Viewer Projects

Audience member Arleen Teplinsky of Encino, Calif., talks about her handmade Hanukkah items. Arlene created a wall-hanging that small children can use to safely "light" a menorah (figure A) and needlepoint dreidels adorned with shimmering ribbons (figure B). You can purchase needlepoint dreidel patterns or create your own. Click the Adobe Acrobat icon (figure D) at the bottom of this page for a dreidel pattern illustration, then transfer it to graph paper to make a homemade needlepoint pattern. To build a color scheme into the design plan, use markers, crayons or colored pencils to color in the pattern once it's transferred to graph paper.

Grandma Party

Bonnie Hobson from Hedgesville, W. Va., telephoned to share a family holiday party idea. Hobson makes holiday preparations for her children a little easier when she hosts the grandchildren at a crafting day-camp called "the Grandma Party." Hobson got the kids organized then they made gifts for the parents, an ornament for the tree and a goodie to take home. Meanwhile, the parents got to catch up on holiday gift buying.

Fractured Gourd Pin

Diane Picolah of Vista, Calif., makes lapel pins using fractured gourds. She paints on the gourd pieces with leather dyes, chalks and pens, then sprays them with a protective finish and adds a pin back (figure C). Cohen gets her gourd pieces from scraps that are left over when she crafts gourd baskets and dolls.