Channel Your Inner Artist at Paxton Gate’s Bookmaking Workshop

My favorite Wheat Thin-sized book!

A couple years ago I dated a guy in art school.  I know, I know — mistake.  I mean, I love artists, but y’all are crazy.  Of course, that same insanity, which I guess could also be described as passion if you’re not as misanthropic as me, is precisely what makes inspiring, meaningful and interesting art.

Anyway, while this guy and I were seeing each other, he took a bookmaking class at school.  I was beyond jealous.  He would come home with all these cool little projects and I would be like, “Whatever.  Look what I made today that’s so much better,” and then show him some awesome Spirographs I had  hung all over on the fridge.

This weekend I can finally release that still-festering jealousy by attending a bookmaking workshop at Paxton Gate’s Curiosities For Kids.  The store will provide everything needed to make amazing books and local artist Lauren Chanel Cobb will act as teacher, guide, and perhaps even muse.  The process of bookmaking, as I picked up from my friend yapping about his class, involves few materials (paper, book thread, cardboard) and becomes fairly simple once you’ve mastered it.  Though Paxton Gate will provide the paper, you’re free to bring your own to make your books even more personalized.  It’s a little early to start thinking about Valentine’s Day, but these puppies make super cute handmade gifts once you fill them with sweet nothings like “Let’s have a baby together!”  If that’s not quite your bag (or your significant other’s), since you’ll already be at the shop, you can always pick up a pickled baby head in a jar or something.