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.

Make a Roboto at WBCL brings out creativity

What a great project and what varied Robotos were created last Saturday. Using recycled and reclaimed parts and styrofoam the kids and their families created unique and interesting entries. One of the dads demonstrated how to remove the disc from the 3 1/2" floppies giving the kids additional materials.

They will be on display in the lobby of the Wells Branch Community Library until February 15th. Congratulations all.

Of pinecones and peanut butter @ WBCL

Just as the cold weather was arriving we created pinecone birdfeeders to attract a variety of birds. The group discussed what size birds ate which of the seeds and where the best places to hang the feeder might be.

This is a super easy project and more than a little messy. After I secured pinecones in the fall I left them to open as much as possible. We wrapped a wire around the top and secured it for hanging. Using creamy peanut butter and a crafts stick, we stuffed the cones fully. We then sprinkled them with mixed birdseed then rolled the cone until no more would stick to the peanut butter.

The feeder is fairly easily reloaded when the birds eat all the seeds and most of the peanut butter. Everyone seemed to have a good time.