Making birdhouses @WBCL Arts & Crafts

This was a great family program and really involved everyone. Hammers and screwdrivers were weilded by all ages as they assembled the pile of wood pieces into a house fit for any bird that comes by.

The house is one of the recommended sizes for birds in our area: 10" tall with a hole 1 1/2" that is 6-8" from the floor. The house can be hung from a tree branch or set in a high spot to encourage the birds.

We'll paint them and decorate them on March 31 so the birds can enjoy them (us too I expect!)

Arts & Crafts programs for families and kids over 7 are provided every Wednesday night at 6 pm. at the Wells Branch Community Library.

Clay baskets & more @ WBCL

March 10, 2010
Clay is the new favorite medium for this group (maybe it was already!) We used home made clay dough and play dough to create a simple pot--wrong! The pots were anything but simple--most were baskets with handles that then needed to be filled with eggs, vegetables, flowers and more stuff. One of the groups made a tiny person (herself) to go with the basket.

Celebrating Texas with quilt sqares @ WBCL

March 3,2010
Family arts & crafts tackled an old skill as a group with lots of inter-generational participation. Using some of the giant stash of donated fabric and a great kids book Quilting for Fun we were able to create a unique quilt square on a paper background. This group is not always old enough to attempt stitching so we used glue.
For safety parents and older siblings manned the sewing scissors and did the cutting. This did generate a few grumbles but the process of fabric selection and fitting soon won out. Everyone enjoyed the stories of quilts made of old clothes and old flour sacks.
Crafts class meets every week at the Wells Branch Community Library.

A favorite project: Mosaics @ WBCL

February 24, 2010
A perenial favorite is the broken tile mosaic project and this time was not exception. Using recycled tiles from a Wells Branch neighbor as a base the participants selected various tiles, glass beads, mirror pieces, and shells to construct their project.
This is a messy one and everyone had to wear gloves (also a donation from another Wells Branch neighbor) to protect their fingers from getting cut on sharp edges. We used a combo tile adhesive/grout as it is easier and applied it with crafts sticks. No two were remotely similar as anyone can see.

Celebrating Lincoln's Birthday with stick log cabins

February 17, 2010
I gave this group crafts sticks and glue and ask them to make a log cabin. What a variety of cabins we got. We used large and small sticks, some used wire or chenille stems to bind the structure's walls together. A few created chimneys, doors and windows that actually openned and A-frame structures. It was truely a family project in many cases. Lots of fun too!

Making Mardi Gras Masks @ WBCL

February 10, 2010
Learning about Mardi gras and the tradition of masks sparked a lot of creativity using the materials to create great feathered and jeweled masks. Just one of the many family projects at the Wells Branch Community Library.