New May 2009 Craft Books

Spring is here and so are some great new craft books! Get out your craft supplies, because for these books you'll be using a variety of materials including paper, yarn, fabric and wool roving.

Knitty Gritty host and author Vickie Howell gives crochet a try in her newest book: Vickie Howell's Pop Goes Crochet!: 36 Projects Inspired by Icons of Popular Culture, which contains over 40 projects inspired by icons of popular culture. Patterns include jewelry, clothing and accessories.

Author Nikola Davidson shows all of the amazing things that can be made from felt in her book Feltique: Techniques and Projects for Wet Felting, Needle Felting, Fulling, and Working with Commercial Felt. She also teaches a variety of techniques including wet felting, needle felting and fulling (washing a knitted or crocheted item to shrink and make stronger). The more than 45 projects include a baby rattle, purses, jewelry, clothing and household items.

Delightful French craft magazine Marie Claire Idees publishes its first book in English, Paper Crafts with Style: Over 50 Designs Made with Cut, Folded, Pasted, and Stitched Paper. A variety of projects include coordinated candle holders, a paper lantern, wrapping paper, and stationery. If the book is anything like the magazine, expect beautiful photographs and unique ideas you haven't seen before.

Popular designer and new mother Lotta Jansdotter's new book Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing for Baby: 20 Easy Projects for Newborns to Toddlers shares her techniques for making cute and simple projects for your favorite little one. Twenty-four different projects include bibs, a diaper bag built for the back of a stroller, hats, and a ribbon-tag blanket perfect for teething.