The Pandemic. It kept many people around the world homebound and left many with more time on their hands than they ever had before. While many worked on their sourdough starters (so not me) others looked for hobbies they could do to occupy their time. But with so many hobbies out there, how’s one to choose where to start? Although things are getting back to normal in society, our passion for engaging in a hobby is still strong…and your Abilene Public Library has something new for you to take advantage of.
CreativeBug is a new database we’ve subscribed to, connecting our library cardholders with a vast collection of instructions (both in text and videos) on a wide range of hobbies and crafting ideas to get involved in. To get started, just visit us online at www.abilenetx.gov/apl/databases and scroll down to the DIY section and there you’ll find the link to CreativeBug. Enter your 13-digit library card number when prompted (without the spaces) and then you’ll be granted full access to this database.
Here you will find a wide range of classes broken down into different subject headings including Art & Design, Sewing, Quilting, Paper, Knitting, Crochet, Food & Home, Jewelry, Holiday & Party, and Kids. Under each of these headings, you can then narrow your search by looking through a list of suggested projects. For instance, under the Food & Home classes, you’ll find projects including Baking & Cake Decorating, Bath & Body, Canning & Preserving, Furniture Refinishing & Upholstery, and so much more. If you still don’t find what you’re looking for under these headings, you can also do a search for your specific craft or project to get a list of suggested classes.
For instance, let’s look under the Paper heading and then choose the section on Paper Flowers. Once selected, we find that there are 14 classes offered on making different types of paper flowers from Hollyhocks to Hydrangeas. Each class will tell you how long the tutorial will take and how popular that particular project is. Once you choose a class, you’ll get a brief introduction into the class you selected, the materials you’ll need, and then be able to watch an online class on how to do that particular project.
Even better, you’ll have the opportunity to read a transcript of the class, download it for later use, or add it to a watchlist (once you create a free account) to save the tutorial in case you want to come back to it later.
Classes on Creativebug never expire, so feel free to start and stop projects as it fits your schedule, 24/7. Remember, all you need to use this new resource is a valid Abilene Public Library card. If you don’t have one, visit any of our three convenient branch locations and pick up a library card the next time you’re out and about. If you live within the city limits your library card is free, and non-resident cards come at a modest cost of $10.00 a year.
Get started with Creativebug…we hope you like it.