Category: Books (Page 4 of 11)

The Crafty Diva’s D.I.Y. Stylebook: A Grrrl’s Guide to Cool Creations You Can Make, Show Off, and Share is the lattest – and last – craft book that I got. It arrived yesterday and at first glace I wasn’t too happy with it. Most of the projects required buying pre-made items and decorating them – which could be expensive and doesn’t require as much crafting as I’d like. For example, instructions for a “powder puff fluff” involve buying white baby powder, putting it in a jar and decorating the jar and brush. Not too exciting.
But I looked at it more carefully today, going through the book and making a list of the crafts I want to do, and I found a surprisingly large number of these – about 12. Yes, some just involve decorating an item I have or can buy (e.g. making a treasure box by covering a wooden box with fabric & decorating it – I hadn’t thought of the fabric part, and I think these can make very good boxes for the jewelry we are going to make as Xmas gifts). But others are a bit more involved and interesting: making photo key chains, a “charades in a can” game and a pant leg purse (great idea, as Mika’s jeans are pretty much disintegrating). Alas, for most of these projects I will have to buy stuff. But hey, as long as we do stuff together, right? 🙂
As for today, they’re having a playdate at home and I think I’ll finally try making “quicksand” – a mixture of cornstarch and water that seems solid when you quickly and forcibly press on it, but becomes viscous if you slowly introduce your finger in it. Very cool. I may also try to make sculpting dough from water – though I’m somewhat doubtful that will work.

Yes, I have to admit it, I do get obsessive over things. I’ve been obsessed over cookbooks, trips, photography (though that, a long time ago), toys for the kids, making cosmetics, etc. etc. And my current obsession are crafts and craft books. I’ve finally found something I can do with the girls without being bored to tears – and I’m going full force into it (though the girls seem to be getting a bit bored with it :-(.
As I have no idea how to do crafts myself, I’ve bought a number of kits (sewing/knitting, jewelry making, silk screening, scrapbooking), but I’ve also gotten quite a few books (to be exact, six). My favorites so far are the Jennifer Traig’s Crafty Girl books. They have a very light tone of voice (one really directed towards teenagers, but one that I appreciate nonetheless), and projects that sound cool and I actually want to make with Mika (my 7-yo). We already did a couple, homemade watercolors and a game, which we haven’t finished yet (I’ll blog about it as soon as it’s finished and we play it), and they were quite successful.
I’ve already written about the first two books I got, and now it’s the turn of Crafty Girl: Accessories and Crafty Girl: Cool Stuff. I haven’t made any projects from these books, but I went over them and wrote down the projects I want to make in the next few weeks.
Neither book is as good as Crafty Girl Fun & Games, that is to say, I found fewer projects I wanted to do in each of these books, but I think they are pretty cool anyway. The Accessories book includes instructions for making a felt scarf, picture jewelry and sparkle hair twisties, among other things. The Cool Stuff book’s projects include making a photo placemat, a stationary kit and decorating a light switch. Many of the projects in both books are really nothing more than decorating everyday objects with craft supplies (glitter, buttons, felties, beads, ribbon, etc. etc.). Yes, they are obvious ideas, but not anything that had occurred to me prior to reading about them in the books. In other words, the books may be too elementary for an experienced crafter, but they are perfect for someone like me (and my girls).
The same cannot be said of Kids Create!: Art & Craft Experiences for 3- To 9-Year-Olds (Williamson Kids Can! Series). I bought it because it got good reviews at Amazon, but I should have focused on the fact that the book clearly said that it is for “3 to 9 year-olds”. Yes, my kids are 4 and 7, so they are within that age group, but clearly the book is geared towards the younger children. That doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have a few projects I want to do (making sculpting dough, marbled paper and paper beads), but most of the projects result in pretty useless items (e.g. a photo puppet, a crystal garden or a walking snake). It might be amusing for little kids to make these things, but once made they will be thrown out or stored forever. The Crafty Girl books, instead, have projects for things that we can use or give away as gifts.
I have ordered another book, The Crafty Diva’s D.I.Y. Stylebook: A Grrrl’s Guide to Cool Creations You Can Make, Show Off, and Share, but it hadn’t arrived yet. I’ll write about it as soon as I go through it.
And this is it, I swear. No more books, no more crafts (beyond those in our kits and the books). My obsessions are pretty strong, but don’t last too long – and I don’t want to end up with lots of things I’ll never use again.