National Craft Month

March is National Craft Month! I haven't had as much time as I'd like to be crafty myself lately. However, I do enjoy looking at craft books so I can "ooo" and "ahh" over the things I'd like to make. The library has plenty of books for you crafty folks, whether you want to try a new craft or find ideas for a craft you've been enjoying for years.

Amanda Blake Soule. Handmade Home

Filled with 33 projects made by reusing and repurposing materials--from vintage feedsacks to old sheets and towels--and including some projects that children can help with, all of the items here offer a practical use in the home.

Megan Friday. Pet Crafts: Everything You Need to Become Your Pet's Craft Star

Perfect for pet lovers of all ages, this book offers crafty inspiration for kids who want to create stuff for their favorite furry friends. Doggie fashions, cat couture, and gerbil goodies are all covered! The creative, easy-to-craft projects include everything a pampered pet could want, including personalized plaques, designer-inspired pet wear, simple hand-sewn toys, and homemade treat recipes. Every project is laid out in clear, step-by-step detail, and the book includes templates to get kids started crafting right away.

Lily Chin. Lily Chin's Knitting Tips and Tricks

Toss Lily into your project bag and bring her stitching savvy, troubleshooting techniques, and no-frills know-how wherever your knitting takes you! Knitters of every level will loveLily Chin's Knitting Tips & Tricksfor its simple solutions to everyday knitting problems. Covering everything from knitting standards and conventions to working with various types of yarns to fixing stitch mistakes, Lily's book is a comprehensive distillation of her decades of experience, and by the end of it she will have answered knitting questions that you didn't even know you had.

Vickie Howell. Vickie Howell's Pop Goes Crochet

Needlework dynamo Vickie Howell is back with a high-spirited, playful collection of goodies to crochet.Vickie Howell’sPop Goes Crochet!pays creative tribute to popular culture past and present with 40 projects inspired by celebrities in fashion, music, film, and television. Howell has whipped up a spectacular array of hip clothing, jewelry, and accessories, ranging from an intriguing “Yohji” asymmetrical sweater (in homage to designer Yohji Yamamoto) to a funky striped “Cameron” hoodie with the laid-back California style of actress Cameron Diaz. Everything’s fashionable and as fun to make as it is to wear.

Judith Durant. Knit One, Bead Too

Never have two distinct crafts paired as beautifully as knitting and beading. In Knit One, Bead Too Judith Durant introduces crafters to fun stitching techniques that perk up knitted items with beautiful beads. Now knitters will have fun embellishing their fiber crafts with pretty beads, and jewelry makers will enjoy the challenge of working with beads in a whole new way. Knit One, Bead Too arms crafters with the skills to pair fibers and beads in unexpected ways. Five distinct knitting methods fully incorporate beads into knitted items rather than simply adding beads as fringe or appliqué. The results are intricate works of art that every knitter will be proud to wear.

Candie Cooper. Metalworking 101 for Beaders

Trying to find the perfect clasp or unique bead cap to showcase a favorite bead? Stop searching—and make your own! Metalworking 101 for Beadersprovides detailed advice about tools and materials, step-by-step photos of the latest techniques, and a dedicated and delightful teacher to guide you through it all Candie explains how to enhance your beading pieces with techniques that include soldering, sawing and annealing, riveting, weaving, doming, piercing, texturing, applying finishes, and more! The book also includes over 30 striking jewelry projects to try!

The Complete Photo Guide to Sewing

The Complete Photo Guide to Sewing, Revised is the one reference every sewer needs. Its 352 pages and 1100 photographs cover every aspect of fashion and deacute;cor sewing. Sections include choosing the right tools and notions, using conventional machines and sergers, fashion sewing, tailoring, and home decor projects. Included are step-by-step instructions for basic projects like pillows, tablecloths, and window treatments. Sewers from beginners to the skilled will turn to this book again and again.

Jane Bull. Made by Me

Help your child get creative with activity expert Jane Bull. Can you never find those all important accessories or would you like to give an original present? Then read this together with your child; they'll learn basic sewing, embroidery, knitting and appliqué techniques, and enjoy using the simple patterns for lots of fabric fun. From bags, badges, and bobble hats, to jazzing up clothes and jewellery, there are lots of inspiring projects for your child to design and create.

You can find these and lots of other craft books in the HCPL catalog!