Microcrafts: Tiny Treasures to Make and Share [Tapa dura]

Opening the book is the sentiment "Small is Beautiful", to which I heartily agree (and it's cute, too!). Microcrafts includes complete instructions for twenty five miniature crafts that are contributed by several talented designers, which adds a lot of variety to the types of projects in the book. One obvious benefit in making microcrafts is that it's a great way to recycle and repurpose your scraps of fabric and other tiny things.

Some of the projects are: Empty nut shells use leaves on toothpicks as a mast and actually float! A tiny bunting attached to a card, present or cake is a festive way to celebrate a loved one's birthday! Tiny clay treats are easy to make and wear. I loved the gorgeous micro cards based on popular fairy tales like Little Red Riding Hood or Hansel and Gretel. Teeny monsters, owls and teddy bears also make their appearance, all perfectly adorable! Ingenious Thistle Feeders are the tiniest bird feeders ever! What about making some of the spool dolls or monster babies and keeping them on hand to give to friends or strangers as a way to brighten their day!

Of course, Microcrafts are perfect on their own, but there's also directions for turning these minis into useful things like magnets, pins and other accessories. Plus, Microcrafts is a great starting point for coming up with your own micro cuties!

I'm still enthralled by all the tiny crafts in this book. There are pictures, traceable patterns and step-by-step instructions to walk you through whichever craft you'd like to attempt. There weren't too many that were my style, but I saw many that I want to try or that I think friends would make.

There are candy charms made with clay, tiny felted cats and dogs, boats, microtaxidermy (little deer heads, bears, birds, etc), fabric buttons, tiny flower pots with a tiny plant, greeting cards and even books. I could go on and on, but you get the idea. Things we all love making, with a tiny makeover.

I want to try making the cats and dogs and teddy bears...in fact I think that would be a great Christmas gift for the kids in husbands family. If I can find the tiny pots, I think the little plants would be cute for adults.

The tiny cat next to the spool of thread on the cover really gives you a clear idea on what this book is all about. It's ironic that its a fairly large hardcover book. Not thick but tall.

Each project has a small tag on the page sized picture with the actual size and who designed it. Considering that this is a "compiled by", it is interesting to see who is involved in each craft.

So the question is, do you like exploring your crafting skills? This book will challenge even the most talented crafter - and it's a fantastic way to use up all your odds and ends!

Microcrafts: Tiny Treasures to Make and Share is a compilation of tiny handmade crafts that can be used as jewelry, gifts and little decorations and whimsy on shelves.

I'm absolutely charmed by tiny things and as you all know, I love crafts, all sorts of crafts. So this collection was a winner from the start with it's cover of a tiny stitched cat next to a spool of thread.

Tiny projects that are stitched, cut, felted, knotted, knit, crocheted, sculpted and in the best crafting tradition, make use of even the tiniest scraps.

One of my favorite things about this book is that the diminutive crafts aren't used in dollhouses, they are wearable, or perfect for gift giving, or an unexpected artsy craftsy touch.

There are a lot of little stuffed animals and monsters in this book. A little patchwork dog, those sweet tiny kitties from the cover, baby monsters and little owls. There is also miniature book binding to make a pendant, a little walnut shell boat and my personal favorite, the tiny plants in little thread macrame hangers.

For the paper artists out there, you aren't left out. A miniature bunting, some wonderful decorations and the most wonderful little fairy tale paper pieced cards you've ever seen.

Okay, the little plants aren't my only favorite. I also love the miniature polyclay taxidermy in it's stylish white and brown, tiny teddy bears with their little blankets and matchbox bed and the felt flower pocket necklace.

Crafts for many levels of crafter made tiny. These aren't pieces that will take forever to put together, and they are so whimsical and charming. They would make wonderful gifts, and it's a book that you could share with a young person who is interested in miniatures. They would be wonderful in a room box or to make a very special shadow box.

At the end of the book is a techniques section which also includes tips for making jewelry, displaying and ways to use these miniature crafts. It also has well diagrammed tips for miniature sewing.

Being so close to Christmas right now, I'm thinking of starting now so next year I can have a pile of handmade tiny gifts all wrapped under a miniature tree to give out to friends. As a beader, I can see uses for a lot of these miniatures in beaded pieces as well.

[I received a complimentary copy of the book to review on my craft blog- Don't Eat the Paste. My reviews are always my honest opinion]