They say a good book is always a good investment. Today all material is available online but I still prefer to take a book, read and learn from it. The online material gets downloaded and saved. Later if I want to refer to it again after a while, I am unable to find it. On the contrary if it is a book ; I can pick up the book, flip to the page, refer to what I was looking for anytime.

The Human Brain does not remember everything it saw or heard at one go. We need to go back and forth to remember and understand things clearly. Besides we don’t usually learn until we actually get our hands into it. That is when the real questions pop and problems happen.

Sometimes google gives the answers but sometimes it just doesn’t seem to understand. Books on hobbies including Arts and Crafts are expensive. One of the reasons most book stores don’t keep them or keep just one or two. The helper at the bookstore would tell me “Ma’am, we have only one. People just read it here. They are expensive so people rarely buy it. If you want the other titles I can order them for you”.

There were times when I would go to the hobby section of every library I visit and check which books they have on Arts and Crafts. Coffee Shops also kept a few books; books people gave them or they collected. Sometimes I would find a good book there – Coffee Table Books.

Collecting books to learn a new Art or Craft became a holiday activity. I would pick magazines during my waiting hours at places, even if they had like just a single article on Home Decor or Crafting. I would still check it up. Another place I would get some good books was the Children’s Reading Corner at Resorts. If it’s in their library and I have been there, the chances are that I have read the book.

My mom had enrolled me for speech and drama classes. Thanks to my teacher there Reading became a habit. Even today I pack books every time I am travelling. On a holiday, you are most likely to find me at a cozy comfortable spot indoors or outdoors with a book. My folks like reading too. So my parents didn’t mind if I bought books and added them to my personal library.

In this article I share about four books that I recommend for Art and Craft Lovers. I have been collecting books for years, so I do not know if they are easily available or you would have to really look for them. We don’t get these online and recently when I checked the local bookstores they didn’t have them either. One place we are likely to find these is the book stalls at Art Fairs or Exhibitions or Art Galleries.

And after all the effort if you do get your hands on these, don’t miss your chance. I have actually managed to learn these Arts and Crafts with the help of the books.

1) GIFT WRAPPING : The first one is ‘Creative Gift Wrapping’ by Yoshiko Hase. She is a ribbon creator from Japan and this is the 2nd Part of the series. It has 132 different tutorials on Gift Wrapping. In Japan a lot of importance is given to Gift Wrapping: the colour, the ribbon, the paper, the card everything. And they are really good at it! With the festive season coming up, who wouldn’t love some special wrapping tips from the experts!

2) SEWING : The second one is ‘SEW Step-by-Step’ by Alison Smith. She has been a Textiles Tutor at the Liberty Sewing School in London and the Janome Sewing School in Cheshire. Alison also has her own shop – Fabulous Fabrics and a sewing school – Alison Victoria School of Sewing in Leicestershire. Her school is the largest independent sewing school in England. This book really guides and takes you on a complete step-by-step process to everything you need to know about sewing on the machine. A beginners workshop at their training centre when I bought my Janome Sewing Machine along with this book was enough for me. The book has been my go to guide or sewing manual every time I want to try a new project.

3) CANDLE MAKING : Your Christmas Decor would be incomplete without Candles. If you wish to make them at home for your family and friends and need some ideas to get started, then my next book is all you need. It has 20 different projects with items you can make, by yourself at home. The book explains all the tools and materials that you require for different types of candles too. The book ‘CANDLES’ by Diana Civil is great for a holiday activity of Candle Making.

4) NAPKIN FOLDING : Inviting friends and family home for lunch or dinner? This book has 150 ideas on Napkin Folding that surely make an impressive table setting. If you are following a theme or a particular style and want something to match, this book has it all. It is called ‘The Practical Guide to Napkins and Napkin Folding’ by Rick Beech.

Have you read these? If you have read any other books on Arts and Crafts that you have loved, do share about your experience. I would be happy to hear from you and add new books to my collection too! Have an Arty Weekend!

Note: If you are looking for Christmas Gifts to buy, do visit my shops and take a look. I have shops on Etsy, Society6 and Redbubble all three by the same name ‘NMartworks’. If you like something, there are offers and discounts this weekend. Links are on the Home Page. Thank You!