Gnomes!

 Registration is open for our Santa Gnomes workshop with Mandy. Register here.

Summer 2024 - Adventure Begins at Your Library!

Summer programs will run June 22 through August 22. Many of them require registration. Registration opens June 1. To save your spot, visit the Library's Calendar of Events. Click on the workshop you'd like to attend to open the registration form. 

Our online reading challenge in Beanstack begins June 22, and runs for 7 weeks with weekly raffle drawings for gift cards to local businesses. You may enter the challenge at any time during the 7 weeks. The badges you earn in the challenge are entered in each weekly drawing. The more you earn, the better your chance of winning. You earn badges by: logging your reading, writing review(s), and participating in challenge activities.

Serene Spring Series

De-stress, relax, and ease into spring with our Serene Spring series of workshops and take and make kits for teens and adults. Learn to meditate; add a quiet and cozy atmosphere to a room with a luminaria; soften the edges of your day with feathers; decorate your body with a henna design; and then relax recumbent with a soothing eye pillow. Pick one or two workshops and kits, or register for them all. Our Serene Spring series is made possible by CARES Act funding to the Federal Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.

Virtual Meditation Class with
Amy Rutledge
Click here to register for Tuesday, April 20, 7:00 to 7:30 PM
Click here to register for Tuesday, May 18,  7:00 to 7:30 PM

This class is 30 minutes with an introduction, guided practice, and time for Q&A. Free and open to all levels and beginners welcome! The webinar will be recorded. The recording will be available for one month to anyone who registers for the class. This is an online event via Zoom webinar. Join Amy Rutledge, a certified meditation instructor to learn how to cultivate self love, self worth, confidence, compassion, focus, concentration, reduce stress and anxiety, and help with navigating difficult emotions and change. Amy Rutledge is a Certified Meditation Guide through the Nalanda Institute in association with The Path in NYC.

Take & Make Craft: Luminaria
RSVP for a craft kit, while supplies last:
Click here to RSVP for the Luminaria kit
Pickup of RSVP'd kits is on May 4, 5, or 6th.

Pointillism perfection, but without the paint. This craft is great for people who like to work small and in a focused style, or anyone who aspires to tattooing, perhaps. We include 4 colors of card stock, a selection of templates, one flame-less candle and instructions.

Take & Make Craft: Denim Feathers
RSVP for a craft kit, while supplies last:
Click here to RSVP for the Denim Feathers kit
Pickup of RSVP'd kits is on May 18, 19, or 20th.

Learn how to up cycle denim (or most any fabric) into feathers. The perfect craft for 'fidgety' fingers. We include 2 types of denim, a template, yarn, beads, and instructions. You'll need to supply some ordinary household or woodworking glue.
 

Henna Alchemy: a Two Day Workshop with a Henna Take and Make Kit

Part One: Wednesday, May 12, 7:00 to 7:45 PM

Part Two: Thursday, May 13, 7:00 to 7:45 PM

Do you want to make henna paste and have a little fun? Join Mandy Roberge for a two part workshop intended for teens in grades 6 to 12, and open to adults. Registering for the workshop reserves you one henna kit which will be ready for pick up starting Wednesday, May 5th. Workshop space is limited to 17 people.  

Click here to register for Henna Alchemy.

On Day One (May 12): We will meet on Zoom to learn the history and culture of mehndi and talk about chemical henna -- what it looks like, how to detect it and avoid it, and why natural henna is so important. Using our kit, we will make our own henna paste.
On Day Two (May 13): We will check for dye release and learn how to cone the henna up, and learn about storing/using henna. Everyone gets a little workbook and will learn 5 basic elements of creating simple henna designs.

Take & Make Craft: Cat Inspired Eye Pillow
RSVP for a craft kit, while supplies last:
Click here to RSVP for the eye pillow kit
Pick up of RSVP'd kits is on June 1, 2, or 3rd

Create a dreamy batik cat eye pillow! We provide the materials including instructions, template, cloth & accent material, thread, floss, needles and pins. Rice for 'stuffing' is also included. You will need to provide a pair of scissors and a ruler. Lavender oil or other scent for your eye pillow is suggested but not included in kit supplies.

Be Crafty - Be a Maker

  

The Library's 3D printer (purchased by the Friends of the Library) arrived here a few weeks ago. Since then library staff have been learning how to use it, and making things; ranging from cookie cutters to phone covers to bookmarks to a Dr. Who sonic screwdriver. For my first object I downloaded a container design from Thingiverse, and then opened it in the Makerware program, and manipulated the size of the container so that it would hold scrap paper at the Reference desk. I also downloaded a Mockingjay file, printed several copies of the object, and then spray painted and glued on pin backs. The Mockingjay pins I made will be given away as prizes in a teen program. Last night I showed members of the Library's Teen Think Tank how to use the 3D printer.  We made dragon bookmarks. Starting in January you will be able to make an appointment at the Reference desk to use the printer. If you have any questions, or want to stop by and see the printer in action, let me know.
Feeling crafty? Below are some resources to help you get started:

Online Resources

See Safari Books Online, found on the Library's Electronic Resources page.  Safari Books Online is an on-demand, digital library that provides access to thousands of technology books by major information technology publishers.  For example, I did a search for 3D, Blender, and Sketchup, and found 24 books that you can read online.
Blender :  Blender is a free and open source 3D animation suite that you can download.
Google Sketchup :  Sketchup is a free 3D drawing program that you can download.  It is used by architects, designers, builders, makers and engineers.
Tinkercad : Free software to quickly turn your idea into a CAD model for a 3D printer.

H-W "Maker" Magazines You Can Borrow

• Crafts 'N Things  
• Interweave Knits  Patterns, projects, and articles.
• Kiki   Uses the college fashion design curriculum to tap into creativity. Through fashion, readers explore business, fine art, craft, history, world culture, math, and even chemistry.
• Martha Stewart Living  Crafts, projects, recipes.
• MAKE   A magazine that celebrates your right to tweak, hack, and bend any technology to your own will.
• Popular Mechanics   Features regular sections on automotive, home, outdoors, science, and technology.
• The Quilter Magazine  
• Wired   WIRED magazine is about how ideas and innovation are changing the world.

Craft Resources in the Catalog

Click on the following subjects for nonfiction resources in our online catalog.

Basketry   Beads   Bookmaking   Calligraphy   Clay   Collage   Crafts & Hobbies   Crochet   Embroidery   Fabric   Felting   Fibers   Glass   Handicraft   Jewelry-making   Knitting   Lego   Mobiles   Paper   Pottery   Sewing   3-D   Toy-making   Metalwork   Mosaics   Origami   Quilting   Robotics   Weaving   Wire   Woodwork 

Below are some of the craft books in the H-W Library's Young Adult nonfiction collection.  For more resources on a craft that interests you click on the above subjects to browse our consortium's collection on that topic.

An Eye for Art: Focusing on Great Artists and their Work, National Gallery of Art, 2013.  This family-oriented art resource introduces more than 50 great artists and their work, with corresponding activities and explorations to inspire artistic development, focused looking, and creative writing.


Born Again Vintage: 25 Ways to Deconstruct, Reinvent + Recycle Your Wardrobe, by Bridgett Artise, & Jen Karetnick, 2008.  Vintage garments that have lost their luster get another chance at being fashionable.

Crochet Jewelry: 40 Beautiful and Unique Designs, by Waejong Kim & Anna Pulvermakher, 2007.  Step-by-step photographs and instructions adapted from simple crochet techniques. Featured projects include multicolored bead and crochet necklaces, lacy spider web chokers, delicate yarn and wire bracelets, lively cherry earrings, mohair flower pins, and pretty cocktail rings embellished with beads and stones.

D.I.Y. Girl : The Real Girl's Guide to Making Everything From Lip Gloss to Lamps, by Jennifer Bonnell, 2003. A step-by-step guide to making clothes, beauty products, fashion accessories, and decorative items for the home using commonly available materials.

Generation T: 108 Ways to Transform a T-shirt, by Megan Nicolay, 2006. Explains how to transform the ordinary T-shirt into a wide variety of fashionable clothing, accessories, and other items, with detailed instructions for more than 120 projects, including braided rugs, tablecloths, pillows, skirts, a purse, and more.


Hip Handbag Book: 25 Easy-to-Make Totes, Purses, and Bags, by Sherri Haab, 2004. Provides patterns and instructions for making handbags and purses, using embroidery, old jeans, newspaper, beads, feathers, silk flowers, and other materials.

The Hot Air Balloon Book: Build and Launch Kongming Lanterns, Solar Tetroons, and More, by Clive Catterall, 2013. Author and inventor Clive Catterall provides illustrated, step-by-step instructions for eight different homemade models, as well as the science and history behind them.

How to Draw Superheroes; How to Draw Supernatural Beings; How to Draw Graphic Novel-Style, by Andy Fish, 2010, 2011.




How to Make Books: Fold, Cut and Stitch Your Way to a One-of-a-Kind Book, by Esther K. Smith, 2007.  From zines you can fold in a minute to journals and sketchbooks, How to Make Books will walk you through the basics of bookmaking.

Knits for Nerds: 30 Projects : Science Fiction, Comic Books, Fantasy, by Joan of Dark, a.k.a. Toni Carr, 2012.  Patterns for 30 iconic clothing and accessory items inspired by popular TV shows, books, films, comics, and more--including "Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars," and "Firefly."

Microcrafts: Tiny Treasures to Make and Share, compiled by Margaret McGuire, Alicia Kachmar, Katie Hatz and friends, 2011.  Step-by-step instructions for making tiny teddy bears, little ladybugs, petite porcupines, itsy-bitsy bikinis, books, boats, bottle-cap frames and much more.

Scraps: An Inspirational Field Guide to Collage, by Elsebeth Gynther and Christine Clemmensen, 2009. Few artistic pursuits lend themselves to free-form creativity like collage: using paper, cloth, old maps, memorabilia, and more. The authors provide tips on texture and coloring techniques, photocopying and image transfer ideas, and creating stamps and stitching on the surface.

Sew Subversive: Down & Dirty DIY for the Fabulous Fashionista, by Melissa Rannels, Melissa Alvarado, Hope Meng, 2006.  Explains how to embellish, customize, and transform off-the-rack clothing to make it unique, offering detailed instructions and twenty-two innovative projects from turning a t-shirt into a skirt or to turning a sweater into a halter-top.

Star Wars Craft Book, by Bonnie Burton, 2011.  Chewbacca sock puppets. Jabba the Hutt body pillows. Hanukkah droidels.

Steampunk Jewelry: Victorian, Fantasy, and Mechanical Necklaces, Bracelets, and Earrings, by Jean Campbell, 2009.

Subversive Seamster: Transform Thrift Store Threads into Street Couture, by Melissa Alvarado, Hope Meng, Melissa Rannels, 2007. Transform tacky bridesmaid gowns and pleated pants into picture-perfect tops, skirts and accessories. The two Melissas and a Hope deliver 30 projects that are achievable for even the new sewer.

Tape It and Make It: 101 Duct Tape Activities, by Richela Fabian Morgan, 2012. Offers dozens of creative ideas and easy-to-follow instructions for making everything from wallets and coin purses to novelty neckties and household decorations out of duct tape.

Thirty Minute Earrings: 60 Quick & Creative Projects for Jewelers, by Marthe Le Van, 2010.





The Unofficial LEGO Mindstorms NXT 2.0 Inventor's Guide, by David J. Perdue with Laurens Valk, 2011.  Instructions for building and programming six robots. 

Vampire Knits: Projects to Keep You Knitting From Twilight to Dawn, by Genevieve Miller, 2010.  If you adore Twilight, True Blood, or The Vampire Diaries , this collection of 28 imaginative and beautiful projects is sure to captivate.

Woodturning Chessmen, by Mike Darlow, 2008.  Featuring a gallery of chess sets and pieces, this guide explores the symbolism of chessman and contains detailed instructions on designing, turning, and carving each piece. Ten patterns are included, enabling woodworkers of any skill level to produce their own complete set of turned chessmen.

Make an Origami Bookmark for Valentine's Day

Recently I taught myself to make an origami heart bookmark, and now I can teach you.  I have purchased fancy origami paper (thank you Friends of the Library) for you to choose from, and there will also be heart stickers for the finishing touch.  Or, you may want to cut out a square of white paper then draw/decorate or write a message on the paper before folding.  Or, you could strategically cut a square from a magazine page and then fold.  Stop by the library on Wednesday afternoon the day before Valentine's Day to make a few of these nifty bookmarks to give on Valentine's Day.