Classic Crafts and Recipes Inspired by the Songs of Christmas

Rating:
Summary: Great Christmas Book
Review: I think this is such a great book if you're trying to decorate your home for Christmas without spending a fortune, which is important, especially when you're a young wife like me! (It takes a little more time to make stuff, but who really wants store-bought decorations anyway? It seems to mean more when you make it yourself.) Some of the recipes are a little tricky, but they look beautiful when their done and are great for entertaining. The crafts are mostly very simple and fun. Fabulous book!

Rating:
Summary: Too Hard To Make The Crafts
Review: I tried a few and it took hours to do. I guess I need the staff she has on her show. I think you can do better.

Rating:
Summary: decking the halls, Martha style
Review: The beauty of this book is in the colors; celebrating the Christmas spirit with exquisite combinations of creamy winter whites, blues, and golden yellows.
The ideas for ornaments, wreaths, and ingenuous ways to wrap money as a gift, are not slap-dash "quickies", but designs for objects that would be kept and enjoyed for many seasons to come. Standouts include the gorgeous Damask stockings, made from vintage fabrics, the wonderful fruit wreath in warm pastels, and my favorite, the "Ladies dancing and lords a-leaping" strung across the fireplace.

The recipes are sumptuous and shown in elegant settings, and very special is the sheet music that has the look of antique reproductions, of many familiar carols.
In the back of the volume there are templates for the many craft objects in the book, making the construction of them simpler, though you will obviously need a scanner and printer if you want to vary the size of the items, and many look like one would want to enlarge them.
As one would expect from Martha, the photography and layout is excellent, with thick, glossy pages. Even if one does not follow the patterns or recipes to the letter, it is a good "idea" book, and it's strength is its subtle color palette, used to great effect.

Rating:
Summary: Pass On This One. There are better books.
Review: Though the piano music is not useful for me (don't have a piano), I like seeing the acutal words to the Christmas songs, and believe their presentation in the book, with burnished corners and pretty fonts, greatly enhances the product. As for the crafts that go with these traditional songs, they are a joy to behold, and not all that difficult or time consuming to make.

Martha's books are by far better a product than her "By Mail" or "Catalogue for Living" kits, so if you're interested in putting out some money to have beautifully elegant Christmas decorations like her own, go with the book and assemble your own materials.

Rating:
Summary: Pass On This One. There are better books.
Review: Try Carolyn Bell's book, Gooseberry Patch Old-Fashioned Country Christmas: A Holiday Keepsake of Recipes, Traditions, Homemade Gifts, Decorating Ideas & Favorite Childhood by Vickie Hutchins or the wonderful Gooseberry Patch series of books which are delightful. I always love the Gooseberry books.