Recommended Reads Books (List)

Making your own Christmas decorations is a truly thoughtful way to celebrate the holiday. By creating your own unique decorations, you will have a store of happy memories to bring out each year. It's also good for you - crafting has been shown to reduce stress - and good for the planet, reusing and recycling materials you have around the home and not buying environmentally harmful products such as glitter and plastic.

The 27 projects in Christmas Ornaments are divided into Tree Decorations, Wreaths and Garlands, and Table Decorations, covering every aspect of decorating your home for this special time of year. With an emphasis on simple Scandinavian style and easy techniques, these are quick makes with no special skills required, just basic sewing, cutting, sticking, and arranging.

New from Scandinavian knit designers Heidi and Pia Johannesen, this classic selection of holiday designs evokes the spirit of the season with compelling simplicity: red and green, black and white, plus a touch of gold and glitter to bring the magic of Christmas to life. From bells and hearts to elves and stockings, everything you need to crochet yourself a quintessential Christmas is right here at the end of your hook.

This volume includes patterns at every level of difficulty, so beginners can keep it small and straightforward, and seasoned crocheters can craft toy soldiers, friendly elves, and more; full-color photographs, including ideas for arranging and placing decorations, inside and outside the house; and a coordinated color palette for a time-honored Christmas look that works for every home.

Sew your own winter wonderland with just half a yard of fabric! Debbie has chosen her favorite winter designs from her much-loved Half Yard series, including five brand-new projects for you to sink your needles into.

Whether you're decorating the house for the holidays, looking for crafts to keep the little ones occupied or searching for gift inspiration, you'll find a gorgeous collection of items to make: from classics such as stockings, advent calendars, and fabric baubles to snugly slippers, gorgeous gift bags, and cheeky Christmas gnomes!

Each item requires no more than half a yard of outer fabric, plus all the necessary hardware, trimmings, and lining. As always, every project features Debbie's friendly, easy-to-follow instructions and a beautiful photograph of the finished make.

Capture the magic of holidays (and every day!) with 30 hand-embroidery projects. Starting with simple stitches, you'll add sweet sayings and motifs to home decor and gifts. Sew up country-cute pincushions, modern mug rugs, vintage-inspired pillows, and more! Whether you're refreshing your home decor or sharing meaningful handmade gifts with a friend, you'll love how quick and easy it is to sew up seasonal designs for each month of the year.

Keeping young children occupied and entertained can be tricky, even at the best of times. But when they are super excited about Christmas it can be even more of a challenge. This book channels all that Santa-fuelled energy into making fun festive projects for everyone to enjoy. While making decorations, toys and gifts children will learn crafting skills. This book features simple projects that are suitable for parents with little or no crafting experience. Most of the items can be made using items already in the house or things that would be thrown away.

A selection of the 30 boredom-busting projects include pompom stockings, festive hand warmers, Santa skittles, Christmas wreaths, tree toppers, paper lanterns, candy cane biscuits, and sock snowmen.

In Handmade Houseplants, expert crafter and tastemaker Corrie Beth Hogg offers a no-water option for your urban jungle: plants made from paper! This stylish guide includes step-by-step instructions and templates for making 30 of the most popular houseplants, from monstera and peperomia to fiddle leaf fig and philodendron. Additional projects show how to use paper plants for home décor, wall art, holiday decorations, gift giving, and more. The projects are simple enough to be made in few hours and the materials are affordable and easy to find. Packed with colorful photos and filled with inspiration, Handmade Houseplants shows how paper plants can provide a modern, light-hearted touch to a well-designed home.

Let cookie guru Bridget Edwards guide you through more than 60 delicious cookie-decorating designs for every occasion and holiday, from luscious springtime daisies to spooky spider webs to personalized birthdays. Cookie dough and royal icing recipes are included, and every iced design features easy-to-follow instructions and step-by-step photos. 

Brimming with scary good fun, Disney Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Official Cookbook & Entertaining Guide has everything you need to plan the perfect party. Is it Halloween? Christmas? Your birthday? No matter the occasion, this book will help you take your next dinner or event from routine to inspired - with a little help from Jack Skellington, Sally, Sandy Claws, and all their friends in Halloween Town.

Discover over fifty mouthwatering recipes for appetizers, entrees, desserts, and drinks inspired by the movie, as well as detailed instructions for four complete The Nightmare Before Christmas-themed parties. Each party includes creative crafts for DIY decorations, amusing activities, frightful favors, and more. Bursting with vibrant photography and free downloadable templates for invitations, decorations, and games and crafts, this book will make every party frighteningly fun.

For this cheerful collection of projects, Kerry Lord takes inspiration from beloved Christmas carol "The Twelve Days of Christmas." You'll crochet your way through each verse to create a flock of feathered friends, including a hen, a goose, and of course, a partridge. Beginner-friendly tutorials will help you pick up the essential techniques in a snap, while whimsical character bios for each personality-packed bird will make you chuckle. Your finished creations will be a winning addition to any Christmas tree and are sure to delight anyone who finds them in a stocking. All patterns are written with US crochet terms.

Learn the materials and equipment you need for watercolor painting and how to create both traditional and contemporary color palettes for Christmas, and then learn a range of watercolor techniques including washes, blending and gradation, plus experimental ideas to try such as using salt, bleach and masking fluid in your work.

Twelve creative projects follow, with step-by-step tutorials so that even beginners to watercolor can jump right in. Learn how to paint your own Christmas cards, gift tags and gift boxes, create seasonal table settings, hand painted Christmas crackers and garlands.

Christmas is an ideal time to get in the spirit of the season by creating festive decorations and gifts with a personal touch. This delightful collection of 43 unique papercraft projects will get everyone in a festive mood with its decorative suggestions for the home and the holiday table, Christmas tree ornaments, handmade gifts, and much more. This volume abounds in photos, templates, and easy-to-follow instructions for everything from a beautiful origami wreath to cut-out snowflakes, place-setting accessories, gift-wrapping accents, and an Advent candle holder. Each project is accompanied by helpful tips as well as a list of materials and measurements. The splendid variety of options make this the perfect guide and resource for papercrafters at every level of experience.

A completely one-of-a-kind project guide to creating charming handmade gifts and keepsakes made from fabric! Sewing Cozy Craft Projects features 3 adorable bear designs to create a collection of unique projects, including patchwork quilt blocks, ornaments, treat bags, gift tags, mini boxes, and more. Using various techniques - from embroidery, felting, and sewing to applique, patchwork, and more - this must-have guide is the perfect way to learn and build new crafting skills while making fabric postcards and gifts like you've never seen before! Fun to make and simple to send, try new quilting and sewing techniques, then mail your loved ones what you make! 

Country Living knows how to make Christmas memorable, and that's why this spectacular book will become your new go-to resource every year. It's filled with more than 200 beautiful decorating ideas, recipes, and crafts, plus tips galore. Stunning photos show festive table settings; splendidly decorated trees; fun and easy Christmas projects, from wreaths to no-sew stockings; gifts from the kitchen; and gourmet-worthy recipes like Turkey Roulade with Sausage-Cornbread Filling, Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes, Slow-Cooker Apple Cider, and sweet treats like Red Velvet Snowballs and Chocolate & Cranberry Fudge.

This volume presents top knitwear designers from the United States, Canada, Belgium, and Australia sharing their unique Christmas, Hanukah, and winter solstice gift-giving, decorating, dress-up projects, and a few favorite holiday traditions. This book provides a collection of a range of super-quick projects for the last-minute holiday rush.

Make this Christmas the best and brightest yet, with hundreds of gorgeous decorating ideas and delicious recipes. From holiday house tours and ways to deck the halls to handmade gifts and festive feasts, this beautiful book will help you celebrate Christmas in Country Living style. Create stunning wreaths, turn saltshakers into sparkling snow globes, craft Advent calendars from tiny envelopes, bake gourmet-store-worthy cookies, and more to make a truly happy holiday.

It's the most wonderful time of the year - so celebrate in style with your own festive, homemade paper crafts. From wreaths and buntings to table settings, tree toppers, and ornaments, this collection of 25 projects offers a bounty of decorative items for a beautiful holiday. Created by some of the best crafters on Etsy, they all use straightforward techniques like cutting, folding, stapling, and taping, and include templates to guide you and plenty of helpful how-to illustrations.