Sewing School
Amie Petronis Plumley & Andria Lisle
$16.95; Storey Publishing
With a few basic stitches, kids can make their own clothes, bags and toys—whatever they like! Pattern pieces, clear instruction and how-to photos will guide newbies every step of the way. There’s also a Vet Clinic, with repair tips for stuffed animals, and a Recycle and Repair section that details basic mending techniques and ideas for repurposing old or worn-out clothes. Lastly, a resource guide for tools, fabric and supplies, along with sewing blogs for kids, is included.
Paper Scissors Glue
Catherine Woram
$19.95; Ryland Peters & Small
Paper is the perfect medium to experiment with print-making, painting, sculpture, découpage, collage and molding along with providing practice for skills such as cutting, tracing and folding. Featuring 45 crafts for kids ages 3-10, there are cool and colorful projects for all skill levels. Templates and bright photos of cute kids and their creations make this a fun addition to your family library.
10-Minute Puppets
Noel MacNeal
$10.95; Workman
Using socks, boxes, sticks, paper fabric scraps and other easy-to-find items, master puppeteer MacNeal, a 20-year performer on Sesame Street, lets kids’ creativity abound.
The book provides simple step-by-step direction and templates for sock, finger and shadow puppets, along with theater how-to’s and storytelling tips. It’s a quick and zany way to encourage whimsical playtime and spur imagination.
Art with Anything
MaryAnn Kohl
$19.95; Gryphon House, Inc.
Recycled materials and everyday items become sand art, magnet crafts, glitter pix, robot tubes, jar crafts and much more. Teachers, Scout leaders and homeschooling parents will appreciate the wide range of art projects in this book. There’s one for every day of the year!
Papertoy Monsters
Brian Castleforte
$16.95; Workman
Assemble one of 50 die-cut paper templates and bring a quirky monster to life. Using just a glue stick and a toothpick, kids can build an army of beasts, zombies, aliens and other fantastic creatures. It’s loads of fun to see the finished product but this book is best for older kids, or those with advanced motor skills. Little ones may become frustrated by the tiny details, or tear small assembly tabs.
