Quick Crafts

Contains a special gallery section including 20 quick ideas by columnist and artist, Jane Asper.

Includes instructions, and in some cases background information, for a variety of artistic or useful items that can be made with readily available materials.

If the thought of getting crafty with your children fills you with glittery dread then this book is for you. Quick Crafts for Parents Who Think They Hate Craft is packed with 40 projects free from crazy origami to lose your cool over and PVA glue to clean out of everyone’s hair. Get creative with your children even if you’re short on time (or patience). Split into 4 sections: play with it, wear it, spruce it up and useful things, all of the crafts have been created to ensure that play can continue once the crafting is over. Go on a swashbuckling adventure complete with pirate hook and sword, whale watching in the bath or a leafy jungle safari with hairy baboons and rattling snakes. Crafting doesn’t have to leave you cranky and the floor sticky!

From the New York Times bestselling author of Adulting comes a story about how to make something when you’re capable of nothing. Kelly Williams Brown had 700 Bad Days. Her marriage collapsed, she broke three limbs in separate and unrelated incidents, her father was diagnosed with cancer, and she fell into a deep depression that ended in what could delicately be referred to as a “rest cure” at an inpatient facility. Before that, she had several very good years: she wrote a bestselling book, spoke at NASA, had a beautiful wedding, and inspired hundreds of thousands of readers to live as grown-ups in an often-screwed-up world, though these accomplishments mostly just made her feel fraudulent. One of the few things that kept her moving forward was, improbably, crafting. Not Martha Stewart–perfect crafting, either—what could be called “simple,” “accessible” or, perhaps, “rustic” creations were the joy and accomplishments she found in her worst days. To craft is to set things right in the littlest of ways; no matter how disconnected you feel, you can still fold a tiny paper star, and that’s not nothing. In Easy Crafts for the Insane, crafting tutorials serve as the backdrop of a life dissolved, then glued back together. Surprising, humane, and utterly unforgettable, this is a poignant and hysterical look at the unexpected, messy coping mechanisms we use to find ourselves again.

New in Paper With a simple gourd, it's easy to make an astonishing variety of bowls, boxes, baskets, pitchers, and dippers, as well as musical instruments and toys. Choose from the many inviting shapes, from the kettle to the canteen, the bushel basket to the snake. Carve, burn, wax, varnish, and color them with paints, dyes, oils, and markers to work their smooth, three-dimensional surfaces. Basic, time-tested techniques for making practical works of art show you how to grow, dry, and clean them, or where to buy gourds readymade for projects such as a child's elephant pull toy, planters, lamps, and birdhouses. "[A] collection of uncomplicated, step-by-step projects for...large gourds, which are fun to work with and readily available...a good selection."--Library Journal

Crafting has never been more popular and Maggy Woodley, the creative force behind Red Ted, is passionate about making things with her children, Max, four, and Pippa, two. Using recycled materials and bits and bobs collected when out and about, here are over 60 utterly irresistible things to make with your kids. From adorable peanut shell finger puppets to walnut babies, loo roll marionettes and egg carton fairy lights, fabric mache bowls, stick men and shell crabs, stone people, and many more, these are projects for all the family to have fun with. And what's more, the end results are so cute and desirable that they look great around the home, or make wonderfully unique and personal gifts. With a funky, modern design and vibrant full colour photography throughout, this is a must-have addition to every young family's bookshelf.

Paper Crafts VISUAL Quick Tips features tips, tricks, and answers to your questions about everything from the basic techniques to the hottest new methods for creating beautiful scrapbook pages, greeting cards, invitations, art journals, gift tags, collage art, artist trading cards, and various home décor items. The detailed color photographs and concise instructions make it easy for anyone to create beautiful paper crafts, regardless of experience. You’ll save money on store-bought items and find satisfaction in creating special handmade crafts.

If the thought of getting crafty with your children fills you with glittery dread then this book is for you. Quick Crafts for Parents Who Think They Hate Craft is packed with 40 projects free from crazy origami to lose your cool over and PVA glue to clean out of everyone’s hair. Get creative with your children even if you’re short on time (or patience). Split into 4 sections: play with it, wear it, spruce it up and useful things, all of the crafts have been created to ensure that play can continue once the crafting is over. Go on a swashbuckling adventure complete with pirate hook and sword, whale watching in the bath or a leafy jungle safari with hairy baboons and rattling snakes. Crafting doesn’t have to leave you cranky and the floor sticky!