Published 09.06.2026
by Kids’ Own
by Kids’ Own
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A children's arts organisation and publishing house.
Children and families gathered on Saturday for a wonderful day of creativity, imagination, and hands-on making at our Cruinniú na nÓg Book Making Jamboree.
The day began at Mail Coach Road Community Centre, where artist Anna Spearman led an accordion book-making workshop. Using a variety of objects to trace and create shapes, children designed their own unique books. No two creations were alike. Some children experimented with tracing paper, while one participant transformed their book into a mobile, showing just how inventive a simple book can become.
Next up was a paper-making workshop with artist Naomi Draper at Cranmore Community Centre. Naomi introduced the children to the paper-making process before guiding them through creating their own sheets of handmade paper. There was great excitement as everyone got their hands wet and worked with the pulp. The session had a lovely atmosphere, and the children thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Naomi brought the freshly made paper home to dry and will post it back to the children once it is ready to use.
The creativity continued at Liber Bookshop, where artist Karina Nachbar invited children to design their own superhero capes. Working on cloth capes that they could take home, the children created a wide range of colourful and imaginative designs. Each cape reflected its maker’s individual ideas, interests, and personality.
The final workshop of the day took place in The Canopy with artist Brenda Kearney. Brenda brought along beautiful tissue paper, card, and other materials, giving children the freedom to create books in their own style. The workshop provided a lovely opportunity for children to explore bookmaking in an open-ended and creative way.
A huge thank you to Project Manager Terry for organising such a fantastic day of activities and to all the artists who shared their skills, creativity, and enthusiasm with participants throughout the day.
The Book Making Jamboree was funded by Sligo Library as part of Cruinniú na nÓg 2026.
