Each year in December, we combine First Friday Art Club and Teen Cooking Club into one BIG CRAFTING EVENT called Make and Bake Gifts. This is the chance to cook and create handmade gifts for the holiday season. There are no fees for participants. Pre-registered attendees encounter a variety of crafts to make then take away.
Fabric Covered Coaster Tiles
The first station for creating was Fabric Covered Tile Coasters. This was an easy project that could be quick or intricate, depending upon the details put into it. Painting Mod-Podge glue onto a ceramic tile, then adding a square of fabric cut slightly smaller than the tile and burnishing that fabric onto the tile is the main process of this craft. Coating the fabric covered tile in more Mod-Podge to seal in the fabric finishes off the coaster. To save table surfaces, it is recommended to glue felt onto the bottom of the ceramic tile. As you can see, these tiles got fancy! Details were trimmed and secured and each tile had an individual flare.
Detailed adornment
The next project was soda can basket weaving, led by Kimberly Canale. This video tutorial is extremely helpful and recommended to anyone who wants to make one at home. This video is part 1 of a 3 video series.
Kimberly showed the First Friday Art Club how to make these in August, but that class focused on soda can flowers. This event allowed students the time to focus on the weaving process. It turns out the soda cans are gnarly when cut. Students really liked learning to weave, but kept getting caught on the soda can, which limited their enjoyment.
Gnarly snags are no fun. WEAVING IS AMAZING!
With a little bit of patience and focus, each person created an adorable woven can.
Woven Soda Can Baskets
This fun Snowman pin craft kept people busy and intent for a long time. Putting tiny beads in a specific order on safety pins is a test of eye sight and patience.
"These pins take patience!"
This project was donated by a generous community partner. There were dozens made for family members. I was even able to donate more to a Homeschool Arts & Crafts group.
Frosty!
The edible portion of this event hit a rough spot. The intended recipe was Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Reindeer. It is sad to note that I burned the chocolate for this recipe. Ugh!!! The smell of scorched chocolate wafted through the Union Hall within moments of placing the melting wafers in the electric skillet. This melted chocolate thing is still a learning curve for me, especially when I'm multi-tasking. My intention was to have a pot of melted chocolate ready to dip, so there were less steps to making these cute creatures. In hindsight, I suggest melting chocolate in the microwave, like the recipe states, or using a crock pot to maintain a low temperature for the chocolate to temper, providing a smooth appearance and dry solid on the marshmallow.
Rudolph's nose is falling off!
Since the chocolate was scorched, the cocoa butter crystallized and it would not harden. The facial details could not stick, and the whole project was becomming a mess. Luckily, these kids are quick to create a work-around. Albino reindeer, snowmen, and even tarantulas were designed at this station.
Tarantula, Olaf, White Deer
Snowlady, Red-Nosed Puppymallow
The final cooking craft was a treat to most of the group. Funfetti Shortbread Bites are a quick and plentiful recipe, creating dozens of treats in one 13 x 9" pan. I had older teen volunteers set up the recipe and prepare the ingredients. When another teen finished their projects, they were welcome to help this group finish the recipe for everyone to enjoy. These bites were packaged in a holiday box and taken away quicker than I had a chance to taste test.
Funfetti is always FUN!
This wraps up another fantastic teen Make and Bake Gifts for Southeast Steuben County Library. Our teens had a busy year with school and library programs. Just one more crafting session is held this week. Join us for Fabric Holiday Cards on December 9, 2016. Our favorite fashionista, Tetyana Buchholz will lead the group on sewing and appliqueing fabric cards for the holiday season.
Last teen craft for 2016
If you miss the program, stop back for a recap of the event.
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