From Wood to Paint to Rope to Springy Tubey Things

During last week's After School Special Session, the Tinkerers expanded way beyond just screws and wood, and into creative incorporation of mixed media into their One Inch Tall project. This part of the process is always very fascinating to me, and it seems to always happen in our sessions -- once a conceptual project is drafted into a rough skeleton, the Tinkerers are able to suddenly consider all sorts of aesthetic details: What color is it? Does it move, and how? Should we add some texture? How can we simulate some effect using stuff around the shop? Look at all this stuff around the shop!

They discover paint, and hinges, and rope, and casters, and all sorts of other things, and those things then get folded into the project. What I find particularly interesting is the non-functional aesthetic details. I mean, sometimes a project just needs a purple smiley face, or a golden ponytail. Decoration is an essential recharging moment for these young builders, as well as a moment to incorporate their other skills and interests.

And now that the paint and glue have had the weekend to dry, we will continue building today!