Book Description

Step-by-step instructions for high-flying aerodynamic designs like the Boomerang Jet which always comes back. All the designs create planes, without needing glue or scissors, thatperform fantastic stunts. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great basic book with good variety
Clear easy to follow instructions with good variety of planes that make a great airshow.

Great instructions, fun planes!
My son, who was six when we got this book, has folded every plane in it several times. The instructions are clear and don't really require reading, and he could build all the planes with almost no help from me. The stickers included in the middle are fun and really jazz up the planes. What a fun book! My son is such a paper airplane fanatic now, and I know we owe a lot of his interest to this book. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent for almost any age
I'm 25 years old and have been drawing and doodling since I was a child. I tended to draw things somewhat realistically and saved whimsical doodles for school notebooks and personal affects. This book proves how whimsical drawings are very appropriate for professional print, web publishing, greeting cards, and art. They allow the reader to develop their own style, while teaching fundamentals and many styles. Examples in the book are taught step-by-step in about three or four simple steps at most. Sophistication can be added with scenery, color, paint style, line style, and other stylization. This book also provides a good basis for vector art on a computer. I've currently been using Adobe Illustrator software, for my own drawings- drawing in black ink on one layer, and copying and pasting the same thing on a layer below. Then I reverse everything on the bottom layer so that there are no longer outlines, but filled shapes, and change the color of each shape accordingly, and slightly distort them so that they appear slightly offset or jiggled. This creates a nice effect. For drawing on paper I like using Millenium brand pens, as they don't smear and are pretty waterproof. This creates a great line so that if watercolors are used, the ink outline won't run. I commend the author and throroughly enjoyed the book. The accessories that come with the book are great but I mostly use the book for vector art to print. I highly recommend this book for those who desire inspiration, are afraid to make mistakes in drawing, or who wish to add personal flair to greeting cards and other media. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

If you have "Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots" don't bother
Sharon Lovejoy's "Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots" has the a lot of the ideas that are in "Sunflower Houses". It's almost as if she wrote "Sunflower Houses" first, thought of better ways to illustrate and do the gardening plans, and then wrote "Roots, Shoots..." (I didn't check the publishing dates - so maybe this is true?)

I bought both of these books through Amazon, and got "Roots..." first. It's a better book, with amazing illustrations. I thought "Sunflower Houses" would be just as good but when it came I was disappointed. It is really a repeat of much of the same stuff with less illustrations, and actually a lot less ideas. Illustrations are still really nice, and if you don't have the other book, you will like this one.

(...)

The Magic of Childhood
captured in this wonderful little book by Sharon Lovejoy. There are few books that make it into my "Magic Books" category, but both books by Sharon fit the bill. If you want to revisit childhood, or create a wonderful experience with your child or grandchild, this book is a must have.

Let your inner child play.......
How many of us take our gardens and nature for granted? I certainly do when I get caught up in day-to-day survival mode. I discovered Sunflower Houses almost a decade ago when my sisters introduced me to a store called Heart's Ease in Cambria, California, which was owned at the time by Sharon Lovejoy. It wasn't long thereafter that I invited Sharon to be my guest on television. A faerie tea party was the theme of the segment. I was captivated by Sharon's ideas and views of the garden - transforming acorn tops, leaves, walnut shells and Japanese lanterns into the perfect faerie tea party. Vivid childhood memories came flooding back to me of blowing dandelions to the wind, climbing trees, rolling on the lawn, trying to catch butterflies and playing Red Light Green Light and Mother May I.

As I thumb through this 10th reprint of Sunflower Houses, I am reminded of the magic right outside our doors. In Sharon's words, "May you always remember that the most joyous and important experiences in life are not to be bought, but grown and nurtured in our homes and gardens." Winter, spring, summer or fall, the outdoors hold grand adventures for us! -Tiffany Windsor-- ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Art Fun by Kim Solga
This is a must have for any art teacher!! The ideas will send a child's imagination soaring. All activities are practical, loads of fun and economical. You'll find yourself saying "wow you can do that". I teach K-8 at a parochial school and will be using the ideas constantly.

Raise a Successful Adult!
Kim Solga really knows how to make art fun, just like the title says. Simple, easy, fun, and wonderful for kids' imaginations.Want to raise a creative, smart, successful adult? Use Art Fun with your child now!! ... Read more

Book Description

Pokmon fans can bring their favorite creatures to life with this colorful origami kit. Preprinted paper and instructions direct readers in creating three-dimensional figures of Ash Ketchum, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Eevee, Zubat, and other favorite Pokmon, as well as readers' own characters. The Pokmon phenomenon is based on the Nintendo Game Boy adventure, which sets players on a quest to collect all 150 Pokmon creatures - an eclectic assortment of animal, vegetable, mineral, and out-of-this- world characters. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Good introduction to origami
This book has pokemon characters printed on, usually two, with a slightly different look usually with the eyes. You tear out the paper, cut and fold it. The paper is not quite square the the picture is not exact. A lot adjusting to fit the colours is required. There is a lot of cutting involved but the folding is very simple. The final shape is very simple too and not easily recognisable if there is no picture of the pokemon on it. The picture can be just a face or full and need mounting on a flat surface for it to look good since generally it cannot stand. Recommended as an introduction to origami for children who likes pokemons.

Pokemon Origami
Pokemon Origami is great. Now I can instead of drawing pokemon I can create pokemon out of origami

NICE BOOK, FEW POKéMON.
THE BOOK WAS NICE AND ALL BUT IT SAID IT HAD FIGURES OF BULBASAUR, ASH, EVEE AND IT DOESN'T I THINK I SHOULD HAVE GIVEN IT 4 STARS BUT THEN I REMEMBERED HEY IT'S POKEMON!

Paper with printed characters folds almost into Pokemon
This book has about 30 or so pages with pokemon characters printed on. Most of the characters are duplicated twice (for example, Meowth with his eyes open on one page and shut on another). You tear out the pages and fold them into shapes that don't look too much like the pokemon, but are kind of close. The printed characters aren't quite centered, so you have the option of either making your character lopsided, or having the picture not line up to the folds. Having said all that, my 6-year old son likes the finished characters. I was looking for more realistic pokemon shapes though. If they hadn't pre-printed the characters on the pages, you wouldn't recognize the pokemon character.

This Book Is OK.
It is very confusing, but very cool. Even though the Pokemon don't look like what they are in the show, it is a good book. ... Read more

Book Description

"The Ultimate Book of Holiday Kid Concoctions" is the third addition to international best-selling authors John and Danita Thomas' award winning book series, The Ultimate Book of Kid Concoctions. In this new book you will find over 50 wacky, wild and crazy concoctions and crafts along with tips, ideas, and a brief history of 15 popular holidays. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Great Ideas!
Lots of creative ideas that teach children about other cultures. Very innovative, not the same old things you see in other books!

FUN! FUN! FUN!
My class has had a wonderful time using this book to make creative projects while learning about various cultures and holidays!

Wonderful Holiday Ideas!!!
I run a day home and with Christmas coming up it was wonderful to find so many ideas for the little ones to do. First, we made the Chocolate Kisses for them to give their parents for Chrismas.

A BIG one for the dads and a smaller one for the moms. :-) Actually, I already had some white chocolate at home, so I bought some bags of butterscotch chips and mixed them in and got caramel chocolate, so that's what the dads got and the moms got the real chocolate. We wrapped them in cellophane and put them in gift bags so they look really cute. I also put little strips of paper in the tops saying 'dad, you're the best' and 'we love you, mom.' Needless to say, one of my daughters saw them and wanted to know where hers is. by the way, she's married with children.

We have also made the applesauce/cinnamon ornaments this week, so at the moment they are drying and next week we will decorate them with glitter and so on. The kids had a ball kneeding the dough in the plastic bag. They sat in a circle and passed it around so everyone could have a squeeze. To tell the truth I was a little skeptical that it would turn into dough, but 'presto', it worked.

Tommorow I am going on a hunt for the red and white Christmas candy to make the candy wreaths. as crazy as it sounds, so far I have not been able to find it in Calgary, so I am hoping to find some of it somewhere so that we can make the wreaths next week.

Oh, and I nearly forgot, I also tried the Ice Cream, but that was for me. :-)
I have just ordered your 2 previous books and can't wait to get them.
Thanks again for the lovely ideas.
Margaret in Calgary, Alberta.

Best Holiday Book Ever!!
My Children and I have spent countless fun filled hours creating many of the fresh, new, and creative projects in this book. Our favortes include the Swap Gunk and Goblin Make-up, these two projects along with the monster hand punch made our halloween party a hit! We are just now starting to create the pepermint wreaths and bird cookies for Christmas. All of the projects we made were quick, easy and inexpensive to create. This book is a hands down winner and is leaps and bounds better than any other Holiday craft book I have seen!

...
What a disappointment! (...) The "recipes" are all same old, same old -- nothing remotely unique or original. The only difference is that they're decorated for holidays, but I could have figured out for myself to glue on a shamrock for St. Patrick's Day, or whatever. Also, gluing wiggly eyes to a rock is not exactly a "concoction", nor does it require buying a book.
Even the actual recipes are losers ... For example, the one for snow globes doesn't specify non-metal glitter, non-metal figures, distilled water, *OR* silicone adhesive -- all of which are essential if you want the globe to last more than a few days.
The book seems to have been rushed to press with any ole crafts just to fill the pages, without regard for whether or not they'll last more than a few days -- much less whether or not they're even crafts or recipes. YUCK.... ... Read more

Book Description

Offering a delightful introduction to the world of sewing for children ages seven and older, The Best of Sewing Machine Fun for Kids offers clear, colorful directions to help kids have fun as they develop skills that will last a lifetime. Thirteen kid-friendly projects easily teach children how to sew. As kids work their way through the book, each project builds on skills they have already learned. Easy-to-follow instructions and safety precautions start with sewing basics, allowing children to learn at their own pace. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (2)

No More Winnie-the-Pooh Coloring Books for My Kids
Little Johnnie and Betsy and Allison will no longer spend mindless hours coloring bunnies and squirrels- now they can learn important American history lessons from the comfort of their own kitchen table. I'll tell ya- these pictures are going up on the frig!

Really good
I can't say enough about this one - this is way beyond your usual coloring book. Are your kids tired of coloring simple bunnies and trees? This is beautifully drawn and has an educational edge as well. A good one! ... Read more

Book Description

These chubby wooden "body crayons" are non-toxic, washable for easy clean-up, and remarkably neat and easy for little hands to manipulate.The book itself is packed with ideas, instructions and inspiration for creating body art masterpieces. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

great
My granddaughter who is 7 loved this even more than I thought she would. She shares it with her friends and took it to 'show and tell' at school (a sure sign that she likes it) and it is very easy to clean off.

The Body Crayon Book.
This is an excellent beginner book for young and old face and body painters. It offers very nice design that are fun to do. It also includes body pencil instead of messy face paint. It is great to use at parties or any children event. ... Read more

Book Description

A craft book packaged with all the supplies you need to make a dozen little fairy dolls dressed in petal-perfect style.It's surprisingly easy to turn the included beads, embroidery floss, florist's wire and fabric faux flower petals into a pack of pixie pals. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Not just for kids!!
Okay, I'm 30, and I was looking in the childrens' section for books for my friend's kids, and I fell in love with these!! The fairies are so easy to make, and so adorable, that I couldn't resist. And I think it's great that this book was written by a 13-year old girl! Good for her! I just love fairies, unicorns, dragons, etc. and my adult friends have loved getting these as little surprises!

Totally Addicting!!
So much fun! Easy. We had the kitchen table covered in flower fairies in no time. Then we took apart all the fabric flowers we could find. Then we combed our favorite thrift shop for more. Whew! They just got cuter and cuter. My kids are 9, 11 and 13. Then, we took them to school. Great response there. My 11 year old is a boy (into star wars, gi joe and transformer) and he even got involved. Put them on curtains, hair stuff, party bags. Fun, fun, fun.

Nice Craft Idea
This fairy making kit comes with a well illustrated instruction book, wire, flower petals, beads, and extra trimmings to make numerous fairy people.

I bought this for my two nieces, 5 and 8 years old, and they love it.

EXCELLENT entertainment for children
My 9 year old daughter absolutely loved this book filled with fairies to make. The end results were beautiful, but the joy she had creating them was what prompted me to write this review. I am now coming back to buy another for a future birthday gift for one of her friends. I can't imagine a child not loving this, unless they are not fond of creative/art projects. A wonderful birthday gift at a very reasonable price.

these little people are fun!
My sister purcahsed this kit in from the clearance aisle at one of our big chain craft stores around here. These little people are the coolest! You can continue to make petal people with other fake flowers parts, wire and beads later as well. We are right now making a baby mobile of these delightful little people! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Good introduction, but better books are available
For the same money, you should get Quick and Easy Paper Planes that Really Fly, by Paul Jackson. This book has many more models and clear, easy instructions. My son already knew how to build the three planes in this foldout.

A smooth flight
Three paper aeroplane designs presented with typical clarity byKlutz. The fold-out format is excellent, being a good size, durableand able to lie flat more easily than a paperback. Graphics are clear and attractive and the text, though brief, has the usual Klutz sparkle and amusing asides. The only real disappointment here is that all three 'planes are much of a muchness. Given the constraints of space and simplicity it is easy to see why more advanced models were avoided, but still it would have been nice to have at least one that looked radically different from its brethren. A fair price for what you get and a splendid introduction to the most elegant and enjoyable way I know to litter the countryside.

3 Great Planes.
Instructions for folding 3 excellent paper airplanes. Typical Klutz simplicity and thorough treatment. My kids can't get enough of it. ... Read more

Book Description

The art of thread-wrapping hair braids has never been shown off more clearly, with more fun, or more beautifully than here.Comes with ten skeins of embroidery thread and thirteen beads and charms for the especially fancy styles. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Excellent Book
Excellent book very clear instructions, I was able to make all hair wraps styles with no problem. I really recomend this book
it is excellent and if you have some creativity the sky is the limit! Great Book to learn and have fun.

very good book
This book is excellent, very clear directions with pictures to look at, so easy that anyone can do it, it even comes with the materials which I though was great for the price paid

It had exellent easy-to-follow instructions.
Any girl who loves to do crafts would love this book. It is fun, easy, and even comes with a great selection of thread.

good fun
I'm not sure why I bought this book, but for some reason I did. These books seem to be for kids, but they have huge amounts of adult appeal as well. Look at the card in the back you can send away to get the catalogue. It has two age categories: "I am a kid and was born in the year______" or "According to my birth certificate I am an adult but I deny it!". Well, I must fall in the second category. Imagine two grown ups wrapping each other's hair in embroidery floss--sounds silly, but we had a blast. These Klutz books are excellent, easy to follow, and fun. If you want to learn how to do something, see if there is a Klutz book about it. It'll certainly be worth your money.

Wanna Learn this stuff....it's the ONLY Book I've found
This is the only book I've found that teaches you how to do hair wraps...My fiance learned about it, and was actually taught how to do it at a COLLEGE level basis. Yet It was so detailed, that a elementary aged student visiting that day learned it faster then the students there. ... Read more

Book Description

With over 175 great projects, the crafting fun is almostendless! There are loads of ideas for zany animals, silly games, greatgifts, nature crafts and more. Step-by-step instructions and easydesigns mean even the littlest crafters can have fun creating. And theunique materials list is set up alphabetically to help guide you toprojects based on items found around the house -- from Aluminum foil andButtons to Wire and Yarn! ... Read more

Book Description

Fill the sky with animals when you build these 19 brightly colored kites. These beauties include a blue, red, and purple butterfly, an iridescent dragonfly, a richly hued barn swallow, and 16 more, all pictured here in full color. Each design has its own flying pattern--some soar above the clouds; others zoom low to the ground--and you get all the aerodynamic background to understand why! Above all, you'll experience the pleasure of seeing a kite you construct emerge and fly in all its glory. And if you want to go on to design your own, the general instructions on building kites will help you even after you've finished these. So now when someone tells you to go fly a kite, you'll ask, "Which one?" Schmidt...has expanded his horizons into the realm of monster, bumblebee, bird, and butterfly kites. [The] chapter on wind dynamics and kite stability is necessary reading for anyone willing to trust his or her masterpiece to the mercies of the wind. These kites are truly works of art and would make fantastic mobiles when not flying aloft."--Booklist.Sterling/Tamos 96 pages (all in color), 8 1/2 x 10.
... Read more

Reviews (3)

Not at all what I was hoping for
I bought this book hoping to expand on my knowledge of kites, and get an idea or two for building creature kites. This book was a HUGE dissapointment in this respect.
Essentially this book is nothing but painting patterns for the same kite over and over. The build for all the kites detailed here are virtually identical: Fold a sheet of "Tyvek" in half, fold a couple of times, paint it to look like something (the most tedious portion of the build on these kites), and glue a bunch of sticks to the back of the paper.
Presto! you have a buterfly! or a swallow! or a dragonfly!

You will find no box kites, no stunt kites, or anything besides the same folded "Tyvek" kites detailed in the book.

After looking at the book once, I'm afraid it will remain on my shelf, while I spend some time building an interesting delta kite or something.

Great Complicated Kites
I bought this book after I had purchased the magnificent book of kites. This book has great big kites which are more complicated than the magnificent book of kites. So, if you have experience building kites this is the book you need.

Great butterfly and bird kites!
Detail designs for frames and sails, including excellant directions on assembly and decorating. 19 designs give lots of ideas for more. My favorites: Tiger Swallowtail, Dragonfly and Albatross. ... Read more

Amazon.com

When it comes to miniatures, kids and grownups have very different tastes. Kids are unlikely to relate to the elaborate Victorian highboy and delicate crocheted tablecloth in Grandma's dollhouse, but they'll delight in the itty-bitty accessories that fill this clever book. A yogurt lid, cardboard jewelry box, and lollipop sticks become a bed; a mini loaf pan, clip-on earring backs, and crumbled Styrofoam make a bubble bath in a claw-foot tub; and a vending-machine prize capsule, a pizza-box lid support, and a bit of screen become an ingenious barbecue grill, complete with wafting smoke (a wisp of cotton) and grilling hamburgers (dried lentils). Excellent directions with step-by-step drawings on gatefold pages make everything easy; good color photos show off the finished project. Most items require only basic craft supplies and throwaway materials, and most can be handled almost entirely by older kids, as long as they have a reasonable amount of patience; younger ones will naturally need more supervision. Very occasionally a grownup's help is definitely required (ironing, cutting screen); these steps are clearly marked for adult involvement.

Now, what's a girl to do with all this cool little stuff? She can create wonderful miniature tableaus around her bedroom, or she can, of course, outfit a dollhouse. Or she can simply turn to the back of the book, where a fold-out section turns into a stand-up room, ready to be filled with her own tiny treasures. --Amy Handy ... Read more

Reviews (11)

A barrel of tiny, tiny monkeys
A savvy friend gave this book to me after discovering that I'd found a Barbie Doll that looked like me (mortifyingly enough, in my mid-twenties). I opened this little hardcover/spiral combo and gasped aloud--exquisite little how-to's on oft-neglected areas of dollhouse fun...a Twister board, a Christmas Tree, flowerpots, wedding cake, croquet, team pennants... Some conceivably Barbie-sized, and many more traditionally dollhouse-sized, like the ballet tableau and the tiny bathtub scene. (There's definitely a scalable quality to the crafts, either way). Best yet, you're not paying $20 a pop in a toy store to have impersonal pink-&-purple logo-labelled uberfeminized fluff. Instead, the book gives you 21 little projects to create with common household/hobby items, and causes you to gaze speculatively at your old tinkertoys, wondering where your glue and paints are.

I highly recommend this for a creative doll-oriented child, and the whimsical adult (who knows better, but starts building a Barbie condo on the pantry shelves).

A Dollhouser In Michigan
Tiny Treasures was a great book! I can look through this book again and again to just find more things that amaze me! As I am a kid, I don't have enough money to make dollhouse/miniature collecting a full-time hobby, but I make things form the Tiny Treasures book and get ideas for my own things. People comment on the things I make from Tiny treasures and say they are great! I totally recommend this book!

A Real Gem of a Little Book
The name of this book is "Tiny Treasures" and that's just what this book is, a tiny treasure. Tiny because it's, well it's tiny. A treasure, because it has literally occupied hours of my darling's time. Some people think it's easier with two children, others think it's twice the work. I am in the others category, so when I saw how they took to this neat little book after their dad brought it home, I was thrilled.

This book will walk your little girl right through dozens of projects. Yes, I must say, you are going to have to help, maybe not when they get older, but I had to help mine make most of the projects and I can't remember having so much fun with my girls. They have learned so many useful things because of this book and we've had dozens up very interesting conversations as I explained about the things we where were making.

If you have a girl child somewhere between three and thirty-three, then I believe this is a book for you. It's full of projects a girl and her mom can do together. Not only do my girls love this book, but I do too.

Sophie Cacique Gaul

Creative and Fun
This is absolutely the most precious book. All the craft ideas use items that are easy to find. And the projects are not only easy to make, but a lot of fun. Definitely recommended.

Very creative
This book is very cute and creative. Now alot of girls are building little house for little toys like keychains and those kind of things. This book helps them make beds and and lamps etc. This shows them how. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (1)

extremely successful with my children
My eleven-year-old son liked this kit quite a bit, and my almost seven-year-old son LOVED it! He enjoyed designing potholders with nice color progressions and patterns, and made potholder after potholder until we ran out of loops. (The kit had enough loops for about seven or eight potholders, I think, though the last one had badly clashing colors. We need more loops now.)

As a parent, I appreciated the clear instructions in how to finish the edges, and, since my children are so enthusiastic, I am grateful for all the things the book describes making with the finished products, so I'm not obligated to give all of those potholders a home in my kitchen. :-) There are several clever little projects.

The included loom is made of sturdy plastic which does not hurt your fingers, and they also enclose a crochet hook and a large plastic needle for finishing. No other materials are needed, which made this a great find for kid entertainment on our vacation. ... Read more