Customer Reviews

Nature's Art Box: From t-shirts to twig baskets, 65 cool projects for crafty kids to make with natural materials you can find anywhere

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4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Here in the Northeast US, we're still gripped by the icy fingers of winter. Hopefully, spring will come soon. Meanwhile, I'll while away the gray days with Nature's Art Box, a sturdy and well-written hardcover book with 65 nature crafts projects for kids. This book is appropriate for parents, teachers, home-schoolers and group leaders. It's a nature crafts course for educators in a cosy, attractive book. The book is divided into several sections based on different types of natural materials:

* Vines, Twigs, Cones, and Moss
* Gourds, Pods, Husks, and Seeds
* Clay Stones, Sand, and Shells
* Paints, Inks, and Dyes
* Flowers and Leaves
* Stamps, Stencils, Molds and Seals

The introduction and appendix are full of helpful information on gathering materials and other crafts supplies to create the projects. The projects vary in complexity - some are very simple, and others require adult supervision. Safety tips and instructions are plentiful.

Here's a sampling of the 65+ projects included:

* Bark and Moss House
* Angel Ornament
* Okra Pod Canoe and People
* Sand Painting
* Shell Buttons
* Homemade Natural Paint
* Fern Print
* Dried-Flower Fairy
* Leaf Rubbing Gift Wrap

Right next to this book on a shelf, I picked up a nature crafts book that was lovely to look at, with elegant design and great photography. But the projects were scanty and simplistic. This book is the antidote - it is full of information, projects and ideas. You will turn to it year after year, season after season. Highly recommended.

Length:: 2:45 Mins

I am hoping that by doing a video review, potential buyers will get a better glimpse of what is inside this book. The book is not only crafting fun but teaches lessons on conservation, history and caring for out natural resources.

Enjoy-

First of all, you have to remember that this is a KIDS craft book. :-) My two boys have both really enjoyed doing crafts out of this book. They are 12 and 8 yrs. A lot more in depth than other nature craft books I have seen for kids.

This book is awesome. I checked it out from the library on a whim and ended up loving it so much that I plan to buy it for my daughter. The beginning of the book provides basic information about the artistic gifts the earth provides for us to use, and then each chapter addresses different materials and creative projects that children can make from them. I've read some bad reviews of this book, and frankly I believe that a person who would feel that way clearly doesn't see the point in instilling in their child a relationship with nature or any sense of organic creativity, but instead tosses them plastic toys and video games and puts them in front of the television. If you want to use a natural approach to art with your children and show them the beauty and value of nature, I recommend this book.

This is without a doubt one of the most creative craft books for kids that I've ever used. At home, my kids and I spend a lot of time and energy focused on nature and the environment. I'm also a volunteer with several organizations that use nature crafts almost explicitly. I thought I'd seen every type of nature craft there was to see, having either taught or attended hundreds of classes on the topic. But this book blows everything else away, at least by my standards. It takes the concept of "nature crafts" to a whole new level by actually USING nature to create crafts in a way that indigenous people may have done. In fact, the author borrows from several cultures, exploring art made from clay, leaves, shells, gourds or moss.

The chapters (or Parts, as she labels them) are actually separated by material.
Part One is an overview of using nature for art.
Part Two: Vines, Twigs, Cones and Moss
Part Three: Gourds, Pods, Husks and Seeds
Part Four: Clay, Stones, Sand and Shells
Part Five: Paints, Inks and Dyes
Part Six: Flowers and Leaves
Part Seven: Stamps, Stencils, Molds and Seals
Appendix: Nature Skills, Suggested Reading, Gift Suggestions

My children are older, ages 8 and 12, and don't need as much oversight with the crafts as younger children might. When I brought this book home, they immediately seized on it and ran outside to our (mostly) clay-filled soil, following the directions to the letter for making their own modeling clay right from the soil itself. After the clay was the right consistency, they made beads for necklaces, coil-built pots and animal fetishes as described in the book. We then painted the dried items using the authors recipe for paint made from flowers, rocks and soil. All in all, they worked diligently for two weeks on these projects. We all found it fascinating to discover how much we could create using things right outside our back door.

I hope you are able to generate the same excitement with your own children, classroom or other social group using this book. Generally speaking, I only write reviews for books that have touched off either an emotional response or a high level of enthusiasm either in myself or my kids. This was definitely one of those books.

First off, I really like this book and the ideas offered. It seems though that many of the activities are more involved than I have time for or too involved for the ages of my children. There are some easy activities here though; one which we will be doing soon - the Melon Seed Necklace. I think as my children get older we will be using this book more often. This book would be a good addition to your home library if your children are 7-8+ years old.

It is a great start if you have never created art wth natural materials but it would be best used with children under 8 years of age. The project ideas are basic and do not match the capabilities of the children's imaginations. The premise of the book is great but it is disappointing inside. Keep looking is my advice!

I fail to see how polymer clay, paraffin wax, tacky glue and acrylic paint are natural materials. In addition, the actual natural materials used for these uninspired and basic crafts are generally things one can't find in their own backyard - spanish moss, sheets of bark, grapevines, etc. This book was extremely disappointing in content, with simple and unoriginal ideas. The "love-the Earth" message reminds me of all those supposedly "green" products that purport to be earth-friendly but actually fall far short - considering the amazing amount of earth-unfriendly materials used in the majority of the crafts.

Out of all the projects featured in the book, I probably would only make one or two. A lot of the materials for the projects are not easily found in my neighborhood, which was something I was hoping for in a book like this.

This was a Christmas present for my 10 year old niece. I can't wait to use it with her. (Her Mom and Grandmother also love it.)