Arts/Crafts

Macabre Crafts

Victorian haunted table setting with spiderweb border

Join us Wednesday, October 13 for some cider, donuts, and macabre crafts at the library. We will be making some gilded faux taxidermy, a Victorian inspired terrarium pendant, and have supplies for creating your own seasonal greeting cards appropriate for the season of spookiness. This program is intended for adults 18 and older and registration is required.

Upcoming sessions

There are no upcoming sessions available.

Image with text reading: Craftsy now available on hoopla

Did you know you have access to Craftsy tutorials for free, through Hoopla?

Download the Hoopla app from your app store and enter your library card. Once you're logged in, do a search for Craftsy.  You can also find Craftsy tutorials by clicking Browse > Television > Genres & Collections.  You have 20 checkouts per month on Hoopla and each Craftsy tutorial counts as one checkout. 

Find videos on bread making, quilting, cake decorating, tailoring, yarn dying, making your own candy, and more! 

Obstacle Course

Looking for a physical or mental challenge? Use supplies from your home to set up an obstacle course and see how long it takes to go through it. It's a great way to stretch your imagination and look at ordinary objects in a whole new light.

Obstacle Courses For Kids

A great way to get physical exercise. You can make these simple courses indoors or outdoors with supplies from your own home:

Obstacle Courses For Marbles (Rube Goldberg Machines)

An obstacle course for a marble or toy can have just a few moving parts or a lot of chain reactions:

Yard Games

Try incorporating a game into your obstacle course outside:

Programs

 

Head back to the 62 Days of Summer home page for more ways to participate in the summer program!

Building With Blocks

Build something with your hands and get the satisfying of seeing it take shape, piece by piece, in front of your eyes. What wonders will you make? A tower? A toy? A tool?

Building With Legos®

Follow along with these instructions or use them for inspiration:

eBooks:

Building Projects For Kids

Build something out of paper, wood, or even furniture in your home:

eBooks:

Building Projects for Adults

Looking for something more involved? Try building these home and garden improvements or make toys with your family:

eBooks

Programs

Head back to the 62 Days of Summer home page for more ways to participate in the summer program!

Make Your Own Journal with Fineberg Art Studio

Example of hand-made journal

This has definitely been an eventful year, and what a way to process everything that has happened than your own hand-made "junk journal"? Junk journals are perfect for recording memories and thoughts in a creative way. Make your own junk journal with papers and items you probably already have at home. We have invited Emily of Fineberg Art Studio to walk you through materials, simple binding techniques, and fun ideas that you can add to your pages. This is a fun and low-stress beginner bookbinding project, and once you make one, you will want to make more! 

You will need: 

  • Variety of papers and paper ephemera, old magazines, pictures, envelopes, book pages, etc.
  • Thin cardboard for the cover (cereal box)
  • Pen or pencil
  • Ruler
  • Glue (glue stick recommended)
  • Scissors
  • Needle and thread (embroidery floss or thin yarn)
  • Awl or push pin
  • Any other art making supplies like paint, markers, washi tape, stickers, etc.

Optional:

  • Stretchy cord or elastic
  • A few clothespins or binder clips
  • Old hardcover book
  • X-Acto knife or box cutter
  • Wax paper

No registration is required to complete the project; however, the first 15 people to register by 9AM on July 09 can also claim a special grab-n-go kit of recycled book pages and covers at the library through our contact-free holds pickup! Kit Pick Up for the Journal Program will begin July 9th and end July 16th. You will receive an email with instructions once your kit is available.

Looking for more inspiration? Check out the thousands of craft videos available on Creativebug to get started today!

Upcoming sessions

There are no upcoming sessions available.

Upcycling, or creative reuse, means transforming things that would otherwise go to waste into new products, art, and more. If you enjoy getting crafty, consider using materials you already have to create something unique. The books and resources below can help jump start your creativity!

Remember: you can log into Creativebug with your library card for more upcycling projects taught by expert artists and crafters. 

Get creative and transform ordinary paper lunch bags into something collaborative and creative!  A summer memory scrapbook journal made from paper lunch bags is an easy and economical way to keep track of your summer memories. You can collect pictures, stories and other treasures in one place to cherish for many summers to come. This project is for all ages and abilities! Head back to 62 Days of Summer for more ways to participate in the summer program!

Paper Bag Book

Here are the supplies you need to get started on your summer memory book project: 

  • paper lunch bags, craft or gift bags with handles
  • scissors
  • hole punch
  • glue sticks
  • construction paper
  • crayons, glitter pens, markers
  • any kind of colorful ribbon or yarn
  • craft/scrapbooking embellishments

Michaels is one of the largest arts and crafts suppliers in the state. The Ideas That Inspire from the Michaels Design Team are expert crafters who offer DIY tutorials for just about every craft project under the sun. Jo, one of the design team members, created an easy and inspirational how-to video on making a Paper Bag Book.

FeltMagnet is a website created by crafters, quilters, and artists who share their expertise and knowledge for craft enthusiasts looking for high-quality, content-rich crafting inspiration. There's a tutorial for personalizing a Paper Bag Scrapbook. 

Iheartcraftythings is a website created by a busy mom and blogger who writes about arts and crafts projects with her kids. It's bursting with kid-friendly ideas for crafting activities, including for those with sensory and fine motor issues. The how-to page for making a Paper Bag Summer Memory Book For Kids has a supplies list, step-by-step instructions, and photos illustrating every step in the process. 

CreativeBug is a fun and inspirational resource accessible to CPL cardholders. Learn new crafting skills, find projects for every occasion, and watch DIY videos by design experts and artists. A creative craft project is just a click away!

Chances are you've got an empty cardboard box around the house right now. With a few simple materials plus some imagination, you can turn it into your own kid-sized drive-in car. 

You'll need:

  • A cardboard box big enough for a child to sit in
  • Paper (wrapping paper, Sunday comics, or any other colorful paper) to cover your box
  • Decorations for the outside of your wrapped box. Use whatever you have on hand! Cut circle shapes for headlights, use a paper plate for a steering wheel, cut rectangles for license plates, embellish the sides with stickers, or draw your own designs - get creative! There's no wrong way to decorate your car.

For inspiration, check out this Flickr album from one of our past Baby Drive-In programs at the library.

When you're finished building your car, pull up to a screen, put on a favorite movie or show, settle in, and enjoy!

 

Please return to the Summer Movie Madness blog here.

Head back to the 62 Days of Summer home page for more ways to participate in the summer program!

 

 

 

 

Did you miss our Knitting Storytime this week? Don't worry, here's what you missed, plus a few more suggestions so you can create your own cozy storytime at home, complete with songs and stories.

Don't need a full storytime? Borrow a rhyme when you need a short distraction, or check out these materials and spend a few minutes reading together.

From Storytime

Extra yarn by Mac Barnett

With a supply of yarn that never runs out, Annabelle knits for everyone and everything in town until an evil archduke decides he wants the yarn for himself.

Creative Candle Making

Join us in developing an original candle creation. We will have supplies on hand for adding color, fragrance, or touches of flair. You are welcome to bring your own container and supplies as well, such as a mason jar, flower petals, or essential oils. Limit one candle per attendee. 

Registration is required and begins January 23.

Upcoming sessions

There are no upcoming sessions available.

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