Nifty Gifty: Mini Crafts with Major Charm

TikTokker Pedrero debuts with a whimsical guide to creating adorable, pocket-size gifts. Half of the projects, including mushroom-shaped picture holders, strawberry-shaped trinket dishes, and tea-light candle holders, involve sculpting and painting air-dry clay. Others, such as vintage magazine collage frames, mini shrines made out of matchboxes, and bejeweled lighters, encourage experimentation with mixed media. Readers will also learn how to carve shapes on erasers to make rubber stamps and create a gift box that looks like a beautiful cake, complete with decorative piping (joint compound or lightweight spackle are used to resemble icing). The step-by-step instructions are easy to follow, and Pedrero’s bubbly personality will boost readers’ confidence (“I believe that creativity is a gift that everyone has,” she says early on. “You may think you don’t have a single creative bone in your body, but you do!”). Helpful photographs by Andria Lo and informative sidebars elucidate more complicated techniques, like how to “score and slip” clay to attach pieces together and how to complete a blanket stitch. This is a delight for crafters of all levels. (Oct.)