CHECK IT OUT

‘Tis the last holiday season of this century -- time to reflect on the

old and ring in the new. To set the stage, head for your nearest Newport

library for sensational seasonal inspiration.

With a stitch in time, you can deck your halls, doors and tabletops with

creations crafted from scraps of fabric and felt, featured in “Scrap

Saver’s Christmas Stitchery.”

Find complete directions and full-size patterns for dozens of year-end

crafts in this inspired collection of sewing projects, most pictured in

glorious color photos.

You’ll need minimal sewing skills to make the lavish projects in

“Christmas Ribbonry.” Package ornaments, table runners, card holders and

fancy boxes are among the 40 projects featured, all with detailed

instructions and photo illustrations.

To fill your home with the scents of the season, check out “Heaven

Scent,” a volume of aromatic Christmas crafts, recipes and decorations

made from dried herbs, plants and other natural ingredients. From

fragrant sachets to evergreen swags, a dried apple ring and a spiced

wassail bowl, uncover a wealth of ways to conjure holiday magic in this

dazzling volume.

The doyenne of decorating has a new book of sophisticated treatments for

trimming the tree and setting the holiday table. In addition to such

time-intensive projects as an heirloom wreath with beaded leaves and

pearl berries, there are ideas for such simple decorations as gilded nuts

and gingerbread animals in Martha Stewart’s “Decorating for the

Holidays.”

If there are still corners that need dressing up, look for easy-to-make

centerpieces, topiaries and gift-wrapped pillows in Good Housekeeping’s

“Christmas Joys.” This guide to creating a perfect holiday also includes

ideas for gifts from your kitchen and recipes for memorable holiday

meals.

The themes associated with Hanukkah inspire the projects in “Crafts for

Hanukkah.” With adult guidance, children as young as 3 can learn about

the symbolism of the Jewish holiday by making dreidels, menorahs and

latkes, detailed in this imaginative activity book.

For year-end and beyond, there are more than 30 stylish wreaths you can

make from flowers, foliage and a variety of unusual materials in

“Seasonal Wreaths.” From intricate sequined wreaths to an easy-to-make

garland of dried chilies, this is a whimsical array of designs for every

season.

If all this creativity has stirred your capacity for wonder, you may be

ready for “The Physics of Christmas,” an amusing collection of answers to

such puzzles as why Rudolph’s nose is red, how Santa delivers so many

presents in one night and what scientists could do to guarantee a white

Christmas.

While the tone is whimsical, a great deal of smart psychology, sociology

and science infuses this compendium about the Western world’s beloved

year-end holiday.

* CHECK IT OUT is written by the staff of the Newport Beach Public

Library. This week’s column is by Melissa Adams in collaboration with

Sara Barnicle.