New life for mushrooms

May 13, 2024

Every Wednesday, Lilleke hosts a creative club, the aim of which is to use existing materials, meaning we focus on recycling. In cooperation with youth workers, the young people of Lilleke undertook a project to give old chairs new life in the form of colorful mushrooms. The project was worked on for three months and involved several stages.

Stage I

First, we found old chairs in the basement, removed their old fabric, and cleaned them of dust. Previously, youth workers had purchased the necessary materials, and the young people could start crafting immediately. Then, appropriately sized padding was cut from multi-layered wadding to be used in chair making in addition to foam. The activity required precision and patience.

Stage II

Next, the young people were able to choose the color of fabric they wished to use for the mushrooms. The available colors were blue, pink, purple, white, and green. In addition to the fabric that covered the mushroom, decorations were also added. Green fabric was used for leaves, pink for stars, and white for cow spots. Sewing the decorations proved more challenging than anticipated, so we also used textile glue. The process required dedication and was completed over several days.

Stage III

Once the mushroom caps were made, it was time to deal with their stems. First, we painted the mushroom stems entirely white, as the old paint had worn off. Then, we provided young people with various acrylic paints they could use to decorate the stems. We didn't set direct restrictions on this, but we emphasized respecting other drawings, meaning not drawing over others' creations. Young people enjoyed this stage the most, as they could unleash their creativity and relieve stress through it.

As a result, colorful chairs were created, which decorate the center's premises and are actively used by young people. We have carried out similar activities before, and since young people enjoy it very much, we wish to continue with similar projects in the future.

news:

Opinion Piece by a Youth Worker: The Importance of Imagination in Youth Work

At the Lillekese Youth Center, we have always supported young people’s desire and interest in playing fantasy-world games in a physical environment. During our first year of operation, playing “café” was a very popular activity—the café had its own menu, meal times, and waitstaff. An entire room at the youth center was transformed into one big dining area. One of the young people’s biggest favorites this year has been playing “apocalypse.”

So what to do with all this free time—the joys and worries of summer break

Summer is in full swing. Temperatures are climbing steadily, and there’s more and more time to spend at the beach chasing the waves. Summer is a great time to really slow down, put your feet up, and take a few nice, slow breaths. In everyday life and in a society where great emphasis is placed on productivity and rushing around, we tend to

A Youth Worker's Story: The Best Training of My Life—How I Developed My Creativity in Norway

SALTO-YOUTH.net is a real treasure trove. For those who haven’t come across it yet—simply put, it’s a pan-European network for supporting and developing youth work, which offers non-formal learning materials to youth workers and youth leaders and organizes training sessions and networking activities as part of the European Commission’s training strategy. I found a training course titled “Creative Self – Art Practices” in the SALTO training calendar

Do digital environments bring us together or make us more lonely?

Have you ever had a day where you’ve been chatting with friends on Snapchat, Instagram, or Discord all day long, but still feel lonely in the evening? It might seem strange—how can we feel lonely when we’re connected to others almost all the time? Loneliness is a topic that’s being discussed more and more. According to the World Health Organization, about

Philosophizing with Children and Youth

Many 21st-century skills are closely linked to thinking skills. These include, for example, creative and critical thinking, as well as a collaborative and caring mindset. These skills can also be developed in youth work through philosophizing with children and young people. Philosophizing creates more space for discussion and helps participants become more skilled at articulating their opinions, listening to others, making decisions, and

The Tartu Youth Work Brigade’s anniversary summer kicks off with a parade and an evening of work brigade songs

Today, June 15, Tartu will kick off the 30th summer of the Tartu Youth Work Camp, which will bring together 238 young people this year. The opening event of this anniversary year begins at 4:30 p.m. in the courtyard of the Anne Youth Center and proceeds with a parade to Town Hall Square, where the start of the work camp season will be celebrated with a speech by Mayor Urmas Klaas and the taking of the work camp oath. The opening ceremony will be followed at 7 p.m. by an evening of work camp songs in Tartu

Ukrainian Youth in Tartu: A Week That Left a Lasting Impression

In early June, from June 8–14, the Tartu Youth Work Center had the extraordinary honor and pleasure of hosting young people from Ukraine—young people whose lives have been completely turned upside down by the war. The camp was made possible thanks to financial support from the City of Tartu, and the Tartu Youth Work Center wholeheartedly took on the task of organizing the program. The week began creatively—in a stencilling workshop, the young people