Crafts books to add to your Christmas list

I’ve been sent some lovely books to review recently. I always love to share books as we are a family of bookworms. Hopefully the books I feature on my blog will inspire some of your Christmas wishlists or even purchases for family and friends!

Craftfulness – mend yourself by making things

The first book was Craftfulness – mend yourself by making things by Arzu Tahsin and Rosemary Davidson. What is that unique feeling that goes hand-in-hand with making something from scratch? Do you ever wonder where the time goes when you’re lost in drawing or working with clay? Are you happiest when you’re sewing or knitting?

Craft enthusiasts are no doubt already aware of the joys of making and the frustration when you must put aside your project and go back to your day job. But there is more to crafting that the simple enjoyment of a creative hobby. Drawing on the first-hand accounts from everyday crafters, Craftfulness considers the vital well-being effects to be gained from the simple expression of your creativity, and investigates the soul-cleansing and stress-relieving benefits of making things by hand.

This is a lovely paperback which would make a great stocking filler. Not only does it explore the science of creativity, but also suggests ways to make time to craft in our modern world. Included are simple but satisfying craft projects to still the mind.

Making a Life: working by hand and discovering the life you are meant to live

The second book we received was Making a Life: working by hand and discovering the life you are meant to live by Melanie Falick. This is a gorgeous coffee table type book which I’ve really enjoyed reading. The book captures the joy of making by hand and the power it has to give our lives authenticity and meaning.

Featuring the stories of individual quilters and potters, weavers and painters, metalsmiths, printmakers, woodworkers and more. Each maker is chosen for a particular chapter with themes on remembering, slowing down, making a home and finding a voice. Inspiring stories include basket maker Annemarie O’Sullivan, textile artist Claire Wellesley-Smith, woodworker Alex Devol and leather bag maker Dolores Swift.

Craftfulness – mend yourself by making things by Arzu Tahsin and Rosemary Davidson is out now in paperback published by Quercus, priced £9.99. Making a Life: working by hand and discovering the life you are meant to live by Melanie Falick is also out now in hardback published by Artisan, priced £22.99.