Last month, Mannequin Madness brought its flower crown workshop back to the Pleasant Hill Library — the third time we’ve been invited.
After hosting numerous workshops across the Bay Area, we’ve designed this workshop to be engaging, hands-on, easy to host, and grounded in STEAM learning and sustainability. And it sends participants home with something they’re excited about wearing.
At first glance, flower crown making looks like a simple craft. But as participants design their headpieces, they’re working through balance, spatial awareness, and creative problem-solving — real design thinking, just hands-on.
Selecting colors, arranging embellishments, and building something by hand also makes for a calming, tactile break from screens. Participants are having so much fun that they don’t notice how much focused learning is happening underneath it.
The sustainability piece comes in through materials: participants create on recycled mannequin heads from our warehouse, and the flowers are faux — often sourced from creative reuse centers — so what they make can be worn again and again, not tossed after one wear.
No two crowns look alike as you can see from the photos we are posting from some of the participants.. There’s no template to follow, so everyone’s working from their own point of view. The only real skill required is knowing how to use a glue gun, which keeps the workshop accessible.
When someone places their finished crown on their head, they’re not just wearing flowers. They’re wearing a solved design challenge — a small act of creative courage, and the confidence of having made something themselves
While many participants go floral, others build whimsical, fantasy, or nature-inspired designs using the feathers, butterflies, gems, and beads we bring alongside the flowers. Every time they wear it — or post a photo in it — they’re reminded of that positive experience at the library.
Our most recent session at this library was only for teens. The two prior workshops were open to anyone age 8 and up. This one filled to capacity, with every spot reserved before the workshop began.
To protect the privacy of our youth participants, the photos here focus on the crowns themselves, hands at work, and the creative process rather than faces — we hope they still capture the joy and imagination that filled the room.
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Pleasant Hill is just one part of our growing library partnerships across the Bay Area. We’ve presented at every branch in the San Mateo County Libraries system, several more than once, plus workshops at the Walnut Creek Library.
Libraries love that we bring everything needed — all they provide is a room, tables, chairs and an access to electrical outlets. Even branches without a dedicated maker space, like Pleasant Hill, can pull off a great event.
As the owner of Mannequin Madness, this work is personal for me. I spent a lot of time in libraries as a kid, and as a young adult, visiting the local library was one of the first things I’d do in any new city.
Back then, libraries were quiet places for reading and studying. Watching them evolve into vibrant community spaces — places where people don’t just discover ideas but bring them to life — has been remarkable to see.
Literacy is still at the heart of it all, but I love that maker activities have found a home there too. I’m grateful Mannequin Madness gets to be part of that.
If you’re looking for a fresh addition to your library’s youth programming calendar, we’d love to talk about bringing Mannequin Madness to your community. We can tailor materials around cultural celebrations or seasonal themes that fit your audience. [Learn more about our Flower Crown Experiences here.]
The workshop profiled in this article was sponsored by the Friends of the Pleasant Hill Library. If your library has a similar support group, they could be a funding source worth exploring.
Visit our website to shop for mannequins and dress forms, rent display pieces, or recycle your old mannequins.
