March is National Craft Month and to celebrate, the library is highlighting some of the great titles we have available to help inspire you to make something truly special either for yourself or as a gift for a loved one. Learn about all the latest trends like quilling paper and Zentangle or start learning a classic like pottery or origami. If you can’t make it into the library, we also have a collection of eBooks you can check out on Overdrive and read on your tablet or eReader no matter where you are, which you can access by clicking here. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination, so pick up one of these books today and start crafting!
The Art of Quilling Paper Jewelry by Ann Martin
Create exquisite paper jewelry with the look of copper, silver, and gold!
Discover how the centuries old technique of quilling paper can give you modern, sophisticated jewelry without a high price tag. Author and quilling enthusiast Ann Martin shows you how to turn metallic-edged papers into stunning–and sturdy–earrings and pendants in The Art of Quilling Paper Jewelry.
Whether you’re an experienced jewelry maker looking for new techniques or a quiller who wants to turn your creations into one-of-a-kind jewelry, this guide to gilded paper jewelry has what you need. Pairing step-by-step illustrations with detailed tutorials on rolling coils, scrolls, and other unique quilled shapes, The Art of Quilling Paper Jewelry shows you how to create twenty eye-catching designs. With Ann’s expert guidance and a few minimal tools and supplies, you can create your own wearable paper art and more!
Description from Amazon.
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Origami Ikebana by Benjamin Coleman
Make realistic and decorative paper flower arrangements with this stunning origami book.
The Japanese art of flower arranging is an age-old practice that honors nature and creates beauty through harmony and balance. This brand new book, Origami Ikebana, shows you how to create unique ikebana-inspired paper flower arrangements any time of the year.
Since discovering ikebana some years ago, origami artist and author Benjamin Coleman has worked on developing techniques that enable him to create ikebana-style floral arrangements with simple folded paper. In this book, Coleman combines the principles and techniques of ikebana, origami and makigami (paper rolling) to create beautiful and lifelike paper flower arrangements. You’ll learn how to construct stems from paper-mache-like makigami rolls and cap them with exquisite folded paper flowers and leaves, as well as how to display the arrangements on stone-like bases made of paper.
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Happy Handmade Home by Elsie Larson & Emma Chapman
Step inside the world of Elsie and Emma, the sisters behind the décor blog A Beautiful Mess. With tiny budgets and a crafty, can-do attitude, they overhauled each room in their first homes with DIY projects using family photos, vibrant fabrics, flea-market finds, and affordable furniture. Now, you can learn how to paint, craft, and decorate your way to a happy, bright space with distinct personality. In the same upbeat spirit and modern style found on their blog, you’ll find fresh, all-new projects including:
• An inspired geometric-pattern coffee table made of balsa wood
• A hand-lettered statement wall featuring your favorite quote
• A quick and easy electrical tape update for your refrigerator
• A set of beautifully designed serving dishes
And more!
Packed with bonus styling tips from hanging the perfect gallery wall to making mismatched furniture work, Happy Handmade Home is design inspiration for personalizing your own space.
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Handmade Pottery at Home by Frida Anthin Broberg
Have you always wanted to know how to make pottery but been daunted by the techniques or put off by expensive equipment? This book includes everything you need to know to make beautiful pottery by hand in your own home. Learn to create pots, plates, bowls, mugs, candle holders, trays, jugs and much more – all without a potter’s wheel. Packed with tips, techniques and inspiration, you’ll be inspired by the beautiful photography and practical projects. Every design is accompanied by clear step-by-step illustrated instructions so professional results are easy to achieve. And when you’ve finished making your piece, you don’t even need your own kiln – simply pop along to one of the numerous pottery cafes to fire it!
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Martha Stewart’s Encyclopedia of Crafts by Martha Stewart
For nearly 20 years, home crafters have turned to the pages of Martha Stewart Living for all kinds of crafts projects, each presented in the magazine’s inimitable style. Now, the best of those projects, including step-by-step instructions and full-color photographs, have been collected into a single encyclopedia.
Organized by topic from A to Z, Martha Stewart’s Encyclopedia of Crafts contains complete instructions and brief histories for more than 30 techniques, detailed descriptions of the necessary tools and materials, and easy-to-copy templates. Martha and her team of crafts editors guide readers through each subject, from botanical pressing and decoupage to rubber stamping and wreaths, with characteristic clarity and unparalleled attention to detail.
Crafters of all skill and experience levels will appreciate the many variations presented for each technique. For example, candlemaking presents a comprehensive array of poured, rolled, and cutout candles, including instructions for making your own one-of-a-kind rubber candle molds, floating candles, sand candles, and more. Each craft in the book takes on charming new dimensions with innovations that could come only from the team behind Martha Stewart Living.
In addition, each entry in Martha Stewart’s Encyclopedia of Crafts is chock-full of tips and advice. Handy glossaries in the entries–such as a comprehensive gem glossary, a glitter glossary, and a color glossary for making tinted wax–are valuable references that crafters will refer to again and again. What’s more, the Tools and Materials section outlines the best essential supplies that every crafter needs to have on hand, and the Sources pages clue readers in to the vendors and suppliers that the magazine’s crafts editors rely on most.
Filled with solid technical know-how, and presented with gorgeous color photographs, this handy guide can be read page by page and kept as a lasting reference by crafters and artisans alike.
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Sea Glass Jewelry by Lindsay Furber & Mary Beth Beuke
GIFTS FROM THE SEA
Gather beautiful beach glass with its mysterious ocean-tumbled shapes and rainbow of bright hues. Add your personal creativity and some basic jewelry making techniques. Enjoy your stunning, wearable, one-of-a-kind keepsakes!
With gorgeous color photographs and step-by-step instructions, this book teaches the essential skills, like drilling glass, wire wrapping, and texturing metal, to turn your beach-found bounty into attractive accessories, including:
•Adorable bracelets
•Stylish pendants
•Sparkly earrings
•Eye-catching rings
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Beaded Jewelry by Maya Brenner
Author Maya Brenner has designed jewelry for Cameron Diaz, Anne Hathaway, and Reese Witherspoon. Now crafters can create her exclusive designs with simple step-by-step projects that can be done inexpensively at home. With clear explanations of beading techniques, inspirational color charts, and tips on what equipment (and what not) to buy, Beaded Jewelry gives crafters the know-how to design and make their own unbelievably beautiful jewelry.
A craft book with both style and substance, Beaded Jewelry contains 18 stunning projects, including necklaces, earrings, and bracelets, as well as specially commissioned photographs that clearly show each inspiring step-by-step sequence.
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Never Been Stitched by Amanda Carestio
Imaginative, inventive, and filled with beautiful things to make, Never Been Stitched is the ultimate collection of no- and low-sew projects. Thanks to fusible webbing, fabric glue, grommets, and other fun materials and techniques, crafters barely need a needle. Forty-five fast and simple items range from a folded market bag to a cute kid’s apron to a plush pillow. A short basics section plus templates help even beginners create quick and stylish garments, home décor, and other accessories.
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Snuggle and Play Crochet by Carolina Guzman Benitez
Snuggle up with a crochet comforter or play with a colourful character–this unique collection of 40 amigurumi patterns are simple to stitch and super cute!
Featuring crochet toy patterns including boy and girl dolls, dogs and cats, bears and bunnies and many more, this amazing collection will give you over 40 different crochet toys to create.
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Flower Power Patchwork by Anne-Pia Godske Rasmussen
Gorgeous designs, a kaleidoscope of ideas and a book packed with inspiration. Anne-Pia shows how to make beautiful patchwork and appliqued flowers that can be applied to home items and gifts in innovative and charming ways. With illustrations, diagrams, patterns and templates she presents a stunning range of projects including book covers, pincushions, bags, needle cases for knitters and crocheters, cushions, pillows, quilts and containers.
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Altered Art by Terry Taylor
A fast-growing craft trend, handled by experts.
Choose an objects familiar tools, materials, and processes in entirely new ways. Paint, collage, pierce, sew, and cut the pages of an old book.
Change an ordinary candy tin into a charming decorative storage case with paper scraps, metal grommets, and paint. The possibilities are infinite.
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Lazing on a Sunday Crafternoon by Eliza Muldoon
A year’s worth of really simple Sunday afternoon craft projects for parents to undertake with their kids—great fun and easy to make for even the most artistically challenged.
A collection of 52 blissfully simple craft ideas to make with a child helper, this beautiful book will have you creating delightful things out of everyday household items using nothing more than your own time and ingenuity. An adult and child can while away hours of crafting fun with Eliza Muldoon as she explains how to make these easy projects—a child’s headband or apron, peg dolls, skirts and shoe adornments, practical bags, tool belts, felt food or felt folk finger puppets, elegant envelopes, and unique artworks to adorn the home.
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Craft-a-Doodle by Jenny Doh
Using a simple doodle as a starting point, 18 artists take you on an inspirational, crafty journey! Filled with inventive prompts designed to fuel the imagination, these 75 exercises motivate crafters to pick up a pencil, brush, or marker, and explore their artistic voice. From quick “try it” ideas using shapes and patterns to doodled portraits and contour drawings, these step-by-step projects are wild creative fun. The featured artists include Cori Dantini, who provides a “Recipe for a Face”; Flora Chang with innovative watercolor designs; and Teesha Moore who offers ideas for adding personality to doodled characters.
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The Beauty of Zentangle by Suzanne McNeill & Cindy Shepard
Zentangle® is fast becoming a worldwide phenomenon, attracting individuals from all walks of life. Created by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas, the Zentangle method is an easy-to-learn, relaxing, and fun way to create beautiful images by drawing structured patterns. The Beauty of Zentangle celebrates this simple but elegant new craft with hundreds of sensational one-of-a-kind designs from around the world.
Selected by the editors of Design Originals, the #1 publisher of Zentangle art, this amazing collection of Zentangle-inspired masterpieces encompasses a wide range of styles. Stunning works are included from breakthrough artists and CZTs like Suzanne McNeill, Cindy Shepard, Marie Browning, Sandy Steen Bartholomew, and many more. Their inventive tangles are at the forefront of a new wave of creative expression and personal freedom.
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The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Making Money with Your Hobby by Barbara Arena
How often do you hear from loved ones that you should sell the great little gift baskets you put together for the holidays? Or maybe you can take a piece of scrap wood and turn it into a beautiful treasure– something your next door neighbor would love to buy from you. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Making Money with Your Hobby is a great way to get all the information you need to turn your hobby into a money-making venture. This book also includes information on manufacturing, shipping costs, handling taxes and using the Internet as a sales tool.
Description from Goodreads.
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Wow! I can’t wait until I’m in Avalon this spring. I love making things. I can’t wait to check out some of these titles. If you have a book on organizing your craft room I could use that.
We don’t have any books about that specifically, but you might find what you need in “How to Organize (Just About) Everything” by Peter Walsh or “One Year to an Organized Life” by Regina Leeds.