Posted on Wednesday, April 5, 2023 by Dana
So you love Dungeons and Dragons and you need something to inspire your next campaign or character. Perhaps you saw Honor Among Thieves and you’re in a questing, stealthing, battling sort of mood. Or maybe you’re just curious about what all the hype is about.
Whatever your reason, we’ve definitely got something that’ll satisfy that need for adventure!
Posted on Wednesday, October 19, 2022 by Grae
Do you love all matter of spooky ephemera, including (but not limited to) asymmetrical gourds, a crunchy walk through leaf-litter at dusk, black cats, swooping bats, a chilly breeze, the moonlit hoot-hooting of an owl, flickering shadows, the curling crackle of a bonfire with friends, your favorite elder’s throaty cackle? 🍠🍂🐈🖤🦇🌬️🌕🔥
Are you into that *swirls hands in the air over imaginary cauldron/crystal ball* distinctly witchy vibe? 🔮🕯️
Are you a young ghoul at heart? 👻
Does your bedroom feature skulls, spiderwebs, and tombstones as year-round decor? 🕸️💀
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you’re among friends (or fiends 😈)! Halloween and all its haunted trappings gives my heart, in the words of young vampire Vlad the Rad, “bat wings” and “sugar-frosted lightning bolts,” but I have a confession: while I love all manner of the occult, I am just too tender-hearted for the harrowing thrills, over-the-top gore, scritchy-scratchy musical panic, and heart-pounding jump-scares that are present in many scary movies (and the horror genre more generally). Which means I have to be extra selective when it comes to figuring out how to best usher and revel in the ghastly glory of spooky season. So this year I’ve come up with a curated Spooky, Not Scary™ Watch-List perfect for anyone who wants to experience a spectre-tacular atmosphere without sacrificing their delicate nerves. Each tv show, movie or video is rated on a scale of 0-5 smashed pumpkins. The more smashed pumpkins (which I’ve metaphorically dropped out of terror), the closer the tv show/movie/video is to being truly frightening. Note: no gourds were harmed in the making of this list. 🎃
You can access the full list here; what follows are my Top 6 with minimal spoilers! Happy Hauntings! Continue reading “Spooky, Not Scary Watch-List”
Posted on Wednesday, October 5, 2022 by Megan
Do you daydream about escaping into the woods and wonder what it would be like to be a woodland creature? Or do you want to know how to give up a boss life for a moss life? We recently hosted a program where we did all that and more! In our ongoing how-to cosplay series, we transformed ourselves and our patrons into fantastic woodland animals. Don’t worry if you missed our program, we’ve got tips below to help you become a majestic creature! And be on the lookout for more cosplay fun in December! Continue reading “Cosplay Tutorial: Woodland Creature Transformation”
Posted on Wednesday, June 29, 2022 by Megan
Summer Reading is upon us! With a theme like “Oceans of Possibilities,” how could we not think of merpeople?
We are so lucky to have our very own siren, Dana! She loves cosplay and makeup effects, so we wanted to share her talent with you in this video tutorial so you can play along at home.
Here is what you’ll need to get started.
If you feel like going all out, combine a costume and a watery location!
We would love to see your finished look! Snap a pic and send it to us at teen@dbrl.org.
Posted on Thursday, June 9, 2022 by Megan
Celebrate LGBTQAI+ Pride Month by making your own beautiful melted crayon art painting! Here’s everything you need to make your own queer-colored masterpiece. Continue reading “DIY Pride Rainbow Painting 🌈”
Posted on Wednesday, May 4, 2022 by Megan
Happy May the Fourth! I love just about everything Star Wars has to offer — from the amazingly independent Princess Leia to the fierce, but cuddly Chewbacca, to the adorable Porgs, and don’t get me started on my obsession with Grogu (aka The Child or Baby Yoda)! Here are some fun things you can do at home to celebrate May the Fourth and the Revenge of the Fifth.
We’d love to see what you make, so send us pictures or videos to teen@dbrl.org.
Posted on Monday, October 18, 2021 by Dana
It’s Spooky Season! What better way to celebrate than reading a creepy book and creating your own haunted house using an old dollhouse or a house from a Christmas village?
I started with a cheap dollhouse and painted it black. When it was dry, I used just a tiny bit of white paint to age the house. It’s important not to have much paint on your brush and to keep your touch very light and moving in one direction. This step brings out the details and makes the house look weathered.
Now for the fun part! Personalize your haunted house however you want! Add cobwebs, suspicious stains, or cursed objects. Clearly, my house has a mold problem, but the creepy ghost twins don’t mind.
We have Haunted House Take and Make kits available beginning October 18th while supplies last.
Posted on Thursday, July 1, 2021 by Megan
My best friend and I love to paint so we decided to make a friendship painting together! We combined our favorite things–rainbows, slothicorns and unicorns and made a beautiful painting! Grab your best pal and paint along with us on our YouTube channel.
Here is what you’ll need to get started. This is the exact list of what we used, but you can deviate from the list and make it your own!
Optional supplies.
We would love to see your finished artwork. Snap a pic and send it to us at kids@dbrl.org.
Posted on Thursday, October 22, 2020 by Tess
Is your inner ethereal garden witch itching to grow something green and spoopy this fall? Have no fear, for spooky terrariums are here! Today I’m going to walk you through building your own terrarium to bring the green inside (since everything outside is going to ground for the season). The first thing you are going to need is an interesting container for your terrarium. Many craft stores will have fish bowls or glass jars that will work well, but I highly recommend checking out garage sales for unique old glass pieces for super cheap prices. Continue reading “DIY Haunted Terrarium”
Posted on Thursday, August 13, 2020 by Brandy
Earlier this summer, we invited library patrons of all ages to tell us about themselves in just six words. We had an overwhelming response of nearly 115 submissions! You can view the full album of Six-Word Memoirs on the library’s Facebook page. In the meantime, here is a collection of memoirs from the 24 teens who participated in this online program. Continue reading “Six-Word Memoirs: Teen Showcase”
