Books

If you ever wanted to celebrate Dia de Los Muertos in style, then Day Of The Dead Crafts is the book for you. Learn everything about the history and traditions of the day, while making dozens of wonderful projects for your altar and home.

Learn how to make Ofrendas, to suit different themes and styles, sculpt a Clay Calavera or mold, paint, and decorate a mask to wear during the celebrations. The book is filled with heaps of creative ideas and projects, including a recipe for everyone's favorite treat, Tasty Sugar Skulls.

As well as decor, there's a range of instructions for making unique and beautiful jewelery. Make a Photo Transfer Necklace, some awesome and detailed Marigold Beaded Necklaces, create Day Of The Dead inspired charms, or dress up with a pair of Microscope Slide Earrings. Happy Dia de Los Muertos!

You can pick up a copy of the book from Wiley or Amazon now.

As a reasonably skilled knitter, I've always struggled when it came to crochet, but thankfully, the Rowan Crochet Workshop looks set to fix that.

The first thing that will strike you about this book is how clearly laid out the instructions are, with step-by-step photographs detailing every step, making them really easy to follow. Consisting of six different workshops, to teach you everything from shaping and textures to embellishing and creating garments, the book keeps a steady pace ensuring that you've picked up all of the basic skills before getting too complex.

As well as guides about hooks, yarn, and techniques for a wide range of stitches, there's a selection of interesting projects to try out with your new skills. Beginners can start off with some simple Four-Stitch Coasters and then work their way up to more complex projects, like Crochet Buttons, Felted Pots or a gorgeous Baby Dress. It's a bit like having a private Stitch N Bitch in your own home, where you're free to learn at your own pace. Learn how to make some beautiful and intricate projects and become an expert with the hook.

Pick you your copy from The GMC Group or on Amazon.

I must admit that I wasn't aware that Bruns had made a series of craft related For Dummies guides but I'm glad they do as the book is stuffed full of helpful information and instructions.

If your wardrobe is full of dull and disappointing clothes then you will love this book, as it will show you how to give new life to old outfits, through repairs, embellishments and adjustments. Turn a sweater in to a skirt, transform t-shirts and learn how to turn a pair of jeans in to a denim skirt. Fix stains with quick and simple tricks, learn beading or use up leftover fabric by making a Put Your Money Where Your Scraps Are Wallet.

Progressing from basic to complex, the book includes all the skills you need to become an alterations expert. Filled with dozens of projects, you can learn how to deconstruct and then reconstruct to give drab clothes a second life.

You can pick up a copy of the book from Wiley or Amazon now.

Peach Berserk is an amazing, talented lady and her book, Silkscreen Now, will teach you everything that you need to know to become a "silkscreen star". A handy DVD is included with the book, in which Peach will teach you all the tips and tricks that you will need to know, from her wonderful and kitschy studio in downtown Toronto.

Learn how to set up your own studio, create a light table and build a frame so that you can start printing. The aim is to use inexpensive materials, while recycling and repurposing where possible, to make silkscreening cheaper and easier than ever. The book will talk you through all the equipment, tools and supplies you'll need to use and provides adorable step-by-step illustrations, as well as photos, to guide you through the various processes. Learn how to work with various inks and paints, and learn how to cut stencils to achieve different styles and multi-coloured prints.

Once you've mastered the techniques, try out some fabulous projects including a No Comment Vintage Outfit, some Hopeless Romantic Pillowcases or the Not Your Great-Auntie's Silk Scarf. This book is comprehensive and complete, making it a great starting point for any newcomer to silkscreening.

Find out more about Peach Berserk, or pick up a copy of the book, on her website.

This is one of those recipe books where you get hungrier and hungrier, the more you flip through the pages. Cupcake Magic by Kate Shirazi may be a small but it's stuffed full of baking goodness.

I'm not a fan or recipes that call for long lists of ingredients, and this book caters exactly to my whim, with a number of "Low-Faff" recipes, designed to make baking cupcakes easier. There is also a selection of "High-Faff" recipes too, for times when you are in the mood to make something extra special. For example, a Bollywood cupcake, covered in rich fondant and embellished with glittering icing flowers.

There's certainly a cupcake for every occasion in the book, with each recipe pictured in mouthwatering detail. Celebrate Valentine's day with a super sexy Bite My Cherry or Cupid Cupcakes. Even just the name of the Carrot Cupcake with Honey Cream Cheese Frosting is enough to send you running for the baking supplies. If you're looking for something a bit different, then this book's savory cupcake selection might suffice, with weird and wonderful combinations like Ricotta & Smoked Salmon or Bacon & Cheese cupcakes.

Once you've gobbled down a plate-full of cupcakes, you even make yourself feel better with the knowledge that a donation will be made to the Battery Hen Welfare Trust from your purchase of the book.

You can pick up a copy of this book from Collins & Brown.

Order a copy for only £6.00. Call 0870 787 1613 and quote reference CH1068

The Bead Maker by Mary Maguire is a great book for all those bead-crazy crafters out there. Sometimes it's easy to forget that you can actually make beads yourself, as their something you use to make other things, but as this book will teach you, there are dozens of ways to make your own.

The book includes a variety of techniques for making your beads, such as embroidery, molding, felting and papier mache. The beads are also made from a wide range of materials including clay, candy foil, plastic, paper and natural items like spices, shells, stones and seeds. My favorites were the embroidered Clever Cubes, adorable Dabbling Ducks and the Spotted & Striped felted beads.

Making your own beads is a great way to save money, recycle and be creative from the complete start to finish of your project.

Pick up a copy of the book from Collins & Brown.

Order a copy for only £12.00. Call 0870 787 1613 and quote reference CH1069

The frock has always been an important part of any woman's wardrobe and Fabulous Frocks by Jane Eastoe and Sarah Gristwood is a homage to the garment.

The book is an exploration of the dress throughout the years, from the elegance of 1930's starlet red carpet couture, to the ease of hippie dresses in the 1970's, to the harder-edged punk and constructed styles of Gaultier and Westwood in the 90's.

With ever changing hemlines, seasons and fashions, there have been hundreds of styles throughout the years, each captured on the pages of this physically substantial and inspiring book. If you can't get enough of that little black dress, then you may want to cuddle up with book and flip through each page of designer eyecandy.

You can pick up a copy of the book from Pavilion.

Order a copy for only £20.00. Call 0870 787 1613 and quote reference CH1067.

If you're a fan of papercraft then you will love Complete Origami by David Mitchell. A comprehensive guide to the art, the book has everything you'd hope to see in a good origami title. Starting with a brief but interesting history, the book explains origami throughout different countries and traditions.

The projects range from beginner to advanced, though I must admit that they start to look rather trick by the time you get to the intermediate section. There are step-by-step directions for making a huge range of designs, including animals, shapes and flowers. There is even a selection of practical projects including Coasters and The Enigma Bowl, which would make a great little storage solution.

Some projects have only a handful of steps whereas the more complex designs can have 30+, making this truly a skill to be mastered. Don't let the pile of paper on your desk grow, turn each sheet in to something wonderful.

You can pick up a copy from Collins & Brown.

Order a copy for only £14.99 including free UK p&p. Call 0870 787 1613 and quote reference CH1058.

If you've ever wanted to pick up a set of knitting needles, then this may be the ideal book to start you off. The Chicks With Sticks Guide To Knitting by Nancy Queen & Mary Ellen O'Connell is a complete guide, so let the chicks take you on a crash course to knitting.

Progressing from simple to more complex knitting skills, the concept of the book is that you will be taught a technique and then provided with a pattern to try out using your new skill. With everything you need to know about yarn, tools, techniques and even washing, you can learn to make a range of knitted projects, such as a gorgeous and cozy, "Make Out" Sweater, s simple and effective Artisan Belt and a super cutesy Envelope Bag.

This book is a worthy advisory to the Stitch 'N Bitch series. Although this title is more technique rather than project driven, I think this can only be a good thing because you can use whichever skills you learn in the creation of your own projects.

You can pick up a copy of the book from The GMC Group or Amazon now.

Cooking Lessons by Daisy Garnett is more of a novel from the kitchen than a cookbook, crammed full of stories and home-style recipes.

A wonderful insight in to the life of a foodie, the book follows author Daisy and her lifetime experience with food - from her childhood days in her family kitchen to her move to New York and city cooking in her adulthood. As Daisy shares her experiences, her beautifully illustrated food diary is periodically interrupted with lessons on how to cook various dishes to perfection.

With family classics such as Gingerbread and delicious sounding Potatoes Dauphinoise, and more unique dishes such as Pine Nut Ice Cream and Spaghetti With Squid And Courgette, there's sure to be a dish to inspire your love of food. If you missed out the day when you're elders were handing down the family cooking secrets then this book will give you a more than needed top-up.

Pick up a copy of the book from Quadrille or Amazon now.