WESTBOROUGH, MA — A community makerspace for adults and teens has reached its first anniversary.
Craftlab Westboro, founded by owner Lián Amaris, offers open studio hours, workshops and private lessons at 3 Summer St. The studio serves adults and teens ages 14 and older and stays open until 10 p.m. on weekends.
"Craft Lab is an adult arts and crafts space that's open late," Amaris told Patch. "We have this amazing learning library that focuses on all the different things that we offer, so you can come in and get an inspiration. You don't have to know how to do anything."
Visitors can explore activities including watercolor, sewing, needle felting, crocheting, jewelry-making and collage.
Amaris, who has lived in Westborough for nine years, said she wanted to create an evening destination close to home where people could gather after dinner.
"I basically made the thing that I wanted," she said. "You can come over to Craftlab, hang out, and you can do some painting, do a collage, make some jewelry... have a different kind of night as an adult."
Throughout its first year, Craftlab has developed a strong community of regular visitors while continuing to welcome newcomers, Amaris said.
"It's been amazing to see the community grow," she said. "As new people drop in, the regulars wrap their wings around them and welcome them in, and it's really amazing to watch."
Amaris said customers have visited from more than 40 Massachusetts communities, as well as from Providence and New Hampshire.
Craftlab also received the Westborough Economic Development Committes' Best Small Business award for 2025, which recognizes "exciting locally owned business in the community." Amaris said the award was a major milestone of the business's inaugural year.
She also spoke about partnerships with the Westborough Public Library and downtown businesses as highlights of the studio's first year.
Amaris described the studio as an "unplugged community experience" where visitors can experiment without the expectation that everyone will create the same project.
"People leave Craftlab happier than when they came in," she told Patch. "There's this joy that comes from being creative and being creative without pressure."
Looking ahead to Craftlab's second year, Amaris said she hopes to keep growing its community while encouraging people to support the creative spaces already operating in their area.
"We need more people to support the places that already exist like this," she said.
Amaris said visitors may come with friends or on their own and do not need prior art experience.
"If your goal is just to get out of your house and be in another space that's creative, that's inspiring, it can be that place for you," she told Patch.
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