Top Five Crafts for tweens and teens!

Crafts have the ability to be one of the best aspects of any library program (if chosen carefully!). After quite a few years and an insanely wide range of programs, I have developed a list of what I consider my tried-and-true craft picks that are always crowd-pleasers! 

• Raised Metallic Relief

This particular craft is quite the showstopper. It is simple to do yet can be turned into a masterpiece by tweens/teens with creative flair. It is also quite cheap (roughly $2/person). All you need are Dollarama hard canvases of any size, aluminum foil, yarn, stick glue, liquid glue, and sharpies. Use the stick glue to apply a pattern with yarn on the canvas. To make higher raised relief, stack yarn strings on top of each other to create thickness. Then, coat the exposed canvas and glued yarn with liquid glue (using a sponge brush works best). Put a sheet of foil on top of the piece. GENTLY press the foil around the yarn patterns (any hard pressing will cause the foil to tear to be careful). Wrap any excess foil around the back of the canvas and glue in place. Give it a little time to dry a bit (just a couple of minutes). Then use sharpies to add color to the foil patterns. My tweens discovered that adding black sharpie outlines around the raised relief makes the patterns and colors pop even more!

• Paper Dahlias

Done properly, this craft looks stunning despite the fact it is simply paper, a cardboard circle, and hot glue. It is awesome for decoration and adding some color to a tween/teen bedroom. I do need to issue a caveat though. While it is super cheap and looks amazing, this craft does take a good deal of TIME (depending on the speed of the crafter it can take anywhere between 30 minutes and an hour). You might do well to have this craft by itself rather than using it as part of stations. If you want to shorten the time, you can modify the dahlia to be more like a color-burst (like the Parent Nook sign). For more deets on how to do this one yourself, go here-->    https://www.craftaholicsanonymous.net/rainbow-paper-dahlia-flowers

• Squishy Snowmen (and other Squishies)

The combination of uncooked rice and a nice sock makes for one amazingly squishy and fun craft. Basically, you are getting to make your own Beanie Baby with no sewing required! Last year, we did snowmen and RAN OUT of supplies (both for the family event and the teen-only event). This year we did penguins which works just as awesome. Don't be afraid to experiment with other sock colors and designs to make your own squishy! For as the great blue icon says, "he shall be Squishy and he shall be mine!" Here are the links to specific instructions -->   https://www.easypeasyandfun.com/no-sew-sock-snowman-craft/ and https://missdaisypatterns.com/little-penguin-no-sew-tutorial/

• Paper Quilling

This entry isn't exactly a individual craft as much as it is a craft skill. While this craft is cheap overall, the overhead can be a bit expensive as you need to purchase quilling kits (slotted tools, needle pins, tweezers, awls, and curling coaches). If you want to be fancy, you can actually purchase quilling paper which is pre-measured and very smooth for tight curls that can be easily shaped. However, using a paper cutter to turn colored printer paper into strips works just as well (especially for beginners who will need practice before getting their curls just right). Both teens and tweens can embrace the stunning beauty of paper quilling with the ability to use simple or more advanced designs depending on the person's desire. Here is a really good guide for beginners --> http://www.thecuriouslycreative.com/paper-quilling-for-beginners/

• Finger Knitting

This crafting skill is one of my go-to projects. All you need is yarn and a simple instruction sheet. Like paper quilling, the technique is actually very simple but can be made more complex if the teen or tween wants (by using more than one yarn ball at once or finger knitting completed finger knitted pieces together into something bigger). When I first started pushing finger knitting, I was surprised by how many boys tended to enjoy it. I am certainly not surprised anymore when I see a group of guys around the finger knitting station. It is such a relaxing hobby and is really good for those who can't help but twitch, tap, or more. It gives your hands something soothing and simple to do while you talk and hang out. One of my favorite memories is when I had to pull out finger knitting as an emergency (too many people for a March Break robot program) back-up. A young boy around 7 or 8 picked up the weaving like a natural. When it was his turn for the robots, his mother told him to leave the knitting to go play with the robots. The boy REFUSED, saying he preferred knitting. Don't underestimate a classic! Check out this guide if you need instructions --> https://cutediyprojects.com/diy/heres-how-you-can-create-remarkable-winter-wear-with-finger-knitting/