Explore: Crafts and Hobbies

Tagged Crafts and Hobbies

Learn the Art of Soldering at the Library

Fancy yourself as a do-it-yourself handyman or looking to pick up a new skill? Want to dive into the world of electronics and repair the wire in your mouse, or salvage your favorite keyboard? Look no further! Join the Free…

Celebrate the Spookiest Month of the Year with the Free Library

It’s Spooky Season, and the Free Library of Philadelphia celebrates Halloween all month long! There are fun, Halloween-themed activities coming to several of our branches, and we’ve highlighted some of our favorites…

Mask On, Mask Off: Papier-Mâché Workshop

Are you looking for a fun Halloween activity to get you in the spirit of the season? Mask On, Mask Off: Papier-Mâché Workshop is a fun and creative Halloween project that will let you unleash your artistic flair.…

Department Highlights: Science and Wellness

Since Parkway Central Library opened in 1927, patrons have had free and open access to its rich and unique collections, expanding services, and professionally trained and welcoming staff. The robust programs and collections…

Nourishing Literacy | Let's make strawberry cards with Shayna!

Strawberries are super and sweet to look at and to eat! In this video, Shayna used strawberries as her theme for making handmade cards . What ideas do you have for making cards or stationary? What shapes and colors can you find in…

National Children's Craft Day

Do you enjoy creating things with your hands, be it simple origami shapes, drawing, painting, baking, or even learning and creating code? There are few better ways to explore your creativity than just letting loose and making…

Nourishing Literacy | Strawberries Are Our Jam!

Fresh, frozen, sun-dried, freeze-dried, jelly, jam, milk, ice cream, fruit leather, syrup... strawberries are sweet, a treat, and fun to eat! A great source of vitamin C, strawberries are a special food with some surprises…

Find a New Hobby with the Free Library!

Did you know that January is National Hobby Month ? From baking bread in mass quantities to perfecting our puzzle skills, many of us have used these unorthodox past two years to find new things we enjoy doing in our downtime!…

Nourishing Literacy | Let's Layer: Art and Cooking!

What art projects can you think of that involve layers? What recipes have you tasted that include layers of ingredients? Leanna and Tonii share two ideas for layering, while creating art and recipes in the following video. These ideas…

Create Something New During National Sewing Month

September is National Sewing Month and a great opportunity to create something new this year for everyone on your D.I.Y gift-giving list. Both the Art and Literature and Science and Wellness departments at Parkway Central Library have…

Earth Day Project | Upcycling with Plastic Yarn

Earth Day is here again and while I try to do my part in reducing, reusing, and recycling all year long, I’m always looking for more ways to keep the Earth and, more specifically, the streets of Philadelphia a little cleaner. But…

Nourishing Literacy | Greens Across Tables

Thank you to Nourishing Literacy (NL) team member Carolyn for writing this blog post! In addition to sharing her experience and findings, Carolyn has included some of the activities and approaches that we use in NL. The NL team enjoys…

Creating on a Budget with Recycled Crafts

Summer is looking a little different this year without in-person programming at the Free Library. As someone who lives for summer arts and crafts programs, I’m sure I’m not the only one itching for some quality craft time…

Making Sense of Food Scraps

by Nourishing Literacy staff members Shayna M. and Carolyn After reading a New Yorker article a few weeks ago, our curiosity and interest grew in how to use kitchen scraps in resourceful ways. Tamar Adler, the highlighted…

Making Face Masks for Fun (and Not Profit)

Before I was a Rare Book Librarian, I worked as a Stitcher (let's not say "sewer"), and have recently pulled out my sewing machine to make face masks for donation. As of April 3, the Centers for Disease Control and…

Keeping You and the Kids Busy While Social Distancing

While we all practice social distancing with schools and libraries closed for at least two weeks to help flatten the curve of COVID-19 , what exactly are you (and your kids!) going to do with yourself? A lot of us have to-be-read piles…

Join the Free Library for Online Storytimes and Virtual Activities!

**Upated to reflect new virtual programs on March 26 at 3:23 p.m.** While we’re sad that our buildings are closed for now , our Free Library librarians and staff members are taking some of your favorite programs online…

Book Paper Scissors: 12th Annual Artists' Book Fair at Parkway Central Library

On December 7, the Art Department at Parkway Central Library will host the 12th annual Book Paper Scissors event, a fair designed for artists who create book-and paper-based work. As usual, numerous local artists and organizations…

Multicultural Fair: Empowering Communities, Quilting Stories

Sharing cross-cultural stories is so important to developing civic engagement and participation in our communities. Creating safe environments is essential to discovering, exploring, and learning about our neighbors. We all share a set…

The Pumpkin on the Plate

Squash is one of those wonderful, hearty foods that last throughout the colder seasons, and comes in many intriguing shapes and sizes. It serves as a point of literary intrigue, a cultural cornerstone, and a hot topic for cookbooks.…

Teen Tuesdays: Friends, Food, Fun.

Calling all 7th through 12th graders! Dive into new worlds with our exciting new video game collection, unleash your creativity in our DIY craft sessions, and connect with friends over anime/manga, movies, and snacks. Bring a friend and…

Teen Tuesdays: Friends, Food, Fun.

Sew What?! Evening Sewcial-Needle Crafts

Sew What?! Is a clever and creative get together for crafters who do crochet, knitting, sewing, embroidery, quilting, felting, and more. Want to share what you're making with other fabric crafters? Join us to collaborate and…

Sew What?! Afternoon Sewcial-Needle Crafts

Teen Tuesdays: Friends, Food, Fun.

Sew What?! Evening Sewcial-Needle Crafts

Sew What?! Afternoon Sewcial-Needle Crafts

Teen Tuesdays: Friends, Food, Fun.

The Claymobile Visits the Library

Children 3-12 are invited to make a ceramic work of art under the guidance of a Claymobile teaching artist!

Sew What?! Evening Sewcial-Needle Crafts

Sew What?! Afternoon Sewcial-Needle Crafts

Teen Tuesdays: Friends, Food, Fun.

Sew What?! Evening Sewcial-Needle Crafts

Sew What?! Afternoon Sewcial-Needle Crafts

Teen Tuesdays: Friends, Food, Fun.

Sew What?! Evening Sewcial-Needle Crafts

Sew What?! Afternoon Sewcial-Needle Crafts

Handy Around the House

Do it yourself home repair, plumbing, painting, etc.

Fix your ride

Repair tips for cars, bikes, boats, and more!

Cut and Stitch

Grab the scissors for sewing projects, drapery, upholstery – even how to give a haircut!

Crafts for Kids

Fun and creative crafts for kids or the whole family!

Universal Class

Amy Tan | The Backyard Bird Chronicles

In conversation with Beth Kephart A “master of illusion, and one of the best storytellers around” (NPR), Amy Tan is the author of the beloved novels The Joy Luck Club , a finalist for the National Book Award and the National Book…

This Old House

Philadelphia is on old city (by American standards anyway) and many of us live in older houses; let Bob Villa and Co. teach you how to treat them right.

Ikea Hacker

Ikea’s affordable Swedish furniture has become ubiquitous; learn to make it your own.

Home Time

Tips and ideas from the long running PBS series.

Home & Garden TV

An abundance of ideas from the cable television network.

eHow

More than 300,000 clear and concise articles on how to do things, plus a rapidly growing library of articles created by eHow's members.

DIY Network

Articles and videos from the cable network; watch average homeowners tackle jobs big and small.

DIY Home Improvements

Instructions for house projects big and small.

Burda Style

Online community devoted to sewing: instructions, advice, patterns, inspiration and more.

Bicycle Tutor

Instructional videos and articles covering everything you need to get your bike rolling again.

Apartment Therapy

Inspiration from do-it-yourselfers on the web.