Craft Books

Craft Books UK


Books in the craft nonfiction genre are about ideas, different types of crafts, and the skills and supplies necessary to do them.

These books often provide a step-by-step inspiring guide, usually coupled with pictures or drawings of each step that show you how to make something in that particular craft.

Craft types include but aren’t limited to, embroidery, cross-stitch, painting, pottery making, sculpting, quilting, weaving, sewing, knitting, and jewellery making.

Some of the most popular books in the craft genre involve crafts that can be done with children and crafts that make something useful out of an object one would normally discard or throw away.


01) A Well-Crafted Home

Inspiration and 60 Projects for Personalizing Your Space

A Well-Crafted Home main image

Description:

Craft meets home décor in this stunning lifestyle book, which includes more than 50 unique handmade projects for every room of the house.

Beautifully styled rooms are highlighted in A Well-Crafted Home, as are the unique and sophisticated items you can make for each room, from leather drawer pulls and a pendant light for the bedroom to a painted tray and a large-scale print for the living room, and a fruit bowl and cookbook holder for the kitchen.

Review:

This is by far one of the prettiest craft books I’ve ever seen. The beautiful illustrations and projects are stunning and can really glam up your decor. I can not recommend this enough.

While the instructions that come along with this book are not as easy as other generic craft books, the projects here are absolutely stunning.

If you are willing to give the time to follow the projects in this book, your home will follow suit and take on a new level of beauty too.

Janet Crowther and the team have really created one of the best crafting books of all time, I’m more inclined to call it a home decor guide.

If you pair these ideas with high-quality fabric the projects will come out even more stunning.

For new couples who are building their first home, this would be a perfect gift.


02) Folk Embroidered Felt Birds

20 modern folk art designs to make & embellish

Folk Embroidered Felt Birds main image

Description:

In addition to the Swan, Corinne Lapierre has produced 20 lovely folk embroidered felt animals.

The birds are stuffed with toy stuffing and decorated with colourful surface embroidery. They are nicely made in soothing tones.

These include chain, feather, fly running, blanket, French knots and satin stitch. Some birds have beads and sequins.

The book includes beautiful hand-drawn step-by-step images and identical-size templates for all designs.

The birds can be hung from ribbons as desired.

Review:

A terrific book with stunning imagery for an older audience.

That doesn’t mean a beginner couldn’t take up this book and start making as all you really need to make the felt birds are needles and thread.

The designs are simple to follow and all the birds are lovely, but I personally started with my favourite, the robin.

The templates for each bird are in the book’s back and may be readily traced or scanned, conserving the book.

This is the best book to learn how to weave felt into beautiful birds and with simple instructions and graphics make it easy to follow.

Including a few felt squares and thread, this book makes a great gift!


03) A Very Pompom Christmas

20 Festive Projects to Make

A Very Pompom Christmas main image

Description:

Decorate with pompoms! Making pompoms is a simple and enjoyable method to create elegant decorations with no trouble.

This book is filled with lovely images and a techniques section that thoroughly explains all the abilities you’ll need to make the crafts.

Included are tree decorations, a mini-fir tree, parcel ribbon, holly leaves and berries, garland and earrings.

Review:

Another Christmas themed craft book that I can’t recommend enough to kids and adults alike.

Connect with your Christmas spirit with 20 jolly projects included in this book.

The artists have poured their hearts into these beautiful Christmas decorations.

The book makes it easy for you to just follow the instructions and make the best Christmas decor of your life.

Your kids will absolutely love it.

While many craft books either target beginners or experts, this book comes with variations of art that can be done by people of all ages and experiences.

If you are expecting your family to visit during the holiday and don’t know what activity to plan, this can be a great project for everyone to work together on.


04) The Better Bag Maker

An Illustrated Handbook of Handbag Design • Techniques, Tips, and Tricks

The Better Bag Maker main image

Description:

Read The Better Bag Maker by Nicole Mallalieu to learn how to make attractive, high-quality bags with a professional flair. In this how-to book, bag maker Nicole Mallalieu reveals her high-end design and finishing methods, shortcuts, and secrets.

A range of expert skills are taught in the featured projects, including adjusting pattern proportions and constructing pockets.

You’ll have a wardrobe full of finished bags and may be able to sew better than you thought would be possible.

Review:

Match your bags with your clothing, as this book lets you make beautiful bags from scratch. Select your fabric and get straight to sewing.

When it comes to pattern directions, many of the bag-making books I’ve bought are disappointing if not inaccurate.

This is a bag maker’s book. The author is exceptionally skilled in her area and provides many expert tips and tricks.

The details of this book make sure the reader understands the instructions clearly.

While I was worried about how to go about making bags for the first time, this book held my hand throughout the whole process and by the end of it, I have created my very first, and dare I say, a rather impressive bag!

If you know someone who is interested in the art of making bags, this is a perfect gift for them.


05) Beautiful Beaded Jewellery for Beginners

25 Rings, Bracelets, Necklaces, and Other Step-by-Step Projects (IMM Lifestyle Books) Easy-to-Make Designs Using Readily Available Semi-Precious Beads & Stones

Beautiful Beaded Jewellery for Beginners main image

Description:

Beautiful Beaded Jewellery for Beginners explains how to produce stunning beaded jewellery using inexpensive beads and stones.

Cheryl Owen, a seasoned craft designer, shows you how to make gorgeous necklaces, chokers, bracelets, cuffs, brooches, earrings, and rings.

Review:

I absolutely love this book because it begins with a section on techniques that covers all the basics you need to know before getting started.

Each project is explained in detail, step-by-step, for novices.

The designs are basic yet classy, great for day or night. Beautifully sculpted components inspire completion of these unique treasures.

While not designed for kids, if your kids love jewellery, this could be a great way to get them started. One camping trip away with this book and your child can have a jewellery brand of their own.

With 25 step-by-step jewellery projects, this is a perfect gift for someone starting jewellery making.

General Information About Craft books

Craft books are a great way to bring out your inner artists. You can make birds, Christmas decorations, a bespoke sign, tote bags and so on. The purchase of a craft book is the promise of hours of fun and beautiful art.

Craft books range on a massive spectrum, while some books might focus on nature, some on recycling, some might even be about woodworking.

Most books are for all ages, but some might be less suitable for kids as they use various sharp objects. Even among kids, there are books that cater to complete novices and some to trained experts.

Conclusion / Roundup

Craft books can be very fulfilling for ‘reader rewards’ and this can inspire creativity in people of all ages, helping them in learning while exposing them to a world of creative magic.

There are thousands of craft books ranging from solo projects from writers such as Elizabeth Dowsett to books from established publishing houses such as Penguin Random House. Finding the best among all these sites and pages that sell craft books and craft supplies might be a drag, so I hope this list helps you find what you are looking for.

FAQs

What are craft books?

Crafts books cover a wide range of topics, including how-to instructions, how-to guides, and how-to guides for a variety of crafts.

What crafts can I do with old books?

There are specific craft books that focus on using old goods. With old books, you can also do origami for example.

What is a DIY book?

A DIY book is a book with do it yourself projects that come with step by step instructions.

What is Amazon hobby books and toys?

A category of amazon products that specialize in hobbies and children’s toys, for example, craft books for kids, Needlecrafts & Textile Crafts and so on.

What is Penguin Random House’s Best Craft Book?

This is subject to the individual of course, but a great find is “The Mindful Crafter: A Simple Guide to Finding Meaning in Your Making”, is a book about how to find meaning and purpose in your crafting. It helps the reader to connect with their creative side and understand the impact that their craft has on themselves and the world around them.

What is meant by a ‘qualifying book purchase’?

A ‘qualifying book purchase’ is defined as a book that is sold by Amazon.com, or a physical book that is sold and shipped by Amazon Global Store UK. This also includes eBooks and digital audiobooks that are sold by Amazon.

Other terms you might not know about are:

‘temporarily undergoing maintenance’

This means that the website is currently unavailable but should be back shortly.

‘free book’

A free book is a book that is being given away for free.

‘read for free’

This means that you can read the book for free, but you might not be able to keep it.

‘ordering details’

Ordering details means specific instructions on how to order a product. This can include information such as the price, shipping costs, and delivery time.

‘eligible staff’

‘Eligible staff’ in this situation means people who work for Amazon, such as customer service representatives and warehouse workers.

Are art books and craft books the same thing?

No, art books tend to focus on one specific artist or art style, whereas craft books provide step-by-step instructions for a variety of crafts often written as a beginner’s guide

What is a ‘company number’?

A ‘company number’ is a unique number that identifies a company. In the UK, this is also known as a ‘registered number’.

What is meant by ‘continue shopping’, ‘add to basket’ and ‘basket’?

When you’re looking at a product on Amazon, you’ll see the option to ‘continue shopping’ or ‘add to basket’. If you click ‘add to basket’, the item will be added to your virtual shopping basket.

You can view the contents of your basket by clicking on the ‘basket’ icon in the top right-hand corner of the Amazon website. If you want to continue to shop, however, you can click on the ‘continue shopping’ link.

When you’re ready to checkout, you can click on the ‘proceed to checkout’ button. This will take you to a page where you can review your order and enter your delivery information.

What if it’s not in stock?

If an item you’re interested in is not currently in stock, you can click on the ’email me when back in stock’ button.

Amazon will then send you an email notification as soon as the item is back in stock.

Do I need an Amazon account to place an order?

No, you don’t need an Amazon account to place an order. However, if you want to take advantage of features such as 1-Click ordering, Wish Lists and Recommended for You, you will need to create an account.


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Written By Adam Rushton

Adam has made a name for himself in the illustration industry and is a passionate blogger and writer on the subject of art, illustration and graphic design.

His artwork has been featured in countless publications and used for very well-known media projects. As a professional illustrator for over 20 years, Adams media outlets, a wealth of knowledge, and experience enable him to consult and advise artists and illustrators in this country (from York and Manchester to Southampton and London) and all over the world.


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