Fake Cake Pops, FTW!

Sweet program idea, coming at you!

Cake pops.  

Adorable.  Tasty.  Sugary.  Not always the easiest to make. (and, let's be frank, finding time to make enough for a program can be...difficult, to say the least.  see also: ain't nobody got time for that)

Back in July, a post appeared on the Teen Services Underground group on Facebook, penned by Judith W. from Alabama in which she shared her brilliant idea of a cake pop decorating program using...

DONUT HOLES.

This program is easy and fun, allowing the participants to be creative and--because of this--practically self-run.

I just had to try it!

In the original post, the library opted to hold a variety of creation challenges, including emojis and monsters.  Given that I was holding the program during October, I chose to embrace CREEPY Cake Pops.

                               

Supplies:

• donut holes
• treat sticks (can be found in the baking/craft area of Walmart, Target, your store of choice)
• icing tubes
• candy
• sprinkles
• candy melts
• foam or some sort of stand to allow the pops to harden after decorating
• bowls/napkins/spoons
  

Of course, the supplies list can be altered, depending on your theme, etc.  

The kids and parents who attended had a great time, but there was one hiccup.  We offered an assortment of candy melts but--as anyone who's used them before knows--those little melts can be rather finicky, depending on your microwave/heating apparatus.  After some trial and error, the participants figured out the magic number (both in terms of melts to include and time needed to melt without overcooking) but some of the kids decided instead to use the sparkly icing tubes as adhesive instead.  Both options ended up scary successes, but just something to keep in mind if you decide to do something like this at your library!

We had a blast with this program!  Thanks to Judith W. for so generously sharing her idea on Teen Services Underground!

I'll definitely be utilizing this sweet little program again in the future.

Happy Trees! Paint Like Bob (Ross)

Have you been yearning to try a Paint Night for your patrons, but can't afford the cost?  Maybe you have an avid group of artists always looking for a new challenge?  You should host a Bob Ross Painting Party!

For those of you unaware of the calming majesty of Bob Ross, his Emmy-Award-winning Joy of Painting program--aired on public television in its heyday, but now also available on Netflix, Youtube, and in DVD format--is one of the most popular and recognizable art programs on television.

For our first go, we decided to pick the Bob Ross video tutorial "Grey Winter" - - only three paint colors were necessary and most of the brushes were readily available through our craft suppliers of choice.  We had 20 of each brush available, but depending on your budget, you can always add or subtract (and have folks share.)  We decided against buying the painter's knives and instead encouraged participants to use the back end of their smaller brushes or popsicle sticks for the portions of video that called for that particular technique.

For canvases, we ordered these handy-dandy 9x12 boards from Nasco.  At $1.20/each, we knew we'd be hard-pressed to find a better bang for our buck.  We also purchased our three acrylic paint colors from Nasco and had more than enough for two separate sessions of Bob Ross goodness.

On the day of the program, we set up our room and dispersed the necessary materials, giving each participant a paper plate to use for their paint palette.  Each station also had a book display stand to serve as an easel.  NOTE: Make sure to cover the base of your book stand with masking tape or the like, as they're likely to be painted upon!

Before beginning, reassure folks that everyone's art will look different--and that's ok!  Rather than focusing on the finished product, they should instead enjoy the process and exploration. 

While each Bob Ross tutorial is around 30 minutes, plan for at least 60-90 minutes for your program, as you'll like want to pause the video after each step.  This allows folks to catch up without feeling like they need to create at professional-artist-speed, as well as gives them the opportunity to replenish any supplies, review a previous step, or simply take a break.

Other supplies that will come in handy:

• paper towel (lots!)
• individual cups of water

We had a blast with this program and definitely plan to revisit Bob and his happy, happy trees in the future.