Beaded Dragonfly

For my last Preschool Storytime of the spring I was looking for a simple but fun craft for the kids. I found an idea for a beaded caterpillar on pinterest. While it was cute, I wanted something a bit different. I came up with this beaded Dragonfly.

It tied in well with the bug stories I was able to find in the collection and the Stella and Sam episode about dragonflies.

What you need for one dragonfly - 1 Pipe cleaner (15cm), 2 pieces tissue paper (about 13cm x 6.5 cm), and 7 pony beads.

Everything is ready to make a dragonfly

Here are the steps to make your own!

Fold pipe cleaner in half and place one bead on in the center.

Twist pipe cleaner ends close to bead to secure.

Pinch tissue paper in center to create wings.

 Place between pipe cleaner ends next to twist. Twist ends again to secure wings.

Bring pipe cleaner ends together and put remaining beads over 

both ends of the pipe cleaner to form body.

All six beads are on to form body. Kids could be encouraged to create a pattern.

Fold each remaining pipe cleaner end over last bead to secure.

Here is my flight of beaded dragonflies

You could make your own flight and use them to make a mobile. You could stick it onto an adhesive magnetic strip to make a fridge magnet. 

Your dragonflies could become fireflies with the use of glow in the dark beads.

Here are my other preschool craft ideas - Valentine's Day Monster Card and Owl Puppet.

Happy beading! 

Owl Puppet

In addition to my beading I also love doing paper crafts. Remember last year's origami vase and flowers.

Many of my paper craft project are for children's programs at the library. Today for preschool we had an owl themed storytime. I found pictures of this craft idea on Pinterest but there was no link to specific instructions.

So here is how the preschoolers and I made this fun owl puppet.

My sample puppet

Supplies
Paper bag
2 Paper muffin tin liners
black paper - cut into a triangle and 2 circle, with a wedge cutout
brown paper - cut into 2 oval, one of which you cut in half
Crayons or markers
glue stick

Supplies

Instructions

Glue black circles into the muffin liners. 

Glue triangle and muffin liners to paper bag.

 
Glue oval to front of paper bag. Add feather markings to brown oval for the owl chest.

Glue 2 oval halves to back of paper bag so they stick out like wings.

Here is the parliament of owls created by some of the preschoolers at storytime today.

Happy Crafting!!

Leading to Reading & Beading

During the school year I volunteer with the Toronto Public Library's Leading to Reading program.
Last night was the last session for this school year.

My young student, Farida, had asked to do something fun. When I suggested beading as a project for our last session she was very excited.

First we did some work on her spelling. Once at was done I pulled out all that I had for us to create with. She loved all the colours, shapes and sparkle.

She decided to make a necklace for her sister and a bracelet for her mother.

The necklace had no specific pattern. It was her selecting everything she liked. I did try to get her to think about pattern and design.

After seeing what I did with the bracelet that I made, Farida put a bit more thought into her bracelet.
She created a pattern, but was worried she did not have enough of one specific type of bead. I showed her how to mirror her pattern around a focal.

Farida's necklace and bracelet

My bracelet

Farida took home her creations, my bracelet was given to Stephanie, she runs the program at Richview.

Thanks Stephanie & Farida for a fun year! Have a fabulous summer!

Toronto Public Library - United Way Craft Sale

Tomorrow, Nov 16,  marks my second craft sale. Last year I did the small craft sale at the Toronto Public Library United Way Talent Show. This year the Craft Sale is its own event as part of the fund raising Library staff do for the United Way. Along with a collection of creative library staffers we will be selling our creations at the North York Central Library from 12 - 7 pm.

I will have a small Christmas tree full of my little netted snowflakes.

Here is a selection of some of the necklaces that will be for sale. 

I will have earrings and pendants as well.

Follow this link to see some of the offerings of my co-workers.

I hope that those of you in the area will stop by and see the amazing creativity of library staffers and make a start at your holiday shopping.

Have a fabulous weekend.

Literary Inspiration

Next to my passion for beads is my passion for books and reading. I work in the children's department of a public library in the west end of Toronto. I love to share books and stories with children. Sometimes the books inspire a bead creation.

Two years ago I was inspired by the children's novel "The Calder Game" by Blue Balliett. In the story the children learn about mobiles and the artist Alexander Calder. I decided to make a mobile for the Bag of Beads challenge at the Toronto Bead Society. I made a number of beaded objects and created a mobile which hangs from a copper pipe structure.

Beads we were given

Stumpers, copper pipe end and metallic fibre paper

Work in progress

Finished mobile

It was fun to create each of the individual objects, but then I had to fine tune them and the lengths of wire they balance on. The science of the art of the mobile was an added challenge.

The completed mobile sits on my book shelf with the books by one of my favourite children's authors, L.M. Montgomery.

Being inspired by a book and and artist for this project was fun.

I am off to work on a vase inspired by a flower. More about it soon.

Have a great weekend.

Flashback Friday - Owl Babies

As a children's services staff member at Toronto Public Library I do Ready for Reading storytime for toddlers and one of my all time favourite storytime books is Owl Babies by Martin Waddell.

At a TBS garage sale a few years ago someone was selling these cool little wooden owl beads. I knew just what I would make with them, so they came home with me. I combined them with other wooden beads that I had in my stash to create this bracelet with three babies owl (Sarah, Percy and Bill).

Owls, in general,  are a favourite of mine. Knowing this Maria gave me a number of different owl beads from her recent trip the bead shows down in Tuscon. I look forward to make some new wise and fun owl pieces soon.