Making something with your own hands--whether it's a plate of homemade cookies, a handcrafted stocking, or a hand-folded origami ornament--is a great way to reconnect with the meaning of Christmas. With five chapters: Greeting, Trimming, Cooking, Giving, and Celebrating, A Homemade Christmas is chock-full of projects, recipes, tips and helpful hints that are guaranteed to add a homemade touch to the holiday season: Re-embrace the spirit of the season while escaping the consumer frenzy. Open this book to any page and find something anyone can do, from making holiday cards and tree ornaments to giving back. Involve the whole family. Opt for easy, green alternatives. Spend much less! Choose the right activities for your schedule, budget, and handiness. Tina Barseghian was the Editor-In-Chief of CRAFT magazine. She has written for the San Francisco Chronicle, Design for Living, and Condé Nast Traveler and was a contributing editor at ReadyMade. She is also the author of Get a Hobby! 101 Diversions for Every Lifestyle, published by Harper Collins in 2007.
Napkin folding is the perfect way to enliven a table in almost no time and at no cost. With just a little effort (and coordination) you can create an elegant, charming, whimsical, or dramatic fold. You can choose to have your napkin work overtime by holding a place card, silverware, flower, or gift. An added plus: your table will be environmentally sound as well as super stylish.
With step-by-step instructions for more than 20 different napkin folds, plus suggestions for party themes to pair them with, The Best Napkin Folding Book Ever is the only book on the subject you'll ever actually want.
John and Stephanie Stislow are the owners of Stislow Design+Illustration, a Brooklyn-based design firm founded by this husband and wife team. When they're not designing identities, brochures, books, or websites for clients, they're creating projects to please themselves. Combining their unique messages and creative talents into greeting cards, posters, wrapping paper, and found-paper journals, their products offer a fresh perspective on life.
Tina Barseghian is the Editor-in-Chief of CRAFT magazine. She has written for the San Francisco Chronicle, Design for Living, and Condé Nast Traveler and was a contributing editor at ReadyMade magazine.
