review by Jean Baldridge Yates of 'Tis the Season to Be Felt-y: Over 40 Handmade Holiday Decorations, by Kathy Sheldon with Amanda Carestio

If you are looking forward to the holiday season, and you love crafts, you are going to adore this book, 'Tis the Season to Be Felt-y: Over 40 Handmade Holiday Decorations, by Kathy Sheldon with Amanda Carestio.
With super pretty color photos and clear directions, 'Tis the Season is tons of fun. The 40 plus holiday themed projects are well designed by top names in the crafting field. Each one will inspire the reader to try her hand at creating with felt! And it will be worth it, as the decorations you can make are lively, colorful and packed full of festive charm.
Felt is one of the easiest materials a crafter can work with.
Additionally, the instructions for the projects are a snap to follow.
There are plenty of templates at the back of the book the reader will find very useful as well.
The materials and tools needed to craft the decorations offered are inexpensive and easy to obtain. You may have a lot of what you need already at home.
You are going to want to embrace the appeal of crafting with felt when you look at any and all of the projects.
Get ready, get set, and dive in!
Check out the "Clove-Filled Orange Ornaments" designed by Mollie Johanson. What a clever and pretty take on the traditional pomander ball. Filled with the sent of cloves, these pretty oranges made of felt and trimmed with green ribbons would be a delightful teacher's gift.
Aimee Ray's "Felt Light Up Village" is wonderful, if you want to set a mood as you look forward to this magical season. Her enchanting felt houses will require some simple embroidered embellishing. You will be rewarded for your efforts with a little village, hand made by you, which you can arrange in all sorts of sweet and funky ways as you herald the approach of Christmas.
Another project I liked is the very hip "Bird Mobile", designed by Jennifer Jessee. With green felt balls, cheery felt snowflakes and the cutest felt bird this side of the North Pole, you have yourself a mobile to love all winter through, not just during the holiday season.
The "Joy to the World Garland" by author Kathy Sheldon is, according to her, "so simple that, if you help cut out the letters(or purchase stick-on felt letters), kids can make it!" It is a lovely large banner that just bursts with the excitement of this festive time of year. Really fun!
One of my special favorites is the "Rustic Reindeer" by Suzie Millions. This little free standing reindeer decoration touched my heart and made me smile. He is created by you of different tones of orange felt, with white felt. He has twig antlers and twig legs. When this reindeer peeks out at you, you will melt. This is the project I want to try first. He is guaranteed to delight my grandchildren and family.
There is lots more to make and to love, from tree skirts with bunnies, to felt poinsettia wreaths, to partridges and pear trees! There is even a gingerbread house tissue box cover!
'
Tis the Season to Be Felty is the successor to Fa la la la Felt: 45 Handmade Holiday Decorations! by the same authors. Many of the same designers have contributed to this lovely and fun book.
I have never been so excited for the holidays to come since I was a kid. Hand made decorations make for irreplaceable happy memories.

I was glad to note that the seasonal cheer offered by the projects in 'Tis the Season to Be Felt-y is primarily non-denominational. It is great that we all can get in the spirit!
Join in the fun with 'Tis the Season to Be Felty. Celebrate the wonders of creating with felt! You truly can do this. What is more, you will have a total blast doing it! Lovely craft book!

available at Barnes & Noble and other fine stores

Note: I received this book in exchange for my honest review.