Crafty Manolo

As you read this, I’m probably still sleeping off that second slice of pumpkin pie… or starting my day with a big, strong cuppa Joe – black like the remnants of my shriveled soul, natch – and another slice of pumpkin pie.

But it being Black Friday, and the official start of the Christmas Shopping Season, I have a few thoughts about great places to direct your favorite Santa’s helpers, or to seek out terrific holiday gifts for the crafty person in your life.

Sometimes the thing you need most for your craft materials is someplace to neatly store and organize them. This denim sewing storage box has a convenient carry handle, and an organizing tray inside. At 12.5″L x 9.5″H x 7.5″W, it’s big enough to store a lot of materials, but small enough to transport easily. Oh, and at Overstock.com, it’s just $39.69.

In fact, I think it would work for many crafters, not just those who sew. I know I use something fairly similar to keep my bobbin lace tools in order.

But of course not all of you can use a sewing box. So let’s see what other superfantastic crafting goodies I can find for you.

If beadwork is your thing, check out Fabulous Florals: A Beadweaving Garden by Elizabeth Townes. It’s brimful of gorgeous projects for the intermediate beadweaver. And at just $21.88 at Amazon (list price $24.95), you can get a lot of inspiration… and still have money left over to buy beads!

Of course you may be looking for something more… adventurous to do. Or just be drowning in cat hair. In that case, look no further than:

Crafting with Cat Hair: Cute Handcrafts to Make with Your Cat by Kaori Tsusaya and Amy Hirshman. Take those wads of kitty fur and turn them into finger puppets, cat toys, and more in less than an hour without any special equipment or training.

I don’t know about you, but I kind of hope this turns up under the tree!

If there’s a knitter in your life who could use a few stitch markers, I would think these whimsical sheep ones by Cedar Creek Quilt Designs would be just the ticket. They’re cute as a button, and thrifty, too. You can find them at Roberts Crafts for just $19.99.

Have you ever considered learning to bind your own books? This DVD, Bookbinding: A Traditional Technique could be your chance to pick up a fun new skill. With its help, you can find out all about how to make your own hardbound books. It’s available at MisterArt for just $13.68… or $11.73 if you’re a member of their VIP club.

If you quilt, there are a lot of things to remember. Wouldn’t it be handy to have a quick reference chart handy instead of trying to remember which page of what book the precise formula you need right then happens to be? Well, with the All-in-one Quilter’s Reference Tool from C&T Publishing, you can have just that. It’s got fifty-two pages of conversions, charts, techniques, and more. The list price is $16.95, but you can find it at Create For Less for just $14.74.

Whatever your craft, I hope you can find something for it under the Christmas tree or Hanukkah bush this year!

This entry was posted on Friday, November 25th, 2011 at 8:30 am by Twistie and is filed under Crafts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.