Hand-Made

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.

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.

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.

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

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).

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 

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!

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.

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.

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:

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. 

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:

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.

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

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

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 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.

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.

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. 

Oxford University Press has launched its award-winning database, the Berg Fashion Library, and I'm so happy to have at my fingertips this comprehensive online resource that offers integrated text, image, and journal content on world dress and fashion. From the history of the corset to the beads of Mauritania, this database has it all, and I'm guessing that there are lots of you out there who will love the Berg Fashion Library too.  If you want to find out more, please come to the Library on April 5th because the launch party's happening at the Library and you're invited!