NYPL Blogs: Hand-Made

Hand-Stitch a Valentine Handkerchief with Rebecca Ringquist!

Jessica Pigza, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, Rare Book Division — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 10:26:52 -0500

UPDATE, 3:30PM, Friday, February 8th: Attention! Due to the blizzard we've had to reschedule this event! It will now take place on Saturday, April 6th! Stay safe and warm, everyone!

I'm just putting the final touches on the plans for this weekend's Handmade Crafternoon (the first of three this spring — see the other dates below!), and I'm pretty excited. We've created this event in collaboration with the amazing people at Creativebug, and we'll be joined by one of their teachers, Rebecca Ringquist, who will lead us in embellishing cloth handkerchiefs with words of love (or whatever you wish!) using hand embroidery. Rebecca will talk a bit about her art and her love of old samplers, and she'll even share her trick for making ink disappear from fabric!

We'll have everything that you'll need to make a hankie at hand (a huge thanks to Creativebug and their partners for their generosity!), so you don't need to bring any supplies. Here are the details:

Here are the details on this event:

This is a FREE event, but reservations are welcome because space is limited. To reserve your spot, please write to handmade@nypl.org with your name and the date of this event.
Where: Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, Margaret Liebman Berger Forum (on the Second Floor, Room 227)
When: Saturday, February 9th, 2013, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.

And, remember, if you want to mark your calendars and register, here are the details on other Handmade Crafternoons this season:

March 9, 2013: Mother and Daughter Bead Artists Bert and Dana Freed!
April 20, 2013: Decorative Arts DIY with Amy Azzarito!

Winter Fun for Kids and Cats

Jessica Pigza, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, Rare Book Division — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 09:19:44 -0500

This snowy Saturday afternoon has brought to mind a couple of scenes from nineteenth-century children's books in the Rare Book Division. First, a scene of "Wintervergnügen" (winter fun) from Jugendspiele zur Erholung und Erheiterung (Tilsit, 1846). This is a two-volume work, one devoted to girls and one to boys. Sledding is categorized as one of the boys' games (Knabenspiele), but of course that needn't stop ladies of all ages from joining in.

And next — since it is Caturday after all — here's a cat hunting on a wintry day. This wood engraving is from Noch funfzig Fabeln für Kinder (Hamburg, 1837), a book of illustrated fables for children.

Enjoy these snowy last days of 2012 as much as these children and this cat. Happy new year!

What to Draw? A Turkey, of Course

Jessica Pigza, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, Rare Book Division — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 07:40:20 -0500

Happy Thanksgiving to you! In honor of the holiday, here's a page from one of my favorite drawing manuals in the collection, 1913's What to Draw and How to Draw It by E. G. Lutz.

This turkey (along with his tiny companion, the fantail pigeon) is just one of dozens of possibilities — like owls, elephants, pelicans, pigs, castles, cats, and men and ladies — you'll find in these pages. Want to see the entire book? It's been digitized and you can view it here. It seems to hold real potential for distracting and entertaining houseguests of all ages this weekend, so do let me know if you end up sketching any masterpieces yourselves.

Handmade to Sell with Kelly Rand: Saturday, Sept. 15, 2012

Jessica Pigza, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, Rare Book Division — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 14:10:12 -0400

Fall has arrived, and with that comes the next round of Handmade Crafternoons at the Library. This weekend's our first event! My co-host Maura Madden and I will welcome special guest Kelly Rand, Program Director at Hello Craft.

Kelly will talk about Hello Craft’s efforts to support independent crafters and share some of the savvy advice she put into her book Handmade To Sell: Hello Craft's Guide to Owning, Running, and Growing Your Crafty Biz. So if you've wondered what you need to know to launch your own crafty business, join us! We’ll also, of course, get busy as we hand stitch felt business card holders and receipt organizers. And as usual, we’ll have supplies on hand as well as a spread of crafty books from the Library’s collections for browsing.

If you've not attended a Handmade Crafternoon before, you can expect a fun, free, and easygoing social afternoon with creative companions at the library; the chance to make something by hand; and an opportunity to learn a bit about the Library's collections. And if you're interested in the rest of the Fall 2012 lineup, here are the details: October 13th with Sarah Goldschadt, and November 3rd with Denyse Schmidt!

Here are the details on September 15th's event:

This is a FREE event, but reservations are welcome because space is limited. To reserve your spot, please write to handmade@nypl.org with your name and the date of this event.
What to bring: We will have a variety of felt, embroidery floss, and needles on hand, but you are welcome to bring the following if you plan to use specific colors to make your receipt wallet and business card holder: three 8x11 inch pieces of felt in colors of your choice, embroidery floss in colors of your choice, and an embroidery needle.
Where: Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, Margaret Liebman Berger Forum (on the Second Floor, Room 227)
When: Saturday, September 15th, 2012, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Badge of Honor: Make Your Own Library Buttons!

Lindsy Serrano, Mulberry Street Branch Library — Fri, 25 May 2012 03:40:18 -0400

The library has started a "Protect Your Roots" campaign, where you can find your local branch's badge and download/pin/post it with pride. The teens at Mulberry Street took it a step further and made their own personalized buttons to support our library.

To make your own button, you need a print out of your library's “Protect your Roots” icon, paper or fabric for your background, any add-on decorations (we used cut out hearts and stars) and a button making machine.

Assembly is easy, you can assemble your pin right on the button making tray, the tricky part is putting the plastic cover over your design without moving it around, there were a lot of re-dos during our crafternoon.

Here are some finished products! We had a really great time getting creative and making our own designs. So grab a button machine and make your own library badges today!

A Sis Boom Handmade Crafternoon: May 12, 2012

Jessica Pigza, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, Rare Book Division — Tue, 08 May 2012 10:44:25 -0400

Join us this Saturday, May 12, 2012, when Sis Boom creator Jennifer Paganelli comes to NYPL for the latest Handmade Crafternoon.

My co-host, Maura Madden, and I love how vibrant and sunshine-y Jennifer Paganelli's designs and patterns are, so it's perfect that Paganelli will help us to make summer party garlands and banners. And I'll have summer issues of home magazines from years past to browse and inspire you in other summer project ideas!

The event will take place in the Margaret Liebman Berger Forum at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building (on the second floor, Room 227). The event runs from 2 to 4 p.m. The event is free and you don't need to register in advance, but we do have limited seating. If you'd like to ensure that you have a spot, you are welcome to RSVP by sending an e-mail to handmade@nypl.org with your name and the event date.

As usual, there will be a spread of colorful papers, fabrics, and embellishments to use in making your banners or garlands. But Paganelli has also designed some printable banner template PDFs just for our event! If you want to make a special Sis Boom style banner, just download and print out a handful of copies of the template of your choice and bring them along!

HERE ARE THE TEMPLATES:

DIY Pocket Belts from 1949 and 1953

Jessica Pigza, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, Rare Book Division — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 05:48:23 -0500

Wondering how you'll carry your keys and such while out and about in your fancy pants outfit on New Year's Eve? If so — and if you are a lover of DIY — then look no further than these two books: Helen Crosier's Crochet & Tatting and other Needlework Crafts (1953) and Elizabeth Laird Mathieson's Needlework Library (1949).

From Helen Crosier, a double crochet evening belt done in neon white with pearl and sequin embellishments:

And from Elizabeth Laird Mathieson, the following felt belt allows you to show off your embroidery prowess:

I admit that I have not made these and am not sure if I could carry either of them off. As unlikely as it sounds, though, the pocket belt is a perennial fashion favorite. From Diesel Black Gold to Free People, there are lots of companies offering pocket belts out there. What do you think? Do these DIY pocket belt projects make you want one? Would a pocket belt, from the past or the present, be the hands-free way you'd like to carry around your money and keys?

PS: Speaking of what's in your pockets, government funds pay only a portion of the Library's operating expenses each year. We rely on our readers, our users, and our Library supporters to help make the difference. And you DO make a difference! Please remember NYPL in your end-of-year gift giving. See you in 2012!

Join Us Saturday, October 15 and Learn about Lace

Jessica Pigza, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, Rare Book Division — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 12:01:01 -0400

Are you are looking for a knit-and-crochet immersion experience this weekend that does NOT involve trekking to Rhinebeck for the Sheep and Wool Festival? The Library has the answer! Our fall season of crafting continues this Saturday, October 15, as we welcome crochet and knit designer (and opera singer) Lisa Daehlin for the latest Handmade Crafternoon program. Daehlin promises to share her knowledge of knitted and crocheted lace designs (hairpin, broomstick, and Tunisian lace crochet, as well as yarn-over lace knitting) and will demonstrate some beginners’ techniques for making knitted and crocheted lace. We'll have a limited amount of supplies and tools to share and try out that day, but if you have the following, please bring: DK or heavier weight yarn, a size G or H crochet hook, size 50 knitting needles, and a hairpin loom.

Even if you don't want to try your hand at this technique, you are welcome to bring your own work in progress to the event and just hang out with a friendly group of knitters and crocheters. As usual, we'll have a selection of books on lace from the Library's collections for browsing too. And Daehlin might bring some samples of her work as well!

Hope to see you there. Here are the details on this program:

This is a FREE event, but reservations are welcome because we have room for just 96 crafters. To reserve your spot, please e-mail handmade@nypl.org with your name and the date of this event.
What to bring — we'll have some supplies and tools to share and try out that day, but if you have the following please bring: a ball of DK or heavier weight yarn, a size G or H crochet hook, size 50 knitting needles, and a hairpin loom.
Where: Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, Margaret Liebman Berger Forum (on the second floor, Room 227)
When: Saturday, October 15, from 2 to 4 p.m. (doors open at 1:30 p.m.)

Hand Made Summer Camp: Graphic Tees

Lindsy Serrano, Mulberry Street Branch Library — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 07:52:50 -0400

Hey there summer campers!

We are working on a great new blog post that includes making your own mini loom! Until then, check out a blog post from last year, Graphic Ts! Enjoy!

Have you ever gone to a trendy clothing store, looked at very cool graphic tees, and said, "I could totally make that!"

I've had these moments a lot (I'm looking at you Urban Outfitters!) and finally decided to become an amateur T-shirt designer, using a fun project that I found in Todd Oldham's easy-to-follow craft book Kid Made Modern.

All I needed was:

one 100 percent cotton T-shirt (found in the back of my closet)
makeup sponges, cardboard, and white glue (for the stamp)
paper plates (for the paint)
fabric paints (I chose purple and blue)
aluminum foil

In Kid Made Modern, Oldham references the Modernist design movement and the idea that "good and exciting design was for everyone." So the materials are easy to find and projects are not very intimidating for beginners. This T-shirt project is a reference to Alexander Girard, an American textile designer and artist.

First you make your stamps by deciding on a pattern using the makeup sponges and gluing the sponges to pieces of cardboard like so:

Then we carefully dipped the stamps in fabric paint and made a pattern on the T-shirts. Some friendly advice: make sure you have some foil to slip into the shirt so that the paint doesn't stick both sides together. Also, it’s a good idea to do a practice run on some paper so you know how much paint to use and whether or not you like your pattern. We ended up making a totally new pattern for a zipper effect, and the outcome was pretty cool!

Hand-Made Summer Camp: Bon Voyage Garland

Jessica Pigza, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, Rare Book Division — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 20:00:00 -0400

Summer means travel, right? Whether your journeys remain daydreams this summer as you take a staycation, or you are going to hit the road/rails to see new places, here’s a project that’ll put you in a travel frame of mind. This paper garland is based on a Victorian Christmas tree decoration, but I made it with old maps of places I'd like to visit, or visit again, someday. I learned this technique in Sunny O'Neil's The Gift of Christmas Past: A Return to Victorian Traditions, but she cites her source for the project as Godey’s Lady’s Book (December 1880) issue. Here’s how to make your own travel-inspired garland.

You will need:

Scissors
Ruler
Pencil
Tape
1 or more maps, depending on how long you want your garland to be

About choosing maps and paper: Be sure that the maps you choose for this project are no longer wanted by you or any of your family or housemates because you’ll be cutting them up, and you don’t want to cut up any treasured maps. Flea markets and thrift shops often have old maps. You can also use up out-of-date transit maps and train schedules. Leftover wrapping paper can work well too. What doesn't work so well is newspaper, because it tears too easily.

Step One:

Cut the map into long narrow strips of equal width. Use the ruler to mark out the lines for easier cutting. Mine pictured are 3 inches wide each.

And here are the resulting strips:

Step Two:

Take one strip and fold it down the middle, lengthwise. Using a ruler and pencil, mark the strip at half-inch intervals with lines that stop 1/4 of an inch short from the edge, alternating side to side. The markings should look like this:

Step Three:

Cut along each of these markings, along the entire length of the strip. Be careful not to cut all the way from one side to the other or the garland won’t stay together.

Step Four:

Carefully open up the strip along the long center fold and gently unfurl the garland. Repeat steps two through four for each strip, and then use a bit of tape to attach the strips end to end to create as long a garland as you wish.

You can drape it across a window or around a doorframe — wherever you want! And you could make one in honor of a friend's journey too, if you want to send him or her off in handmade style. The Bon Voyage Garland is not so “authentically Victorian” as Sunny O'Neil's, but it’s fun and quick way to escape the everyday. If you make one, share a picture of it in the Library's Handmade Flickr group. Bon voyage until next time!

Hand-Made Summer Camp: Go Fly a Kite!

Jessica Pigza, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, Rare Book Division — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 08:56:52 -0400

With the Fourth of July holiday weekend coming up, what better time than now to make your own kite and get out of doors for some summer fun? This kite is based on a project in Steven Caney's Toy Book, a kid-friendly introduction to DIY fun that's worth getting to know if you like to make stuff, no matter what your age. Caney's City Kite is perfect for urban dwellers, because, as he explains, it "will fly just great in a big open space, but it will fly just as well in a vacant lot, from a sidewalk, at the playground, or out a window." Keep reading below for the scoop on how to make your own kite.

WHAT YOU NEED:

6 drinking straws
7-8 yards of lightweight string — you'll use about 3 yards for creating the kite frame, and remaining 4-5 yards you'll use as a flying line (I used a couple of skeins of embroidery floss)
glue
scissors
a couple of sheets of tissue paper

STEP ONE: Build the Kite Frame

Measure off a length of string that's four times as long as one of your straws. Feed the string through three of your straws, and tie the ends together to create a triangle. (I'll pass on to you Caney's smart hint for feeding the string through the straw — "start the string in one end of the straw, and suck on the other end" — because it really works.)

Next, take another length of string that's three times as long as a straw and feed it through two of your three remaining straws. Attach these two straws to the first triangle of straws so it looks like two connected triangles.

Take the remaining straw, feed a piece of string about two times the length of a straw, and tie each end to the double triangle you've made, creating a tetrahedron (a three-sided pyramid).

STEP TWO: Cover the Kite Frame

Cut two triangles of tissue paper, each slightly larger than the size of one side of your kite frame. Carefully glue the triangles of tissue paper in place to completely cover two sides of the kite frame, wrapping the extra "margin" of tissue paper around the frame edge and gluing it inside the frame to secure it. (Because I couldn't help myself, I also cut a small strip of tissue to glue around the "crossbar" of the kite frame, but you can skip this step.)

I'd advise following Caney's wise advice on glue: "A little bit of glue works much better than a lot." So true! Let the glue dry.

You can repurpose sections of plastic bags to cover the frame instead of tissue paper, but keep in mind when choosing materials that your kite should be as lightweight as possible so it flies easily.

STEP THREE: Add a Bridle

Use the tip of your scissors to poke a small hole through both sheets of tissue near the framework adjoining the two covered sides of the kite, about a third of the way from the open end of the frame. Feed a 10 inch piece of string through it, tying it off at one end and leaving the long tail hanging free.

Take a 12 inch length of string and feed one end through the joint at the pointed end of the frame, tying it off and leaving the long tail hanging free.

Tie these two long tails together, to create the bridle.

STEP FOUR: Add a Tail and the Flying Line

Cut a strip of tissue paper about two to three feet long and two inches wide, and use a bit of string to attach it to the pointed end of the frame (where the second bridle tail was attached).

Tie one end of your extra length of four to five yards of string to the bridle. This is your flying line, so if you have ambitions of flying your kite really high, you'll want to make this line longer. Your kite is now ready to fly!

Enjoy this bit of handmade kite play, whether you head to the park or settle in for a stoopside social hour this holiday weekend. For more great ideas check out Caney's books as well as the Library's many books on kites. And if you make a kite or anything else inspired by the Library, please share a picture of it here! More Hand-Made Summer Camp coming up in July!

Hand Made Summer Camp: Lace Stencils!

Lindsy Serrano, Mulberry Street Branch Library — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 12:15:44 -0400

Welcome back to Summer Camp! I hope you had fun with Jessica’s paper people — I know I did!

This week, we’ll be using lace as a delicate and unique stencil. You can use fabric lace or paper doilies (as I used in this project) on any number of things: t-shirts, paper, or one of the many free tote bags everyone seems to have nowadays.

This week's craft was inspired by a project in the book Print! 25 Original Projects Using Hand-Printing Techniques on Fabric and Paper by Joy Jolliffe, which can be found at many of our neighborhood libraries.

For this project, you will need:

lace or paper doilies (when you pick out your lace, keep in mind that the bigger the pattern, the better the print will turn out)
a tote bag
tape
scissors
fabric paint
a sponge or paintbrush

Step one: attach your stencil using tape. If you are printing on thin fabric, you might want to put some newspaper underneath so that the paint doesn’t bleed through.

Step two: once the stencil is attached securely, use a sponge or brush to press the fabric paint on your tote bag.

Step three: carefully remove the lace or doilies and let the fabric dry.

I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with! Hope to see your finished products on our flickr page!

Coming up: a great Fourth of July craft. See you then!

Hand-Made Summer Camp: Paper People

Jessica Pigza, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, Rare Book Division — Tue, 31 May 2011 06:28:36 -0400

Welcome to our second round of projects in NYPL's Hand-Made Summer Camp. (If you missed our first round, Lindsy's woven card project, check it out; I'm thinking of making one with flat sheets of felt myself.) This week, inspired by vintage fashion and paper doll books, I've prepared some customizable paper people.

I adapted this project from one I found in Paper People, a funny and inspiring 1970 book by Michael Grater. This book, in the words of its creator, is "about paper and about people [and] explores some of the creative opportunities which might occur when the two are put together." Simple enough, right? Here's how you can get started putting paper and people together yourself:

What You Need to Make a Set of 4 Connected Paper People:

1 sheet of 8 1/2 x 11 paper (I used plain old office white, but other colors would be great if you have them)
assorted printed and colored paper scraps (like origami paper or wrapping paper)
pencil and eraser
scissors
glue

Step One: Fold the Paper.

Start by folding the 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper in half, short sides together.

Fold it a second time in the same direction.

Fold it a third time, again in the same direction.

You now have a long narrow folded sheet, 8 layers thick.

Step Two: Sketch Your Paper People.

Place this narrow folded sheet on a work surface, making sure that the long narrow side made up of four nested folds is along the right.

Sketch out your paper person on the top layer of paper. You are only drawing half of a person. The center of the person's body runs along the folded right edge, and the arms and feet extend to the left edge. And make sure that the arms and feet extend all the way to the left edge. This way when you cut and unfold the paper the four paper people will be connected.

Step Three: Cut Out Your Paper People.

Now carefully cut through all 8 layers of paper along the lines you drew, making four connected paper people.

Here's how to tackle the space inside each elbow: After you've cut everything else, unfold the people. Use your scissor tip to carefully pierce the center of the top layer that has the cutting lines for the elbow space drawn on it, and carefully trim way this paper. Then, fold the person back against the one next to it, and trace inside the opening with pencil to mark the cutting lines for the elbow space on the next layer. Pierce and cut out this space, and contine by tracing inside the cut lines to each neighboring paper person until all elbow spaces have been carefully trimmed.

Step Four: Dress Your Paper People.

To dress the people, trace the basic body shape you want to cover onto the back of a piece of patterned paper, and cut it out to cover your person however you desire. On my set of people I tried out different sleeves and necklines. You can also make adjustments to the individual people as well. On mine, for example, they all started out with a-line skirt profiles originally, but for the last one I cut away the skirt shape in order to fit her into the metallic mermaid-esque dress.

The fun in making these paper people is in the unique ways each can be outfitted. Grater suggests making them into "likenesses of your neighbors, or of other people you know" and he also mentions that, instead of using paper, you can dress them in bits of fabric. His example shows each person in a different apron.

And when it comes to head adornments, he provides some funny illustrations of hats and hair.

You could add shoes and tights, make trousers instead of dresses, or whatever you imagine. I hope you have fun with them--and remember to share what you create on our Handmade at NYPL flickr page!

Hand-Made Summer Camp: Online Projects

Lindsy Serrano, Mulberry Street Branch Library — Fri, 27 May 2011 11:01:14 -0400

Hi there! Our next craft will be posted on Tuesday, May 31th and until then, here are some fun project ideas that we found online: If you liked the checkerboard card project, then you'll love: pop up cards! I found this project (complete with very helpful pictures) on the blog Oh Happy Day. The project was created by Michaela who has her own great blog Bliss.

Another blog that I go to for DIY ideas is Honestly WTF, intense name, sure. BUT it is home to some GREAT craft ideas including this one:

Make a shopping bag out of an old t-shirt (hopefully you have a super cool retro concert tee hanging in the back of your closet).

All of us here at Hand-Made would like to wish you a happy Memorial Day weekend, we hope it's crafty!

Reading About Zines

Jessica Pigza, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, Rare Book Division — Thu, 26 May 2011 10:49:40 -0400

Well, the Library's Stephen A. Schwarzman Building has turned one hundred years old, and our intrepid attendees at May 7th's Handmade Crafternoon did their part to celebrate this special birthday by making amazing zines that express what they love about the Library.

Thank you to all who came and who spread the library love that day, especially the afternoon's honored guests: zinester Ayun Halliday, who got us all drawing and writing and folding; and Karen Gisonny, my amazing colleague who created and oversees the Library's own zine collection and who brought out a sampling of zines for browsing. Also special thanks to the incredible volunteers who help make sure each event in the Handmade Crafternoon series is a success: my co-host Maura Madden, and Pam Madden, Leigh Hurwitz, and fellow librarian Lindsy Serrano.

If you want to explore more zines, please come in! You can order them in Room 100 of the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, and the whole list of what we have to offer is posted here. Additionally, here is the list of books I selected for browsing that day alongside the zines themselves. Enjoy, and I wish you all a happy and relaxing Memorial Day Weekend!

Books about Zines:

Indie Publishing: How to Design and Produce Your Own Book edited by Ellen Lupton
Notes from Underground: Zines and the Politics of Alternative Culture Stephen Duncombe
Whatcha Mean, What's a Zine? The Art of Making Zines and Mini Comics Mark Todd + Esther Peal Watson
Girl zines: Making Media, Doing Feminism Alison Piepmeier; foreword by Andi Zeisler
Zine Scene by Francesca Lia Block & Hillary Carlip
Some Zines: American Alternative & Underground Magazines, Newsletters & APAs by Tom Trusky
Some Zines 2: Alternative & Underground Artists' & Eccentric Magazines & Micropress by Tom Trusky
Make a Zine! A Guide to Self-Publishing Disguised as a Book on How to Produce a Zine by Bill Brent

Books by Ayun Halliday:

Hand-Made Summer Camp: Checkerboard Cards!

Lindsy Serrano, Mulberry Street Branch Library — Mon, 16 May 2011 07:03:48 -0400

Hello and welcome to Hand-Made's Summer Camp!

Our first project is making woven cards, adapted from Sarah Swett's book, Kids Weaving.

For me, weaving has always been a summery craft. The summer before second grade my mother took me to visit a family friend in New Mexico who worked on a large loom in her home. She took the time to show me the ins and outs of working with a loom but I confess that most of that information has escaped me. Swett's checkerboard card project is a good way to practice basic weaving before you try more difficult projects.

To make the card you need:

2 legal sized pieces of card stock (in different colors)
Scissors
a pencil and ruler (if you want to make exact lines)
tape or glue

Step One:

Take one piece of paper and fold it in half

Step Two:

Start to cut half of the paper into strips so that it looks like fringe. The strips should stop at the middle fold of the paper and be at least a half an inch thick

Step Three:

Take your other piece of paper and fold it in half. Cut horizontal strips (about a half inch thick) until you get to the midway fold. These strips will be your weaving material. The card will be your loom.

Step Four:

Start weaving! Take your first strip of paper (I used yellow paper) and start by going over the card's first flap and under the second flap. Continue weaving until you get to the end of the card. Then gently push the paper strip towards the middle fold until it feels firm. For the second strip start by going under the first flap and then over the second flap. Continue alternating until you finish your card.

Step Five:

When you are finished weaving, you should have a checkerboard pattern on the front of your card. To keep the pieces together, you can tape the inside of your card, fist along the bottom, then on the sides, making a U shape. On my card, I cut strips of yellow paper and glued them along the edges of my card:

Step Six:

Write a note to one of your favorite people and send! If you are using legal sized paper, you will have to use a large envelope (at least 8.5 inches wide and 5.5 inches tall). Feel free to experiment with differet sized paper and different patterns as well! And don't forget to take a picture of your finished projects and post it on our flickr page!

*Thank you for participating in our first Summer Camp project! Our next project will be online on May 30th. In the meantime, check back here for craft inspiration and DIY book reviews!*

Introducing: Hand-Made's Summer Camp!

Lindsy Serrano, Mulberry Street Branch Library — Fri, 06 May 2011 10:36:00 -0400

The library's last Crafternoon of the season is this Saturday (May 7th) but that doesn't mean your crafting adventures have to end!

This summer, the Hand-Made blog will feature a new craft project every other week, along with DIY book reviews and other online inspiration. So if you are looking for fun, fast projects for you and your family, come back here starting on May 16th for projects and more inspiration.

We also want to highlight some of your work. If you complete a project, please snap a picture and post it on our Flickr page, we hope to highlight lots of finished products on this blog!

Hope to see you online this summer!

Celebrate Library Love & Make a Zine! Handmade Crafternoon: May 7, 2011

Jessica Pigza, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, Rare Book Division — Wed, 04 May 2011 13:53:32 -0400

This Saturday's Handmade Crafternoon is going to be a celebration of Library love! On Saturday, May 7th, from 2:00 to 4:00pm, we'll welcome Ayun Halliday, author of the Zinester’s Guide to New York City; and Karen Gisonny, a fabulous librarian who wrangles the Library's amazing zine collection.

And with their help (along with some inspiration from the Library's collection of zines and books we'll have out to show you), we'll try our hand at making our own zines. Worry that you don't know what the subject of your zine should be? Here's an idea: In honor of our landmark building's 100th birthday, make a zine that celebrates what you love about the Library—so bring along your ideas about what the Library means to you. And if you'd like, your completed zine can be entered into the Library's collection after the event! We'll tell you how that day.

And even though Maura and I take the summers off from Handmade Crafternoons (we'll start the series up again in September), I'll have a few other ideas about summer DIY fun at the Library to share—so join us on Saturday if you'd like to be the first to know what we're scheming.

Here are the all-important details on Saturday's event:

This is a FREE event and there's no advance registration required. The seating will be first-come-first-served, and we'll open the doors at 1:45pm. We have space for a total of 96 crafters.
Where: Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, Margaret Liebman Berger Forum (on the Second Floor, Room 227)
When: Saturday, May 7th, from 2:00 to 4:00pm (doors open at 1:45pm)
Want to get your own copy of the Zinester's Guide to New York City? Stop by the Library Shop in person or visit online to get yours before or after our event!

Books for the Birds

Jessica Pigza, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, Rare Book Division — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 05:50:58 -0400

Last week I read about artist Walter Kitundu's San Francisco International Airport installation, "Bay Area Bird Encounters." This work combines music, art, and natural history in an interactive mural with accompanying xylophone benches, and I do wish that I could visit it. Reading about it reminded me of Abby Glassenberg's Handmade Crafternoon appearance last month, and how inspiring birds in art can be. I'm happy that it's reminded me to share the list of inspiring books I selected for browsing at Abby's event.

I've organized the titles below (each title links to its record in the catalog so you can find out more about it). My favorite books in this list were those by artists Eric Fitch Daglish and Hanneline Visnes. But I also appreciated finding out more about the art of bird carving and about the lives of urban pigeons. I hope that these works fuel your own avian creativity. And if you've seen Kitundu's interactive mural, please tell us about it in the comments!

Birds in Art:

Birds and animals:

Making stuffed animals and toys:

Hand-Made Project: Terrariums!

Lindsy Serrano, Mulberry Street Branch Library — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 11:03:48 -0400

My favorite way to celebrate Earth Day is to bring more plants into my home. But sadly, the plants rarely make it to see Memorial Day. For all of you out there who want to fill their homes with plants, but then have trouble keeping them alive, terrariums might be the answer.

I've always loved terrariums but they were a mystery to me. How do they stay alive? What materials do I need? Why can't I make them look like the plants I see in magazines or in the Museum of Modern Art?

For answers I went to my local flower shop, Rose Red and Lavender and talked to Kimberly Sevilla, the owner and a terrarium enthusiast herself. We spent the evening talking about terrariums and our favorite books about household plants, she even took the time to show me how to make one!

Check out the video below to see our terrarium projects and learn about some books that we have at the library that will help you spruce up your home garden:

The books that were mentioned in this video are:

The New Terrarium by Tovah Martin
37 Houseplants Even YOU Can't Kill by Mary Kate Hogan
Kids Garden! The Anytime, Anyplace Guide to Sowing & Growing Fun by Avery Hart and Paul Mantell