Pipe Cleaner Crafts unwrapped at library

The New Richland Public Library led a Pipe Cleaner Crafts demonstration and workshop for children the evening of Thursday, Dec. 11. Pipe Cleaners are those bendable wires with the fuzz around them, originally used to clean tobacco pipes, but in this case, they’re being used for fun.

 

Kathy Kronebusch, head librarian for the New Richland library, had three big tables set up and said, “I got easy ornaments on a table for the younger ones, and two more tables getting harder the older the kids get. I didn’t want there to be a set time or anything, so the kiddos can come at anytime between 5 and 6:30 tonight.” On each table were thousands of large and jeweled beads, cranberry-colored beads, pine needle and forest greens, snow white beads and many more. The younger table had white and red striped pipe cleaner wires to make little candy canes to hang on the tree. The next table focused on making ornaments that looked like presents that go under the tree. Said Kronebusch, “The children can give these pipe cleaner ornaments away as gifts or hang them on their trees. I had a lot of fun putting all this together. I’ve been working on this for a couple of weeks now.”

 

There were little cups of white glue on the tables, when Anora, 6, and Evan, 9, entered the library. Anora ran to the table to make the pipe cleaner wire look like little Christmas presents. She was given a small brush to apply the glue. She didn’t know if she wanted to keep the ornament when she was done or if she wanted to hang it on a tree, “I haven’t decided yet, but I will when I get home and the glue is dry.” Evan, who started with the wreath ornaments said, “I’m probably going to hang mine on the tree.” While he was speaking, Anora asked Ms. Kronebusch, “Can you stop helping Evan and come help me?” To which Kronebusch replied, “I’m on my way, honey.” When she was done, there were wipes to clean up the gluey, sticky fingers.

 

The beads had been sorted through for the night, there were even beads in the shapes of stars. The closer Christmas gets, the fewer activities there are to attend at the library, but as soon as the new year starts, “We’ll have much, much more for the kids to do,” said Kronebusch.