QUEENS, NY - Crafting wood and other media for fun and profit is an underlying theme at the World Makers Faire, closing today in New York.

Part of a series of do-it-yourself gatherings that includes everything from robotics to computer hacking, as well as  woodworking and wood crafting techniques and technologies, Makers Faire's are drawing tens of thousands of enthusiasts across the U.S. and around the globe.

Familiar wood industry names are among Makers Faire sponsors, including ShopBot, AutoDesk, Epilog Laser, as well as community retailing sites like Etsy.com and Custommade.com.

Maker Faire was launched by O'Reilly Media, which says its mission is to "inspire, inform, connect and entertain thousands of Makers" (it's name for do-it-yourselfers) for a "public gathering of tech enthusiasts, crafters, educators, tinkers, hobbyists" as well as students, authors and commercial exhibitors.

The event series is tapping into a wide public interest in hands-on activities. The inaugural Maker Faire was held in San Mateo, CA six years ago. It  drew 100,000 people at its latest edition in May. Austin, TX was the first city added, in 2007. (Austin will also be the site of Woodworking Network's Closets Expo and the Custom Cabinet Conference 2012 in February.) Maker Faires expanded to Detroit and New York City in 2010. 

Independently-organized "Mini Maker Faires" have sprouted up in Ann Arbor, Sebastopol, Aspen, Kansas City, Durham, Oakland, and Boston. Canada now has three: in Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver.