HIDDEN GEMS
WORDS BY TRISHA BRAND
HomeRoom If you’ve walked around the pockets of shops off the Monon Trail at 54th Street in south Broad Ripple, you may have noticed a door with an eyecatching mural of scissors. Beyond that door is where owner Shelly Leer offers HomeRoom, a creative DIY modern maker space. HomeRoom empowers guests to move beyond their fears by teaching them how to design, repair, and create useful and meaningful objects for themselves, friends, family and the community. Don’t expect the run-of-the-mill paper, glue sticks and glitter crafts. Instead, think drills, hammers, handsaws — and even sewing machines. Kids 7 and older get to try these “scary” things, all under the adult supervision of Leer and her team. Leer is an experienced expert and educator, and a contributor to Real Simple, Bob Vila online, Country Living, Apartmenttherapy. com, and the Indianapolis Star. She’s also taught sewing classes at The Indianapolis Art Center, as well as at a local shelter for abused women and kids.
Leer offers private and custom workshops, summer camps, parties and in-studio rentals. Recent classes have included beginning sewing and textile arts, maker birthday parties, and upholstery for adults. Kid classes have been fondly called meditative and calming “junk drawer” parties. Kids creatively use items such as grommet rings, earrings, fabric swatches, necklaces, charms, bells, vintage hardware, scrap metal conduit —even chop-sawed parquet f loor tiles. Parents enjoy the classes, as each experience integrates STEAM curricula. Kids are so busy having fun that they don’t even know they are learning valuable and practical skills. From messy elementary-aged kids and screen-loving teens — to moms who need “me” time — HomeRoom offers something for everyone. 1101 E. 54th St., Indianapolis thehomeroomshop.com
June 2022 I INDYSCHILD.COM
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