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.
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