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Handmade Home: Simple Ways to Repurpose Old Materials into New Family Treasures
 
 
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Handmade Home: Simple Ways to Repurpose Old Materials into New Family Treasures [Paperback]

Amanda Blake Soule (Author)
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)

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Book Description

August 11, 2009
For many of us, our home is the center of our life. It is the place where our families meet and mingle, where we share our meals and share our dreams. So much more than just a space to live, our homes offer us a place of comfort, nourishment, and love for us and for our children.

In Handmade Home, Amanda Blake Soule, author of The Creative Family and the blog SouleMama.com, offers simple sewing and craft projects for the home that reflect the needs, activities, and personalities of today’s families. As Amanda writes in the introduction, “As a crafter, I’m always looking for the next thing I want to make. As a mama, I’m always looking for the next thing we need—to do, to have, to use—as a family. The coming together of these parts is where the heart of Handmade Home lies.”

Filled with thirty-three projects made by reusing and repurposing materials, all of the items here offer a practical use in the home. From picnic blankets made out of repurposed bed sheets to curtains made out of vintage handkerchiefs, these projects express the sense of making something new out of something old as a way to live a more financially pared-down and simple life; lessen our impact on the earth; connect to the past and preserve a more traditional way of life; and place value on the work of the hands. Also included are projects that children can help with, allowing them to make their own special contribution to the family home.

More than just a collection of projects for handmade items, this book offers the tools to create a life—and home—full of beauty, integrity, and joy.

Projects include:

   • Papa’s Healing Cozy: This hot water bottle cover becomes a simple way to offer comfort to a sick child

   • Baby Sling: A simple pattern for an object that offers so much to a small child—refuge from the world and a place to lay their head next to a parent’s heart

   • Beach Blanket To-Go: Repurpose old sheets to create the perfect picnic blanket for special outdoor meals

   • Cozy Wall Pockets: A creative solution for storing a child’s small treasures


 

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Handmade Home: Simple Ways to Repurpose Old Materials into New Family Treasures + The Creative Family: How to Encourage Imagination and Nurture Family Connections + The Rhythm of Family: Discovering a Sense of Wonder through the Seasons
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Amanda Blake Soule makes me want to run to my sewing basket and pull out needle and thread.”—Barbara Mahany, Chicago Tribune

About the Author

Amanda Blake Soule is the creator of the popular blog www.SouleMama.com. Amanda spends her days with her four young children—making things, thrifting, exploring and being inspired by their coastal Maine surroundings. Learn more about her and find her blog at www.amandasoule.com.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 192 pages
  • Publisher: Roost Books; Original edition (August 11, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1590305957
  • ISBN-13: 978-1590305959
  • Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 0.6 x 9.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 7.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #103,837 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Amanda Blake Soule is the creator of the popular blog www.SouleMama.com, where she writes about her adventures in craft and creativity, modern homemaking, and mindful parenting.

Amanda lives in Western Maine with her husband (and fellow author) Stephen, and their five children. On their family farm and in their days, they strive to live simply, close to the earth and to each other.

Learn more about her and find her blog at www.amandasoule.com.



 

Customer Reviews

26 Reviews
5 star:
 (15)
4 star:
 (8)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:
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Average Customer Review
4.3 out of 5 stars (26 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 58 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Fun craft book but needs work, September 4, 2009
This review is from: Handmade Home: Simple Ways to Repurpose Old Materials into New Family Treasures (Paperback)
I find Amanda's blog interesting and her second book is full of gorgeous photos of projects I can make! The only disappointment was there is only plain text instructions. No diagrams or drawings or photos. When I buy a craft book I expect better details on how to make an item. As I bought this book as a pre-order I couldn't peruse it prior to buying it. I am not going to go turn on my computer and look something up. Her first book "The Creative Family" had a couple of drawings in it like the one for the felt colored pencil roll and the wool felt block and the bedtime bags for example. I wonder why this book didn't have any? I like Amy Karol's "Bend The Rules Sewing" book better since it is easier to understand.
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36 of 41 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars Encouraging but not inspiring, October 26, 2009
This review is from: Handmade Home: Simple Ways to Repurpose Old Materials into New Family Treasures (Paperback)
I love Amanda's Blog and own her first book "Creative Family." Her words are inspiring and although the craft projects are less than inspiring or unique in her 2nd book, her voice is lovely to read. Her first book has a bit more of her in it as opposed "Handmade Home" which jumps from project to project. The recycled paper the book is printed on is a nice touch but it dulls the photos, and there could be a few more images added to readily inspire.

If you are new to crafts and recycling in your home you may love this book, but I would recommend "Creative Family" first. "Handmade Home" has similar info on recycling/thrifting and if that's a new concept to you the book is worth a look at a library or bookstore but not a great reference or a great read. I feel that in the book the author seems to be spending to obtain all these "thrifted items" whereas most folks have plenty og old sheets and towels around and wouldn't use any designer fabric to make cloth napkins...

The author is an inspiring mom, author and blogger, and for those who may never enter her world on her blog the book may help to stimulate creativity. But it's not original nor have any concepts been taken to the next level for perhaps her more interested fan base. Kudos that she has published 2 books with 4 kids and let's you take a peak into her world via her blog, but the book, unless you wish to support her efforts, doesn't jump off the shelf and seems to have been rushed by the publisher.
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30 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful, Inspiring Surprise!, August 17, 2009
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This review is from: Handmade Home: Simple Ways to Repurpose Old Materials into New Family Treasures (Paperback)
I wasn't sure what I'd get in "Handmade Home", but now I can tell you! The first part of the book is a primer on the eco-friendly art of reusing old materials. It's filled with tips for getting the best finds at thrift stores, garage sales, etc. She shares what to look for, even with reminders to leave behind those great deals that one doesn't need for the next thrifter - it's "thrifting karma" says Amanda. Excellent advice! There's also brief ideas for setting up a sewing space in a small area.

The second part is a large collection of 30+ projects organized by categories: Nourish (as in kitchen items), Nurture (as in wellness), Play, Seek (as in adventure) and Retreat (as in decor). The categories are loose, but they do give you a peak into the scope of the projects. And they are not "the usual" projects. No patchwork quilts or aprons here. Those are useful patterns (and can be found in "Bend-the-Rules Sewing") that anyone might want, but not what you'll find in Handmade Home. Amanda Soule's book brings many ideas that incorporate childrens' art - "Portrait Bookmarks" - or make use of fabric scraps - "One-Word Banner". She includes several non-sewing projects, often using decoupage. There are useful, but "alternative" patterns for items like cloth diapers, rag bags and women's cloth. And then, there are memory-preserving projects like the "Memory Tree Quilt Art." Everything is beautiful! And, just as with her blog SouleMama, everything is presented along with inspiring photography. Along the way she shares "crafty tips" and "earthy tips" - both of which share ways to craft smart, making safe, eco-friendly choices.

I have only begun to absorb the goodness to be found in this little volume. But, just this weekend, I have finished an embellished bath mat and have begun a "One-Word Banner" for my son's room, using my husband's discarded wool sweater and fabric scraps from my son's crib bedding and nursery items. I think that "Handmade Home" will enrich the life of many a "Green Mama" interested in creating and reusing. Enjoy!
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Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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