Last week when I posted about the creative rut I’ve been in, the commenters echoed a common refrain: Discovering a new hobby is one of the best ways to bust out of autopilot and gain a fresh perspective! Indeed, sampling new activities has a magical ability to open our eyes to alternate ways of seeing our everyday routines. Plus getting our hands messy is just plain fun! And in a clear message from the universe, this season’s crop of crafting and DIY books is especially ripe with creative ideas and inspiration for mastering new skills–or for giving ourselves permission not to master but simply to explore!
The pickings range from colorful to calming and everything in between. Try your hand at flower arranging with not one but two beautiful how-to’s and fill your home with bouquets of your own making. Practice heretofore intimidating recipes such as profiteroles and lemon curd, or tuck a few handy household skills into your back pocket. Relive childhood memories with dot-to-dot and paper dolls, this time with grown-up twists like architecture and fashion history. And if all else fails, organize the arts and crafts supplies overflowing from your closet (cough) so that you can actually use them the next time inspiration strikes!
Shopping Guide: 1. The Flower Chef 2. Extreme Dot-to-Dot 3. Jan and Karen: A Paper Doll Coloring Book 4. The Complete Book of Home Organization 5. The Kaufmann Mercantile Guide: How to Split Wood, Shuck and Oyster, and Master Other Simple Pleasures 6. Mon Cher Eclair 7. The Flower Workshop Images: 1. 2.