Picture It: 30 days of art activities, part 4

This year’s Teen Read Week theme is Picture It @ Your Library.  It runs from October 16-22.  But don’t worry, during the month of September TLT has been helping you get ready!

It can also be a celebration of art and self-expression.  For the month of September, in order to help you get ready for Teen Read Week, I have been sharing a craft a day.  There are a lot of fun things you can do with your teens with this theme for TRW.  Have a craft a day after school as a drop in activity.  Or have 1 large program where teens can choose one or more craft stations to do.  So here is a recap of what I have shared on the TLT FB for the final week of September . . .

Day 22: Art with Maps
Just in time for the 2011 SRC theme You Are Here (well, it would have been awesome if I had found it in time). However, it goes with our literature themes – great for multicultural or travel themed crafts and promoting multicultural/travel theme literature. Also would make great elements for displays. You could use maps to make paper beads, decoupage, and so much more . . .  Already I can picture a reading of Oh, The Places You’ll Go while tweens and teens do some map crafts.

Day 23:  Shadow Writing
Scroll way down and look at the pic where the girls are holding the sign “we ♥ daddy”. I think this would be a fun way to make wall art with book titles, quotes, and more. A fun activity all on its own or as part of a photography workshop.  All you need is paper or poster board, a camera, and a sunny day great for making shadows on the sidewalk.

Day 24: Wanted Posters
Because day 24 is during Banned Books Week, here is a fun way to create your own Wanted posters.  You can make your teens wanted for reading a banned book or make wanted posters for the books themselves.

Day 25: Personalized Caution Tape
Just in time for BBW, personalized caution tape! Want to make a creative BBW display? You can create caution tape with a personalized message using barrier tape bought at the hardware store. Instructions when you follow the link.  As a bonus craft, here are instructions on how to make a Lady Gags inspired caution tape hat.

Day 26: Magnetic Bottle Cap Mood Bracelets
We talked about multicultural literature as one of the top 10 trends, so we should definitely look at some multicultural crafts. Here teens can take a unique twist on the old mood rings by creating a magnetic bottle cap bracelet with Chinese characters. Unique and cool.

Day 27: Tank top totes
Earlier we talked about having a Project Runway inspired program for teens, and this would be an easier type of sewing project to include in that.  In addition to a fun TRW craft, it would also be a great Earth Day craft.  Reusable totes are in and these would make cool library totes to carry your newly checked out books in.  Tons of fun.

Day 28:  Personalized Guess Who
Take the board game Guess Who and make it personalized with photos of your library staff, teens on your advisory board, or current pop culture stars.  Or make it literary by using book characters or even book covers.

Day 29: Props
I recently spent a Saturday dressing up white Styrofoam wig heads for an upcoming OLC conference.  Who knew it could be so much fun.  This got me thinking, what a great activity for a teen theater type of craft.  In fact, you could put together a reader’s theater program and use these props.  Or have it be one activity as part of a bigger theater type of program (which I am blogging about next week so stay tuned).  Or of course you can make them for a photobooth as this blog suggest.  Fun for Halloween, too.  I, however, think it would be great to get older teens involved in reading and performing for younger library patrons so put together a reader’s theater group and have part of the preparation be making these fun props.

Day 30:  Get Caught Reading Photobooth

If you have an iPhone, this is super simple because you can use the PhotoBooth app.  If you don’t have an iPhone, you can still do it by taking 4 pictures in quick succession and then formatting them to look like a photobooth strip with a border in Publisher or some other photo editing software.  Big Huge Labs also has a way to make them online.  If you are so bold and have a handy man available, you can even make your own photobooth.  There is also a YouTube video on how to make your own photobooth.  In a pinch I think draping some sheets would work just as well.  Take an afternoon and invite teens to drop in to your teen area and visit your photobooth.  You can have them do anything you like, but you can provide them with a variety of fun props (see above) or since it is Halloween some simple dress up ideas.  Or take pictures of them with their favorite books.  Use the photo strips to decorate your teen area and webpage and give a copy for teens to take home.

Picture it week 1
Picture it week 2
Picture it week 3

More craft resources to use with your teens . . .
Books
Websites
freekidscrafts.com/teens
Crafts for Teens
Kaboose
12 Teen Crafts
Be sure to check out the Pinterest board

Filed under: Crafts, Creativity, Programming, Teen Programming