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Little Animals Using Chenille Stems
Search Press Mini Makes series
Marie Enderlen-Debuisson

Search Press
2 July 2015 / ISBN 9781782212430
How-To Books/Craft

Reviewed by Rachel A Hyde

 

Search Press’ latest new series of books is Mini Makes, a range of pocket sized books that cover various crafts in a nutshell. In this one Ms. Debuisson shows how to make fifteen wee creatures out of chenilles (pipe cleaners in the vernacular).

Priced at under a fiver I can imagine these books making ideal stocking fillers, party favors, prizes and any other occasions that call for a small gift. With their board covers they are sturdy and packed full of information in about 60 pages. Those who are not keen on small print might have a problem, but I have seen smaller in many larger books so it is nothing extreme. Find out what tools and materials you need, read the tips and advice section first (a good idea) and then it is on with the projects. These are divided into home and farm, then forest and savannah and you can choose from cats, dogs, sheep, lions, elephants, squirrels, deer and more. The fluffy appearance of the chenilles used is nothing like the original pipecleaners and the models are remarkably detailed looking and rather impressive. Each project has a list of what you need plus instructions on one page, and on the other a photo of the finished items. The diagrams show how the chenilles are bent and I found them a bit complex at first when just looking at them, but once I started making one they suddenly made perfect sense. Some of them could have been drawn in a darker color, but stick with them and you will soon produce something that looks like the photo. Originally published in France in 2013 this is a good translation, and a welcome look at an unusual subject.

If you cannot find a good range of chenilles locally try www.searchpress.com for a list of suppliers.

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UK Reviewer: Rachel Hyde's work can be found in Sewing World, Sew Hip, Popular Crafts and other magazines. Her craft blog is Green Thoughts
Reviewed 2015
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