Product Description
Kids love holidays, especially Hanukkah, which is celebrated for eight dazzling nights. From the lighting of the menorah to the blessings and all the tradition in between, kids are mesmerized by the magic of this celebration. With this book, kids will enjoy more than 100 puzzles and activities about: the history of Hanukkah from its roots more than 2,000 years ago; the meaning behind the various rituals, traditions, and prayers; why certain foods are eaten during Hanukkah; Hanukkah crafts, decorations, and gifts they can make; and more! Kids will enjoy watching this fun-filled puzzle and activity book unfold, as each chapter opens with one more candle lit on the menorah. With this book by their side, kids are sure to become dreidle-spinning masters in no time! ... Read more

Product Description
Explains the history and customs connected with Hanukkah and provides ideas and instructions for making greeting cards, gift wrappings, presents, decorations, and holiday treats. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great book --- if you find a copy, grab it!
It's too bad this book went out of print, because it's a delightful collection of Hanukkah stories, crafts, recipes, and folklore from around the world.If you come across a copy somewhere, by all means, do grab it!

The book is divided into eight sections, one for each of the 8 days of Hanukkah.Each section has a Hanukkah story told by Cherie Schwartz, plus a recipe, craft project, poems, folklore, and customs from around the world.Not just limited to European Jews, either. You and your children can learn about how Hanukkah is celebrated in Israel, Syria, Spain, North Africa, India, the Sephardic communities, etc.(Did you know, for example, that Jews in Venice, Italy, used to go house to house singing Hanukkah songs from their gondolas?They recognized the Jewish homes from the menorahs burning in the windows.)

Along with the usual potato latkes, the recipes include a cake and a fruit salad shaped like a menorah, a tiropia cheese pie from Greece, Hanukkah cookies, and Sweet Israel Chicken.For crafts, you can make a family scrapbook, Hanukkah mobile, suncatcher, mezuzzah cover, Hamsa (lucky hand) candle, and more.The book itself is in oversized format, with beautiful illustrations by Wendy Edelson and color photos by Jonathan Gross.These are fun family projects that will keep your kids interested for the whole week of Hanukkah.Like I said, it's a good find -- hopefully it will someday come back into print. ... Read more

Product Description

• Offers readers inspirational Christmas decorating ideas to help beautify their homes in a creative and personal way.

• Is dedicated solely to the season of Christmas, giving the book a clear focus.

• Packed with a variety of ideas and projects including: festive decorating schemes, stunning themed trees, quick-to-make ornaments and cards, appealing gifts to make, and easy crafts.

• Step-by-step instructions for craft projects are included in the back of the book.

Amazon.com Review
Deck the halls with tons of ideas and projects that help make the season bright

Whether you incorporate handmade items as part of your decor, celebrations, or gift giving, adding a personal touch to Christmas makes the holiday season even more special. Christmas Ideas is packed with easy and inspirational ways to help beautify and personalize your holiday season. You'll get ideas for festive decorating schemes, stunning themed trees, quick-to-make ornaments and cards, appealing gifts, and easy crafts. So before you adorn your home or begin penning your Christmas cards, turn to this gorgeous book for

• Projects that bring a handmade touch to holiday d¿cor, gifts, and celebrations
• Step-by-step instructions for craft projects
• Ideas for holiday entertaining including kitchen-tested recipes
• Gorgeous color photos that offer inspiration and guidance

Christmas Ideas is a treasure-trove of holiday merriment—a perfect source for creating unforgettable Christmas celebrations and traditions you'll be proud to share with family and friends.

Craft and Recipe Excerpts from Best of Christmas Ideas

Beaded Trees

Shortbread Sticks

Flames of Green

Product Description
For many people, the best part of the winter holidays is the anticipation: planning the perfect gifts, decorating the house, looking forward to seeing family and friends. Holidays can be particularly special for knitters, whose preparations often start months in advance and involve their own creations. In Handknit Holidays best-selling knitting author Melanie Falick presents an eclectic collection of more than 50 original gifts, decorations, and clothing pieces for Christmas, Hanukkah, and the winter solstice, providing year-round inspiration for knitters of all levels.

Created by top knitwear designers, the projects include colorful ornaments; funky and classic Christmas stockings; a wire-and-bead menorah; sparkly ribbon scarves; a poncho and matching dog sweater; and a range of super-quick projects for that last-minute holiday rush, from a Santa hat, to elf caps, to flower pins. Rounding out the volume are a few grand projects-an Aran tree skirt, a patchwork afghan, a lace shawl-destined to become family heirlooms, plus features on such topics as the origin of the Christmas stocking, the meaning of the winter solstice, knitting for charities, strategies for finishing holiday knitting (on schedule!), and even a delicious recipe for festive crescent cookies.

Beautifully photographed by Susan Pittard, Handknit Holidays is a creative celebration of the holiday season and a treasure for all knitters who seek to bring more of their own handwork-and artistry-into their daily lives and their holiday festivities. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (26)

very pretty, but very terribly edited
The pictures in this book are all lovely, and every item is appropriate for my skill level, but the technical editor should be ashamed that this book went to press. I have now attempted 5 or 6 items, and all but one was horribly incorrect at some point. It is December 2009 as I write this, the book was originally published in 2005 (I received it as a gift in 2006), and there is STILL NO ERRATA PAGE for the patterns! You have to hunt around the internet to try and find corrections. DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK unless you are extremely experienced and willing to rewrite and recalculate the patterns. I wish I could get my money back for this book. If I had known how awful it would be to work from I would have returned it to amazon immediately.

Frustrating Moments, but Worth It!
I checked this book out of the library a week ago, and since then I have finished 3 projects! I rarely buy books that are available for free in the library, but I definitely have to have this one on my shelf. The menorah pillow was the big draw for me, and I am planning on knitting it for my parents this year; however, most of these patterns are amazing. There seems to be a little bit of everything, and I want to knit nearly all of it! The doll outfits are absolutely adorable, and would be appropriate for your favorite child any time of year. The Candy Cane Striped Hat worked up in two nights (in sizes baby to adult, no less). After I made one, I decided that all my kids need one for this Christmas. The evergreen bag inspired me to (finally!) learn Fair Isle knitting. I finished the bag in just a few days, and I absolutely love it. Snegurochka's Party Hat is a beautiful beaded cap that I am knitting (without beads) for a friend who will be starting chemo soon. It is gorgeous, and so much more classy and stylish than any "chemo cap" pattern I have seen. I also have my eye on a pair of knee-high sock/stockings with an outrageously sexy eyelet faux seam running up the back. When it cools off this fall, I'm going to start on the log cabin socks. The possibilities in this book seem endless, and it includes many, many patterns that are not Christmas-specific. Even some of the Christmas-y patterns, like the stockings, are shown in unexpected colorway that look terrific. And if you love cable knitting, you have to check out the Aran tree skirt. It is absolutely to die for!

There is an error in the decrease of the Striped Candy Cane Hat. I just did a basic K2tog decrease one stitch in each band of the main color in the first row, then knit a row even, then one K2tog decrease in each band of the contrast color of the 3rd row, then knit a row even, etc. I also came up with a couple extra stitches at the end when it was time to start the I-cord topper, but it was no big deal; I just added 1 more decreasing row until I had the proper # of stitches, then did my I-cord. I can't tell you how cute the hat came out; it was totally worth figuring out the details. There is a picture in the customer images.

You can find errata info from the author at [..]

There are corrections for:
Candy Cane Hat
Over the Knee Socks
Menorah Pillow

For the Snegurochka's Party Hat, here is what I figured out while knitting today:
Row 33, Stitch 16 should be a K2tog instead of a knit, so K2tog, K4...
Row 35, Stitches 16-24 should read Ssk, K7, K2tog
For some reasons, rows 31-34 are increased to 37 stitches, then decrease back down to 36. Weird, but it's working.

The errors are definitely frustrating. If I was not a fairly advanced knitter, I would have given up on the Snegurochka's Party Hat pattern. On the other hand, it is coming out so beautifully, and I can't wait to give it away! I might even make another one for myself. There really are some fun, amazing patterns in this book. I don't get too worked up about errors in the pattern, but I do think that it is the author's responsibility to get the correct information on her website. She shouldn't leave it to random knitters and bloggers to fix her mistakes. So, if you are a beginning knitter or get easily frustrated with errors, pass this one by. However, if you are willing to track down the corrections, this book is awesome.

Wonderful book
I got this book as a gift and I absolutely love it.It includes many inspiring projects through many knitting levels with beautiful photography.A word of caution: there are patterns that need clarification or corrections.I would recommend doing a search on a knitting site (like ravelry.com) to see if the project you are thinking about contains errors.

A worthy buy
I love this book!Not only do the patterns represent several winter holidays (Christmas, Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, etc.), almost all (and there are a ton) are really nice.I have yet to knit very much from the book, but I have big plans for this next year.

The Menorah pillow alone makes the book worth buying; some of my other favorite patterns in the book are the Santa hat, some delicate embroidered gloves, flip-top mittens, a fabulous tree skirt, and, for the kids, three patterns for knit dolls (Mrs. Claus, a dog, and a cat).

THIS BOOK ROCKS!!!
I love this book. The variety of patterns in this book are great. I can't wait to start knitting Christmas presents. I plan on making the ruffle scarf first. ... Read more

Product Description
If the words “classic Christmas” make images of Christmas cactus, fruitcake, and roast turkey dance in your head, then Classic Crafts and Recipes for the Holidays will make all of your yuletide dreams come true.

Arranged in ten chapters with such names as “Cranberries,” “Nuts,” “Citrus,” “Leaves,” and “Pinecones,” this festive compendium of holiday ideas and recipes is certain to show you how to make every Christmas one to remember. In “Winter Berries,” berries are used to make wreaths, garlands, and centerpieces. In its own chapter, fruitcake has been reinterpreted so it will never run the risk of being left uneaten. “Leaves” shows how to make keepsake gifts out of embossed leaves and cards, and throughout the book there are clever packaging and wrapping ideas to suit every taste and budget.

From now on, when you think of a classic Christmas, you’ll think of Classic Crafts and Recipes for the Holidays.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Martha's christmas revisited
This was an older book, but, Martha is a classic and so are her books, beautifully photographed and filled with lovely ideas, easy to follow recipes and crafts for the holliday season.I am happy to add it to my library!

Paper FUN
Martha Stewart does it right!!We joke and smile when it comes to Martha...AND we have to admit once we buy one of her products, she does it right every time...this book is an excellent example with ideas and patterns for crafting with papers..

A Very Beautiful Book
The photographs in this book are absolutely stunning.You could set it on your coffee table for guests to look through, and even if they don't know a Meyer lemon from a tangelo, they'll take great pleasure in looking through this book (they'll learn something, too).Everything is lovingly laid out, photographed and eloquently described.Buy the hardcover edition, because you'll want to keep it for a long time.

A great Holiday Treasure - and gift
Martha's Holiday book this really touched my heart. My mom has always grown Amaryllis and Christmas Cactus, chapters 4 & 5 really were a delightful surprise. I now know the Christmas Cactus the I have is called "White Christmas". When I told my mom about the charts, she was so interested in the book (she lives in Ohio and we live in Fl.) that I am immediately sending her one for Christmas. My son is a personal chef - so we all love to cook and I love to decorate. The pictures are great as usual, but I think I like the charts about the topic in each chapter. They are beautiful and informative. It was great to see the different types of pine cones and citrus. The best part is that even if you don't use these ideas during the holidays - the things you have learned will be useful all year and will be great to share with friends and family.
Some items may have been in Martha Stewart Living - that's great that the special ideas have been put in this holiday book to keep and treasure. (I don't keep every magazine - I will treasure this book).Thanks again to Martha!!!!

Lotsof reprints from the magazine
You know this going in, but there arent' as many really neat "new" things as the last books. More biscotti, and a lot of good uses for the endless bags of cranberries in the back of my freezer.I'll start on those for Christmas about November 1, I think.If you like Martha, this is the fifth in the series, but there wasn't anything besides the cranberry stuff that really "grabbed" me.Still, it's great to continue your collection. ... Read more

Product Description
Add a little shimmer to Hanukkah by creating personalized gifts for your family and friends. From jewelry to edible treats, this how-to guide is perfect for making this holiday special. ... Read more

Product Description
Creating Hanukkah crafts is a wonderful way to spend some creative time together with your child. Whenever possible, turn first to your child for unique ideas of his own. There's...

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Product Description
Begin the holiday by making a menorah, one with specially decorated candles. Have fun singing some holiday songs or playing with a newly crafted dreidl, and don"t forget to send friends handmade Hanukkah cards you"ve made yourself. ... Read more

Product Description
Among Santa Fe's many attractions, its Christmas festivities are perhaps the most unique expression of the city's history and spirit. This lavishly illustrated book offers the reader many gifts. It captures the ambience and mix of cultural traditions - Indian, Spanish, and frontier American - that lend pure magic to the Christmas season in this enchanted city. A virtual Christmas cornucopia, it also presents a plethora of traditions and ideas, recipes, party plans, and decoration and gift crafts to inspire readers who wish to bring fresh enjoyment to their own Christmas celebrations. Internationally known Christmas designer Richard Clawson has put together a wealth of festive gourmet menus, recipes, Christmas decorations, and party ideas for children and adults, all illustrated in stunning colour photographs. He provides clear, detailed instructions for making innovative ornaments, decorations, and gifts out of inexpensive, easy-to-find materials. Adding a personal touch, he shares some of his own Christmas traditions and experiences.Writer Jann Arrington Wolcott traces the history of Christmas in Santa Fe and describes old traditions that remain alive, such as: Las Posadas, the re-enactment of Mary and Joseph's search for shelter, the farolitas and luminarias that light their way; the masked Matachines dancers; traditional feasts and decorations; and a more recent addition - an anonymous "Spanglish" version of "'Twas the Night before Christmas". A glimpse into the past is provided by members of old New Mexico families - Indian, Spanish, and frontier American - who share their earliest memories of Christmas as well as special recipes traditionally associated with the holiday season. ... Read more