Rockingham/Strafford County 4-H 2023 Winter Makers Mates

4-H Makers Mates IS BACK! We are offering this beloved program again this winter season but this time we are cranking it up several notches.

Makers Mates is exactly like the traditional Pen Pals program, but with a fun 4-H twist! Instead of trading letters with your buddy, you trade a piece of art or a craft of some kind that YOU MAKE.

This year, we will kick off the program with a Craftapalooza on Thursday, March 2. At Craftapalooza, youth will work through a few guided crafts of their choice. They will leave with a few finished crafts and several ideas and instructions for craft ideas for their Maker Mate.

Then, we will be having our Virtual Reveal Party on Wednesday, March 15 at 5:00pm.

Sign up for Makers Mates via 4-H Online by Thursday, February 16, 2023. You will then be linked with a Maker Mate of a similar age and receive some more information about them to give you some ideas for what to make. You do not need to sign up for Makers Mates to participate in Craftapalooza or vice versa, but you should do both because it’s the most fun that way!

Inspiration

Need some inspiration for what you create? Check out some of these great ideas!

• Playful Pencil Pals
• Sew Your Own Lucky 4-H Clover
• Bookmarks from the Ways to Create. So many ways to make your bookmarks super fun and exciting! Consider making a collection for your new Maker Mate, using several of the ideas.
• Stickers from Scratch from marthastewart.com. Who doesn’t love stickers? Follow this guide to making your own stickers using pictures from magazines or online. Use them to decorate your envelopes and to send to your Maker’s Mate so they can enjoy them where ever they want. Don’t forget to send instructions on how to attach them.
• Melted Bead Suncatchers. Follow the instructions in this tutorial to make colorful sun catchers that will brighten someone's day.
• Ladybug Painted Rocks. Get ready for spring with this fun and easy craft that will cheer up your mood, desk and garden.
• Dried Leaves and Flowers. Send a little bit of your own backyard through the mail using this handy guide to pressing leaves and flowers. Make sure they’re safely wrapped for their journey through the mail – they tend to be fragile.
• Craft Stick Photo Puzzles from craftulate. Take a picture – of a tree, a bird, a flower, a favorite 4-H project, whatever you like, and follow these instructions on how to make a photo puzzle with craft sticks. 
• Stained Glass Bunting. Craft this beautiful garland with a stained glass effect and  cheer up someone's party with this easy to make craft.