Cane River National Heritage Area, Inc. (CRNHA) will co-host a series of hands-on crafting workshops entitled, “Crafternoons at Los Adaes” in partnership with Northwestern State University of Louisiana’s School of Creative and Performing Arts. “It is our pleasure to once again partner with the School of Creative and Performing Arts, and to offer this heritage-inspired crafting series to our community,” commented Cynthia Sutton, CRNHA CEO.

The Crafternoons will take place inside the visitor center at Los Adaes State Historic Site and are scheduled for July 18, 20, 25, and 27 from 1-3 pm. Leslie Gruesbeck, Associate Professor of Art at NSULA will lead the workshops. “Each of these workshops is designed to teach novice students new techniques and encourage seasoned crafters to consider new directions. It’s our hope that participants will be inspired by these traditional crafts and continue exploring ways that crafts can enrich their daily lives,” remarked Gruesbeck.

· Tuesday, July 18 – Pragmatic Crochet will allow participants to learn simple stitches and techniques to create practical creations like pot scrubbers or door mats. There will also be discussions on the possibilities for upscale materials like plastic sacks and old clothing to create yarns for such projects.

· Thursday, July 20 – Inkle Weaving 101 will focus on a type of warp-faced weaving that uses a special loom to create ribbons, trims, or straps. Participants will have an opportunity to each warp an inkle loom and create a piece of cotton trim.

· Tuesday, July 25 – Felting Furry Friends will feature needle felting–a method of creating felted objects without using water. The special needles used to make 3D sculpture, jewelry, adornments and 2D art have notches along the shaft of the needle that catch fibers and tangle them with other fibers to produce felt. Participants will create a felted 3-d friend to take home.

· Thursday, July 27 – Bead on It! When bead weaving on a loom, designs are made by locking the beads in between the warp threads by the weft threads. Participants will have the opportunity to learn to read bead patterns and create a beaded piece of his or her own.

Participation is free, but space is limited. All attendees must be at least 12 years of age or older. Please call (318)356-5555 to reserve your space. Los Adaes is located just off Highway 6 near Robeline at 6354 Highway 485.