I'm dreaming of a green Christmas

Gifts, Decorations, and Recipes that Use Less and Mean More

by Anna Getty

A lovely book filled with lots of environmentally-friendly ways to celebrate.

New Complete Guide to Sewing

Step-by-step techniques for making clothes and home accessories

by Reader's Digest

This is a thorough reference manual for sewing clothing, curtains, quilts and more. To me, it looks like everything you could possibly need to know about sewing. There are also a few projects to make from commercially available patterns.

Eco-Chic Home

Rethink, reuse & remake your way to sustainable style

by Emily Anderson

Ways to reduce and reuse with instructions for many projects to use in various rooms.

I liked this book; it has some really nice ideas. But a lot of the instructions are very unclear, and twice (pp. 29, 175) the word "harkening" or "harkens" is used when the author meant "harking" or "harks." On page 97, I can't make heads or tails of the instructions for making a reusable snack carrier. On page 128, there are instructions for making a ladder clothes rack which call for "two identical wooden ladders" and later it says "the ladders should be open, with the steps facing out to the left and right." Oh, step-ladders. But the rest of the instructions are very confusing too. On page 172, "long-distance" should not be hyphenated. And on page 100, there's a picture with a plastic water bottle on a table; that is not environmentally-friendly.

I don't mean to be so picky, but I read a lot of books that have no errors at all. I have no formal experience or university education on proofreading, so if I can pick up on these things, a professional surely should. And if someone is writing a book with project instructions, they really ought to get someone to try making the project from those instructions before publishing the book.

The Ultimate Guide to Homesteading

An Encyclopedia of Independent Living

by Nicole Faires

Instructions for how to do almost everything yourself; building houses and animal shelters, digging a well, growing and preserving food, raising and slaughtering animals, health care, waste disposal and even homeschooling.

This is a really nice book; lots of pictures and diagrams and very thorough information. Although very few people would use all of this knowledge, almost everyone would find some of it useful.

Homemade Gifts

easy techniques and great projects 

by Nicki Trench

A collection of projects to make by hand; mostly knitting and sewing along with some crochet and cooking, one tile mosaic and one garden journal. The instructions are detailed and seem very clear.

Unfortunately, nothing jumped out at me and I didn't make anything from this book.

Homemade:

Gorgeous things to make with love

by Ros Badger & Elspeth Thompson

Lots of things to make with stuff you probably already have. Everything from sewing, gardening, and painting to crochet, baking and crafts made from natural materials and more. Unfortunately, I didn't find this book terribly inspiring; the only thing I wanted to try making were the cushion covers made from old wool blankets or sweaters.

Handmade Home

by Amanda Blake Soule

This is a lovely, cozy book full of projects you can make. The directions are clear and simple. Most of them are sewing projects that use old things to make nice, useful new things.

Visit the author's blog at SouleMama.

Denim Redesign

by Amy Barickman

Well-illustrated instructions for turning old jeans into skirts, jackets, aprons, bags, quilts and even just updated jeans. There was one tote bag design that I especially liked.

Handmade Beginnings

: 24 sewing projects to welcome baby

by Anna Maria Horner

Nice designs, inspiring colours. Includes projects for mama, baby, family and nest.

Denim by design

by Barb Chauncey

This books has a number of accessory projects to make with denim; a few use old jeans and others use flat denim fabric. There are detailed instructions and patterns are included.

I was disappointed with this book because I had expected more ideas for using worn-out jeans. I also didn't like what most of the projects looked like.

Crafty activities

over 50 fun and easy things to make

by Judy Balchin

This book has dozens of projects to make, all arranged under the categories of printing, creative lettering, mosaics, papier mache, origami and handmade cards. The instructions are clear and there are many step-by-step photos.

Since I am homeschooling my children this year, I borrowed this book from the library for art class, and we did a couple of the activities. We had fun and they turned out well. I would recommend this book.