There was a good registration for the return of our Craft Wars series, but only one teen was actually able to make it, so it was more of a Craft Duel! We didn’t share what we were creating until the end, and it was surprising to learn that we both incorporated tree/forest elements into our book nooks. What IS a book nook? It’s like a diorama that shows a scene of some kind (your choice, … Read more
Teens got serious about collage in this class – and were so focused you could hear a pin drop! Collage is a fun, mixed-media art form that can combine all kinds of different art techniques to produce an end product that is truly unique. Several participants were inspired enough to collect some extra supplies to take home, so they could continue working on their projects. Things got messy! See some of their artwork below:
In our Teen Try Its: Crayon Cabochon class, we discovered that you can make some pretty amazing pendants and keychains with melted crayons! The hardest part was probably chopping up the crayons into tiny pieces. Check out the Beautiful Things we made below:
Table tennis? In the library?! Yes! We opened up the our event space and learned the basics of table tennis, then worked on our skills as we challenged one another to matches. Our teen participants did great! Extra library staff were recruited to provide them with additional opponents, but did not fare well! 🙂 Enjoy some photos from the event below:
Teens used henna to create temporary body art in this fun program. They also each received a custom henna design courtesy of our visiting artist, Rebecca Huston (Heathen Ink Tattoo). While waiting for their henna to dry (or to receive their designs), they created nylon tattoo sleeves. Here are some photos from the event:
Teens and adults tried pour painting under the guidance of instructor and expert doodler Jen Keller (The Oodlearium). It was a messy, delicious, creative time and everyone made something unique! Take a gander at some photos from the event:
Using watercolor pencils, a reference image, and a clever pencil transfer technique for tracing the image, teens created their own cherry blossom masterpieces in watercolor. Even though they were all working from the same image, everyone’s turned out different. See their creations below:
Local artist Kathie Collinson of Collinson Fine Art taught a class in the library’s Creative Studio on encaustic painting (for teens), where they learned how to create artworks using the ancient art of melted wax. Kathie guided participants through the process and everyone was able to create their own artwork. Check out photos from the event below:
Teens learned to knit this month in a series of 3 classes covering some knitting basics: yarn and needle selection, casting on, knit stitch, adding rows, binding off. We didn’t *quite* meet our goal of completing a scarf, but participants made some good progress on their projects! Our knitting instructors included library staff and a volunteer from The Fray (the library’s adult stitchery club). Photos from one of our classes below:
Teens (and some brave adults) learned some choreography to BTS’s “Dynamite,” this March (2023) from Melanie Andersen, dance instructor (Turning Pointe Academy of Dance in Elgin). Everyone picked it up really quickly and challenged themselves at the end of class to speed things up – double time – with some hilarious results. Check out some photos from the event below!