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Thursday, August 22, 2019

What's trending in the world of crafts?

Are you ready to try something a fun craft program at your library?  I love all kinds of crafts, so I am excited to show you my list of crafts that are trending so far this year. If you want to learn something new or revisit an old favorite, I am sure you’ll find plenty to inspire you!
Origami 
Well, there's nothing new about Origami, it's an age-old papercraft that was invented in China in 105 A.D. and was brought to Japan by monks in the sixth century. Today, this intricate paper folding craft is really fun for just about all ages. It's easy to learn and the outcome is some really creative and beautiful projects. The awesome thing is that the more you do Origami the better you get at it. As a bonus, the supply list for Origami is really short!

Weaving

I love modern weaving with a wide range of yarn, color, and texture. DIY wall hangings were making a big splash last year, and I expect even more people will join in and get even more creative with fiber love this year.  DIY weaving would be a great library program and it's so easy to make a cardboard loom.  Just think of all the awesome colors of yarn you will use!
Calligraphy
Oh, how I have always adored calligraphy.  That's funny because I remember not liking to write in cursive when I was in school, but I have always been a fan of the swirling and stylish lettering that makes calligraphy so enticing.  And so it is that brush lettering is evolving this year and with it the more refined art of calligraphy. The awesome thing is that you don't have to try and create your own lettering, you can practice with tracing templates to perfect your technique, and before long all your cardmaking projects will have a more professional appearance.  A calligraphy program at your library would be a great way to introduce the art of calligraphy and transforming letters in a work of art.  The short supply list for this program would be calligraphy pens, template sheets, and sheets of calligraphy paper. 
Pyrography
Pyrography literally means “writing with fire” but the term “wood burning” is probably more familiar to all of us.  Today’s crafters use a specialized tool with a heated tip to burn designs into wood. This fire writing tool can be used to decorate everything from jewelry boxes, crates, cutting boards and more. Ok, I have to get me one of these fire writing tools ASAP!  I definitely think that this could be a really fun library program for adults.  I will explore a little more and share my ideas.

Candle Making

I have so many fond memories of candle making.  I shared in my webinar Living in a Material World last month that I grew up making crafts with my Mom and candle making was one of our favorites. I love that the tradition of making candles is being carried on today and now it has been revitalized with modern materials and techniques. Candles are pretty simple to make, easy to personalize and make excellent gifts or can be used as accents for your own home.  I'll share some ideas for candle making programs at your library in the next few weeks.

Paint Pour

You might be saying to yourself what is this?  This is a pretty cool craft that seems to be taking the world by storm.  Last month my colleague had a program with a different name, but the same concept.  Her's was called Galaxy paint and pour and it was a sold-out show.  I have to say that paint pouring is a mesmerizing craft that consists of mixing various paint colors together before pouring onto your chosen canvas. With different results every time you’ll be addicted to seeing what you create next!
Which one of these crafts are you most excited to try at your library?

Tune in next time for more craft ideas from Mrs. Librarian Lady! 

Saturday, May 25, 2019

Exciting News!

I have really exciting news!  I am doing another webinar with Infopeople coming up this summer.  It's a little different than I normally do though.  I will be focusing on crafts for adults, but hey you know how much I love crafts, so this is right up my alley.  The webinar is called Living in a Material World: Craft programs for adults.  I will be on live on Thursday, July 11th at 12 p.m. You can register for the webinar here.  I hope that you will tune in!




Happy crafting to all!

Mrs. Librarian Lady

Sunday, March 31, 2019

Celebrating Diversity & Multiculturalism through Crafts Webinar

I am so excited to be presenting on InfoPeople!  I will be presenting an awesome webinar called Celebrating Diversity and Multiculturalism through Crafts with my dear friend Dunyau Maqsoudi-Moreno this week.  Please tune in and check it out!  April 4th 12-1pm Pacific standard time.

Here is a link Celebrating Diversity & Multiculturalism through Crafts Webinar


See you next time with more ideas for crafts and activities for tweens and teens!

Mrs.Librarian Lady

Monday, February 18, 2019

Relaxing & Fun Spa Day for TWeens

For the past few months, I have been trying to pamper myself a little more than usual. I do a lot of running around at work, so when I get home my feet are very tired. I decided to start getting pedicures at least once a month and now my feet feel great and look so pretty. I love picking out a color and then topping it off with glitter!

I recently saw something that really spoke to my heart. On Saturday, I went to get a pedicure and I saw a tween boy getting a pedicure. He and his sister were both getting pedicures while their mom waited in the sitting area. I thought to myself, how cool is this? Later on, I reflected on how these two tweens making lasting memories and bonding which is an amazing thing for a brother and sister to do! 

So, in honor of all of the tweens out there, this blog post is chock full of spa day ideas and activities for guys and girls. Here's a list of fun activities you can do at your library that tweens will love. 

DIY Bath Bombs: Tweens will think you are the bomb after making these amazing bath bombs! 
Homemade Body Scrubs: You'll be tempted to eat these yummy smelling body scrubs.
Easy Towel Wrap: Add colorful ribbon and pins to make this terry cloth wrap unique.
Kool-Aid Lip Gloss: Make these sweet-smelling and tasty lip glosses just for fun. They make great gifts, too!
Glitter Slime: Glittery slime is the coolest thing. 
Hair Chalk: These awesome bright colors go on hair and wash right out. They're just so playful and fun!

Any time is a good time to plan a spa day, so I think I'll start planning mine right now!




Tune in next month for more tips and ideas for tween and teen programming from Mrs. Librarian Lady!