Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #126390 in Books
• Published on: 2002-01-11
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

From the Author
Thanks for your interest in my book! I designed it to be easy to use, provide fun projects for everyone, include a variety of skill levels and materials, and use craft supplies that aren't too hard to locate. Each chapter features a "Resources" section at the back to make it even easier for you to find the supplies you need to create everything in this book. Feel free to visit my website and let me know what you like (or don't like) about Witch Crafts. Enjoy!

From the Inside Flap
Whether you're a novice crafter into Norse lore or a practicing Pagan in need of personal tips on Celtic leatherwork, this handy, easy-to-use book will charm you and your entire family. The enchanting designs represent authentic Pagan lore and culture, and can be used for both practical and sacred purposes. Learn how to make a variety of unique items to delight all the senses, including:

- Celtic Pentacle Banner

- Carved Lotus Pillar Candle

- Quilted Leather Book of Shadows Cover

- Beaded Egyptian Collar

- Topsy Turvy Goddess Doll

- Pennsylvania Dutch Hex Sign

Almost every project in Witch Crafts can be constructed from readily available materials like wood, clay, wax, glass, and fabric, and there are crafts for all ages and skill levels. You'll also get detailed, step-by-step instructions, complete with tips, techniques, suppliers, and diagrams to help even beginners create elegant products.

The finished works of art make wonderful, personalized holiday gifts -- the book itself is a perfect present for that special person. So put some magic in your life withthis one-of-a-kind guide.

- Illustrations and Photos Throughout -

About the Author
Willow Polson is a born-and-raised Californian, and has been a self-initiated Witch since the age of 13. She has enjoyed writing and fiddling with all manner of arts and crafts since she was a little girl, especially embroidery and candle making. Her major at San Francisco State University was art, with emphasis in ethnic arts. She has studied anthropology as well since the age of eight. Other interests include fiber arts (including traditional California Indian style baskets as taught to her by Pomo weaver Julia Parker), living history, organic gardening, vegetarian cooking, and working on her mountain homestead near Yosemite National Park.

Willow is one of the co-creators of Veggie Life magazine, and has been on the staff of other internationally popular magazines, including Needlepoint Plus, Tole World, and Popular Woodworking. She is currently a member of several needlearts and Pagan rights organizations, and is a supporter of The Witches' Voice.

The Polson family's long-term goal is to build a castle, complete with courtyard, great hall, portcullis, and secret passages.

Customer Reviews

Faint praise, but probably the best available.
Witch Crafts / 0-8065-2247-X

To date, I have found a whole three guides on Wiccan craft projects. This is pretty disappointing, since Wiccans are people, too, and we like to make things as much as the next person. Maybe I'm not looking in the right places, I don't know. Unfortunately, the guides themselves are also somewhat disappointing, but this is probably the best one of all.

Witch Crafts starts with a category of crafting, such as candle making, and provides several projects, each with an increasing level of difficulty. This approach manages to make Witch Crafts accessible to novices and experts alike, without being too shallow. Color pictures are included for some (not all) of the projects, although the pictures are always of the finished version of the project, and there aren't many intermediate stages shown for each project. For the most part, the written instructions are clear enough that the lack of more pictures isn't too crippling.

The quilting section is mediocre compared to a serious quilting book, but there is a gorgeous square-block quilt "painting" of antlers horns framing a full moon against a midnight blue sky. The instructions are clear enough and the color picture is helpful enough that this quilt makes up for any lack of variety. The same is true for the greenman cross-stitch project - it's far better to have one really good project than 20 crummy projects, in my opinion.

I didn't find the animal projects to be a distraction. I'm not a leatherworker, so I skipped over those, but the book didn't seem any shorter to me. What I'd like to see in a future edition would be more pictures - finished pictures for all projects, not just some; intermediate stage pictures to explain the creation process - and a few more "decorating" crafts like bed quilts and wall hangings and clothing and so forth and fewer ritual crafts for things that I only use once a month. However, this is a good resource. I recommend it if you can find it for about $10-15.

Fun!
I like that Willow provided a quick outline at the beginning of each chapter introducing you to items needed and provided a reason to use a certain item over another. She provided resources to find the items needed to construct the crafts. She didn't just provide a list and throw you to the wind to find stuff as so many books do; especially if you aren't knowledgeable in that craft and have absolutely no idea what a certain item is or where to to find it. I also like that she explained how to do something. She didn't assume you were already proficient in a certain craft and only give barebones outlines. I do wish however that she used color photos all through the book illustrating each craft. I'm one of those people that need to see pictures to understand what's being talked about. I can't just vision it in my head. There were full color plates of several projects in the middle of the book and that helped a little. There were black and white photos throughout the book but they were kind of dark.. I also wish that more sewing projects were included, such as appliques, crochet and knit. There are so many great crafts and I have a whole list I can't wait to do. I have started a Green Man sweatshirt for my mother for Yule as well as the Pennsylvania Dutch Hex Sign to hang in my home. I have already completed the Simple Earthen Chalice. I even used a homemade low-fire barrel kiln that I learned to make in "Crafts for the Spirit" by Ronni Lundy. Overall I am very pleased with this purhcase. This is a definite must have book.

I couldn't choose!
What a delightful book. For the Witch with a crafty bent or for the one who wants to try creating for the first time, this book has something for everyone. The book boasts 12 different chapters. Each chapter focuses on a different craft, with projects ranging from the very easy to the more advanced.

Whether you are into sewing or gardening, you will find a project to please your creative urges. I think the only thing I didn't like about this book was the fact that I couldn't decide which project I want to start on first. In fact, I am still deciding between the Topsy-Turvy Goddess doll and the cross-stitch Green Man sweatshirt.

The directions for each project are concise and easy to follow. Patterns for those projects that require patterns are included right in the instructions, something I appreciate. Many craft books have the patterns in a separate section in the book requiring you to hunt them down. At the end of each chapter is a list of resources for any of the materials you might need for the crafts. Among the resources are names and URLs to books and websites for more information on that chapter's focus.

The best part of the book is the 8 pages of full color photography of finished projects. The pictures are cross-referenced to the pages with the craft's directions. I only hope that my finished pieces are as photo worthy when I finally choose my first one!

W. Lyon Martin Author/Illustrator of An Ordinary Girl, A Magical Child