Creative Creatures by Donna Wilson is a classic book that has arrived in our time, filled with just stunning vintage crafts… honestly I could have read this book as a child and loved it just as my children have. Donna Wilson has created a magical book filled with brilliant crafts for kids and crafty grown-ups too…
Just a warning… that when you leave this book out for your children to dip into you might want to hang onto your socks and your gloves… this book sure does inspire projects!!!
Se7en + 1 things We LOVED about this book
- It’s a Classic: I love the feel of this book… it reminds of the crafty book that I would have read as a child… It is a mixture of classic craftiness, a story that pops from time to time between the craftiness…
- It is Packed With Variety: It is literally packed with projects… and heaps of variety… sewing, knitting, sticking… Who can resist a sock monster, a phone cosy, pop-up cards, a mitten kitten, a paper clothesline for Charlie Monkey… the list goes on… a felt key-ring, a draught excluder, glove puppets, finger puppets, your very own soft toy, a fantastic mask, banana bunting (too cute, I kid you not!!!), A robot out of the recycling bin goodies, a felted soft toy and a cloud mobile… That sure is a lot of huge variety of projects!!!
- There is Lots to Look At: There is more to this book than a photo “how to” craft book… little instructions, little snippets about the characters in the book. Frankly, this is the sort of book you just want to have around for crafty inspiration, even if you never get around to any of the projects, it is lovely!!!
- Directions Are Easy to Follow: I love how this book inspires… while the directions will explain exactly how to creat a project they also provide a heap of tips and enough information to take your project further and make your own creations… Lots of ideas of similar projects to try on each page.
- There is a Cast of Characters: There are some crafty creatures that wind there way through the book and consistently keep the narration going… there is a little bit of a story at play throughout the book and it is fun to look out for your favourite characters as they pop up on pages throughout the book.
- Easy Enough for the Beginner Crafter: With the fearless crafters that live in this house they very often dive into projects that just aren’t doable… this book is especially for them!!! You don’t have to be a master craftsman, and very easy beginner sewing is used in some of the cards. And it is a great place to begin to learn to sew and practice new sewing skills.
- One on One Time: In this book the projects might require a little more hands-on-help… I know threading a needle and keeping it from becoming knotted would be a challenge for a couple of my kids but I would happily sit along side my kids and lend a hand to help them to achieve the result they were after…
- We Picked an Easy Project: Olive Owls Kites… Of course we didn’t have wire, but we had tissue paper… and we sat and stuck and pasted, tore and trimmed… very fun and made ourselves some owl kites. Then of course we had no wind whatsoever… and then we had way too much wind… and our owls are now clinging, for dear life, to a treeing the garden!!!
And Se7en + 1
The GiveAway
So We have a copy of this book to GiveAway to a lucky reader… Leave a comment and tell us about your favourite Childhood Craft…
This GiveAway works in the usual way, just leave a quick comment and you have until the close of play on the Sunday 28 April 2013, to enter. We will draw and publish the winner next week and I won’t respond to your comments as I do on our other posts because I don’t want to be included in our own giveaway.
Our GiveAways are open to everyone: If you have won a GiveAway before never fear – enter away. All our GiveAways are World-Wide – so no excuse – leave a comment and enter away!!!
We want to thank PanMacMillan South Africa for the book that they sent us for review. And we would like to declare that we were not paid to do our reviews, just provided with book. All the opinions and artwork are entirely our own!!!
Thats hard! There were so many! Quilling, knitting Nancy, sewing on binca, Fimo and candle making. I loved them all!
I have a couple favorites: making pot holders by weaving loops on a square loom (not sure of the correct name for this) and making friendship bracelets out of embroidery floss. Now, my children are doing these crafts, and I still enjoy them as much as I did when I was younger.
This looks like a fun book. I don’t do crafts with my kids as often as I should but when I do, they love it!
Making hat air balloons with plastic bags and paper cups and flying them to the ceiling of my favorite museum! All these years later, that’s the one craft I’d love to do again.
Sewing with my grandmother
I loved making puppets — paper bag puppets and sock puppets!
The craft project I most enjoyed as a child was making my own dollhouse table and chairs using matchboxes and matchsticks.
I remember spending hours making clothes for dolls…that, and french knitting.
Making things with Cardboard!
a dollhouse, caves, a car,crowns etc……..
Making plast of paris animals/figures and painting them !
Clay and beads are my favourite but we (that’s ME and the kids love doing all craft. Thanks for this offer we would love this.
I loved making simple Ojos de Dios out of yarn, and I loved making pumpkins out of tissue paper wrapped around the eraser end of a pencil, dipped in glue, and then glued onto a paper plate.
When I was child my favorite crafts was making friendship bracelets and painting rocks and adding googly eyes.
Ohhhh golly… My favorite childhood craft… I vividly remember making extra special, hand crafted valentines for my 2 nd grade classmates! Ps….I just love all these creatures… Looks like you guys had so much fun!
we love all sorts, mosaics, felt craft and more 🙂
fimo…loved fimo 😉
This book looks like a bunch of fun!
Painting! Especially water colours.
Making glitter pinecones at christmas at the next door neighbours house!
I always loved making clothes from strips of cloth for myself or my babies.
Making things out of fabric, paper lanterns, cardboard constructions.
When I was little I LOVED making anything with buttons and/or water color paints. My boys are really into building from recycling materials – anything goes!
Thanks for hosting such a great giveaway!
I loved to make crocodiles out of egg boxes, and also making things out of the ever gooey papier mache.
Mine would have to be a cardboard box dolls house with matchbox furniture.
building cardbox castles with my brother.
My favorite childhood craft was plaster of Paris molds in sand!
I loved making pom-pom chickies. We all had to make one at school in Grade 2 and then I went home and made some more:-)
Love your version of the owl kites! great to see you on Craft schooling Sunday, now off to check out your other entries!
We love painting, specially with crazy things like lego, cars, feathers….
Scrapbooking – I spent hours making up scrapbooks.
Georgia 🙂
I loved sewing and painting rocks. Not sewing the rock though, that would break too many needles!