Children's Books discussion

In November, participants will explore craft project books. These could be holiday-related craft projects for November and December, or projects for any time of the year. In the Library catalog, check the subject heading "Handicraft." Libraries that use the Dewey system put craft books in 745.5.

Sorry! I forgot to unlock the topic!

This would be a good time for me to reread and do some projects from Look What I Did with a Leaf! but I seem to have misplaced it.

I would love to see other readers' ideas for easy-ish useful-ish thrifty-ish crafts... I've explored this topic extensively and haven't found much that suits me.

Sneaky Art: Crafty Surprises to Hide in Plain Sight is one I did buy, and I really hope to do some of the projects next spring (harsh weather isn't a good match for most). (Again I can't find it. Hmm....)

And I have hopes for The Spoonflower Quick-sew Project Book: 34 DIYs to Make the Most of Your Fabric Stash.

I like this theme because there's no reason to get picky about age levels. I'm sure there are 6 year old children who are much more creative and skilled than I am, and there's no reason they can't be exploring the 745.5 adult section, imo.

I always loved the Klutz Press books. We had a couple of them. The Friendship Bracelet kit would fall under crafts.

My oldest niece is one of those more creative and skilled than adults kids. Both parents are artists. She had her own studio in the corner of the living room for awhile. The kids are into Craftopia, a show on HBO Max.

Although One Hundred Shining Candles is not a book about the craft of making candles and with detailed instructions, I love how this sweet little story shows that a homemade and not even all that perfect gift (and which meant some real sacrifice from the family’s two children) is much more poignant and appreciated than something store bought.

A Pioneer Story: The Daily Life of a Canadian Family in 1840

A Pioneer Thanksgiving: A Story of Harvest Celebrations in 1841

A Pioneer Christmas: Celebrating in the Backwoods in 1841

All three of these (by the same author) feature not only an interesting fiction and non fiction mix, Barbara Greenwood also features many craft activities, with detailed instructions and perfect for seasonal celebrations.

American Girl USED to have educational historical craft books. I'm not crafty so I never tried too many of the projects, if any. I made some from Josefina's craft book in doll size once. That may have been it.

Felicity
Josefina
Kirsten
Addy
Samantha
Molly's Craft Book

I had Samantha's craft book; I'm not sure I still have it. I looked at all of the craft projects, and they looked beautiful, but they looked like they would be too difficult for me to make.

Kathy Ross has written many craft books for children, both holiday crafts and general crafts. The books that I have perused mostly use items that can be found around many homes (like toilet paper tubes), and most would be inexpensive to make.

My youngest loves arts and crafts. I'm planning to get several holiday-themed craft books from the library soon and will post back if anything is exceptional.

I have mentioned elsewhere The Artful Parent: Simple Ways to Fill Your Family's Life with Art and Creativity--Includes over 60 Art Projects for Children Ages 1 to 8 and recommend this for families with young children.

Mrs. Sharp's Traditions: Reviving Victorian Family Celebrations of Comfort & Joy. So, it's not specifically a craft book, but does mention several arts and crafts type projects. I like it so much I just had to mention it ;-)


My youngest absolutely loved Read, Learn & Create--The Nature Craft Book. It's kind of neat in that you can read it as a story book (info about nature) as well as do the crafts.

QNPoohBear wrote: "American Girl USED to have educational historical craft books. I'm not crafty so I never tried too many of the projects, if any. I made some from Josefina's craft book in doll size once. That may h..."

These sound fun! I remember there are some craft books based on the Little House books also:
My Little House Crafts Book: 18 Projects from Laura Ingalls Wilder's
My Little House Christmas Crafts Book

Many of the craft suggestions in Barbara Greenwood’s Pioneer Crafts can also be found in the pioneer books listed above. Now I do like the latter a bit more as I love the non fiction and fiction mix the author presents, but yes, if you just want a book on pioneer inspired craft ideas with detailed instructions, Pioneer Crafts is in my opinion a wonderful resource.

Native Crafts: Inspired by North America's First Peoples I have also found a nice craft resource and as far as I know the craft suggestions do seem respectful enough regarding First Nations traditions and culture.

Kathryn wrote: "
These sound fun! I remember there are some craft books based on the Little House books also:
My Little House Crafts Book: 18 Projects from Laura Ingalls Wilder's
My Little House Christmas Crafts Book
."

I would have loved those. I made my own rag doll and cornhusk doll in elementary school. The rag doll is long gone and the cornhusk doll was damaged a lot over the years but I still have her. Then came Kirsten, the pioneer American Girl and all my dreams came true. The craft books are difficult for someone who is hopelessly uncrafty but I did make a respectable cornhusk inlay box and a mini cornhusk doll from Josefina's craft book. I use the cookbooks a lot more.

I also have The Anne of Green Gables Treasury. It features recipes, crafts and other Anne-related topics.

I'm sure I read all the pioneer/colonial craft books. I know I did, the library weeded those before closing. I'm checking the catalog to see if the other libraries in the city still have them.

QNPoohBear wrote: "I would have loved those. I made my own rag doll and cornhusk doll in elementary school. ."

Ah, how special. I remember making my corn husk doll, also. We did a lot of the pioneer-type crafts, too. It's amazing how memorable those childhood craft experiences are after all these years.

I made yarn dolls using a similar technique to cornhusk dolls, and a little cross-stitch, and some unsatisfactory dollhouse furniture, and that's about it that I remember. When a young newlywed I'd use Contact paper or cloth to cover cardboard boxes to make nicer looking bins... I still do the occasional upgrade like that.

I will def. investigate all the titles that you all are sharing!

Cheryl wrote: "I made yarn dolls using a similar technique to cornhusk dolls, and a little cross-stitch, and some unsatisfactory dollhouse furniture, and that's about it that I remember. When a young newlywed I'd..."

:-) I love repurposing.

Thinking of yarn dolls, cornhusk dolls, etc. brings to mind how simple children's toys used to be and how much power is in a child's imagination -- as well as the fun that can go into creating your toy yourself. I think crafting can help bring some of these "simple pleasures" back to children in today's world.

One of my other favorite crafty books from childhood is
Ekte Norsk Jul, Vol. 1
This is another one that has simple, paper based crafts and some recipes for celebrating an old-fashioned Norwegian Christmas.

I don't see any pioneer craft books that would have been published when I was in my Laura Ingalls phase but I found a new one I am going to place a hold on.
Made by Hand: A Crafts Sampler

Some that look up my nieces' and nephews' alley:

Kid Style Nature Crafts: 50 Terrific Things to Make with Nature's Materials
Calling All Minds: How to Think and Create Like an Inventor
Make This!: Building Thinking, and Tinkering Projects for the Amazing Maker in You right up the boys' alley but might be too old for them

For nephew #2... I had no idea these were in the library
Unofficial Minecraft Lab for Kids: Family-Friendly Projects for Exploring and Teaching Math, Science, History, and Culture Through Creative Building
Craft Projects for Minecraft and Pixel Art Fans: Unofficial How to Guide: 15 Fun, Easy-To-Make Projects

For niece #2
Horse Crazy!: 1,001 Fun Facts, Craft Projects, Games, Activities, and Know-How for Horse-Loving Kids

One I need to look at for myself is
Make Costumes!: For Creative Play
My brother's wife and kids already have that covered.

Another one for me
GREAT WORLD WAR II PROJECTS: YOU CAN BUILD YOURSELF

Thanks for the list! I checked my library catalog, and my library does have Horse Crazy, which I put on hold.

Does anyone know how to make a daisy chain? I read about girls sitting in meadows and making crowns and necklaces but I have no idea how.

I have instructions, thanks to the aforementioned American Girl books. Kirsten, the Swedish pioneer, has a daisy wreath to go with her birthday dress or wear on her Midsummer celebration.

Make A Flower Crown
Kirsten's Promise

Children traveling in wagon trains passed through prairies covered with wildflowers. Girls spent hours gathering the flowers and weaving them into chains of different shapes and sizes. They made wreaths, necklaces, and crowns out of the fresh flowers. Gather some flowers of your own, and make a flower crown that's just your size.

What you need:
an adult to help you.
20 - 25 daisies or other flowers with sturdy stems.
Scissors
Cutting board
Small knife
3 - 6 pieces of ribbon, 18 inches long
paper clip.

1. Use the scissors to trim the stems of the flower to 3 inches.

2. Have an adult help you make a slit through the middle of each stem. Lay the flower on a cutting board, and push the tip of the knife through the middle of the stem.

3. Pass a flower stem through the slit in another. Be sure to pull the second stem all the way through first.

4. Keep passing flower stems through one another until you have a chain long enough to go around your head.

5. Use the paper clip to join the stem of the last flower to the stem of the first flower. Tie the ribbons around the stems just beside the paper clip, and remove the paper clip.

Here are some other pioneer crafts American Girl promoted back in the day when they were an educational company.

Grow Spring Blossoms

Kirsten loved to grow a little bit of spring during the cold Minnesota winters. Have an adult help you cut two or three branches about 18 to 24 inches long. girl thingy willow, forsythia, or dogwood branches work well. Lay the branches on a folded towel and carefully pound the cut ends flat with a hammer. Put the branches in a jar of warm water and place the jar in a cool, well-lit spot. Change the water in the jar every two to three days. The branches will blossom in one to two weeks!

Make a Punched-Tin Picture

Kirsten might have made a punched-tin picture to decorate her family's cabin. Use a pencil to draw a simple design on a piece of paper. Tape the paper to an aluminum foil pie plate. Place a piece of cardboard under the plate. Ask an adult to help you tap a nail through the plate, punching holes at even intervals along the outline of your design. To hang your picture, punch a hole in the rim of the pie plate and thread a ribbon through it.

Make a Thaumatrope

Toys were hard to get on the frontier, so pioneer children made their own.


Cut a circle of white cardboard. On one side, draw a bird.
Turn the cardboard over and upside down. Draw a bird cage.
Cut two 9-inch pieces of string. Tie a piece of string though a hole on each side of the card.
Hold a string between the thumb and forefinger of each hand, then twirl. The bird will seem to fly into the cage!


How to Make a Doll for Kirsten
When Kirsten didn't have her doll Sari, she played with Little Sari, who was made from a sock. Pioneer girls also made dolls this way:

Take a piece of cloth 8 inches square. Lay it flat and fold the top edge down 1 inch.
Fold the top corners toward the center as shown.
Take a stick 2-1/2 inches long and tuck it up under the folded corners.
Fold the right and left edges toward the middle so that they overlap.
Cut two 8-inch pieces of twine. Wrap around the doll's neck, waist and chest in a criss cross pattern. Tie them off and snip off the ends.


Decorate a Wooden Spoon
On the long journey from Sweden to American, Kirsten's family could only take a few possessions with them. Along with necessities such as warm clothes and tools, they tucked in keepsakes of Sweden, like painted wooden spoons. Try making a DECORATIVE wooden spoon yourself.

You will need:

Acrylic paints
Fine sandpaper (150 grit)
Wooden spoon
Fine tipped paintbrush
Foam paintbrush 1 inch wide
Wax paper


1.Cover your workspace with wax paper

2. Lightly sand the wooden spoon. Wipe away the dust.

3. Use the foam paintbrush to paint the entire spoon one color such as red. Let the paint dry for 15 minutes. Add a second coat of paint if necessary.

4.Use the fine-tipped brush to paint a design on your spoon, such as a flower. Find a Swedish design and copy it onto the spoon if you wish. If you make a mistake, just let it dry, paint over it and try again.

Make a Friendship Pillow

9 blocks of cotton fabric in different patterns, 5 X 5 inches each
straight pins
needle
thread
scissors
13 inch square of fabric
cotton for stuffing

1. Give each of your friends a quilt block to sign or write a message on
2. When they are finished, lay out your quilt blocks with your friends. Place the 9 blocks in a square - 3 across and 3 down.
3. In the top strip of the quilt, place the left block on top of the middle block. The "good" sides of the fabric should be face-to-face. Pin the left edges together.
4. Use a backstitch to sew the left edges together, about 1/4 inch from the edge. Come up at A, down at B, etc. When you're finished, tie a knot close to your last stitch and cut off the extra thread.
5. Fold the left square out.
6. Repeat steps 3-5 with the right block, middle and bottom strips.
7. Fold the top strip facedown on the middle strip. Pin the upper edges together and sew with a backstitch about 1/4" from the edge. Fold the top strip up.
8. Repeat with the bottom strip.
9. Place the 13 inch square of fabric on top of the quilted square with the good sides face-to-face. Pin them together and sew a backstitch around three sides.
10. Turn the pillow right side out. Stuff the pillow. Fold in the edges of the last side and pin them together.
11. Sew up the last side with the whipstitch (Come up at A, pull the thread over the edge of the fabric to come up at B. When you're finished, remove the pins and tie a knot close to your last stitch. Cut off the extra thread.

From Kirsten and the New Girl

Cheryl wrote: "Does anyone know how to make a daisy chain? I read about girls sitting in meadows and making crowns and necklaces but I have no idea how."

First you need a patch of daisies. Pick them leaving a long stem...but not too long. Then tie a granny knot in one to the other. Use one stem to tie the knot...then snug that knot up to the flower part. Just keep going until the strand is as long as you want, then tie the ends together. It's really very simple.

Monica wrote: "Cheryl wrote: "Does anyone know how to make a daisy chain? I read about girls sitting in meadows and making crowns and necklaces but I have no idea how."

First you need a patch of daisies. Pick th..."

Thank you, Monica! :-)

QNPoohBear wrote: "I have instructions, thanks to the aforementioned American Girl books. Kirsten, the Swedish pioneer, has a daisy wreath to go with her birthday dress or wear on her Midsummer celebration.

Make A ..."

Thanks for sharing all those sweet craft ideas :-)

Kathryn wrote: "Monica wrote: "Cheryl wrote: "Does anyone know how to make a daisy chain? I read about girls sitting in meadows and making crowns and necklaces but I have no idea how."

First you need a patch of d..."

We used to do this with white clover blossoms. They're very flexable.

Monica wrote: "We used to do this with white clover blossoms. They're very flexable. ."

My mom taught us how to make those :-)

We used to collect horse chestnuts in the fall and make necklaces and other objects out of them. But you do have to make sure that children will not try to consume them since horse chestnuts are not edible. And indeed, using collected plants, seeds, nuts etc. for craft ideas is always something to consider with prudence as there are of course quite a lot of toxic plants.

And with that in mind, although I personally (and as an adult) find Mud Pies and Other Recipes a wonderful and imaginative “cookbook” for doll tea parties, if I had children, I would also feel the need to chaperone my children to makes sure that they did not try to sample any of the suggestions (as they are for the most part not edible and could also be toxic depending on which plants or berries a child would try out for the doll tea party).

Thank you, Monica and all for quite a few fun ideas!!

I didn't read these this month, but I did like Sneaky Art: Crafty Surprises to Hide in Plain Sight and Look What I Did with a Leaf! so much that I bought them. Looking at my own GR shelves, I see that I gave Pioneer Crafts by Barbara Greenwood 5 stars.

On the very simplest imagination/creativity level, I would also like to include Christina Katerina & the Box, Not a Box, and Not a Stick.

Older children and adults might like This Is Not a Book and others by Keri Smith. They're not especially about crafts per se, but they are about making things and using one's imagination.

GREAT WORLD WAR II PROJECTS: YOU CAN BUILD YOURSELF

I am not impressed with this book. It's printed solely in black and white (and gray) when it should be in color. Most of the book provides background information on WWII in the United States and England. I know all this so I didn't bother to read it. I liked the fun facts and trivia such as inventions from WWII. The crafts are so-so. I had a hard time following the V- for Victory pin craft because the illustration was in black and gray. None of the projects look like anything I want to try. Kids may enjoy the information and craft activities but the lack of color is a real turn off.

Autumn and Winter Activities Come Rain or Shine: Seasonal Crafts and Games for Children


Originally published in German in 2012 (and called Draussen und Drinnen, inside and outside), this 2017 translation by Anna Cardwell (and published by Floris Books of Edinburgh) is an excellent and fun autumn and winter activity resource (although it does majorly bother me how in the section on feather crafts, there are quite a number of "playing Indian" types of activities). Still highly recommended (with many ideas for crafts and activities both inside and outside that are not only fun but also celebrate nature, although for me, yes, all of the activities featuring Native Americans/Canadians should be avoided, need to be skipped).

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Earth, Water, Fire and Air: Playful Explorations in the Four Elements


Published by Floris Books, Earth, Water, Fire and Air: Playful Explorations in the Four Elements (with my edition hailing from 2010) was originally presented in German by Walter Kraul in two separate volumes, as Spielen mit Wasser und Luft (1984) and as Spielen mit Feuer und Erde (1985) and that the English language text for Earth, Water, Fire and Air: Playful Explorations in the Four Elements (which obviously combines Spielen mit Wasser und Luft and Spielen mit Feuer und Erde into one) has been translated by Donald Maclean. And yes, Earth, Water, Fire and Air: Playful Explorations in the Four Elements has an absolute treasure trove of fun, engaging and also educational crafts and activities using the so-called four elements (namely water, air, fire and earth), with each section featuring about twenty odd ideas, both indoor and outdoor, both simple and also more complicated ones. A nice combination of text, of diverse activities and images, although the lack of decent and itemised instructions for basically all of the activities is a frustrating (and especially so for the more complex ideas being presented.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Geeky LEGO Crafts: 21 Fun and Quirky Projects


Excellent and fun looking LEGO craft suggestions (21 in total), using only LEGO bricks and no figurines and accessories (yay), nicely varied, ranging from easy to difficult, with simple visual instructions (and yes, I would have loved a book like this as a child and as a young teenager when I was always busy building with my LEGO bricks). Do not really like how David Scarfe calls his book Geeky LEGO Crafts: 21 Fun and Quirky Projects because for one there are more than science and technology based LEGO projects being featured and that for two "geeky" for me has bit of a negative connotation (and thus, four and not five stars for this book but still and definitely recommended).

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Make Your Own Zoo: 35 Projects for Kids Using Everyday Cardboard Packaging


Tracey Radford's Make Your Own Zoo: 35 Projects for Kids Using Everyday Cardboard Packaging (2015) (and which I found and read on Open Library), this book should in my humble opinion inspire hours and hours (if not even days and days) of imaginative crafting fun for not only children (from about the age of six to twelve or so) but also for their parents, using the suggestions and the detailed but always very easy to follow instructions provided by Radford in Make Your Own Zoo: 35 Projects for Kids Using Everyday Cardboard Packaging to playfully and cooperatively, collectively (in other words parents and children crafting and playing together) create all kinds of cutesy and adorable zoo animals as well as zoo enclosures, zoo habitats and the like from cardboard egg cartons, tubes, cereal boxes etc. (so that Make Your Own Zoo: 35 Projects for Kids Using Everyday Cardboard Packaging of course and wonderfully so also promotes and totally celebrates recycling).

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Oh that does sound like fun! I wish my kids were still kids....

Cheryl wrote: "Oh that does sound like fun! I wish my kids were still kids...."

I might try some of this myself, we have so much excess cardboard.

The Teddy Bear Book


https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

With their 1997 The Teddy Bear Book (and which I found and read on Open Library), Lucille Recht Penner textually and Jody Palmer illustratively do certainly manage to demonstrate and very nicely showcase their all encompassing love of Teddy Bears, and that Recht Palmer also provides in The Teddy Bear Book lots and lots of intriguing and fun looking craft and culinary ideas.

But yes, there are three main reasons why my rating for The Teddy Bear Book can only be a very low three stars. For one, the historical information Lucille Recht Penner provides on the Teddy Bear is in my opinion rather lacking. For two, while the concept and the premise for the Teddy Bear inspired craft and food suggestions are great, the instructions are often confusing, user unfriendly (and equally assume a lot of talent and know-how from a young audience). And for three, while Jody Wheeler'e artwork is visually lovely, for the recipes and for the crafts there also really needs to be photographs included as well.

The Puppet Show


https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Simple story, but fun, and I really like how Sharon Greenway combines a frame narrative of Kat and Rob seeing a puppet show, attending a puppetry workshop, making sock puppets (with detailed how to instructions given), getting out library books on puppets and finally having a successful puppet play of Little Red Riding Hood for their school talent contest.

Fairy House Handbook


Fun crafting book, user-friendly, full of fairy lore (but the authors obviously seems to believe in fairies) and with some very neat and very cute outdoor fairy houses (like outdoor dollhouses). Four stars, although I do think that there is too much collected nature being suggested by Liza Gardner Walsh (and since Gardner Walsh seems to actually believe in fairies actually existing, some religious adults might find Fairy House Handbook a bit problematic and maybe even not appropriate.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Fairy Houses All Year: A Four-Season Handbook


Very similar to Fairy House Handbook but a seasonal set up and better environmental suggestions (but still for me a bit too much foraging from nature)

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...