Repair Fair Craft Party! April 13th

On April 13th from 6pm to 8pm we’ll be having a craft party! Join us to make signage and a photo back drop for the upcoming Repair Fair. Register for free here.

We will be painting, drawing, gluing, cutting out colorful cardstock, and glittering. Wear clothes you don't mind getting dirty, and maybe some leftover art / craft supplies if you have any.

Can’t make the craft party but you’re still interested in volunteering for the DTL? Check out our volunteer page for opportunities and how to get started.

Thank You Staff, Volunteers, and Members!

Huge thanks to our staff, volunteers, and members for keeping the library in such great shape!

Keeping 5,000 tools organized and easy to find is no small feat, and the shop has been looking incredible lately. We truly appreciate all the hard work everyone puts in to make this space run well for the community!

What's a Tool Library you ask? It’s like a book library, but for tools! A $150 annual membership lets you borrow any of our tools for your home, garden, or art projects. Check out what you need, use it for a week, and bring it back - easy as that.

Get a Membership

Open Workshop Hours Project Spotlight!

Shout out to Dennis for his amazing Open Shop Hours project! He used our drill press and scroll saw to cut the rough forms and then spent 35 hours carving every grape and leaf by hand.

🪵What are Open Shop Hours?

Work on your own project with guidance from our expert shop monitors. Get access to industrial sized woodworking tools including a SawStop table saw, jointer, planer, bandsaw, miter saw, drill press, router table, and lathes all for an affordable hourly fee.

Don’t forget! You must complete a Woodworking I: Shop Safety certification class or our women & LGBTQ+ Ladies & Gentlethems: Shop Safety certification class before being able to use Open Shop Hours.

Learn About Open Shop

Mending Circle Recap, and Next Date Announced!

What an incredible first Mending Circle we had a few weeks ago! We're so super grateful for everyone who came out: 12 attendees, 6 volunteer repairers, and an absolutely chill vibe in the shop. All 15 items brought in left fully repaired, with some folks learning to do the mending themselves and our volunteers tackling the trickier fixes.

One of our fav moments was watching two people bring in their all-time favorite jeans (totally unwearable, until now), mend the tears themselves, and add their own beautiful decorative stitching and patches to the pockets. Seeing all of you walk away with some new found skills and connections was a really lovely thing.

And a huge shoutout to Tucker for helping set everything up and jumping right in, we appreciate you so much!

Want to join the next Mending Circle? The next date has been announced! April 23rd from 7pm - 9pm - Learn More & Registered for Free.

Learn more & Register

Brand New Class! Hand-cut Dovetail Step Stools

We just released another brand new woodworking class - Hand-cut Dovetail Step Stools taught by David Shih of @MoonRabbit.Woodworker! The first date is:

Hand-cut dovetails are one of the most timeless joints in woodworking. Over the centuries, dovetails have been recognized for their strength, beauty, and a mark of true craftsmanship. In this class, you’ll learn the traditional techniques behind this timeless joint, working slowly and intentionally with hand tools. Designed for beginners, the course focuses on understanding the process, building confidence, and connecting you to a skill that woodworkers have valued for generations. Join this supportive beginner-friendly workshop, expand your handy DIY skillset, and connect with a community of fellow makers!

Sign Up

About Your Teacher

David Shih is a woodworking artisan who enjoys crafting pieces ranging from custom fine furniture to intricate inlays. He approaches each project with a deep appreciation for the natural beauty and intrinsic qualities of wood. He loves sharing his woodworking passion and currently teaches at several locations including Denver Tool Library, the Fine Woodworking Program at Red Rocks Community College, Clear Creek Makerspace, and volunteers his time for the woodshop students at Lakewood High School. You can follow his work at MoonRabbitWoodworker.com and on Instragram @MoonRabbit.Woodworker


Brand New Class! Woodworking III: Wood Mallet & Bench Hooks

We‘ve changed the third class in our woodworking fundamentals mini-series to Woodworking III: Wood Mallet & Bench Hooks, now taught by David Shih of @MoonRabbit.Woodworker! First dates are:

Advance your joinery skills by building your own custom hand tools. This woodworking class focuses on creating a bench hook and a hardwood mallet using the sliding dovetail and the hand-cut mortise and tenon. Learning to accurately cut these structural joints is essential for building cabinetry, chairs, desks, and other fine furniture. You will build tools that you can use in your own shop and in our upcoming Dovetail Step Stools workshop. Join this supportive friendly workshop, expand your handy DIY skillset, and connect with a community of fellow makers!

Sign Up

About Your Teacher

David Shih is a woodworking artisan who enjoys crafting pieces ranging from custom fine furniture to intricate inlays. He approaches each project with a deep appreciation for the natural beauty and intrinsic qualities of wood. He loves sharing his woodworking passion and currently teaches at several locations including Denver Tool Library, the Fine Woodworking Program at Red Rocks Community College, Clear Creek Makerspace, and volunteers his time for the woodshop students at Lakewood High School. You can follow his work at MoonRabbitWoodworker.com and on Instragram @MoonRabbit.Woodworker

List of Spring Project? We've Got The Tools!

The time to do those projects you’ve let pile up for spring is nigh! No matter if you need a nailer to fix the fence, some loppers to go after that unruly hedge, or the right size socket to silence the chirping bird noises under your hood - we’ve got the tools!

Here's a quick crash course on how an annual Tool Library Membership works:

  1. You give us $150 (More than you can afford? We have financial assistance).

  2. We give you up to 10 of our 5,000+ tools to borrow for a week at a time.

  3. You bring them back so they aren't taking up space in your garage.

Easy as that! Repeat for a whole year.

*Already have a membership? Consider getting somebody cute a Gift Membership. You’ll be giving the gift of tools while supporting the #1 cool concept non-profit at the same time.

Skill Share! March 23rd 6pm - 7:30pm (Free Registration)

Next Skill Share is March 23rd from 6:00-7:30pm! This grown-up-show-and-tell will feature two member presentations:

  • 🚲 Cargo Biking 101 with Max

  • 🔌 Electronic Soldering with Libi

Skill Shares are free community events where anyone is welcome to meet and mingle with fellow members and tool librarians and learn more about what projects they are working on. Each event features a few short presentations from community members sharing their projects, lessons learned, and inspiration, followed by time to chat and connect over N/A beverages. No tool experience required!

Learn More & Register

Five Ways to Support the DTL Without Getting Out of Your Chair

Short on time and money but want to support the DTL? Here are five super easy ways to help!

We don’t all have time to be a regular volunteer, and we aren’t all rich beyond our wildest dreams, so here are some easy quick ways to help out without getting out of your chair (if you are rich beyond your wildest dreams, skip this article and click here).

Way ONE: King Soopers

King Soopers has a program where they kick a non-profit of your choice (DTL!) a small percent of all of your purchases. If you get groceries/gas/beer there on the reg, consider putting our name on your account.

  1. Create an account at their website. It's quick - you can skip the little setup wizard that comes second if ya want.

  2. Go to this Community Rewards page of your Account Dashboard and search for Denver Tool Library.

  3. Click enroll. Easy peasy! Now a really mathematically obscure percentage of your spending will be donated to the DTL, but it really does add up. Hoorah!

WAY TWO: LEAVE A 5 STAR REVIEW ON GOOGLE

Not into shoppy choices of how to help? Leave us a nice Google review. It’s super helpful in convincing people who say “Tool Library? Seems like a cool concept, but I’m not sure…” that they should take a chance and try us out.

WAY THREE: TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW THAT WE’RE AWESOME.

Tell your friends about us! Show off what you built and tag us on social media, or Show Us Your Project and we’ll brag for you. When you’re with others IRL, be that annoying "crypto bro" but instead of crypto, talk about what a cool concept we are.

WAY FOUR: GIVE DTL BUCKS AS A GIFT

Already have a tool library membership, taken all of our classes, and spent over 1,000 hours in our community workshop? Get someone else to do the same! Purchase a gift membership, class bucks, or open workshop hours for someone. You’ll be supporting our org and giving your friends & family the gift of tools.

WAY FIVE: SEND us a couple buckS.

And who can’t forget the last easy way to help - donating a few bucks to our Share the Tools Fund! For those who have the means, even a little money can go a long way.


THANK YOU, YAY, GOOD JOB, WOOHOO!!