Review: Martha Stewart’s Encyclopedia of Crafts

The other weekend I sat down and had a date with Martha Stewart’s Encyclopedia of Crafts. I’ll definitely be returning this book’s calls.

OVERALL
“Crafts” is the type of book you save for a lazy Sunday when you can spend hours pouring over it. It’s a fantastic gift for those who love crafting, think they can’t craft or simply as a great source of inspiration. Packed with tons of big photos, the how-to steps are very easy to follow. The “ABC” project listing approach is great; from basic projects and ideas to more complex projects, the book is definitely easy to navigate.

The book is packed with great gift ideas and is perfect for showing off your creativity and saving money, too, this holiday season.

PROJECTS: There are all sorts of fresh takes on tried true projects.

  • I loved the memory binder idea as an alternative scrapbooking.
  • Acorn crafts! Yes! Birds! Yes!
  • Lots of techniques are explained and applied to the projects, making them very easy to understand, such as gilding, glittering, marbleizing, mosaics and paper folding.
  • Try decorating with glitter on double-sided tape- never thought of it!
  • Do you know how to tie knots for crafts? Nope, neither did I.

It’s great to see very detailed directions on how to work with materials I’ve had a tough time with in the past, such as crepe paper. And there’s a great “XYZ” section on tools, favorite materials and shoutouts to the classics (lots of Mod Podge love). You learn how to use those tools, too. You’d be surprised at how many don’t know how to correctly use a bone folder!

The book is finished off with a variety of templates for you to use right away. You can definitely get down and dirty with “Crafts.” (Is that strange to say?!)

Overall, “Crafts” is a fantastic treasury of inspiration and know-how you’ll have in your craft library for years.

DEETS
Martha Stewart’s Encyclopedia of Crafts: An A-to-Z Guide with Detailed Instructions and Endless Inspiration
By Martha Stewart Living Magazine
$35
Potter Craft