Remember when you were in elementary school, and you made picture frames out of popsicle sticks? Imagine as an adult creating a miniature replica of a church, complete with pews, lights and an organ that actually plays music. With Larry Crenshaw and his popsicle sticks, this is only the beginning.
Crenshaw, 41, began making crafts as a hobby with his daughter, Shelicia, three years ago in their North City home. He purchased a bundle of popsicle sticks from Family Dollar and began creating a two-story house with a detachable roof, stairs and separate bedrooms. It took about two weeks for the father and daughter to complete the project, but it was time well-spent.
“I have my kids to love my kids,” Crenshaw said. “They are my pride and joy.”
Crenshaw also has a son, Larry, who is now eighteen years old. Crenshaw said he stays actively involved in his children’s lives, supporting them financially and helping guide them toward success.
Also a role-model for the community, Crenshaw participates in coaching football, basketball and baseball at Matthew Dickey’s Boys and Girls Club. The neighborhood children seem to enjoy him as well. They call on Crenshaw to fix their bicycle flats and such.
“Once in a while, I display these out in the lawn so the kids can look at them,” he said.
The neighborhood kids, along with people driving by, were amazed at the exhibit, which included a miniature school, a Ferris wheel, a jewelry box and a remote control truck that Crenshaw made with his son. He also displayed an old-time saloon and mini-mall, which he created based on stories that his mother told him.
“She used to talk about how things used to look back in the day. I wanted to create those in memory of her,” Crenshaw said.
His crafts have been exhibited at the St. Louis Artist Guild on Big Bend and Clayton, where the jewelry box he created became a big hit. Not bad for a part-time hobby.
Crenshaw wishes to take his hobby to another level. A stationary engineer working for Schreiber Foods, Crenshaw worries that his job will fall through due to cutbacks.
“Being my color, I’ll be the first one to go. I know, because I have experienced it before,” Crenshaw said. He tries to be optimistic, though, hoping that his talent for crafts will enable him to achieve financial stability.
“I just want to be able to take care of my kids. It’s hard starting over,” he said. Also licensed in many trades, such as heating and cooling, Crenshaw has had to “start over” one too many times.
“What you see here is only phase one,” he said of his popsickle stick sculptures. Phase two will involve the creation of Busch Stadium, Sportsman’s Park and the new Cardinals stadium, complete with helicopters on the skyline.
Even more amazing are his plans for phase three. “I want to write the NFL and recreate past Super Bowls with the colors of the teams that played,” he said. From there, he’ll move on to baseball and amusement parks like Six Flags.
The possibilities are endless with his talent, patience and popsickle sticks.
“People say I have the patience of Job. It’s the Lord and my daughter who inspired it all,” he said.
Crenshaw hopes to inspire the next generation by teaching his art to school-aged children. He knows that crafts can help build a better foundation between parent and child, and a little bit of time can go a long way nowadays. Steering our children away from the streets is where community improvement begins.
“I want to apply for some grants so I can go into schools and teach this,” Crenshaw said. “Let’s take it back to the basics.”
