Fabulous Books – #1 Tinkered Treasures

2013 is for reading and enjoying fabulous books.

Decor-Art is happy to announce that our cooperation with Cico Books and their sister company Ryland Peters and Small (RPS) has opened up brilliant opportunities to introduce you to their new publications on crafting, gardening and interior design. Every month we will be reviewing amazing books that inspire to create and to recycle, books that encourage to discover and to shape beautiful surroundings.

All reviews can be found on this Blog under the category called “Fabulous Books” (right hand side).

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Once you open Elyse Major’s book “Tinkered Treasures” be prepared to step into a completely different world – pastel colours and handmade riches, decorated using tiny little “somethings”, will remind you of your fondest childhood memories. You might recall the occasion when a box of buttons and wooden thread spools had to be examined as if hiding the greatest secrets or that special Birthday party where pretty bunting and a few pom poms turned your living room into an absolutely unfamiliar space… I guess we could call that magic or just some kind of spell, that slowly evaporates while growing up, yet the most encouraging thing is that Elyse knows how to bring it back into our very mature lives.

So what’s her prescription? It’s “tinkering”. If you are not familiar with Elyse’s term, I’ll try to explain it using her own words. Tinkering is “working with things in an unskilled or experimental manner”, it is “embellishing, re-purposing, altering” it is also“making a little time to add playful details to your life”.

“Tinkered Treasures” is a chest that hides more than 35 simple, easy to follow handmade projects for absolute beginners, that can be easily accomplished using just a few tools and materials, it is also a scroll that holds instructions and useful tips and a map, that not only illustrates things that have already been tinkered, but also provides self-confidence and inspiration to keep exploring new, unexpected “territories”.

Elyse’s book will teach you that recycling isn’t only about giving something a second, and for that matter, functional life; this new life can also be pretty and delightful. Her handmade projects will no doubt encourage you to start gathering objects that usually end up in the bin – jars, tins, pretty labels, but all of this can be turned into lanterns, shadow boxes, treasure tins, tussy mussies… things that will bring a smile to your face. The list of objects and what they can be transformed into is endless, the most important thing is to be inventive and to spend some time tinkering or in Elyse’s words – playing.

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An Indian spiritual teacher known as Osho once said “to be creative means to be in love with life”, that’s why “Tinkered Treasures” is a guide evoking not only creativity, but also love. I’d recommend this book to avid crafters and absolute beginners, to anyone who’d like to get in touch with their inner child or just spend some time playfully decorating their surroundings, to people who know that handmade treasures are always the dearest.

Tinkered Treasures by Elyse Major is published by Cico books at £12.99 and is available from CICO Books. 

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