Tag Archives: d.i.y.
Sage and I layered felt hearts, cinched them at the bottom with a few stitches and attached them to elastic wristbands and barrettes. The perfect accessory for the day!
This past summer, we had the chance to submit a project how-to from both our Curious Jane and Blue Tree girls, to be included in Kiki magazine’s Feb/March issue. And it has hit the newsstands! Continue reading
One of our most loyal and enthusiastic Curious Jane girls, Anya, 7, took our Wired 101 Workshop last month. She enjoyed the Circuit Card project so much that she took it to the next level by making a bunch of her holiday greeting cards into light-up Circuit Cards! We’re so impressed with her ingenuity and D.I.Y. Holiday spirit. Go Anya! Continue reading
I spotted this idea in a crafty book and made a simple version with the girls. So fun! Great starter-sewing project. Perfect holiday gift for mom. And useful to block out the early morning light on weekends. Continue reading
We have had a bunch of great after-school classes happening this semester, and the girls are doing tons of amazing projects. Here, our after-school instructors give us some of the highlights! Continue reading
This weekend, at our Wired 101 workshop, we tackled three projects: Circuit Cards, Bristle Bugs, and, the hands-down favorite – Drawbots! These little creatures make the coolest patterns and even our seven-year-old engineers were able to make them almost entirely on their own. Basically, they are a paper cup body standing on marker tripod legs and topped with a small motor and battery. The key to the whole project is an irregular weight affixed to the rotating axis of the motor. When the markers are uncapped, and the drawbot is turned on, the weighted motor causes the little creature to wobble around in a huge variety of patterns. The type of pattern depends on the size of the weight and the placement of all the pieces together. There’s plenty of room to experiment! As I was jotting down the project steps, I realized each project had exactly seven steps and … Continue reading
We were inspired to make these ‘cards’ by the simplicity of using LEDs to add a spark of light to any project. This is a great “wiring 101” project because kids can see exactly how a circuit works, and they can assemble it themselves without stripping wires, adding switches or worrying about being shocked. Continue reading
This project was inspired by a quick drawbridge project we use to illustrate tension in our buildings class. When we started to play with the materials, it transformed into this cereal box castle with the drawbridge rope doubling as a handle for closing and carrying. We love our miniatures! We added some characters (inspired by favorite dad designer, Joel Henriques) that can be printed out and colored in. Or, better yet, create your own… enjoy! Continue reading
I’ve always loved Halloween, and I still do. As I’ve gotten older, my favorite thing about Halloween has become the joy and creative satisfaction I get from making my Halloween costume happen. So, when we decided to do a Costume Creations Workshop, I was really excited to help cultivate the DIY spirit in the next generation of crafters. Continue reading
Girls have so many amazing ideas to share and show about who they are and what they can do, and they have a spread of tools and techniques right at their fingertips. In Eleanor’s words (age 9): “I want to design-it-myself because then I can wear it and no one else will have it.” Self-expression – now that’s what we’re talking about! Continue reading
Samantha Razook Murphy is the founder of Curious Jane and Blue Tree. She was inspired to create these unique programs to give her girls, and all girls, a chance to be creative and inventive in a high-energy, collaborative and gender-affirming space. She loves designing, tinkering and figuring out. Samantha is the mother of two girls and lives in Brooklyn, NY. She holds her BA from Yale and Masters in Industrial Design from Pratt. In her spare time she coaches volleyball and rides her bike around Brooklyn.