NEW PROGRAM: #TeenCraftSaturdays@OPL. Saturday September 6 Noon-3 p.m.

You know you have that BIG project due Monday, so why not take a study break and make something cool?

This Fall, the OPL Teen Department is introducing a NEW PROGRAM: #TeenCraftSaturdays@OPL. To be held the first Saturday of each month, Noon-3 p.m. (or until supplies run out), this 100% drop-in program will feature a different cool craft each month. 

September's project, set for Saturday September 6, will be Retro Treasure Boxes. For this, we'll start you off with an old VHS tape case and a table full of art supplies. From there, you use your creativity to transform that tape case into something useful, fun, and retro-esquely hip. 

Upcoming projects are: 

• Frankentoy Workshop (Saturday October 4)
• Book Hedgehogs (Saturday November 1)

#TeenCraftSaturdays@OPL are drop-in only. That means no registration and no wait lists. It also means that when supplies run out, they run out forever. So get here early!

We'll see you next Saturday!

Rock Candy...Rocked!

More than 30 teens showed up for our Rock Candy program this past Monday (June 23) as part of the Teen Department's Mad Scientist Monday series. Those attending not only got to prep their own jar of what will soon be delicious and colorful rock candy, but also got to learn the science behind how crystals form as water evaporates from a supersaturated solution. 

Interested? Stop by the Teen Area and ask for the recipe. We'll be happy to share!

p.s. For a limited time (the next week or two), the rock candy our teens made will be on display in one of the large display cases outside of the Youth Area. Stop by every couple days and watch the sugar crystals grow!

Mini Lava Lamps

Our Mini Lava Lamp program (part of Teen Summer Reading "Mad Scientist Mondays") was a huge success. Over 30 teens turned up to create their own mini lava lamp from common kitchen ingredients. Check out these photos!

For those of you who missed the program, the recipe is easy:

You will need:

• One clean small jar or bottle
• Vegetable oil (like for cooking)
• Food coloring (a drop or two)
• Alka-Seltzer tablet

1. Fill the jar or bottle about 1/2 full with water. 
2. Add a couple drops of food coloring. Mix and match to achieve the desired color. Remember, the color is very concentrated, so a little goes a very long way!
3. Fill container the rest of the way with oil, but don't let it overflow. You will see the oil and water separate. This is because these two liquids are insoluble. That is, they don't mix.
4. Break the Alka-Seltzer tablet into small pieces and add the pieces one by one. The antacid will begin to fizz in the dyed water, causing colored bubbles to rise up through the oil on the way to the surface. This is what creates the lava lamp-like effect.

Have fun :)

Re-Inventing the T-Shirt

Lately I've been really into taking the stash of favorite old T-shirts at the back of my closet (you know, ones that are stretched, holy, stained, etc., but you can't stand to throw away because, well, you just can't) and transforming them into creative-looking new shirts I can actually wear out in public again without looking like a total bum.  

Sound fun? Two great books for inspiration are Tease: 50 Inspired T-Shirt Transformations and Generation T: 108 Ways to Transform a T-Shirt. Both books are filled with patterns and ideas for stitching, snipping, sewing, appliquing, dying, tieing, and just about everything else that can be done with a piece of fabric. In addition to showing you how to re-design your favorite old T-shirt, you'll also learn to make: a skirt, a purse, a scarf, a headband, a cover for your iPod or Smart Phone, and many more awesome ideas that are fun, flirty, and fantastically easy to do. Several of the projects are even no-sew, meaning no needles required! Perfect for a gift or to keep for yourself!

With warmer weather on the way, T-shirts will be making a welcome comeback. Why not check out one of these books and create a one-of-a-kind item everyone will be asking about? All you need is your imagination! --AJB

This Week: Hot Cocoa Cones

Hot Cocoa Cone Make & Take

Thursday Dec, 20 @ 4-7 p.m.

Teen Department

Need a last minute gift? Stop by the Teen Area this Thursday (Dec. 20) between 4-7 p.m. and make a Hot Cocoa Cone. This traditional (and tasty!) holiday craft makes the perfect stocking stuffer for that hard-to-shop-for person. But if you want to keep it for yourself, that's OK too.

Please Remember: Supplies are limited, so as a courtesy to others who want to try the craft, we ask that you make only one cone per person. Thank you!