Creativity Lab

The Creativity Lab brings creative distractions into your home every week via Instagram.

Dove Shadow Puppets

Doves have been a symbol for peace and love in many different cultures over thousands of years. Make your own dove shadow puppet in celebration of the International Day of Peace (Sept. 21).

Gather some construction paper (black construction paper is ideal, but any paper will work), a pencil, bamboo skewers, some tape, and scissors or an Exacto knife.

Draw your puppet on the paper and use scissors or an Exacto knife (with an adult helper, if needed) to cut out your design.

Tape a bamboo skewer - or any kind of stick - and attach to the back of your puppet. Find a blank wall and shine a light on your puppet. The closer your puppet is to the light, the bigger your puppet’s shadow will be.

Put on a peace play for family and friends!

Share your peace puppets with us at #TheHAtHome on Instagram

Herb and Spice and Everything Nice Play Dough

Want to make deliciously scented play dough with herbs and spices that you have around your home? Follow the steps below to make your own Herb and Spice and Everything Nice Play Dough.

Materials:
Flour
Salt
Oil
Cream of tartar powder
Natural coloring like beets or turmeric
Natural aromas like mint, sage, or rosemary

STEP 1:
1 cup flour
3/4 cup salt
1 tbsp cream of tartar
2-3 tbsp of natural coloring agent

In a medium-size bowl, combine all the dry ingredients!

STEP 2:
3/4 cup warm water
1 tbsp oil
1-2 tbsp of finely grated beet, or turmeric, or ground cinnamon

In a medium-size bowl, combine all the wet ingredients!

STEP 3: Combine wet and dry ingredients in one bowl and knead until it has the consistency of cookie dough.

STEP 4: Let the dough have a rest for 5 minutes!

STEP 5: Create shapes with dough and roll in fresh herbs of your choice. Keep dough in an airtight plastic bag in cupboard or fridge.

Don’t forget to upload and tag your work #TheHAtHome on Instagram

Leaf Buddies

This Huntington Creativity Lab is called “Leaf Buddies!” All you need are some plant materials and your imagination.

• If possible, go for a walk outside your home and gather things that inspire you, such as leaves, buds, flowers, seeds, or other found objects. Choose materials that are different shapes, textures, colors, and sizes.

• Look at the shapes. Do any of them remind you of a bird, a fish, or any other creature? Turn them around and upside down until you “see” something. If you look long enough, an animal will emerge!

• Assemble your shapes with glue or tape on a background of your choice. Or simply arrange them on the page, and then have fun rearranging them to form different animals. Ta-da! You have a Leaf Buddy!

Don’t forget to upload and tag your pieces #TheHAtHome on Instagram

Color Scapes: Green

Let’s explore the color green in our collections for “Color Scapes: Green.” Try describing green without using the word green. How would the color feel if you could touch it? How does it taste? How does it sound? How does green move? What does green make you think of? How does green make you feel? Write down those words or draw out your ideas. You just created a green poem! Don’t forget to upload and tag your pieces #TheHAtHome on Instagram

Still Life with Green Chair (1950) by Roger Medearis

Drawing Together

Gather your family and friends and create a communal drawing! Select someone to start the drawing, then let everyone take a turn adding something to it. Watch your drawing transform as more people contribute. Share your collaborative masterpieces with us and don’t forget to tag at #TheHAtHome on Instagram

Book of Bogyes (1866-1873) by Horatio Joseph Lucas and John Tienniel.

Color Escapes: Red

Let’s explore the color red in our collections for “Color Escapes: Red.” Try describing red without using the word red. How does the color feel if you could touch it? How does it taste? How does it sound? How does red move? What does red make you think of? How does red make you feel? Write down those words or draw out your ideas. You just created a red poem! Don’t forget to upload and tag your pieces #TheHAtHome on Instagram

Word Play

Explore our art collections online and take the titles of the works of art you like the best and write them down, one word on each small piece of paper. Then think of three words that you associate with each artwork and write them down on pieces of paper as well. Fold all the pieces of paper so you can’t see them and mix your words up in a bowl. Select some words from the bowl and start your “word play.”

Select and arrange the words to make a poem of any form. Don’t forget to submit your word play poems to #TheHAtHome

Plant-astic Collage

Go for a collections walk inside or outside your home and gather leaves, flowers, and any other objects that inspire you. Gather plant parts with different shapes and textures. Try including an item with fragrance, such as fresh or dried cooking herbs (sage or rosemary are two examples), to add scent to your collage. Don’t see any flowers to pick or any leaves to gather? Make some out of paper. Experiment with the materials you find; no two plant-astic collages will look the same, and that’s the fun of it.

Then create your own background from a piece of cardboard, thick paper, or a box lid. Stick your creations in place with glue or tape. Display your plant-astic collage for all to enjoy! Post your creations on Instagram and tag us #TheHAtHome

Galactic Travelers

In this Creativity Lab, we’re sending your imagination to outer space! Listen to our “Radiant Beauty” soundtrack on Spotify. It was inspired by E. L. Trouvelot’s depictions of planets and the cosmos. Imagine galaxies and planets, then have a go at drawing or painting them!

Post your galactic visions on Instagram and tag us #TheHAtHome

Tell A Tree

This Huntington Creativity Lab is a celebration of trees in honor of Earth Day (April 22.) Trees can be some of the largest living things on Earth, and some can live more than a thousand years. From the tallest kauri tree in California to the smallest of bonsai, The Huntington has over 3100 trees in our collection. Our life on this planet would not be possible without trees, from the air we breathe, the shelters we make, and the food that nourishes us and other animals. If you could tell a tree why you love them, what would you say?

“Dear Tree, I’d like to thank you for_______________”

Share what you would tell a tree with us by commenting on our Instagram!

Creative Combos

Another Monday, another Huntington Creativity Lab! Today we have “Creative Combos”- inspired by American artist Robert Rauschenberg and his Global Loft (Spread) from 1979. Follow the prompts below to create your own unique collage and don’t forget to upload and tag your pieces #TheHAtHome on Instagram

1. Go for a collections walk inside or outside your home and gather materials that inspire you, such as colored paper, leaves, flowers, pebbles, buttons, and other found objects.
2. Create your own background from a piece of cardboard or a box lid. Use glue or any kind of tape to hold your objects in place.
3. Think about your creative combo and experiment by arranging your objects before you glue them down. Does a piece of gold candy wrapper look great behind that leaf?
4. Don’t forget to upload and tag your masterpieces #TheHAtHome on Instagram!

Color Escapes: Blue

The next installment of our weekly is “Color Escapes: Blue”. Try describing blue without using the word blue. How does the color feel if you could touch it? How does it taste? How does it sound? How does blue move? What does blue make you think of? How does blue make you feel? Write down those words or draw out your ideas. You just created a blue poem! Don’t forget to upload and tag your pieces #TheHAtHome on Instagram

Woman in Interior (1901) by Alfred Henry Maurer.

Cactus Talk

The first installment, Cactus Talk, asks followers to draw a cactus, put a face on it, and share what it’s thinking and feeling in a speech bubble. Below are a collection of whimsical masterpieces! See more on Instagram tagged #TheHAtHome.