Get Creative This Valentine's Day

February is here, and with it comes Valentine’s Day. Whether you plan on spending this day with a significant other, hanging out with a group of best friends, or just taking the day to treat yourself right, V-Day is a perfect opportunity to give a heartfelt gift. And if you’re shopping on a budget, or if you’re looking for an excuse to stretch your creative muscles, the Grayslake Library is here to help! We have plenty of resources available to you to help get that handmade gift project off the ground.


Creativebug


Creativebug is an educational resource available to Grayslake Library cardholders that hosts over a thousand step-by-step tutorial videos and courses on all things crafty. From sewing projects to candy making, embroidery to watercolor painting, there’s something for every creative soul. The videos are all presented by talented and well-spoken experts, making for an easy and enjoyable watching experience.


While Creativebug does have a couple of Valentine’s Day-specific tutorials, anything made with love can make a great gift, so don’t discount their other projects. Personally, I recommend the class Hand-Rolled Truffles taught by Mark Tilling, for a delicious homemade treat.


Craftsy on Hoopla


Also available to Grayslake Library cardholders is Hoopla, an electronic material service that has a series of “Craftsy” video tutorials that range from making socks to making tacos. Users can check out a total of five items on Hoopla every month, and there is no waiting for the items ever; they are instantly available!


The Hub, Makerspace


Our makerspace, The Hub, is an excellent place to find inspiration and create gifts. The Silhouette Vinyl Cutter is a great tool, used to make vinyl decals that can go on cars, walls, laptops, water bottles, and more. It can also be used to create iron-on designs for shirts or cloth bags. The Epilog Mini laser cutter can be used to engrave drinking glasses, as well as materials like leather (if you wanted to personalize the cover of a leather journal, for example), wood, acrylic, and more.


The Hub also has crafting equipment available for checkout, including sewing machines, hand looms, knitting kits, and paintbrush sets.


Library Catalog


And of course, we have a wide selection of crafty books available for checkout. You can search the library catalog for terms such as “handmade gifts” or, for our younger patrons, the search term “Valentine’s Day crafts” returns many youth books. If we do not have an item, remember that you can always request it from another library!


Connect with the Library


We’d love to see what you create! Share your handmade gifts with us at communications@grayslake.info and your creation might be posted on our social media!

 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Juneteenth

Sounds of Summer

Embroidery