A Peek inside my favorite Craft Book: Decorative Crafts Sourcebook review

For me, choosing a favorite craft book must be like what a mother would feel like to have to choose a favorite child. I don't have any children, but I do have a shelf full of amazing craft and hobby books full of project ideas and inspiration.  I cherish each and every one of them for different reasons, and they are all equally special to me. And they really do light up my life!

However, I don't think I'll hurt any of their feelings if I did have to choose, so for the sake of not having to change the title of this post, I'll go ahead and tell you what my favorite book is...for today.

Decorative Crafts Sourcebook from Amazon.com

This Decorative Crafts Sourcebook is one I almost always turn to first, when I'm in need of an idea. It is a 300 page encyclopedia of techniques with pages and pages of step-by-step how-to's in each category for Paper, Fabric, Metal/Wire & Wood, Ceramic & Glass.

But not only does it give you hundreds of incredible techniques, it goes on to give you projects which use some of those techniques within each category.

For example, some of the techniques are embedding leaves or other botanicals into handmade paper, or dyeing paper with tea or beets. These bars of handmade soap are wrapped in handmade paper embedded with leaves which is dyed with tea, and embellished with a pretty ribbon and sealing wax. So, it uses a combination of a few different ideas, and the result is simply lovely!

It also has a project of making a Decorative Paper Window Shade using the same leaf-embedded paper.

Some other really interesting techniques are things like smocking paper and applying other fabric techniques to this medium for a cool result.

A fabric project that I'm really excited to try is the Salt Dyed Napkins:

I think these are absolutely beautiful, and I can make them in any color combination I want...as soon as I decide what colors my kitchen should be when I repaint it. Someday.

The greatest thing about the book isn't necessarily the projects, though...What I use if for is the wide array of techniques.  I may have an idea for a project already in mind, but I'm looking for a way to give it a twist, to make it unique, and that's what I always look to the Decorative Crafts Sourcebook for. 

And that's why this book is one of my favorite craft resource books. I give it 5 stars!!