Mini-Making

Tiny World: Pins! by Keith Zoo

I maintain the Book Shop for our community’s Ronald McDonald House. The facility offers children and their families a welcoming residence when a child requires ongoing medical treatment at local hospitals and treatment centers. The purpose of the Book Shop is to provide books of interest to children and teens during their stay.

As I monitored book usage patterns, one thing became clear: the current collection was not meeting children’s interests. It was time to rethink the Book Shop. What would appeal to young residents?
Here are some things I discovered: Youngsters undergoing therapy want materials that will quickly engage them. While there are differences according to age and interest, I found books with the highest use fell in these general categories: board books, picture books featuring popular characters from T.V. and movies, nonfiction animal books with large color photographs, books celebrating holidays, teen romance, picture books with an engaging cover, and easy-to-read bilingual books.

I decided to try experimenting with other materials which might engage hands as well as minds. For a test run, I began adding puzzles, board games, and small puppets to the mix.
Early response to these changes has been positive.
I learned of an additional service that will be added. Our local Ronald McDonald House will begin supporting children beyond the walls of the residence. A mobile cart will deliver books, magazines, puzzles, games, etc. to youth when they must remain hospitalized for a length of time.
I searched for possible items to add to the Book Shop as well as the mobile cart. These nifty Tiny World kits caught my eye. The projects are fun-to-create crafts. Self-contained packages include most materials and an instruction booklet.

I decided to try a test run with Tiny World: Pins! and document my experience. After opening the kit and examining all the items, I read through the directions and assembled the additional items needed to complete the project.
The step-by step instructions are easy to follow. Detailed illustrations are helpful. I was pleased with the finished product. It's a fun project!

There are enough supplies to make three pins. Zoo provides three pin designs within instructions. Other suggestions are in the back of the booklet. I'm considering the crab motif for my next pin. But maybe I'll get creative and try my own design.

Helpful Hints

• ​Don't color your paper sketch. It is difficult to see the areas that your markers may have missed when working directly on the plastic if the paper template is colored.
• Before you cut the plastic, hold the design up to window and inspect any areas needing a bit more color.
• Use a very sharp pair of small scissors and follow the instructions' cutting hints to create a precision shape.
• Two coats of white enamel paint take time to dry completely. I let mine dry overnight before gluing on the pin backing.
• Think about the space requirements needed to complete this project. You'll need a table with space to cut and color. Also, you may want to cover the surface when painting with enamel paint. You'll need an oven or toaster oven and a heat-resistant area when the cookie sheet comes out of the oven. Plan before you begin.
• As the package clearly states, this project requires adult supervision.

Copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: September 24, 2019 Publisher: Odd Dot ISBN: 978-1250203847