Earring-Making - it just doesn't get easier than this!

Earring-making is a hit with all ages.  All you need are lots of pretty beads, earring-wires, and head pins.  I recommend getting some 3-in-1 tools, but you can also get round pliers, wire cutters, and flat pliers.  You can find all these things at craft stores, or just at Wal-Mart.

All you need to do is put beads on two head pins (how you want your earrings to look), then clip the excess, turn the top of the wire in a circle, and add the earring hook.  Easy, peasy, right?  Are you completely lost?  Then you may want to watch this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hl3Y8SkafEc
Teens, adults, and younger kids love this craft.  I have even had a couple young boys make earrings for their moms. Awesome!

Chocolate Covered Strawberries, Bananas, and Pretzels

A sure crowd pleaser are chocolate covered strawberries, bananas, pretzels, and whatever else you have laying around.  Chocolate goes with everything, right?
The easiest way to do this is to find the microwavable bowls of chocolate.  You just pop them in the microwave according to the directions on the package.  Wash your fruit, and let the kids dig in!  Teens will eat you out of house and home (or library and uh, meh, whatever!) so my recommendation is to put a couple strawberries, some banana slices and a handful of pretzels on a plate for each attendee.  That way the first to arrive don't get all the food.

Theoretically, these could be made and taken home as a little special treat for someone they love.  Like for Valentine's Day.  But chances are, the teens will just eat them all!

Plantable Seed Paper

This is such a fun and easy craft.
You will need:
Paper (gather lots of colored paper scraps from around your library.  This is a great way to recycle old fliers and such!  Tear the paper into strips, or shred if you have shredder.)
Water (it is handy to have pitchers at the ready if you are not having your program near a sink)
Seeds (flower seeds are best, you could do vegetables, but I worry a little about the chemicals that are in colored paper, and the inks used on them.)
Blender
Lots of old towels
Cheesecloth
Screens (I actually use skillet spatter guards because they fit nicely over a bowl.  You can make your own screens using a wood frame and screening from a hardwear store.  But I am much too lazy to do that!)
Bowls

  Let the paper soak in bowls of water for a few minutes. You can mix up the colors to see what will happen, or just stick with one color. 

Then dump the paper and the water into a blender.  You may need to add more water if things aren't blending.  The resulting mush should look like watery oatmeal.  (Yum.)  If you are adding seeds, this would be the time to do it.  Don't blend too much with seeds in there.  We want to keep them intact!  Just give it a good stir. 

Then dump the whole mixture onto a screen with a bowl underneath.  You will want to spread this out with your fingers, or a spoon until it is mostly flat.  Take the screen off the bowl and lay it on a towel.  Then press gently over it with cheesecloth.

When you feel you have gotten all the water out that you can (you may have to ring out the cheesecloth a couple times), gently tip the screen upside down over wax paper or another surface that will allow it to dry.  It usually takes over night to dry, but some people swear that hair dryers work, too.

This paper can be ironed after it is completely dry as it may have warped a little.  Just use a very low setting!
Now you are ready to make fun greeting cards or whatever other creative uses you have thought up!
Yay!
























Photos and ideas from www.makeandtakes.com