Each week a new Take & Make craft is set out in front of the Library most Tuesday mornings. Drop by and pick up an envelope containing all you’ll need for a ‘do-at-home’ craft. Basic supplies such as glue and scissors will not be included in the craft envelopes. Pick them up early so you don’t miss out! Take & Make crafts are free – first come, first served!
Paint Blot Creatures
This craft is a messy one but lots of fun. Be sure to have some newspaper down for a workspace or do it outside. All you will need beyond that is a black marker or pen, some cardstock or watercolor paper, and paint.
Fold your paper in half and open it back up. Add small drips of paint in a couple of different colors around the paper until you like how they are arranged. Once you are satisfied with the placement, fold the paper in half again along the crease already made. Rub on the outside of the paper to spread the paint around. Open it back up and observe your design. Do you see a creature or two in the different colors and shapes? Let your painting dry completely. Then, go back in with your marker or pen and outline your creatures! Add in any details you would like. This is a fun project to spark the imagination, and is fun for all ages!!
Bees
For this craft, you will need a black piece of paper, yellow yarn, white paper, google-eyes (or just draw your own), glue, a scissor, and crayons (if you would like to add more details).
Trace a round object on your black paper to create a circle and cut it out. Cut three marks on either side of the circle, only cutting in a little bit. Take your string and wrap it around the body of the bee to make its stripes. You can tie it off on the back or just tuck it in. Then glue on the google-eyes. Next, take the white paper and cut out two wings. You can color them however you wish. Glue them on the back of your bee.
Ice Sensory Play
For this craft we included various textured objects to include in an ice sensory play experience. You can use the red cup to freeze your objects if you would like, or find other sized containers to use. All you will need is water, food coloring (not required, but a fun addition), utensils to dig with, and a freezer!
Place your objects how you wish in the container you are freezing them in. Then add water (and food coloring, if using) and freeze. When they are frozen, take the ice outside and play! You can dig out objects, watch them melt, speed things up with warm water, etc. The whole point is to experiment and explore.
Rock Buddies
This week we are making these adorable rock buddies! All you will need is a rock, yarn, two googly eyes, some liquid glue, felt, and a scissor.
You can also decorate your rock with some markers or paint if you’d like, and can just draw on the eyes and nose.
Cut up your yarn into little pieces to make the hair. Then glue them onto the rock where you want them. Next glue on the two googly eyes and cut a nose out of felt. You can also use the felt to cut other shapes and glue on. Let your rock dry!!
Clothespin Monsters!!
All you will need for this craft is a scissor, pipe cleaner, clothespin, embroidery thread, googly eyes, and liquid glue!!
Decide what you want the monster to look like and wrap the pipe cleaners where you need their arms and ears to be, make sure to leave them long enough so you can fold them over at the ends to their hands aren’t sharp.
Open your peg and close it on the end of your thread so it is stuck in place and start wrapping.
If you want to change colors, just cut your thread and tie the new color on, then keep wrapping.
To finish off, tie the thread neatly and put a blob of craft glue to help the knot stick to the peg.
Add some eyes with the glue and you are all set!
Mindful Breathing Sticks
These instructions are to make two mindful breathing sticks. Keep them both or give one to a friend! You will need 2 pipe cleaners and 12-16 pony beads.
First, take one of your pipe cleaners and bend the end up so the beads don’t fall off. Then string 6-8 beads on your pipe cleaner and bend the other side once you are finished. Repeat on your second pipe cleaner.
To Use:
Gently slide one bead to the opposite end of the stick as you inhale slowly and then exhale.
Repeat moving the beads and taking deep breaths until you have moved all the beads from one end to the other.
Repeat the whole activity until you feel calm and relaxed.
Paper Fans
Please note that we will be taking a break from the weekly take-n-make crafts for the month of May. This is so we can get ready for our summer reading program and find some creative new ideas! We will pick them back up again in June!! So stay tuned for our schedule of events!!
For this craft, you will need two square pieces of paper, two popsicle sticks, and glue.
First, decide if you would like to decorate your pieces of paper or draw designs on them. Then accordion fold each piece of paper. (See pictures for reference.) Once they are accordion folded, fold each piece in half. Glue them together so they make a half-circle. Then, add glue to both sides of a popsicle stick and tuck it into the nearest fold at the end. You can then glue the fold shut. You may need to hold it tight for a few seconds, along with any of the other seams you glued to be sure they are sealed shut. Then do the same on the other side. Now you can open and close your fan!
Egg Shakers
You will need 1 plastic egg (filled with either beads, rice, beans, or something that will make noise and hot glued shut), decorative tape, markers, and two plastic spoons.
Decorate your filled and sealed egg and spoons however you wish. . Then you will tape a spoon on either side of the egg, covering the glue. Add more tape on the handles. See the picture for reference. Enjoy your shaker!
Cloud Squishy
You will need white paper, cotton, clear tape, a scissor and markers.
First, fold your white paper in half. Draw a cloud design on one half and cut it out so you have two.
Next, make a face for your cloud with the markers. Do this on the top cloud you cut out. Then you will tape over the first cloud with the clear tape so that there is tape hanging over all the edges. Cut the tape closer to the cloud so that your tape makes an outline of the paper cloud. It doesn’t have to be much, just enough tape all the way around, in your cloud shape, to fold over the cloud after the next step. You will then cut little slits in the tape all the way around. The trick is to make them close together and cut all the way to the paper edge. (This will make little strips of tape and help you fold them over the paper edge of the cloud, connecting the front and back of the cloud together.)
Here is how the little strips will look before being folded over.
Line up the duplicate cutout of the cloud with the first so that you can fold each small strip of tape over. Be sure to leave the top open though, for now, so we can add the cotton and fill the cloud. Make sure your remaining tape stays out of the way of the cotton as you stuff the cloud. Otherwise, it will not stick. So it is best to fill the cloud with small bits of cotton at a time. Once you have carefully stuffed the cloud, finish folding the last strips of tape over to seal it up. Enjoy your squishy!!!
