This book is full of cute ideas my favourite being the mini flower wall Instagram style in miniature as well as the embroidery hoop art as I love doing those already as well as cross stitch which she also included crafts for.

Using a rainbow of colour this book will help use your creative time to try and help mental health as Becci talks of her own anxiety struggle previously I too agree craft can be a fabulous distraction and makes you produce something beautiful with all the time not spent worrying instead!

There's indoor and outdoor inspiration and ways to get children involved and helping out too the book is great for families not just individuals.

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

Delightful! I found it to be a whimsical, fun book for craft ideas. The book emphasizes the 'process' of crafting to help with anxiety, mindfulness and other holistic methods of self care.
The only suggestion I would make, is to market it to Teens and Tweens. I found it to be a tad bit youthful for my senior age range.

Thank you NetGalley and White Owl for the opportunity to read and review this interesting book!

jtb
https://seniorbooklounge.blogspot.com/

This is a fun book with easy peasy projects, and most of them give immediate results, so you can get your happy very quickly. Most of the projects can be completed in a few hours, and the otehr ones are perfect for working on a few hours at a time, each night. Simple embroidery is great for letting your mind wander away from troubles, Teens will also love the simple crafts and minimum requirements for each project! Give yourself, or your kids, some easy stress relief with this fun book!

Craft Your Own Happy is a nice collection of beginner accessible feel-good crafting projects. Due out 30th Sept 2020 from Pen & Sword on their White Owl imprint, it's 128 pages and will be available in paperback format.

I enjoyed this book. The pictures are all very clear and colorful, the projects are well designed and appealing, and the text is upbeat and encouraging. The introduction includes a discussion of tools, supplies, and basic techniques. The bulk of the book is taken up by the 26 (by my count) projects. The projects themselves are varied and attractive, from an adorable needle felted unicorn, macrame, wall decorations, and more. Most all of the projects could certainly be easily adapted to other finishes. All of the templates are included. Each tutorial contains an introduction, materials list (nothing too exotic or difficult to source), and step by step photo tutorials from start to finish. Tips and alternative finishes are included in the tutorials. There is no included links or supplies list (the tools and supplies used are not exotic and will not be difficult to source). There's also no index, but there is a well-laid-out table of contents with all the tutorials listed.

Although the author's focus is on the solitary crafter - emphasizing mindfulness in the creative process to alleviate anxiety, stress, and other negative feelings, it would also be a great selection for a makers group, library crafting group (when we're allowed to assemble again), studio library, classroom or other formal instruction, or home studio. A lot of these projects would also be great for younger crafters (some might require some adult help).

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

This is a fun collection of cute craft projects across a variety of craft formats so there's a little something for everyone!

Thank you Pen & Sword and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Craft Your Own Happy is the type of book you can dip in and out of depending on your mood.

This book is divided into eight chapters after the introduction:
- Anxiety makes
- Get outside
- Happy Home
- Gratitude Makes
- Tidy Mind Makes
- Self-care crafting
- Hibernate

The book has projects on crafts such as embroidery, flower walls, keyrings using needle felting, clay, using resin and more. There are lots to choose from, though it does means lots of different equipment depending on your mood. Some projects only take a few hours, others take longer as they may need to dry or weeks as it's a long term make.

The instructions are quite detailed and also come with step by step colour photography too. The rear of the book provides templates for some of the makes

I received this book from Netgalley in return for a honest review.

I enjoyed reading the tidbits of wisdom from "Craft Your Own Happy" by Becci Mai Ford. The book is bright and colorful, the photographs and projects bring a smile to my face as they are so cheerful. You can feel the positivity exude from the intros to every chapter with such topics like conquering anxiety, the importance of getting outside, bringing happiness to your home, practicing gratitude, being tidy, taking care of yourself and enjoy being cozy at home and recharging. I enjoy crafting at home and had not realized the strong connection to mindfulness and wellbeing with crafting. The craft projects are very diverse from origami, sewing, embroidery, cross-stitching, needle felting, pom pom making, epoxy resin, clay, cement, etc. There are gradual steps with explanations and photos, but I found that the materials list and some of the steps needed more details. So, it would be beneficial if you have prior knowledge of the craft medium for that particular project. The book includes templates at the back of the book for various projects. The author also has a website where you can purchase some craft kits, but it doesn't include all the projects from the book. She's also located in the UK, so it's something to keep in mind to where you reside with the exchange rate and shipping. Overall, the projects have sparked some creativity in me and I feel a little better for reading the wellbeing intros from each chapter.
Thank you to Netgalley and Pen & Sword White Owl publishing for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

I’m always wary when I get a new digital craft book, wondering if it’s going to be another book full of useless projects that I would never make.. I didn’t need to worry with Craft Your Own Happy. It’s filled with great project ideas, step by step instructions and beautiful, well styled photos. I love how the author has also incorporated mindfulness & mental health in to the book.

There are some projects included which I can’t wait to make, including- the pressed flower phone case, the yarn wall hanging and the embroidery patch.

If you’re a crafty person, a person looking to find a new hobby or just a fan of cute, colourful projects then this is the book for you.

I love a good craft book! Flipping through the pages of possibilities, gazing at projects, imagining the gifts I could create for family and friends or even myself...what a pleasurable way to pass a quiet morning. Craft Your Own Happy mixes all that hopeful possibility with mindfulness and suggests crafts that are both process oriented as well as finished product purposes. A recent trip to an island gave me the perfect chance to try out the painted rock craft. The beaches are bountiful with all sizes of rocks, so we collected and then designed and painted during some down time. It was a perfect transitional activity, a reminder of friendships and special time together, and a soul soothing activity while we talked about our day. Kids and adults were content! Part craft guide, part mindfulness book, with colorful illustrations and clear directions make Craft Your Own Happy by Becca Mai Ford worth adding to your collection.

This review is based on a free copy received from Netgalley.com in digital form.

This was a great craft book, which helps you craft your way through stress and anxiety.

The instructions for each of the 25 crafts are easy to understand and uses items that are easy to find. The crafts are simply yet able to engage your mind. They allow you to move your focus from anxiety to mindfulness and relaxation.

The crafts range from embroidery to nature to painting and use of yarn. There are items for every crafting level. They range from super cute to more adult ones.

This is a great book for a reluctant crafter and people who need to slow down and reduce their anxiety and stress and looking for new outlets.

Craft Your Own Happy by Becci Mai Ford is a collection of 25 creative projects to craft your way to mindfulness and happiness. This books not only helps readers to make DIYs but how to make crafts that improve anxiety, self-care, and gratitude.

Some of the crafts I'm most excited to attempt are the phone case, macramé jewelry organizers, pom pom footstool, and a clay leaf ring dish.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book has tons of adorable craft ideas with step-by-step instructions for all of them. She teaches a little bit of everything in ways that turn out to be adorable decor for your home.

As a self proclaimed craftaholic, I absolutely loved the concept of this book and read it cover to cover in one sitting!

This book guides you through the making of a handful of projects while reminding you to stay present during the crafting experience to ease your mind of your day to day worries and anxieties. I have personally struggled with anxiety and depression for years and use crafting as a sort of therapy and grounding technique. It wasn’t until reading this book that I became more mindful of this and began shifting my perspective from seeing my crafts as a distraction to a way of self care.

Not only were the crafts themselves reminders of self love/ self care but the wording throughout helped to remind me that like in life, it’s okay to make mistakes, mess up, or even start again!
I would absolutely recommend this book to crafters of all levels and can’t wait to get started on a few of these projects (using the templates provided) myself!

I own a vast variety of craft books, and so was a bit worried that I would have already seen at least some of these ideas before. I was so wrong! The ideas in this book were fresh, unique and absolutely adorable! I can't wait to try all of them out! Usually I can choose a few favourites, but in this instance they are all so beautiful, and so much thought has clearly gone into the construction of this book and the ideas in it.

What I didn't realise would be a part of this book were the chapter headings and parts about mindfulness and how to find calmness even in the tumult of everyday life. These were so heartfelt, and so personal, I really appreciate the author adding these bits to the book, as I think they make a big difference. Having these parts, set out in small, catchy and relatable segments, adds an additional dimension to the book that I absolutely adored!!

Overall, this book is a wonderful mix of so many good ideas and positive sentiments. The author is very relatable, clearly willing to share their story to help others, and try to make people's worlds a little brighter when it gets dark. I cannot rate this book highly enough!

A beautiful book illustrated with step-by-step instructions and photos on how to do projects. I've always loved crafts and creativity, but never though I was good enough. This book is inspiring in that it helps us realize we don't have to be perfect with our craft projects and we can always learn new things. She makes it fun and has inspired me to do something I've always wanted to do: devote more time to crafts! I also love how she puts a bit of her story in the book along with her projects.

This book is absolutely phenomenal! With stunning photos, clear and easy-to-follow instructions and inspiration aplenty, this book expertly guides you through a range of craft activities and projects that you can choose depending on where your mind is (anxious, needing gratitude makes, self-care and more). A really innovative and inspirational book.

Do you ever feel like you spend too much of your day staring at screens, feeling anxious or stressed out? If the answer is yes – then you need this book! The cute colourful projects have all been designed with the feel-good-factor in mind. Crafting can help to take you away from the worries and pressures of your daily life, and give you back those moments of slowness and focus which can help to reduce anxiety.

Unlike other craft books, this is a book that you can dip into and find projects based upon how you are feeling. So you can craft to suit your mood! There are 25 beginner friendly projects to choose from including cross stitching, embroidery, paper craft and more. Why worry when you can craft happy!

This is a fun and colourful craft book packed with ideas. Split into sections such as Gratitude Makes, Anxiety Makes and Self-Care Crafting it will appeal to anyone who finds making and creating essential to their mental well-being. If you love crafting then you might not find many new-to-you ideas but there are some crafts I can’t wait to try, including the kawaii concrete planter and the origami stars. It’s a fun craft book and the projects will certainly soothe your mind and keep your hands busy.

Lots of different creative ideas on how to change your home into a more colourful place - very descriptive and easy to understand all the instructions in a very colourful book

It's always a little special to realize you're very similar to the author (lists - yes!). Craft Your Own Happy drew my attention for sure ('crafting is the perfect distraction for a busy mind') and spoke to me. It took literal decades for me to get on the scrapbooking wagon, but once I was convinced (thanks mom and sis), I was hooked. And reading Craft Your Own Happy explained exactly why in my case -- it's something calm, and soothing among a chaotic life ('the world can be a pressurized and fast paced place which isn't always the best thing for our mental health'). Learning about the 'flow state' for crafting just makes sense. The photos, projects, instructions are wonderful and simply laid out. While they aren't all projects I'd enjoy working on, there are some that I'm excited to try.

The book offers 25 beginner friendly crafting projects that you can dip into depending on your mood. That's exactly what you get. The projects range from working with self-hardening clay to embroidery, each designed to offer creative fun, mindfulness and a finished project that you'll like to show.