Crafty New Book Review - Microcrafts: Tiny Treasures to Make and Share

I was recently asked if I'd like to check out a new crafting book from Quirk Books and do a little book review. The book was Microcrafts: Tiny Treasures to Make and Share compiled by Margaret McGuire, Alicia Kachmar, and Katie Hatz.  I love to look through craft books and I was really intrigued by the topic of teeny, tiny crafty projects.  When it came I couldn't wait to rip open the package and have a look!  This lovely (and, just in case you're wondering, normal-sized book) is a treasure trove of all things miniature: thimble sized plushes, inch high plushes, itsy bitsy greeting cards & more.  

photo from the book, by Steve Belkowitz

The photos are really wonderful and give you a great idea of the scale of just how tiny each project is when done.  The tiny size really does up the cuteness factor on just about everything.  

photo from the book, by Steve Belkowitz

There are also well written step-by-step instructions and a good supplies & techniques section.  I also really liked how the variety of projects were great for getting started in a new crafting area.  For instance I knew nothing about quilling, felting or macrame, but the simple directions for those projects made trying these techniques less daunting - especially since the projects were so small (less to goof up!).

photo from the book, by Steve Belkowitz

Another perk is that the book is a compilation of many craft artists so there's a nice variety of style (and a section where you can find their blogs and Etsy shops if you like a particular type of thing).

The only thing I wasn't crazy about was that a few of the projects have already been around the crafting block a few times.  Decorated bottle cap & fabric button jewelry and paper buntings for cakes seem like they've been done all over the place, even before craft blogs were invented, but I suppose if you were completely new to crafting you'd probably want a few basic projects to get started.  And many of the 27 projects included are just plain adorable:

photo from the book, by Steve Belkowitz

I haven't had a chance to make any of them yet but I definitely plan to and will share my results.  Many of the projects would be ideal in a doll house, shadowbox or diorama - all of which are on my to-do list with my kids.  So whether you like tiny cute things or trying interesting new crafts, you'll enjoy this book.