There are all sorts of crafting and hobby books at ICPL. Do you have a favorite? Which book would you give someone as a gift or to introduce them to a new craft or hobby?
Thanks to everyone who took part in the Let's Talk Books: Hobbies & Crafts discussion. This is a list of the books we talked about during that discussion. To find the upcoming Let's Talk Books events check out https://www.icpl.org/events/search?combine=Let%27s+Talk+Books
Punch needle embroidery for beginners
Davidson, Lucy .
746.44 /Davidson
Punch needle embroidery is back! It's a simple technique that involves nothing more than a punch needle - like a normal sewing needle, but with a handle and an aperture at the tip. It can be used on any fabric using either yarn or thread, and creates a textured, raised finish that's soft to the touch and beautiful to look at. The easy-to-learn technique and repetitive action makes this the perfect, mindful pursuit, and projects from wall hangings and cushions to children's toys, bags and purses can be worked up quickly and easily with minimal effort,
Stitch by stitch : learning to sew, one project at a time
Moebes, Deborah.
646.2 /Moebes
Fledgling crafters will learn essential sewing skills through 12 appealing projects, including home decor items and apparel, that feature techniques illustrated through step-by-step photos. Whatever your background, "Stitch by Stitch" guides you through everything you need to know to start sewing. You'll learn essential sewing skills--everything from basic stitching and backtacking to creating gathers, making darts and using multi-sized patterns--while completing appealing projects. In the book's unique format, skills and projects build upon each other so that you get instant gratification and motivation to progress.
Creative crochet projects : 12 playful projects for beginners and beyond
Pokorny, Stephanie, author.
746.434 /Pokorny
Whether you want to learn how to crochet or you're looking for fresh, new projects to try, Creative Crochet Projects is for you! Featuring a variety of 12 colorful, fun, and quirky crochet projects with a charming, offbeat sense of style, this project book starts off easy, slowly introducing new techniques one design at a time.These unique projects make for beautiful handmade gifts, as they offer something refreshing and new with their sense of hands-on play. From a kitchen mat that looks like a stovetop to watermelon play food, each project is as fun to make as it is for children to play with.
Animal embroidery workbook : step-by-step techniques & patterns for 30 cute critters & more
Long, Jessica
746.44 /Long
Whether you want to learn how to crochet or you're looking for fresh, new projects to try, Creative Crochet Projects is for you! Featuring a variety of 12 colorful, fun, and quirky crochet projects with a charming, offbeat sense of style, this project book starts off easy, slowly introducing new techniques one design at a time.These unique projects make for beautiful handmade gifts, as they offer something refreshing and new with their sense of hands-on play. From a kitchen mat that looks like a stovetop to watermelon play food, each project is as fun to make as it is for children to play with.
Calligraphy & lettering : a maker's guide
745.61 /Calligraphy
Perfect for anyone wanting to learn more about calligraphy and lettering, this practical introduction showcases many examples from the Victoria and Albert Museum's collection, and will offer a new understanding and appreciation of letterforms. Detailed instructions, complete with sample alphabets, lead you through the essentials of classic styles such as Gothic and Italic lettering, on to vintage- inspired sign writing and chalkboard design and even into the elegant, image-led worlds of illuminated capitals and zoomorphic calligraphy. Projects include a handmade booklet, banner, menu, gift tags, a monogram rubber stamp, greetings cards, and more.
Small garden style : a design guide for outdoor rooms and containers
Eaton, Isa Hendry, 1976- author.
635.986 /Eaton
A stylishly photographed guide to creating lush, layered, dramatic little gardens no matter the size of your available space--an urban patio, a tiny backyard, or even just a pot by your door. Petite gardens align with the movement to live smaller and create a life with less stuff and more room for living. But a more eco-friendly and efficient space doesn't have to sacrifice style. In Small Garden Style, garden designer Isa Hendry Eaton and lifestyle writer Jennifer Blaise Kramer show you how to use good design to create a joyful, elegant, and exciting yet compact outdoor living space for entertaining or relaxing. A style quiz helps you focus in on your own personal garden style, be it traditional, modern, colorful, eclectic, minimalist, or globally inspired, then utilize every inch of your yard by considering the horizontal, vertical, and overhead spaces. You'll learn how to design stunning planters and container gardens using succulents, grasses, vibrant-colored pots, and more. Hendry Eaton and Blaise Kramer recommend their favorite plants and decor for small gardens, along with lawn alternatives and inspiration for making garden accents such as a fire pit, front door wreath, instant mini orchard, boulder birdbath, patterned vines, perfumed wall, and faux fountain with cascading plants. However small your garden, Small Garden Style will transform it into a magical, modern outdoor oasis.
Salvage style for the garden : simple outdoor projects using reclaimed treasures
Miller, Marcianne.
712.6 /Miller
Turn "trash" into garden treasures. It's ecologically smart and can save you money! All it takes are these fabulous instructions, ideas and photos. Why throw away a worn copper kettle when it makes a wonderfully attractive planter? Don't scrap that weathered wood; transform it into a comfortable Adirondack chair, perfect for whiling away those summer days. Some projects are really for the birds, like a feeder fashioned from an ashtray, or a birdbath constructed from a salvaged sink. From benches and trellises to stepping stones and luminaries, these one-of-a-kind objects are far more beautiful than anything store-bought.
The life-changing magic of tidying up : the Japanese art of decluttering and organizing
Kondō, Marie, author.
648.5 /Kondo
This best-selling guide to decluttering your home from Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo takes readers step-by-step through her revolutionary KonMari Method for simplifying, organizing, and storing.
The pizza bible : the world's favorite pizza styles, from Neapolitan, deep-dish, wood-fired, Sicilian, calzones and focaccia to New York, New Haven, Detroit, and more
Gemignani, Tony.
641.824 /Gemignani
A comprehensive guide to making pizza, covering nine different regional styles--including standards like Neapolitan, Roman, and Chicago, as well as renowned pizza sub-specialties like St. Louis and Californian--from chef, 11-time world Pizza Champion Tony Gemignani.
National Geographic photo basics : the ultimate beginner's guide to great photography
Sartore, Joel, author.
770 /Sartore
For digital camera and smartphone users, this easy how-to guide, written by an experienced National Geographic photographer, imparts the essentials of taking great pictures.
Origami zoo : an amazing collection of folded paper animals
Lang, Robert J. (Robert James), 1961-
736.982 /Lang
Two of the world's finest paper folders invite you to create your own menagerie with this exciting how to make origami animals book. Robert J. Lang and Stephen Weiss's collection of original papercraft creatures, ranging from the exotic to the familiar, the elegant to the whimsical, will both inspire the beginner and challenge the most accomplished folder. Across the animal kingdom, from land, sea, and air, you can choose to make a dolphin, penguin, swan, owl, goose, kangaroo, praying mantis, or even the mythical Pegasus or extinct wooly mammoth. Each of these thirty-seven projects is true origami--folded from a single piece of paper with no cutting or gluing--and is complete with clear step-by-step diagrams, instructions, and a photograph of the finished model.
The mandala guidebook : how to draw, paint and color expressive mandala art
Costa, Kathryn, author.
741.6 /Costa
Relax, create and connect with mandala art!Do you love coloring mandalas? You're not alone! Adult coloring books are gaining in popularity every day. Do you want to learn how to draw and color your own mandalas? In The Mandala Guidebook, Kathryn Costa shows you how with easy instructions perfect for the beginner. You'll find a wide range of projects, each with beautifully illustrated step-by-step instructions covering more design styles and artistic mediums than any other book out there.
Drawing and painting with colored pencil : basic techniques for mastering traditional and watersoluble colored pencils
Kutch, Kristy Ann.
741.24 /Kutch
Colored pencils are convenient, neat, portable, economical, forgiving. Now they're even more ideal for beginning artists because they're available in amazing new watersoluble versions. Start with a drawing in colored pencil, then add water to create a painting. It's amazingand amazingly easy. Drawing and Painting with Colored Pencil covers traditional colored pencil techniques as well as tips on mastering the new watersoluble colored pencils. From basic color layering, burnishing, and lifting, to using watersoluble pencils to create beautiful florals, still lifes, and landscapes, this book is full of great ideas and stepbystep inspiration.
One of the best parts of this book is the chapter on getting to know your sewing machine and about the basic tools and supplies you'll need to get started sewing.
- Beth