Making Christmas Tree Decorations by Judy Balchin

Making Christmas Tree Decorations by Judy Balchin
Buy Making Christmas Tree Decorations by Judy Balchin at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: Crafts
Reviewer: Sarah Cooper
Summary: There's plenty for a crafter to feast on in this book. The only flaw is I wish there were more pages. Sure to become a firm favourite in my Christmas crafting library.
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 48	Date: September 2006
Publisher: Search Press Ltd
ISBN: 184448162X
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My Christmas theme this year is blue and silver so I was very eager to read this book to see whether I could make some really unusual decorations. I always have very high standards when making things, I don't like things to look homemade. So did this book satisfy my needs?

This is a 48-page book, which retails for £6.99. I see that as good value as long as the content is up to scratch. Upon opening the book you are given a brief introduction to Judy Balchin - the author of the book, which is quite impressive. Judy Balchin has many bows to her cap in terms of qualifications, TV appearances and writing other successful books. I must admit that that was another reason why I was keen to try this book, I have watched Judy perform on several of the craft channels and her work always astounds me.

A brief section on materials needed makes you aware of the basic equipment you will need for attempting any of these crafts. If you are already a crafter you will probably have most of these things; paper, paints and inks, stamps and embossing powders.

The book consists of 6 projects that include many interesting designs. Seasonal Stocking Garland - this project is literally a garland composed of stockings made out of handmade and watercolour papers. The stockings are strung together with string and pegs. The designs are simple and very effective. What I liked about this project is that there was lots of variations on the theme for example the book showed photographs of star garlands and little tips on changing the colour theme. Obviously this was of great value to me as I immediately was envisioning the masterpieces that could emblazon my Christmas tree.

The next project is called 'Flights of Fancy' and is for anyone who likes folk art style. If you've ever seen the Christmas decorations made to this style you will know they are very expensive. These are cone shape angels with glitzy yarn hair and were very easy to make. You can change the colour of each fairy to suit the exact shade of your Christmas scheme, which is a huge bonus!

Another project is called 'Labels of Love' which are intricate looking labels with various designs, which can be used to hang small gifts in. I thought this was a really unique way of presenting a gift! So well done to the author for thinking this one up! The only problem for me when I made some of these up was that my four-year old son kept opening them and my tree was looking a bit bare by the time he had finished.

'What a Cracker' is another project and I am sure the title is self-explanatory. This project teaches you cracker-making. I have never attempted cracker making before and wouldn't even have thought about it before reading this book, but I was astounded by the results. The instructions were very easy to follow with clear step-by-step photos, so in my opinion the guide is almost foolproof! I produced lovely results with very little effort!

'Star of wonder' project concentrates on making exquisite looking stars for the tree. I let fly with some stamps and embossing powders and I was producing all sorts of amazing results. I hung these all over my tree and almost immediately my tree was transformed! The lovely thing about making these is everyone will come in to your house and admire and you can have the pleasure of informing them that you made the decorations.

The last project in the book is called 'Glitzy Gift Box'. These are little paper-mache boxes that can be hung on your tree, inside you can add small gifts if you so wish. Clear instructions are provided and several pages of variations in design are included. I really lost myself in the wonders of the designs.

How long will these projects take to make? I am pleased to say that I completed each of these projects in a few hours. So this book will satisfy your crafting urges but still leave you time to get on with the many Christmas chores you will have.

Lastly the book finishes with alphabet templates for use in the projects to achieve that truly professional result.

My only gripe with the book is I wish that there were more pages as I enjoyed completing the projects so much!

Making Christmas Tree Decorations by Judy Balchin is in the Top Ten Books With A Christmas Theme.

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