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Flower Petal Suncatchers

Tray of fresh flowers

Inspired by a project in Jean Van't Hul's book "The Artful Parent: Simple Ways to Fill Your Family's Life with Art and Creativity," children created colorful suncatchers with natural materials, clear contact paper and paper plates.

This is a simple and creative project for children and adults to complete together. When offered in person at the library, participants visited the library's garden to pick flowers, leaves and other natural items to use in their project. 

Charity Crochet Day

Rows of knitters at work

I wanted to involve the community in a craft that would minister to others. Knitting and crocheting came to mind, but we would need a small and simple project for beginners.

I decided on a baby blanket for stillborn babies. With this project, patrons could make as large or as small a blanket as they wanted, and families of still born babies would receive something warm and soft to wrap around their babies.

Wonder Time

Wonder Time

Wonder Time is an engaging program that encourages curiosity and self-expression. Children discover that learning is fun!

Each Tuesday from 4 to 6 p.m., kids have an opportunity to “wonder” about something. The program is geared toward (but not limited to) children ages 6 to 14.

Sherlock Night

Sherlock Night publicity piece

Fans of Sherlock Holmes, particularly those that love the BBC "Sherlock" series, were invited to enjoy an author Q&A, crafts and an escape room. Texas author Alan J. Porter presented his experiences writing Sherlock Holmes stories, then patrons participated in activities. Crafts included Perler bead character magnets, adult coloring, and decorating mugs and 221B Baker Street notebooks.

Noon Year's Eve Party

For the past three years the Lakeville Public Library has hosted a Noon Year’s Eve celebration on Dec. 31. We make party hats, dance, have photo booths and do a countdown to noon. The festivities end with a huge pizza party.

This is one of our largest and costliest events of the year; last year's party attracted more than 200 guests.

Books & Baking

Illustration of two people decorating a cake. There are illustrations of books and baking tools. Text reads: Books & Baking

Books and Baking is a pre-recorded read-aloud program followed by hands-on learning (using a take-and-make kit) in attendees' home kitchens. The goal is for families to participate in everyday STEM, tied in with literacy, to learn the science behind baking. 

Maker Monday: Book Wreaths

Patrons holding up completed book wreaths

Maker Monday is a recurring program at my library. On the last Monday of the month, we host 15 to 20 patrons to make something new in our Maker Space. Popular programs, like vision boards and book wreaths, we repeat multiple times based on patron demand. This class fills up each time we offer it, plus a substantial waitlist.

For this particular craft, we created book wreaths using withdrawn library materials. While some patrons were nervous to tear apart books, many enjoyed upcycling materials.

Not Just for STEM Class: Makerspace Programming & English Language Arts

A human figure made out of popsicle sticks with clay and a balloon

As librarians, we are passionate advocates for makerspace programming. We share with teachers and students how makerspaces engage and develop critical thinking and problem solving skills. Our school library has supported many makerspace programming events, from Makerspace Monday to our monthly Makerspace challenge.

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