Best Children's Clay Craft Books

Clay Lab for Kids features 52 hands-on projects made with clay, all of which get kids working creatively, and thinking three dimensionally.

Divided into four sections, the book instructs on making models of Animals of the Garden, Animals of the Farm, Animals of the Sea, and Animals at the Zoo.

You can transform a batch of colorful polymer clay into a fantasy world right out of your imagination. Although this supervision is most important in the baking step that hardens the clay, many of the projects will require patience and detailed work that may be beyond younger sculptors. The figures all stem from the basics taught at the beginning, and range from a simple pig made from several balls squished together to a complex dragon with multicolored scales.

Kids love origami—and what could be cooler than transforming a piece of paper into Boba Fett, Princess Leia, Yoda, or R2-D2? Star Wars Origami includes a foreword by Tom Angleberger, author of the New York Times bestsellers The Strange Case of Origami Yoda and Darth Paper Strikes Back , and is scheduled to be published at the same time as Angleberger’s upcoming book, The Secret of the Fortune Wookiee . A Look Inside Star Wars Origami.

So now it’s even easier and more fun for kids to handmake a bench for their own workshop, create a DVD storage cube that spins, build a doggie diner, or craft adjustable stilts, a box with a secret drawer, and many other long-lasting items. Praise for the first edition:

LEGO Chain Reactions is packed full of ideas, instructions, and inspiration for 10 LEGO machines that spin, swing, pivot, roll, lift, and drop. Our team of experts worked with educators and 11-year-olds to invent the machines, then wrote a book that teaches the skills (and some of the physics behind the fun) kids need to create their own amazing chain reaction machines. Includes a 80 page instructional book with Klutz certified crystal-clear instructions.

In this book by well-known modern quilters Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr along with their 11-year-old daughter Sophie Kerr, kids will learn how to navigate a sewing machine, make smart fabric choices, and use basic sewing tools. What quilter doesn’t have a secret wish for their daughter, son or grandchild to carry on the quilting tradition. This book comes from the new imprint of C&T Publishing, FunStitch Studio, and is designed to get young people interested and involved in sewing and home crafts. Sixteen fun projects at levels from beginner to advanced await the adventurous young person with an interest in sewing in this colorful and educational resource. Learn about fabrics, supplies, machines and the basics of sewing while creating projects that will be admired, used and worn. In this debut book written when she was 11, Sophie―daughter of Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr of Modern Quilt Studio - guides her young counterparts through the process of sewing. She doesn't make them so complicated," she says.As parents, we like that many of the projects, such as the Zippered Tote and Insulated Lunch Bag, are practical for kids. Sophie obviously knows that boys like to sew too, and she's got plenty of guys pictured throughout the book, making things like belts and bags that can be enjoyed by ever kid. Lastly, her careful illustrations and picture really do make simple work out of sometimes intimidating tasks, such as installing a zipper. With 35 pages of valuable troubleshooting and safety tips, and 16 projects, including a lunch tote and messenger bag, your kids will be clamoring to go to the nearest fabric store. Eleven-year-old Sophie Kerr and her professional quiltmaker parents bring a stress-free and fresh approach to sewing for kids, making this a great reference book for young sewists. The bright photography of Sophie and her friends (male and female) sewing and using their projects is fun and engaging.

Kids can sew too! Best of all, this practical, attractive sewing book features finished projects that look like they were actually made by children.

LEGO Chain Reactions is packed full of ideas, instructions, and inspiration for 10 LEGO machines that spin, swing, pivot, roll, lift, and drop. Our team of experts worked with educators and 11-year-olds to invent the machines, then wrote a book that teaches the skills (and some of the physics behind the fun) kids need to create their own amazing chain reaction machines. Includes a 80 page instructional book with Klutz certified crystal-clear instructions.