Over the past few years, we’ve been developing and expanding our reach into the world of making, by offering both programs and resources.
What exactly is making? Well, we actually helped craft a formal definition for it for library staff across the nation. But the short answer is pretty simple: it is the process of being willing to get your hands dirty and learn while you create whatever you want to make to accomplish a task or just have fun. Do you cook? Do you craft? Do you invent? Do you build? Do you fix things? You are a maker!
In fact, some are even talking about making as at the core of a new type of literacy: invention literacy (i,e, the ability to look around you and figure out how human-made things work). Like any type of literacy, you can never be too old or too young to start your making journey and nurturing the growth mindset on which all making depends. You also can never have enough tools in the forms of books to get your creative juices flowing.
So, this year we plan to highlight all of the various making resources we have–which range from needlework to Legos to more. As the weather starts to warm up here in the Ozarks, April is all about nature crafting.
If you are interested in nature crafting in general:
Amy Renea’s Crafting with Nature: Grow or Gather Your Own Supplies for Simple Handmade Crafts, Gifts & Recipes (2016)
This book profiles various plants and how to incorporate them into crafts and activities. The plant materials range from what you can gather in the backyard, woods, and garden to what you can buy in the store. In the process, you’ll learn about how to make your own rosewater, acorn people figurines, pine candle melts, rosemary soap bars, and more.
If you have some budding young nature crafters:
Alex Kuskowski’s Cool Outdoor Arts & Crafts: Great Things to Do in the Great Outdoors (2016)
Not all of these crafts technically count as nature crafting, but there’s still a good amount to choose from for kids eight to eleven, including painting rocks and making a windchime out of terra cotta.
Nature Crafts (2009)
Younger kids may prefer this Sesame Street-guided look at nature crafting. Intended for six- to eight-year-olds, in this book, they’ll learn about pressing flowers, making bottle gardens, and more alongside Elmo, Cookie Monster, and other familiar faces.
If you want to work specifically with flowers:
Laura C. Martin’s The Art and Craft of Pounding Flowers (2001)
If I had a hammer. . . . No, seriously, all you need is a hammer to transfer pigments directly from flowers onto fabric and leaves to create stunning designs, no ink or paint required. This book walks you through all you need to know on the hows (hammering technique, which flowers to use and which papers and fabrics to transfer the pigment to) while also providing 50 crafts to apply your newfound skills to, including greeting cards, wrapping paper, clothing, and more.
If you want to explore rock painting:
Lin Wellford’s books
Lin Wellford was a local author who specialized in rock painting books, as well as an active advocate for our library system and an organizer of the annual Books in Bloom Festival. Tragically, Lin left us all too soon a year ago, but we’re very pleased to still have Lin’s books in our system and what a wealth of information they are on rock painting. They cover everything from the basics of rock painting to more specialized knowledge, like how to paint all sorts of animals (ranging from pets to zoo animals) to flowers to houses and towns.
Interested in nature crafting? What nature crafts do you already do? Which ones are you most interested in learning? Tell us in the comments! As always, please follow this link to our online library catalog for more information on any of these items or to place them on hold.
Berryville Book Buzz 