A new Quest class started this year with the help of Michele Hendrickson, a Lambs Farm Participant. Michele has cerebral palsy, which affects the movement of her right hand. Michele never lets her disability limit her love for crafts. Michele has always had a passion for art and is constantly finding ways to embrace her creativity. One of her favorite shows, “Making It,” highlights the best makers from around the country who take on a series of handmade projects that result in a final craft-off. After watching an episode that included a dollhouse challenge, she felt inspired by the contestants and thought Dollhouse Architecture would be a perfect Quest class.
Janine Neumann, a Quest Instructor, agreed with Michele and got the class up and running. Five Participants joined Michele and started building their dream homes. They used recycled cardboard for the foundation and all kinds of mixed media to help the house come together. Staff helped Participants use recycled wood to create tables, chairs and beds, tiles and carpet samples for flooring, toothpicks and little lights to make lamps and different paints to add splashes of color to the walls. “We liked being able to bounce ideas off the instructors and our friends in the class,” Michele said. “We all helped each other out.”
Each Participant architect thought outside the box to add their own personal touch to their house. There were dollhouses that had a movie theater with bright lights, pools made out of shiny sequins and windowsill gardens made from popsicle sticks.
The class ran for 12 weeks, and Participants had a great time using their imagination and artistic abilities. “Everyone loved designing the houses, and it was so fun bringing their creative ideas to life,” Janine said.
Quest looks forward to seeing what designs the next Dollhouse Architecture class comes up with!