Craft Circle: Boondoggle Keychains

Craft Circle is back at the North-East Branch of the Kansas City Public Library on Tuesday, October 13, from 6 to 7 PM. This month's project is boondoggle keychains—those colorful, woven plastic cords that most of us remember from summer camp. If you've never made one, the library provides all the materials and simple instruction to get you started. If you're already mid-project on something else, you're welcome to bring it along and work on it while you hang out.

The session is for ages 13 and up, and it's as much about the company as the crafting. You can spend the hour picking up a new skill, or just bring your own project and work alongside other people while music plays in the background. It's a low-pressure way to spend a Tuesday evening: you leave with something made, and you get to chat with people in the neighborhood while you do it.

The North-East Branch is a long-standing part of the Historic Northeast, a neighborhood known for its large immigrant population and a growing number of young professionals. The branch dates back to 1914, when it occupied Northeast High School, before it was formed in 1986 from the merger of the library's East and Blue Valley locations and moved into its current building three years later. The facility underwent extensive renovation during the COVID-19 pandemic and reopened in 2021. It serves one of the city's most linguistically diverse communities—with an estimated 55 languages spoken among 9,000 residents—and houses the system's primary collection of materials in Spanish and other world languages.

Craft Circle runs on the second Tuesday of each month, so if you miss this one, there's another coming up soon. This session is at 6000 Wilson Avenue, Kansas City, MO 64123, from 6 to 7 PM, and it's free.