Inventor Lab
Invent it.Build it.
A 6-week program for teens in Davis. Invent something for yourself, for someone you know, or to sell, then build it for real with clay, 3D printing, woodworking, or a mix.
- Who
- Grades 7–10
- When
- Tue or Fri, 4:00–5:30
- Starts
- November 3
- Group
- Up to 6 teens
- Cost
- $250, all materials
6 spots left on Tuesdays
6 spots left on Fridays
How it works
Six weekly sessions, and you're building with your hands in every one.
Explore
Try clay, glazes, the 3D printer, and woodworking. Find the styles you like, then pick who you're making for, or grab an idea card.
Rough prototype
Build your idea fast out of cardboard, clay, tape, and hot glue. Try two or three versions.
Real prototype
Make it in clay, wood, or a 3D print. Start glaze tests if you want your own glaze.
Version 2
Show it to your customer, hear what they think, and make it better. If it's for you, try it out and notice what you like about it and what you wish were there.
Make the batch
Make your final pieces.
Finish and prep
Glaze, sand, or oil your batch, make signs, and learn how to price and sell.
What could you make?
Anything you can dream up, useful or just beautiful. Every project starts with a real person to make it for: you, a friend, someone in your family, or buyers at the showcase. A few ideas:
Made to use
A phone stand
for a parent who works from home
A spoon rest
for someone who cooks every night
Team keychains
for everyone on your soccer team
Made to look at
A shelf sculpture
a creature, a figure, or an abstract form, in a glaze color you mix yourself
A wall hanging
walnut, maple, and redwood pieces arranged in a pattern you design
A pattern lantern
throws shapes across the wall when you light it with an LED candle
Stuck? Grab one of my idea cards and make it your own.
Sell what you make
Want to earn some money? Sell what you make at the showcase and keep every dollar. Along the way, you'll learn pricing and selling, skills school rarely teaches.
Price it
Figure out what it costs to make and what it's worth to a buyer.
Set up shop
Make signs and set up your own table at the showcase.
Sell it
Family and friends come to shop, and you keep everything you earn.
Selling is optional. Plenty of teens make something just for themselves or as a gift, and everyone still shows their work at the showcase.
Sign up
Pick your day. Each day is capped at 6 teens.
Signing up siblings? Pick 2, and $25 comes off the second teen automatically at checkout.
Tuesdays, 4:00–5:30 pm
Starts November 3
Nov 3, 10, 17, Dec 1, 8, 15
Showcase: Saturday, Dec 19
6 spots left
0 signed up
Fridays, 4:00–5:30 pm
Starts November 6
Nov 6, 13, 20, Dec 4, 11, 18
Showcase: Saturday, Jan 9
6 spots left
0 signed up
$250 per teen, all materials and firings included. You'll go straight to checkout. Full refund if you cancel by October 20, or if your day doesn't run.
After you sign up, I'll email you to get each teen's name and anything I should know. Referred a friend who signed up? Text me at 530-206-0893 for $25 off.
Hi, I'm Josh
I've spent my whole career inventing things. I grew up in Davis (Davis High '07), studied electrical engineering at Cal Poly, worked on satellites at Boeing, started a tech company, and launched new businesses and products at Amazon. Now I invent in my ceramics studio. My favorite part is spotting a problem, getting curious about why the problem exists, and then building something from scratch that solves it.
I started Inventor Lab to share that with teens. Teens are ready to take on real projects, and many want to make things people will actually use, or even buy. Inventor Lab is built for that: a small group of teens, a studio full of real materials and safe tools, and the freedom to explore your own ideas.
I work in ceramics full-time while raising two kids with my partner, a 4-year-old and a 4-month-old, and I teach kids' and adult clay classes out of this same studio. I'm in the room for every session, coaching each teen through their own idea.
The studio
My whole two-car garage in South Davis is the studio, set up for making almost anything:
- A full production kiln
- 3D printers
- A glaze lab, for mixing and testing your own glazes
- Woodworking tools and a library of redwood, walnut, maple, and more, cut small and ready to build with
- A pottery wheel
- Plenty of workspace
Teens use the hand tools themselves. I handle any power-tool cuts.
A community of teen makers
Inventor Lab is the start of a maker and inventor community for teens in Davis. You'll build next to other teens who like making things, swap ideas, test each other's prototypes, and cheer each other on.
When the six weeks wrap up, I'm planning an open studio so the group can keep making together.
The showcase
The program ends with a showcase at the studio. Family and friends come, and each teen gets their own table to show what they made. Selling is optional, and anyone who sells keeps everything they earn.
Questions parents ask
What happens in a session?
Doors open at 3:30. At 4:00 we huddle: everyone shares what they're making, what's working, and where they're stuck. Then it's build time, in clay, on the 3D printer, or in wood, with me helping or staying out of the way. At 5:15 we do a quick round of what changed today and what to try next week.
Where is it?
My home studio in South Davis, just past the Safeway on Cowell. I'll send the address after you sign up.
What grades is it for?
7th through 10th grade. If your teen is close in age, text me and we'll figure it out.
Does my teen need any experience?
No. Week 1 is all about trying the materials, and I teach each skill as they need it.
What if they don't have an idea?
That's normal. They can pick from idea cards I've prepared, each one with a real person in mind, and I'll help them make it their own.
Is this a clay class?
No, it's a making class. Teens pick the material: clay, 3D printing, woodworking, or a mix. The studio does have lots of clays and glazes to work with, and clay is one of the fastest ways to prototype an idea, even if the final piece ends up in wood or a 3D print.
Who else will be there?
Up to 6 teens per day. It's small enough that everyone gets real help and gets to know each other.
Is it supervised and safe?
Yes. I'm in the room for every session, the group is capped at 6, and I handle any power-tool cuts.
What should they wear or bring?
Clothes that can get messy and closed-toe shoes. I provide everything else.
Can they come early?
Yes. Doors open at 3:30, and early arrivals can work on their projects until we start at 4:00.
What if they miss a session?
Let me know ahead of time, and they can come in at 3:30 the next week to catch up.
Do they have to sell what they make?
No. Everyone shows their work at the showcase. Selling is optional, and they keep everything they earn.
Is there a sibling discount?
Yes. Pick 2 teens when you sign up, and $25 comes off the second one automatically at checkout. Siblings on different days, or signing up 3? Text me at 530-206-0893 and I'll set it up. Referred a friend who signed up? Text me for $25 off too.
What if we need to cancel?
You get a full refund until October 20. After that, refunds aren't available.
What if the group doesn't fill?
Each day runs with at least 4 teens. You'll hear by October 27, and if your day doesn't run, you get a full refund.
Is there a less structured option?
I'm planning an open studio for teens next. Text me to join the list and hear first when it opens.
Still have questions? Call or text me at 530-206-0893.