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

Amanda Blake Soule
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)

List Price: $21.95
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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


 

Frequently Bought Together

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
Price for all three: $41.66

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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: 8.4 x 0.6 x 9.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #73,682 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

I love her taste, I will be purchasing the rest of her books and I think you should too! Alaskanamberale  |  5 reviewers made a similar statement
Everything is beautiful! Rachel at EuphoriaBaby.com  |  5 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
61 of 64 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Fun craft book but needs work September 4, 2009
By PNW2011
Format: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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40 of 45 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars Encouraging but not inspiring October 26, 2009
By JEgmont
Format: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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31 of 35 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful, Inspiring Surprise! August 17, 2009
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
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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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely & Fun!
This is a softly attractive book with colored pictures, practical information, step by step instructions and a delightful selection of sewing projects. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Patricia Filak
5.0 out of 5 stars Love it!
I love this book. It has so many ideas for crafting for everyday needs and focuses a lot on using what you already have. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Jen Baton
5.0 out of 5 stars very nice, interesting book.
this is a very cool book. i particulary like the patterns in the back that i can use to make things. makes it easy with step by step directions and pictures!!
Published 17 months ago by jess25
5.0 out of 5 stars love love love
love love love...so excited for my little one to grow up so we can do these projects together!
affordable and beautiful projects!
Published 18 months ago by A. Avalon
5.0 out of 5 stars Great fabrics, style, projects, and the photography is nice too!
Well im working on the rag rug right now, making it large enough for my living room, its an amazing project, I love it!!!! I am just using quilting weight fabric and its beautiful. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Alaskanamberale
5.0 out of 5 stars Creative Inspiration
This is really a "feel good" book. The handmade articles are useful, & they can usually be made with what you find in your home or can purchase inexpensively. Read more
Published on April 20, 2011 by Mary Ann
4.0 out of 5 stars Love it, but needs diagrams
Most of the directions are entirely written. I would have loved pictures for braided rug -how to connect the braids.Lots of cute simple projects.Lovely photos.
Published on November 25, 2010 by deepest
5.0 out of 5 stars I love it!
Very nice book with lots of interesting and easy ideas that trigger your creative side. I am loving it and I have read it like three times now. Read more
Published on October 13, 2010 by Paula Mariani
4.0 out of 5 stars Great price
Found the book at the library & had to have a copy! Great price....almost half of the publisher's price.
Published on September 22, 2010 by C. Layton
4.0 out of 5 stars Great resource!
I really enjoyed this. Not all the projects were applicable to my life, but the ones that were are perfect. Read more
Published on August 30, 2010 by Burgundy Damsel
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