The Maker's Wheel exists because of the people who make things — and the people who made them before us.
The Maker's Wheel has two origins. The first is Grandma Jeneel Johnson and her business, The Spinning Wheel. The second is Grandpa Dick and his workshop. Together — their love of craft, their generosity of spirit, and the way they welcomed people into what they were making — is where this idea was born.
When Jeneel passed away recently, it kicked something loose. The question became: what does it look like to honor that? Not just to remember it, but to carry it forward — to build a place where the values she and Dick lived by could belong to an entire community of makers.
The Maker's Wheel is that place. The name is a nod to The Spinning Wheel. The spirit is all theirs.
"To preserve and grow the tradition of making so that each generation can develop the confidence and craftsmanship that only comes from working with real materials in the real world."
We believe making things with your hands builds something that goes beyond the object itself — it builds confidence, patience, and a kind of problem-solving you can't get from a screen.
We built The Maker's Wheel around a simple belief: that access to tools and space shouldn't be a barrier to creating.
Professional tools shouldn't require owning a professional shop. Membership gives you access to equipment that would cost thousands to own — for a monthly fee.
The Maker's Wheel is designed as a community space — where makers help each other, share skills, and create things together that none of them could alone.
We offer classes taught by local instructors who are actually skilled at what they teach. Not tutorials. Real instruction from real craftspeople.
Kids who learn to make things become adults who know how to solve problems. The Kids' Corner isn't an afterthought — it's part of the mission.
"The best way to honor a craftsperson is to put their tools back to work."
Every serious maker accumulates tools over a lifetime. When those tools sit idle — in a garage, an attic, an estate — they stop being tools and start being storage. The Legacy Program exists to change that.
We accept tool donations from craftspeople and estates, evaluate and restore them where needed, and put them into active use at The Maker's Wheel. Each donated tool receives a named plaque in honor of the donor. And because generosity deserves generosity in return, Legacy donors receive complimentary membership to the space — the details worked out together based on what's being donated.
The people behind the tools become part of the shop's story — visible every day to the members who use them.
A plaque bearing the donor's name is permanently affixed to their donated tools, honoring the craftsperson behind them.
Tools that need cleaning, sharpening, or minor repair are restored before being placed into service — given a second life.
Donated tools aren't stored or displayed — they're used. That's the point. They belong in a maker's hands.
Legacy donors receive complimentary membership to the space. Because generosity deserves to be met with generosity.
The Maker's Wheel is founded by Sarah Rasmussen, an Ogden local who grew up surrounded by people who made things. Her grandmother Jeneel ran The Spinning Wheel. Her grandfather Dick built in his workshop. Her friends and family are artists, crafters, and builders. Sarah has always believed in what making does for people — she's building a space that gives more people access to it.
When Jeneel passed away, Sarah decided it was time to stop thinking about this and start building it. The Maker's Wheel is the result — a space that honors where it came from and belongs to everyone who walks through the door.
Grandpa Dick is still around, still building, and very much part of this story.
The Maker's Wheel is currently in pre-launch, finding its home in Ogden, Utah. We're accepting Founding Member interest now — no payment until we open our doors.
Founding Members help shape the space — the equipment, the programs, the culture. There are only 20 spots. No payment until we open.