Last week I hosted a Spring Break Sampler Camp at the Agoura Hills Rec Center. The kids and I had a great week creating together. We had projects to explore like CD Spinners, Egg Carton Animal Portraits and Cardboard Houses and of course, open-ended art which always takes top billing.
Riley summed up our week with the highest compliment of all when she said, ” I like this art camp the best, we don’t have to make stuff”. I knew just what she meant- everything is there to explore, they did what they liked, each of them. There were collaborations, solo creations, and drawing competitions. There were as many ways to go as there were kids to make. A gaggle of kids inspired one another to make fuzzy cats and squirrels from an old scrap of cozy material. Creativity is an infinite source when in the hands of a child.
I look forward to a fun-filled summer with all my camps where we’ll create again! Check out my camp line-up here.

As of March 6, CReATE STUDIO is 15 years old.
Thinking back, I smile at the varied iterations of the studio, all the wonderful families I have met and gotten to know. I beam at the thought of the kids who have created with me since 2009.

I am proud of what I’ve created, this space to express ones own ideas and imaginings through the reuse of recycled materials. Mixing recycling and reusing with creativity. It’s a natural partnership and yet a unique to approach to art. As a child of the 70’s, this was how I have experienced art myself-ever teetering on the verge of play.

Saying yes to kid ideas and queries is empowering for them. Encouraging parents to say yes to kid ideas is success for all of us. Here’s to many more years of creating to come. I can’t wait.

Happy Birthday CReATE!

-Jemma

Happy New Year!

Here’s to good cheer, creativity and prosperity for all!
As author Julia Cameron says in The Artist’s Way‘s Basic Principles; “Creativity is the natural order of life. Life is energy: pure creative energy.” May we all connect with that part of ourselves as we meet our daily to-do’s and experiences.
Let’s create in 2024!

The novelty of Summer can wear us out just a few days after school gets out! Try out my five summer fun activity options to keep kids busy and help your kids connect with their creativity. Prepare for them now so they are ready and waiting in the wings whenever you need them.

• Boredom Jar– Sit down with the family to pick some at-home activities they can do this summer and put them on slips of paper to go in the jar! They can decorate the jar now or later as part of the activity!
• Ingredients and directions for making Salt Dough, a great dough with just 3 ingredients to play with, create characters with or use to create ornaments or decorations to bake and paint!
• Fill a bin or basket with recyclables and stock with a few rolls of making tape and scissors. Store it away until you need a break.
• Let the kids “Yarn Bomb” a room! Pre-buy or set aside a skein of yarn per child who will participate then on the day you need some time, tell them the room and any restrictions like closets or fragile things to avoid as well as borders they can cross. Let them tie off the start of the strings and wrap up the room, under legs, over tables and around chairs! When they are done, give them each scissors to cut it all down and save the string for future creative fun!
• Save a clear pasta sauce or other jar and clean and remove any labels. Have the recipe, jar and baking supplies to make Chocolate Cookie in a Jar mix in a pinch! Then you’ll have a hostess gift or, gift for a favorite neighbor.

As parents, sometimes it’s our being prepared for anything skills that can win the day and make the happiest memories for our families.
Enjoy!
Jemma W.
Owner/Founder

My, how time flies. This May marks 14 years for CReATE STUDIO.
When I had the idea to start the studio using recycled household materials as art materials, I took a “next indicated step” approach to bringing it to life.
When deciding what to call this art studio, the word create seemed the most fitting word I could use to call it and describe what one could do there.
There have been many phases of the studio space that has gone from garage to sore front and now- to being exclusively mobile. None of these evolutions and pivots have happened overnight. Each has been an integral part of the journey, organically. Isn’t that what creativity is all about. The studio, to my joy has remained true to the word and it’s meaning.

Happy birthday dear CReATE. I’m so happy to be a part of you and, you of me.
Jemma Wildermuth,
Owner, Founder

The momentum of my #30daysofreuse campaign in April is still playing out in my mind. I love sharing reuse tips and inspirations.

As I having been visiting school campuses for enrichment classes I have been seeing lots of ” Lost And Found” carts over-run with kids jackets, sweatshirts, and water bottles. Looking through one of these carts to find that nearly all the items on the cart had no kids names on them. No way to get reunited.

Once these clothing piles get over-sized and no one claims the items the schools will donate the wears. And this is the plan year after year.

Writing your kids names in their school attire is one of the little things that can support our planet and our people. Labeling kids belongings builds good habits, sets them up for success and cuts down on on the expense of replacing them.
Together, as we all participate in these little things, they add up to big changes for the good.

Jemma W.
Owner/Founder

Join me at Malibu Bluffs park for a fun-filled Valentine-themed sewing class on Saturday, February 11th from 10-12am.
Learn the basics and leave with a project for someone you love! You’ll also leave with a grab-bag to keep the sewing going at home!
Register here.

Sew with you soon!
Jemma W.

I am so excited to be offering three new birthday party packages!

These new packages create even more memorable birthday fun in addition to my creatively classic Eco Art package.
Check out my Celebrate page to get all the details about CReATE Stations for Little Hands, Fairy & Gnome Worlds and Wood Working too. Each package option includes all the materials and supplies kids need to make projects that fit their themes.
Do you have a child who loves Fairies? They can create a fairy home the way they imagine it with bits of this and dashes of that, any fairy would love. Have a future wood worker on your hands? Hammers, nails goggles and a little enthusiasm gets birthday party friends creating simple wood projects they can be proud of, and just tinker with wood too, while building basic carpentry skills. Little ones love to explore and experience their settings so with their package they can meander through different table stations that let them make and play in their creative experiences.
All in all, more creative fun is meant to be had.

I can’t wait to create with you!
Jemma W.
Owner/Founder

It’s a new day and a new year! Time to take stock and to branch out.

This year I hope to bring a little more eco to my eco art practices and offerings. Inspired by the beauty of nature, I am encouraged to do more, share more of what I can. That is ideas, inspirations and creations to be part of the change I wish to see in being mindful of what I use and how I use it so as not to deplete the beauty I see.
I hope in doing so that I can be a part of what inspires you to do what you can to be part of the good we can do for Mother Earth this year for her, for us and for all living things.

With Love,

Jemma W.
Owner/Founder

I imagine that most of you already recycle — yay! However, Nov 15th is still a great day to ask ourselves what more we can do. 

I think about the purposeful ordering of the slogan “Reduce, reuse, recycle.”   Recycling is an amazing and wonderful way to help the planet. We should all be proud that we are actively doing so every day.  But, let’s not skip over steps 1 and 2:  “reduce” and “reuse.” 

Reducing single use, not recyclable or not often recycled products (like plastics) can make a huge impact.  And of course there is reuse — which is what we do a lot of at the studio by turning recyclable goods into art.  For inspiration on seasonal creative projects you can make at home with recycled goods, check out my Pinterest page.

Even if you’re not up for an art project, there’s plenty to reuse around the house. So ask yourself, before you toss that glass jam jar into the recycle bin — is there another use for it?  Perhaps to store left overs in the fridge or grains in the cupboard instead of buying new storage jars?  Or fill it with flowers with a simple ribbon for a hostess gift.  Whatever you can do will be a help.  I’m always amazed at how small changes made by each of us, can amount to great change as a community.

Find out more about America Recycles Day here.

Warm Regards,

Alora C.
Sustainability Planner