From Michaels--America's largest specialty retailer of arts and crafts merchandise and the place to get supplies for painting, floral and home dcor, needlework, scrapbooking, and more--comes an extraordinarily big, beautiful, and encyclopedic collection of techniques and 175 projects. Whatever a crafter's pleasure, it is in here, from beading and woodworking to glass and fabric crafts. The 30 subject areas are divided into 9 chapters that all feature a basic instructions section packed with plentiful color pictures and designer tips; 5 to 10 projects; and a two-page spread of gallery photos of additional projects for inspiration.
The rise of the specialty craft megastore was one of the marvels of 1990s retailing. Naturally, this book, produced for the Michaels chain, emphasizes crafts done with materials found at that store. Fortunately, this includes many currently hot crafts, including candlemaking, scrapbooking, floral crafts, and polymer clay. Each chapter has a section of basic techniques and materials, several step-by-step projects, and a gallery of finished examples. The color photographs are excellent, making this a popular selection for public libraries.