MakerCare

Crafting Your Grief: Red Cardinal Memory Ornament

/ Gina Seymour / 1 Comment

When November’s cool temperatures and colorful leaves arrive melancholy sets in. You see November celebrations – my birthday, my late husband’s birthday, our anniversary AND Thanksgiving are all crammed into this month…with Hanukkah and Christmas just around the corner. It can be a lot to handle. In the past two years I have discovered ways to ‘make’ my grief tolerable.

This post will be the first in a series called, Crafting Your Grief, where I will share with you hands on ways to express your grief, create new traditions, or memorialize a loved one.

Red Cardinal Memory Ornament

Supplies Needed:

  • Small plastic terrarium ornament
  • White modeling clay
  • Red cardinal
  • Bottlebrush pine tree
  • Ribbon or twine/Red bow with bell
  • Feather, white or red (optional)

Instructions:

  1. Using your fingers, spread the modeling clay into the bottom of the ornament. Insert tree and cardinal. Push each into the modeling clay and mold the clay around each item. Adding a feather is optional.
  2. Attach the holiday bow and bell onto the the ornament using a glue gun or glue dot. Just a dot of glue on the outside top of the ornament should hold bow/bell in place. Let the bells hang over the ornament for decorative effect and to allow them to chime.
  3. Let the glue and modeling clay dry. Your ornament is ready to hang.
  4. Optional: If you have a Cricut machine, create a name/date sticker to attach to the back of the ornament. Or use a black sharpie, to write name/dates. I left mine blank.

Symbolism

Red Cardinal

Feathers

White feathers are a sign that the angels are with you right now. It signifies comfort, peace, purity, and protection.  What Does a Feather Symbolize?

“Feathers appear when angels are near.”

Bell

Watching It’s a Wonderful Life was an annual family tradition. I had to add a bell to my ornament!

Tidying Up

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Our staff book club is reading Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. It has sparked numerous conversations! 

Beginning a new year always seems to inspire a fresh start. You try something new, lose weight, tidy up your abode. This year Netflix’s new series, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, has encouraged even more people to tackle their accumulation of ‘stuff’.  

As my readers know, most of my posts focus on helping others, alleviating suffering or upcycling. So, this post is no different. I wish to share with you how I am riding myself of years of collecting and providing others with options as well. Let’s face it, we can’t all just throw our stuff out; our garbage dumps are full enough! There’s quite a few programming ideas here too. Your library makerspace/programming may be able to capitalize on the KonMari craze and score some wonderful assets. Here are a few ways you can help others and yourself: 

Clothing 

  1. Donate to thrift shops or consider selling your items to local consignment shops. I’ve used an online consignment shop, ThredUp, to sell my good quality, still usable items. They take clothing, shoes, handbags, scarves and costume jewelry. 
  2. Cotton t-shirts can become dog toys for an animal shelter or rescue group. 
  3. Bras. Let’s face it we’ve all purchased a bra or two (or more) that looked and felt fine in the store for the five minutes we had it on in the dressing room. Now what to do with it after we discovered the painful truth. Donate to Free the Girls, or another upcycler/recycler organization. 
  4. I found some socks leftover that I’ll make into catnip toys. 

Books

  1. Donate to Friends of the Library at your public library or a local group collecting books. We have the Book Fairies nearby. 
  2. We host an annual Read to Feed book sale. We gather used books and sell them students and staff for a nominal fee in our school library. All proceeds go to Heifer International, an organization striving to end world hunger. 
  3. Upcycle for crafts. Blackout poetry. Using die cuts (I.e. Ellison) cut out letters for library displays. Decoupage. I written about sustainability and also have a LibGuide on upcycling various household objects.

Papers 

  1. Over the course of tidying up, I’ve shredded quite a bit of paper. We use the shreds to supplement our pet rabbit, Gin’s, habitat.  
  1. Non-sensitive paper items can be put in the recycle bin. Help the world! 

Komono (Miscellaneous) 

  1. While going through my make-up draw I found several eyelash/eybrow items. Wash these up and send them to Wands for Wildlife. 
  2. Fun programming idea: Turn that draw full of takeout chopsticks into Harry Potter wands!
  3. Towels can go to your local animal shelter.
  4. Turn pillowcases into Little Dresses for Africa. Our animal shelter will take pillowcases – they use them to capture and collect snakes!

Sentimental 

  1. My husband passed away this summer, so this is a difficult category for me. I’ve offered my children various items. One son has my husband’s stethoscope, and another has his art easel. I believe these sentimental items will ‘spark joy’ in their homes. 
  2. I can’t seem to part with my husband’s favorite shirts, so I believe I’ll have teddy bears made from the fabric. I’ll give these bears to future grandchildren and great-nieces and nephews. Since I can’t sew well, I’ll turn to Etsy for this.
  3. If you’re looking for memorial ideas, take a look at my Grief and Bereavement LibGuide. 
  4. Every year I go to ALA Annual and some years, MidWinter. While there, I always buy a conference t-shirt. I don’t actually wear t-shirts (ever), but they take up an entire drawer of space. So, I’ve decided to make them into a quilt using Project Repat, one of many online quilting services. Now I’ll have a needed blanket for my guest room and it will ‘spark joy’ remembering all the conferences, people and places. 

When handling your items there are three categories: throw away, keep, relocate. Try to upcycle as much as you can when throwing away. And don’t forget to thank each item! 

A New Arrival

/ Gina Seymour / 3 Comments

My eyes misted over with tears of joy for you finally arrived. I held you in my arms, first in a warm maternal embrace, then up high for the world to get a glimpse at you…

While writing Maker with a Cause, I often likened the process to pregnancy.

Months 1-2: Waiting to confirm, “Am I really pregnant?” “Are they going to offer me a contract?”

Month 3: Yippee! I’m so excited. “What shall we name her?” There’s so many things to pick out.

Months 4-5:  Wow, I’m gaining quite a bit of weight… (Sitting at a computer day after day, noshing on pretzels and other goodies will do that to you.)

Month 6-7: Trying to convince myself this WILL be worth it.

Month 8: Ugh, I’ve got to go out and buy more clothes, nothing fits.

Month 9: When is this going to be over!!!!

Labor: Breathe in through the nose, out through the mouth. Smell the flowers, blow out the candles. “Seriously, more copy edits???” “Get it OUT!”

Delivery: “Awww, isn’t that the most beautiful thing you’ve laid your eyes on?” “I’m so proud!” “Look what I created.”

Well, in honesty, I didn’t create this book on my own. There were so many encouraging family, friends and colleagues along the way. First, and most of all, my husband, Alan for whom the book is dedicated. He is the most supportive, awesome-est husband ever. He schlepped with me to Anaheim, CA to attend a service learning conference. Made me countless cups of tea – the only thing to calm me and keep me focused. And, even while a patient in the neurosurgical ICU with a cerebellar brain bleed/AVM, his first words to me were to encourage me to finish the book when my only thought was – I hope he makes it through the weekend.

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As a mom, I am habitually proud of my children. This past year the roles were reversed as our children, Joseph, Joshua, Jacob and Hannah, were my cheer squad. My sisters managed my husband’s office while I focused on him and finishing edits. (Hint: never trust hospital Wi-Fi.) My niece, Kelly, was my go-to proofreader. Even though she has a full-time job with a commute and a 3-year-old, she managed to find time to help me.

Early on when I had no clue how to read a book contract, Heather Moorefield-Lang and Diana Rendina both came to my rescue patiently answering the most generic questions. Thank you! I am grateful for public libraries for that is where I wrote most of the book. Grateful for the peace and quiet and no eating rules. (Gained too much weight snacking at home!) And grateful for countless librarians and educators across the country who shared stories with me, kept me focused and most of all encouraged me.

At work I am grateful to Heidi Stevens, our FACS teacher, who helped me with many of the sewing projects. Rita Dockswell, who reminded me I know how to crochet. Most of all, it was my principal, Mike Mosca, who let me ‘do my thing’ day in and day out. This level of support allowed me to collaborate with so many to empower our teens to make a world of difference through our MakerCare program.

I hope you’ll love my new arrival as much as I do.

Gina

Squeeze & Relax

/ Gina Seymour / 1 Comment

MakerCare Lit Connection Series

Today therapy dogs visited our school bringing smiles and respite from a busy week filled with final exams and Regents test prep. I’ve written of my gratitude for therapy animals (yes, dogs and therapy bunny!). Animals can decrease stress in humans. However some students, like me, are allergic to animal fur. The alternatives are hypo-allergenic breeds, social robotic pets or other stress reducers.

Project (Title): Stress Balls

Lit Connection (Test Anxiety):

Check out this list of books

Lit Connection (Service/Therapy Dogs):

Ben: The Very Best Furry Friend, I Know My Name is Love, Rescue & Jessica: A Life-Changing Friendship

Alternative Titles:
PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR FAVORITE TITLE IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!

How To:

You’ll need empty water bottles with caps, Magic Beadz, a teaspoon, funnel and balloons. Pour 1 tsp of Magic Beadz into a water bottle and fill with 2 cups of water. Allow 2-3 hours for beadz to absorb water. Pour out any remaining water. Put balloon over neck of bottle and pour (squeeze, really) the beadz into the balloon. Knot off the balloon. Squeeze and Relax!

Worry Not!

/ Gina Seymour / 1 Comment

Now that my book, Makers With a Cause, is complete and soon to be released, I finally find myself with time to write about literature connections to some of my favorite maker projects. I started last month with Memorial Day themed books, but now I’d like to focus more on compassionate making (aka #MakerCare) lit connections.

Each month I’ll describe a maker project that espouses compassion, empathy or social action and match it with a book to read aloud or as part of a reading group.

So, here goes…

Project: Worry Dolls

Why: Our kids are stressed out!

“According to the Mayan legend, when worrying keeps a person awake, he or she tells a worry to as many dolls as necessary. Then the worrier places the dolls under his or her pillow. The dolls take over the worrying for the person who then sleeps peacefully through the night. When morning breaks, the person awakens without the worries that the dolls took away during the night.”

When: Anytime, pre mid-term and final testing period, Mental Health Awareness Month (May)

Literature Connection: Silly Billy by Anthony Browne

  

 

Alternative Titles:

Trouble Dolls – Jimmy Buffett & Savanah Buffet

Secrets of Worry Dolls – Amy Impellizzeri (312p novel)

PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR FAVORITE TITLE IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!

How To:

Cut one pipe cleaner into 1/3 & 2/3 lengths.

Wrap yarn around your hand several times and slide it through the 2/3 length pipe cleaner. Slide a wooden bead up the bent pipe cleaner holding the ‘hair’ in place. Trim ‘hair’ as desired. Draw face on bead, as desired. Wrap the 1/3 pipe cleaner around the ‘body’ forming ‘arms’. Using yarn, cover the exposed areas of the pipe cleaner

 

Mental Health Month

/ Gina Seymour / Leave a comment

May is Mental Health Month and as a high school librarian, I have seen my fair share of stressed out teens. How can we help our students alleviate anxiety and stress? While we cannot take the place of trained and certified therapists, we can offer a listening ear or a word of support and encouragement. We can also provide some tools and comfort for promoting good mental health.

Here are five simple ideas for promoting and augmenting mental health. Each is implementable through library programming or makerspace activities.

Stress Balls – Sometimes you just need to squeeze and squish something. Follow directions for hydrating Magic Beadz. Instead of a bowl, use a water bottle, this will make the straining and pouring beads into a balloon easier. Place beads in a balloon and tie a knot at the top. Start squishing! Alternatives to Beadz: use rice, beans or play dough. Some instructions call for flour. If (ahem, when) the balloon breaks, the mess is of astronomical proportions.


Positive Pencils (link) – Everyone needs a reminder. You are strong! You are brave! You’ve got this! Positive affirmations can increase feelings of self-worth. Research shows us that thoughts have a direct impact on emotions and feelings. So, make them positive!

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Social Robots (link) – Hasbro’s Joy for All companion pets can provide comfort to students in school without having to deal with allergies or vet bills. This is great alternative to live animal pet therapy programs.
companion-pet.pngJournaling – Write down thoughts, dreams, and questions in a daily journal you create for yourself. Using Modge-Podge craft glue and images cut from upcycled magazines, cover a marble or spiral notebook for a creative personalized journal. Journaling can help you manage anxiety, reduce stress and cope with depression, among other benefits.
journal cover
Jump Ropes (link) – Daily exercise is good for overall health, both physical and mental. Even just a little activity is beneficial. Make these upcycled plastic (plarn) jump ropes as a fun way to exercise.

Also, check out this resource – 12 Resources to Help You Address Mental Health in Schools.

Stay healthy! Stay strong!

OneWord

/ Gina Seymour / 5 Comments

OneWord2017: Compassionate

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Last year, like many others, I participated in the #OneWord challenge. One Word is a unique way to reflect and focus on something meaningful to you in the upcoming year that can be expressed in one word. My 2017 ‘word’ was compassionate.

I thought I knew and understood compassion. But it wasn’t until I found myself in the neurosurgical ICU holding my husband’s hand praying he would survive the weekend that a whole new experience opened up to me. It is in this experience that the depth of compassion fully struck me.

Much of my writing and work with youth revolves around compassionate making. Where we actively use our makerspace to create items for others with the hope of alleviating suffering around the world. While I thought I knew compassion and how to inspire and share compassionate acts, it has been the past four months that have given me a new perspective and deeper understanding.

My husband is a well-respected physician in our community. Over and over again I’ve been told by patients and colleagues how much they admire his kindness and compassion.   Since this past August, it has been his turn to be the patient and the recipient of kindness and compassion.

Healthcare Providers

Day in and day out, millions of healthcare providers demonstrate compassion on a daily basis. My husband, myself and our family have seen and experienced the beauty of compassion in a healthcare environment. Even when my husband  transferred to a different unit on another floor, nurses and aides from the previous unit would visit on him and check up on me. Such beauty in dedication and caring.

Therapy Dogs

There is a new place in my heart for those who train and work with therapy dogs. Thanks to these caring, dedicated people, patients stuck in healthcare facilities can feel a loving connection even though they are away from their own furry family members.

Nate’s Get Well Bot

Even our three year old nephew tried to help. It’s not typical to bring a three-year old to an ICU unit, but Nate wanted to visit Uncle Alan and my niece wanted to ensure my well-being. Leery at first because he didn’t understand all the beeping machines, his mother explained the machines were robots to make people better. Later that evening Nate decided he needed to design a robot to make Uncle Alan better. Never underestimate the depth of compassion our youth have.

Blood Donors

During the course of my husband’s extended stay, probably due to multiple blood draws during this time, he required a blood transfusion. We host an annual blood drive at my high school every year and I can honestly say I never really thought about the act of donating blood and specifically how it affects the patient and his/her family. I want to take this time to thank each and every blood donor for their precious gift – giving of themselves in such a selfless act.

Friends

Over the months, there have been so many kind and compassionate friends, co-workers, colleagues and acquaintances who gave gifts, provided kind words of encouragement,  food and copious amounts of wine and chocolate. I truly experienced compassion on a daily basis.

Youth Makers

As you can tell from my previous blog posts, I embrace a maker mindset and specifically sharing that enthusiasm with youth mostly in the form of making for others. We were delighted to be the recipients of some creative youth maker activities, especially our Hanukkah gift from students at Bais Yaakov. It’s not fun celebrating traditionally home based holidays in a hospital setting.

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#OneWord2018?

What will 2018 hold in store for us? No one ever truly knows. Perhaps, my one word for 2018 should be gratitude – gratitude to be alive, gratitude for compassionate people in our lives. I am grateful for so many things I previously took for granted. Though, I must admit, I was leaning towards patience for this year’s word as I know this journey is not over. Perhaps should fill my 2018 #oneword plate with  gratitude (and a side of patience).

 

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Happy New Year

 

#NotAtAASL

/ Gina Seymour / 2 Comments

#NotAtAASL: Makers With a Cause Conference Session Resources

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This past week scores of library professionals descended upon Phoenix. Though scheduled to attend and present, I was not among my colleagues this weekend. While transferring between healthcare facilities and advocating for my husband, I viewed numerous tweets and posts of arrivals, keynotes and conference sessions. My husband suffered a brain bleed, decompressive craniotomy and AVM resection, followed by surgery for a VP shunt. Yes, he’s a hot mess. Though not participating in person this year, I knew I was in the right place; beside my husband of thirty years.

My session, Makers With a Cause, was scheduled for Saturday afternoon. Sharing our successful MakerCare program at Islip High School is something I enjoy doing. Indeed, you can find our program mentioned in the following titles:

 

Since I was unable to attend AASL, in addition to the above titles, I have compiled a list of resources that serve as the basis for my presentations. Granted if you want the full picture, you’ll have to wait for my book, Makers with a Cause: Creative Service Projects for Library Youth (Libraries Unlimited, 2018).

Resources:

School Library Journal: Struck by Tragedy, a NY High School Heals Through “Compassionate Making”

The evolution of our MakerCare program at Islip High School.

Ideas + Inspiration from Demco: How to Inspire Students to be Compassionate Makers (Seymour)

Great go-to guide to starting a compassionate maker program.

Gina Seymour Blog

Search this site for numerous project ideas and anecdotal stories.

Islip High School LibGuides: The Compassionate Maker

Project ideas with instructions and images.

Laura Fleming: Out of the Box Approach to Planning Makerspaces

Compassionate making along with many other creative ‘out of the box’ makerspaces.

Change Makers

/ Gina Seymour / 1 Comment

Those of you who follow this blog know about our MakerCare program. We use our school library makerspace to create items for others. We model and encourage empathic behaviors inspiring students to make a difference in their community. This is the cornerstone of our program: compassionate making. Using our makerspace to nurture compassion and empathy; to bring help to those in need.

 A member of our teaching staff approached me to ask how the MakerCare program worked. I explained, it’s really simple, if someone sees a need and there’s a way for us to help, we’ll do it. That’s when she shared with me her situation. Her nephew, diagnosed with cerebral palsy, was in need of bibs; could we help make some? She brought in a sample and it was a simple straight stich, two pieces of fabric sandwiched between a washcloth. We could handle that.

 While the library makerspace has two sewing machines available to all, I have to say many of our projects are successful due to our FACS sewing teacher, Mrs. Stevens. Her sewing class has already participated in Little Dresses for Africa and has made catnip toys for our local animal shelter. Some of her students are fast learners and find themselves with extra time, so how better to fill that time than in service to others. So, FACS students pitched in. In all, a dozen bibs were sewn and given to the family. MakerCare is flexible in that we open service opportunities to all, be it a class, club or individuals. All are invited to make a difference.

 We are at the end of our school year ending with service to a staff member and donations to our elementary school.

Over the past year we have:

·         helped African school girls (Little Dresses for Africa)

·         shown random acts of kindness (I Found a Quilted Heart)

·         written to support our troops and veterans

·         offered comfort to hospitalized children (Sending Smiles)

·         made numerous dog toys and catnip toys for our local animal shelter

·         made a plarn sleep mat for the homeless

·         made plarn jump ropes for one of our elementary schools

·         sewed cerebral palsy bibs

·         participated in Youth Uplift Challenge (Students Rebuild)

·         provided handmade greeting cards to HS community

·         hosted a #make the holidays gift event

·         hosted a mental health break from mid-terms (and upcoming finals)

·         hosted Art Therapy with graduate art therapy students

It feels good to make a difference in the lives of others. I am grateful to have had the privilege to work with youth who not only care, but also are determined to be the change.

Got Plarn?

/ Gina Seymour / 5 Comments

MakerCare: Service Projects

As part of our MakerCare program, we use our school makerspace to create items to be donated to a variety of community agencies. In the Fall we made plarn sleep mats for the homeless. It’s a great project, but for some this may be too time consuming. We had to cut up over 500 plastic bags, then all the crocheting in order to make just one mat.

Well, here’s another option for those who want to upcycle plastic bags but have limited time working with youth – plarn jump ropes. Each jump rope requires only 21-27 plastic bags and a small amount of duct tape. Additionally, you only need to cut off the handles and the bottom seams of the bags instead of the additional step of cutting the middle of the bag into strips. Really simple.

Here are instructions:

1. Have a collection drive asking for plastic bags*

2. Lay plastic bag flat on a table (you can do several at a time)

3. Cut off the handles of the bag and cut off the bottom seam

4. Link the bag circles to attach 7-9 bags** (see image)

5. Repeat steps 2-4 until you have 3 strands of plarn

6. Now, braid the 3 strands

7. Wrap the ends in a bit of duct tape to form the jump rope handles

*Any plastic bag can be upcycled. I also use the delivery newspaper sleeves. I do recommend cutting the sleeve in half before linking the circles, otherwise it’s very thick! However, you can experiment and see what works for you. I’ve even upcycled the dry cleaning clothes covers to make plarn.

**Adjust length based on the age range of your designated youth. Longer ropes can be made as well.

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This is an easy project in any location. I helped make a jump rope at an on-site service opportunity at The 28th Annual Service Learning Conference. And I plan to make these and other toys at the Eastern Long Island Mini Maker Faire in June. (If you’re in NY or on Long Island, join me!)

 

To Learn, To Serve

At Islip High School Library, we use our makerspace for service learning opportunities. Several science classes, AP Environmental and Marine Biology, are studying the effects of plastic in the ocean and on the environment in general. Here’s a great way to learn and to serve. You see, after our students make the plarn jump ropes, they will be donated to one of our elementary schools for PE class. Just think – our students learn about the environment, upcycle, and have an impact on the health and wellness of other students in their community.