Christmas keepsake motivates children to read and write

Celebrate your favorite stories by creating stockings that incorporate details from children’s books.

Tamara Martinez, children’s librarian at Kahuku Public & School Library, created stockings with the help of Joy Shimabukuro of the Joy of Crafting blog and OC16 show; Donna Yanos, events and community relations coordinator at HouseMart Ben Franklin Crafts; and Punahou High School student Sunny Rosario. These reflect characters from “The Rainbow Fish,” “Where the Wild Things Are,” “This Is Not My Hat,” “Elmer and the Whales,” “Max’s Dragon Shirt” and “The Snowy Day.”

Forget about being perfect, she said. “You are making something that will be original and cherished for its uniqueness, so don’t worry about drawing skills.”

Children and families can write down their favorite passages, draw characters or focus on other details of the story that they enjoyed. Write down your thoughts about the story and why it is meaningful, then store the paper in the stocking to reflect on later. Martinez warns against overstuffing the stocking.

“Just like ornaments made in kindergarten, families will continue to enjoy reading their love notes to their favorite books and their handcrafted stockings every year,” she said.

SUPPLIES

Felt or fabric for base of stocking

Glue gun

Scissors

Ribbon

Materials for creating book characters (chenille stems, googly eyes, foam, scrap fabric, colored markers)

DIRECTIONS

>> Choose your favorite book. Think about why you like the book and what you would like to remember about it.

>> Create a pattern by drawing a large sock shape on a piece of paper. Cut out the pattern and trace onto two pieces of fabric (felt, foam or denim work well). Fabrics can be mixed or matched. Cut the front and back pieces of the stocking at the same time for the best fit.

>> Customize a design for the front of the stocking. Use a favorite character or re-create elements of the cover.

>> Arrange the design on the stocking and glue the pieces down.

>> Cut a 3-inch piece of ribbon. Glue one end of the ribbon to the back of the stocking. Once the glue dries, attach it to the front to make a loop to hang the stocking

>> Once the loop is attached, glue the front and back pieces together, leaving the top open.

UPCOMING EVENTS AT KAHUKU LIBRARY

>> Adult coloring holiday craft: (two sessions) 3-5 and 6:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday

>> North Shore’s North Pole: 2:30 to 5 p.m. Friday. Activities include snow globe photos, Lego robotics demos, holiday story time, snowball brawl and icy refreshments. Frozen characters, Anna, Elsa, Olaf and Sven will make an appearance.

>> Felt ornament making: 6 p.m. Dec. 15. Customize ornaments with buttons, felt, sequins and embroidery stitches. All skill levels welcome.

The library is at 56-490 Kamehameha Highway. Call 293-8935. For events at other libraries, visit librarieshawaii.org.