox, a Maker Hub program that gives students a box full of resources, a sponsor to support their idea and a $300 gift card to help the idea become a reality.
“In the Burlington community, it is hard for a lot of people to have adequate health care, especially custom rings (which) are typically only available to people who have ready access to occupational therapy and $200 to $300 to spare,” Credle said.
The material used for Credle’s experimental rings was moldable plastic that she heated up in a mini water heater. Once flexible, the plastic could then be designed to fit someone’s finger to lessen the strain on their fingers. In addition, Credle had pigments that she could mix into the plastic to form the ring in a person’s desired color. Through the support of her Kickbox sponsor, Nim Batchelor, faculty emeritus and the Maker Hub’s first-ever maker mentor, Cradle learned the importance of prototyping and not giving up after the first try.
“Anyone can do this. You just need the plastic, have some hot water ready and make your own,” Credle said.
Maker Hub Takeover did not just bring engineering and science students together, but also Elon entrepreneurs, showcasing their unique creations. Shriya Baru ’25, founder of KOLIS, an Indian American fusion brand that sells a variety of custom candles made with natural fragrances from small businesses based in India to Elon sweatshirts decorated with Indian inspired bright colors.
“I wanted to introduce my Indian culture on campus and break the stereotype that Indian fashion is overly traditional for Western culture,” Baru said
When Baru launched her business, she did not have access to an embroidery or sewing machine, so she turned to the Maker Hub for resources and support. She remembers people staying overtime to help her complete her orders and find new inspiration.
“I’ve been selling at the Make Hub Takeover for the past three years, and it’s been one of the biggest pop-ups of the year,” Baru said. “I am grateful to the Maker Hub.”
Elon staff and faculty invited their families to enjoy the projects focusing on science, service, experimentation and creativity. Finn Wilkinson ’27 is a consultant at the Maker Hub and was the emcee of the takeover event.
“It makes me nervous but also excited because I can show my enthusiasm outwardly and point out things, like ‘look at what my cool friends are doing,’” said Wilkinson.
While balancing the responsibilities of being the public face of the event, Wilkinson was also showing off their project, Miss Scarlet. As a drag artist, Wilkinson took the opportunity to design and make the pattern for their character’s outfit because many goddess skirts do not come in their size due to their height.
Wilkinson advises students who may be nervous about starting a project or visiting the Maker Hub to “take the leap.”