The Big List of 25+ of the Best Craft Books

If you’ve got a bunch of broken plates or other broken ceramics around, then this is a great book to ensure you can make use of them. Eshet, author of many books on the art of the mosaic, takes you step by step as you learn how to take your old, broken things and turn them into new, purposefully flawed and beautiful artifacts.

First published more than 40 years ago, this book is a classic for a reason. With a practical, step-by-step approach that’s perfect for beginners, this is the definitive guide for a beginner who’s interested in learning more about pottery.

If you’re a reader who’s also interested in woodworking, I don’t know why your first projects wouldn’t be bookish in nature. This is a great resource that includes plans for 13 bookcases in various styles, along with instructions on how to make a magazine rack and a desktop sliding book rack. By the time you’re done, you’ll have plenty of room to store all your books about crafts!

Considered by many to be the definitive guide on all things ceramic, this book teaches about the history of ceramic, the technology behind it, and the latest developments, alongside inspirational photos, deep dives into various techniques, and a whole lot more.

So far the craft books I’ve mentioned have focused on honing a specific skill but in Wise Craft, you’ll learn a lot of different techniques with one common thread (haha, see what I did there??): using up stuff you already have. This book is great fun and also helps get rid of all the “stuff” you have around that you want to do something with. Here you’ll find lots of solutions to the conundrum of how to make the most of stuff you love but that doesn’t have its own place.

The first piece of jewelry I made was a friendship bracelet made from discarded embroidery floss. The jewelry you’ll make after reading this book was much more advanced — and much more badass. This is the ultimate guide to getting started in the world of jewelry making.

As the name suggests, this is a true book for beginners. If you have never picked up a hook before — hell, if you don’t even know what I mean by “hook” — then this is the book to get you started in the wonderful world of crocheting.

As the title implies, peg looming is indeed an ancient tradition and in this book, Fradette provides an excellent introduction. Chock full of 17 different projects, readers and makers can experiment in various color palettes and try out new techniques. You’ll also find a deep dive into the various fiber options for this type of weaving, plus DIY resources to truly make your project your own.

You don’t have to sew your clothes from scratch to make your own wardrobe, as evidenced by the techniques taught in this book. Hewett provides in-depth and easy-to-follow tutorials on block printing on fabric, plus the basics on how to sew your amazing block prints on existing pieces.

I was recently tasked with trying to explain to my husband what felting was. As a true beginner to the craft, I don’t yet have the language to explain it as though I were explaining it to an alien. There was a lot of, “Well, it’s like, really fuzzy?” and similarly uninspired attempts. Which made me all the glader when this book arrived and I was able to create some cool little wool folks to be best friends with.

Speaking of making your own clothes, The Act of Sewing is a badass newish book about both making clothing and modifying your own clothing to make it something you love to wear every day. With a focus on alternatives to the environmental devastation caused by fast fashion, Philip shows us that we can avoid endless consumerism AND wear clothes that make us feel great.

One cool thing about reading a lot of craft books and getting inspired by them, is that you’ll never master everything. Even if you read all the books about sewing in the entire world and perfect every stitch there is, you can branch out in amazing ways. Case in point: learn to naturally dye your own fabrics from home or wherever your rest your weary bones.

I love embroidery and this specialized, delicate technique takes it to the next level. Uniting Chinese and Western embroidery techniques, this book is full of projects created to be practical and useful. The first few projects are simple enough that just about anyone could complete them, with much more challenging projects found further in the book. As such, it’s a great option for readers and beaders of all skill levels.

I’m a person who generally follows the “rules” a few times to see what they’re all about, but eventually finds ways to skirt or bend them when possible. For fellow adventurers, Karol has made it easy to know which rules actually should be followed and which can be bent to your will. She’s done the “hard work” of flying off the rails a few times and is here to let you know just how high you can safely fly before you run into real trouble.

If you’re interested in origami, you really can’t go wrong with any of the many books by Fuse. I love this one in particular because not only does it teach a unique craft, but the result is eco-friendly packaging for all the gifts you’ll be crafting up for friends and family. Double score!

This step-by-step guide includes instruction from various artists, each with their own specialty. With plenty of pictures, tips for perfecting your papermaking, and lots of inspiration to create your own style, this is a comprehensive papermaking tome.

I have a very large body and though I love to sew, it can be hard to figure out how to turn a pattern for a smaller body into a pattern that works for mine. This book shows you how to draft patterns and sew clothes that fit the unique body of every individual. Even better, the photos of finished products include diverse models of various body types and sizes, so you can actually get an idea of how different types of patterns fit different types of people.

Did you know that in addition to being a talented wordsmith, Austen was also a talented embroiderer? This book starts with popular patterns from her era and includes fascinating commentary on daily life in that period. Some of the patterns in this book had not been in print for more than 200 years until featured here.

I’m very lucky to live in a magical house we bought from a woman who did a lot of gardening. She planted stuff that shoots up through three seasons and it’s always exciting to see what flowers are next to bloom. I’ve used this book to dry some of those flowers to create incredible centerpieces. The process is both simpler than I thought and also offers more complexities to learn than I would have imagined.

There are pretty close to a billion craft books on quilting but many of them focus on older patterns and more traditional color schemes. Not so with Urban Quilting. There are 10 total designs, each of which can be made in three different sizes for a total of 30 patterns. Chow has worked hard to include everything a beginner needs to know, with easy to scan instructions for advanced quilters who are ready to get started.

You can create your own replica of your favorite Mister’s neighborhood, complete with puppets and trolly by following the instructions in this book. But for my money, the best part of this book is the series of patterns to make his iconic cardigan in adult, baby, and pet sizes.

Whether you’re a parent of a kid, a friend of a kid, or a kid at heart, don’t think I forgot to add some craft books for kids! This huge book of activities has a little bit of something to let little ones dabble their toes until they find the craft(s) that get their creativity cooking.

The very first comic-strip knitting book, this book is not just fun to look at and fun to follow — it’s straight up funny. If you want your craft books heavy on the chuckles and light on the stuffiness, then this is the winner you’ve been looking for. While geared primarily for current knitters, beginners might find a pattern or two to follow amongst the 22 included projects.

Some of the best craft books don’t teach you about crafting — they teach you about life through crafting. That’s what you get in Me and the Boss, a story about a brother, Lee, who wants to learn to sew, and his sister, Zora, who is not shy about letting you know that she’s the boss! The illustrations here are very sweet and lovely and I love the message it sends that perseverance pays off — and that through sewing and making, we can learn a lot about ourselves.