10 Great Christmas Gifts For Under A Fiver

Article Added:
With Christmas coming The Textile Directory has put together our wish list for santa, with 10 fabulous books available on our bookstore. And the great thing is every one of these books cost less than £5 – so they won’t break the bank either!

There is something for everyone in our selection – beaded jewellery, felt making, knitting, stitching, embroidery, quilt making and much more. These books will make great stocking fillers for the crafty person in your life – or a perfect little treat for yourself!

Tiaras and Hairpins by Michelle Bungay
£4.99
The first book on our list is perfect for the party season and is guaranteed to get you noticed at your Christmas ball. Using simple techniques, this book shows you how to create exquisite tiaras and hairpins using gold and silver wires and crystals. The book shows you how to make twenty gorgeous tiaras and matching hairpins with clear, step-by-step instructions and a complete materials and tools lists provided for each project.
For more information or to purchase this book please click here.

Beadwork by Michelle Powell
£4.95
Our second book is great to give as a gift, or to give you inspiration to make your own Christmas presents this year. Step-by-step photography and easy-to-follow instructions show readers how to make a Bonsai tree, an Indian wall hanging, an African beaded curtain, a Native American shaker and much more. All the projects use inexpensive and easily obtainable materials so are great for those people who haven’t tried beadwork before.
For more information or to purchase this book please click here.

Twenty to make Bracelets by Amanda Walker
£4.99
This book is ideal for beginners as bracelets are a great introduction to jewellery making and they never go out of style. Amanda Walker has created twenty gorgeous designs for you to make using simple techniques and beautiful beads. Our reviewer Paula Newberry said of the book: “The tools needed are fairly basic - the kind of things that many family toolboxes would have anyway – pliers, wire cutters, scissors. The range of types of bracelets is imaginative, from beads threaded onto leather lacing, ribbon, elastic, cord and leather straps to those attached to silver and gold chains. This is an excellent book for someone embarking on bracelet making.”
For more information or to purchase this book please click here.

Twenty to make Charms by Stephanie Burnham
£4.99
This book includes twenty great charm designs that require very few tools to create. There are clear step-by-step instructions and alternative colour schemes to offer a wealth of inspiration. Wendy Toole, speaks very highly of this book in her review for us. “There really is something here to suit every taste – whether you aspire to Venetian Splendour or are more of a Dotty Daydream personality. Stephanie suggests in her introduction that once you have experimented with the projects in the book you will probably feel inspired to hunt around flea markets and second-hand shops for interesting pieces to add to your charms. This is definitely a book that will inspire you to put together your serendipitous finds in a creative way.”
For more information or to purchase this book please click here.

Beaded Felt Jewellery by Helen Birmingham
£4.99
This book includes 20 stunning, eye catching designs for necklaces, bracelets, earrings and hair decorations, with alternative ideas accompanying each unique piece. All designs are based on simply rolling pieces of felt and binding them with beads. With their bright, jewel-like colours and fantastic textures, they have an air of sophistication and style that makes them suitable to wear for any occasion. This book is a treasure trove of fabulous ideas and inspirations that you will want to plunge into again and again, which is why it has made it into our top ten.
For more information or to purchase this book please click here.

Wild Women: Stitch Art Brooches by Sarah Lawrence
£4.99
This book will guide you through making twenty lady-shaped art brooches. Make the basic shape with a variety of media then give each one a personality with a variety of gorgeous embellishments. Our reviewer Sara Millis was very impressed with the book: “Sarah Lawrence takes us step by step through 20 wonderful brooch projects that make use of a lot of the items we may already have in our art boxes. Much more than that this book has many transferable ideas … I can see some fantastic possibilities from card-toppers, to artist trading cards and even jewellery. This book is great for beginners and occasional projects for those more advanced. What a wonderful addition to a crafter’s library!”
For more information or to purchase this book please click here.
(Edit - we are not the only ones to love this book and have just been told that it has had to be reprinted it has proved so popular. New books will be ready by 16 February so if you choose to buy a copy of this one then you will receive it after this date - but rest assured it will be worth the wait!)

The Knitted Farmyard by Hannelore Wernhard
£4.99
This book is fun, easy to follow and full of amusing, innovative ideas and was one of the first on our wish list! Readers are shown how to make ducks, horses, sheep, hens, pigs, the farmer and his wife, a barn, ploughed fields, hayfields and much more. There is plenty of scope for individual touches and extra accessories. The base of the farm is the size of a small rug and would be ideal for a child’s room. The quantities of materials needed for each piece are quite small so you could use up leftover yarn, or whatever you have available.
For more information or to purchase this book please click here.

Bear Necessities by Mandy Shaw
£4.95
Discover the timeless art of bear-making in this fantastic book by Mandy Shaw. Featuring patterns for bears of all shapes and sizes with full size templates and complete instructions for assembling your bears. The book also advises readers how to make accessories for your family of bears including clothes and bed quilts, together with tips on choosing and using fabrics.
For more information or to purchase this book please click here.

Anne’s Glory Box: Book 8 by Gloria McKinnon
£4.99
As the name suggests there are a whole series of these books available on the bookstore, but book 8 made our final ten because of the range of projects it offered. You will be shown how to create a poppy pillow, a glasses case, a patchwork skirt and a log cabin quilt, among many others.
Each book includes comprehensive stitch guides, detailed illustrations and a full size pattern sheet, ready to trace. The series provides wonderful craft projects that will inspire and delight beginners and experts alike.
For more information or to purchase this book please click here.

Beginner’s Guide to Berlin Woolwork by Jane Alford
£5.24
While the rest of our books all fall under the £5 mark, we all felt this one was worth the extra 24p! Worked on canvas with a combination of mainly cross stitch and tent stitch, Berlin Woolwork is a very traditional form of embroidery, which originated in Berlin early in the 19th century.
Taking her inspiration from original patterns, Jane Alford shows how to create a beautiful selection of traditional floral designs, from lily of the valley and pansies to beaded poppies and roses. This beginner’s guide covers all you need to know, from preparing the canvas and joining threads, to blocking, mounting and framing the embroidery.
For more information or to purchase this book please click here.

There are many more books available on The Textile Directory bookstore that are guaranteed to please the textile art and craft lover on Christmas morning. To have a browse through the books listed on the site please visit www.thetextiledirectorybookstore.com.