The photos were stunning. I love the advice on how to harvest ethically. Recipes are included and organized well. It seems easy to follow and find the information you are going to want to use. I wasn't sure what to expect, but this would be an extremely helpful book for both beginners and those practicing for a long time.

4 stars

First, I would like to note that I reviewed the eBook edition. I wanted to mention this since I have already said that I focus on audiobooks. However, with a book of crafts or recipes, I feel that it is necessary to be able to see the process instead of listening and trying to figure it out in my head. It is less noisy this way.

Now on to the book itself. This book is a witch's guide to creating your own tools. The first thing that came to mind when I saw this title was that by crafting your own incense, dyes, or oils you can already start to put your intentions into them while crafting. This way you will have the added benefit during your spell or ritual work. Whereas, if you are buying mass produced items, you don't have the energy already starting.

I know that many people skip introductions in this type of book. There is a lot of great information in this section. The author attempts to show how the very definition of a witch has not only changed over time, but from person to person. She also shows have far back in time people have been harvesting plants for more than food. She then goes on to teach us how to safely forage for plants if you are in an area where you can do so.

In the meat and bones of the book, we start to learn about the various things that you can make and how to make them. You will of course need certain tools in order to do so, but don't worry she lists everything you will need as well as providing alternatives. For instance, not everyone owns a mortar and pestle. She says you can use a food processor or spice grinder instead for the process of making incense.

There are chapters on how to make incense (stick, loose, cones and pearls), natural dyes, inks, paper, candles, powders and oils. She also includes in the back of the book a chart of which plants and herbs create which colors. There is another chart that suggests the best time to create each recipe. One of the things that I really loved is that she gives the measurements in both metric and imperial. Before each recipe, she provides background information of both historical and religious significance. These recipes are just a jumping off point, you can then go on to create your own depending on what you need them for.

For the incense, you learn how to make not only loose incense (powdered), but also cones, sticks and pearls. I hadn't actually heard of pearl incense before. She does provide a picture of it on the page for the Full Moon Pearl Incense recipe.

She makes sure to point out that the mordant stage in creating natural dyes is extremely important since it will help lock in the colors. I love the little tips that she gives on what to add during the mordant stage that will adjust the colors to make them brighter or darker. This can add depth to your projects.

Say you are getting ready for Samhain and are wanting to do a release ritual with fire. Well, you can actually do so with ink and paper that you made yourself by following the instructions in this book. She teaches how to make inks from all different types of herbs, flowers, bark, plants, etc. She even teaches how to make India Ink, Dragon's Blood Ink and Invisible Ink, as well as drawing charcoal.

In the papermaking section, there is one recipe for wildflower seed paper. I was thinking that this would be great to write intentions on and bury. Then have it grow into a plant that can flourish. She does mention being able to plant the paper, but she doesn't put any type of connotation on to why you would bury it other than recycling. There are other paper types that use flowers such as dandelion and rose. These might be interesting for rituals using fire. It might create a nice perfume to the air.

Pair this book with a great book on herbs and plants and the only limits to what you can create with her guidance are only ones of your imagination.

Thank you NetGalley and Watkins Publishing with providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an open and honest opinion.

This book is not only educational in a practical green witch belief but also in a live off the land and survive on your own way! It shows tons of ways how people use to make the most out of their surroundings and I absolutely love it! It’s so informative and shows there’s a purpose to everything around you. Check this out if you’re also looking to discover quick beginner friendly ideas!

The Witches Workshop by Melissa Madara
A beautiful book!
Easy to follow recipes for the green witch, mostly easily found in the existing pagan supplies and locally sourced botanicals. There are chapters on natural dyeing techniques, candle makings, herbal inks, assorted botanical paper making and a very nice reference list to name just a few. A comprehensive index makes for easy use.
And the gorgeous photos just beg me to run to my kitchen.
Highly recommended for the serious practitioners and newcomers to witchcraft.
Thank you NetGalley and Watkins Publishing for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

"The Witch's Workshop: A Guide to Crafting Your Own Magical Tools" by Melissa Madara is a captivating exploration into the realm of magical crafting, offering a wealth of creative projects for enthusiasts of all levels. From natural dyes and inks to oils and incense, the book presents a cornucopia of crafts, inviting readers to embark on a magical journey.

The layout of the book is not only visually appealing but also thoughtfully organized. The introduction provides a comprehensive guide, from navigating the book to preparing your altar, making it an indispensable resource for those new to magical crafting and seasoned practitioners alike.

The instructions within the book are clear and considerate, accompanied by beautiful images that add an extra layer of inspiration. Each page beckons with the promise of artistic exploration and magical creation.
Choosing a favourite section from the book proves to be a delightful challenge, as the author skillfully introduces a diverse array of crafts.

The natural dyeing process particularly caught my interest, and I appreciate how Madara goes beyond instruction to include projects that utilize the dyed fabrics. The prospect of creating a personalized Tarot Card pouch and protection scarf adds an exciting dimension to the crafting experience.

A special note goes to the power section, where the clarity of instructions enhances the appeal of crafting one's magical tools. The anticipation to create these tools for personal use adds an element of empowerment to the overall crafting experience.

In summary, "The Witch's Workshop" offers not just a book of crafts but an enchanting guide to a more natural and magical way of crafting. The pleasing layout, clear instructions, and a diverse range of projects make it an ideal resource for anyone seeking to infuse their craft with a touch of magic.

I sincerely thank NetGalley and Watkins Publishing for providing me with the e-book in exchange for an honest review.

The Witch's Workshop by Melissa Madera teaches us how to make, incense, natural dyes, inks, paper, candles, oils, and powders. This lovely book has beautiful full color photographs of each item with an easy to follow recipe. I really enjoyed this book, and I am looking forward to making many beautiful crafts.

This was a very fun book! Lots of excellent recipes/instructions for making candles, inks, etc out of natural materials. Definitely made me want to grow more flowers and plants in my garden that I can make dyes out of. Even if you’re not a witch or interested in the subject, it’s a fun resource!

Easy to follow recipes with well written descriptions. Whether you are a person part of the Wicca faith or an independent person curious about plants and what you can do with them in a more natural manner -- this book might just be a book for you. I was pleasantly surprised and found several recipes I would like to try!

This is a step-by-step guide that is well written and easy to follow. It includes guides for insense, natural dyes and inks, papers, candles, oils, and powders. I really enjoyed do it yourself books that are easy to follow, and this one was perfect for that. You can tell the research has been done.

This is such a well put together book. It is full of recipes and wonderful information. It has beautiful photographs. I enjoyed reading each section and was pleasantly surprised to see things I had never thought of using or doing myself. Like adding actual herbs to paper making. not only is it pretty, but it changes the color and gives each page a special meaning. I will definitely be recommending this book to anyone who says they like making their own things. I cant wait to try out some of these recipes and make my own paper.

The witch's workshop by Melissa Madara is an excellent resource and wonderfully formatted as well. I can not wait for the release date in May. This book will be a great addition to the book shelves of experienced practitioners and a helpful tool for newer to the path witches.

An introduction to green magic, this book teaches you how to make your papers, inks, incense, candles, etc. yourself, so that you have a better understanding of the properties of the materials that you are working with and a closer connection. I saved a lot for further use. The book itself is beautiful, I would proudly display and will highly recommend it.

<I>Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Great starter book with lots of good information. Pictures are gorgeous and I can't wait to see it on shelves in stores!

This book is great!

I absolutely love every section. I can't decide which do to first between paper, ink and candles.

The book goes into details about not only what tools you will need, but also what each ingredient represents or can be used for. There is a lot of history here which makes each recipe even more special. There are in-depth descriptions about each section and recipes.

You get so much more from this book. The author has really done her research and I can't wait to try every single recipe.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this book very much. I have gotten more into learning about doing things more natural and learning more about how to tap into the inner witch. I have learned new things from this book and will look into buying it for my collection.

A fun compendium of do it yourself, crafting activities. Well thought out and presented, lovely images. It’s a fun interactive book that any witch or crafter would enjoy

Very informative. Been looking to expand my knowledge in the craft and this book helped a lot. I love how easy it was to understand and how applicable it is to my daily life. Looking forward to using more tricks from this book

A well-written, step-by-step introduction to crafting oils, incense, candles and more. Useful for a wide variety of interests and traditions.

*** Thank you to Watkins Publishing for allowing access to this title in exchange for an honest review. ***

In the big picture, I did not choose this title because it claimed to provide reference to magical practices.

Anyone who studies history understands the true role of "witches" in society, and how their rituals and holistic methods were challenged by authority and religion.

Further, if we're going to be specific, this books covers "Green Witch" or "Gardening Witch" practices, which do not follow formal witch or wiccan ritualistic methods in the way of "worshiping" deities, joining covens, or otherwise following seasonal rituals and spell-casting. Rather, green witchcraft focuses on isolated, personal practices pulling magic from natural resources like plants, cooking, and energy from the climate.

Coming back to this book - it is a resource for making tools related to not only magical practices, but also natural homesteading. Think of ancient societies - this is how they made dyes for clothing, candles for light, so on and so forth. In today's unreliable social climate, I am happy to have this resource, should I ever need to know how to produce light in a lightless world, make my own clothing... etc, etc, etc.

It's a wise thing to be able to sustain a lifestyle from your own micro-environment as much as possible. It's how the ancients survived, and it's actually better for the environment too, but that's an entirely different conversation.

Great book, 5 stars.

This is a well-researched how-to guide for making incense, ink, dye, paper, candles, oils, and powders for green witchcraft. I appreciate that the author attempts to explain why these things are meant to work from a scientific standpoint, not just the mystical verbiage these books usually have. The author includes some helpful trouble-shooting tips, such as explaining there are many varieties of plants in the genus that could give you dragon’s blood resin, but not all will give you the brilliant red color ink, or how to make sure your natural dyes stick to the fabric without fading. Some of the ingredients are a bit obscure - I probably won’t be able to find wormwood or frankincense at Kroger, but it would be a fun project to dip candles, dye shirt, or make seed paper. The illustrations are gorgeous.