Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Crafts – Review
A Comprehensive and Incredibly Tasteful Guide To Crafting
Martha Stewart (and her army of employees) really have a corner on books about the various arts of domesticity. Following tomes such as Martha Stewart's Cooking School, Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook, and Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook comes Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Crafts: An A-To-Z Guide With Detailed Instructions And Endless Inspiration (published by Potter Crafts). Since Martha Stewart has never been one to mess around, the subtitle is, of course, nothing short of accurate.
A True Encyclopedia of Crafts
Encyclopedia of Crafts is indeed laid out like a encyclopedia with various crafts listed alphabetically. After a brief introduction, the book begins with Albums, Scrapbooks, and Memory Boxes and moves its way through to Wreaths (apparently, even Martha didn't have any X, Y, or Z crafts up her sleeve). Their are several appendixes at the end of the book: a list of tools and materials, a set of templates, a list of sources, and a buyer's guide.
Each craft section is laid out cleanly and simply. First a list of supplies is provided, followed by a few basic instructions and then one or several project ideas. The project instructions are all very easy to follow and to the point. Some of the crafts inside include:
- Botanical Pressing
- Candlemaking
- Jewelry Making
- Matting and Framing
- Painting China and Glass
- Rubber Stamping
- Tin Punching
- Wirework
Impeccable Lay-Out
The Martha Stewart brand has become synonymous with tastefulness, and this book will not disappoint the legions of MS fans. This hardcover volume is absolutely beautiful and impeccably laid-out. The photographs of the various projects are so lovely that any reader will be tempted to try almost each and every craft. Of course, Martha's team of expert crafters make any project look easier than it actually is, but with this book's well-designed lay-out, even an amateur crafter has a good chance of understanding the instructions and creating something beautiful.
A Type of Craft for Everyone
Because of the variety of crafts offered within the book, it is unlikely that any one person will be interested in every single project in this book, but it's also unlikely that any craft fan will be unable to find at least something of interest in the book. Also, since each entry is relatively short, this book is not the place to learn everything there is to know about, say, beading or block printing. But, since all the projects are presented in Martha Stewart's signature simple and clean aesthetic, there is a lot of room for interpretation in each and every project, making the Encyclopedia of Crafts an endless source of inspiration for both occasional and avid crafters.
Martha Stewart's Enclyclopedia of Crafts, Potter Craft, 2009 (ISBN: 978-0-307-45057-9)
Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Crafts
|
What do you think about this article?
More in Reading & Literature
Latest Articles