32 Leisure Arts Craft Books and Art Supplies

Leisure Arts is a well-known brand in the crafting space. They’ve historically been known as a craft book publisher; but in the recent past, they’ve also begun manufacturing art and craft supplies that complement their craft patterns and instructions.

I’m a huge fan of their craft books; and while I don’t have a long history of working with their art supplies, I’ve been pleased with the few things of theirs that I have tried.

I’ve reviewed bunches of Leisure Arts craft books and also a few of their art supplies. I invite you to check out the following book reviews I’ve posted about Leisure Arts craft books and art supplies:

Leisure Arts Knitting Books

Leisure Arts has a knack for publishing high-quality knitting books that offer an amazing value for the money you spend on them. If you want to get really beautiful knitting patterns for an affordable price, you’ll want to consider checking out Leisure Arts’ offerings when you start your next project. I highly recommend all of the following Leisure Arts knitting books:

1. Ice Cream Baby Afghans — A Small, Portable Knitting Pattern Leaflet

This is one of the prettiest baby blanket pattern books ever. Working from this book, you combine variegated yarn with super easy knitting stitches to create baby blankets that are totally stunning. Looking at these designs, you’d never guess how easy they are, because they look amazingly cool!

I highly recommend this portable pattern booklet to anyone who wants to knit baby blankets.

Learn More About Ice Cream Baby Afghans:

• Check out pictures and a project list in our detailed book review of Ice Cream Baby Afghans.
• Click here to shop for this book at Amazon.

2. Slow Fashion Made Fast by Alexandra Tavel, Published by Leisure Arts

There’s a reason people refer to knitting as “slow fashion”. It is the polar opposite from the sweatshop-made “fast fashion” pieces you can buy from Walmart or Amazon.

But if you’re an impatient knitter, or you need to finish a project quickly — perhaps you’re knitting a gift for a loved one or an item you need to wear to a special event — you might find yourself frustrated with how sloooooooooooooooow the knitting process really can be.

Want to learn the secrets for knitting faster? One possible way is to choose knitting patterns that are designed to work up quickly. Pictured here is a book called Slow Fashion Made Fast by Alexandra Tavel, published by Leisure Arts. This book is a fantastic choice to use at times when you need to finish your knitting project in a hurry.

Learn More About This Book:

• Click or tap here to check out my full-length book review of Slow Fashion Made Fast.
• Click here to shop for this book at Amazon.

3. Knit Socks for Those You Love

This short pattern leaflet is useful if you want to knit stylish socks for a variety of people on your gift list.

Learn More About Knit Socks for Those You Love:

• Check out pictures and a project list in our detailed book review of Knit Socks for Those You Love
• Click here to shop for this book at Amazon.

See Also: My Picks for the Best Sock Knitting Books

4. Casual Weekend Knits by Andi Javori

Do the words “stylish”, “chic” and “sophisticated” describe your personal style? Want to try knitting a variety of projects that reflect those characteristics? If you enjoy knitting, and wearing, fashionable women’s garments and accessories that look chic, timeless, classic and beautiful, you should definitely take a look at Casual Weekend Knits.

Learn More About Casual Weekend Knits:

• Click or tap here for my full-length book review of Casual Weekend Knits.
• Click or tap here to shop for this book at Amazon.

5. The Beginner’s Guide to Mosaic Knitting Book

Fair Isle isn’t the only knitting technique you can use to make colorful knitting projects. Mosaic knitting is another option for a technique you could use to do this. If you’ve never tried mosaic knitting before, and you want to learn how to do it, you’ll definitely want to consider checking out Melissa Leapman’s lovely book covering the technique. And even if you’re an expert at the technique, you might still enjoy this book considering it has some of the most appealing mosaic knitting projects I’m aware of. The book includes patterns for making stylish clothing, accessories and blankets.

Learn More About The Beginner’s Guide to Mosaic Knitting Book

• Check out our detailed book review of The Beginner’s Guide to Mosaic Knitting book
• Click here to shop for this book at Amazon.

Important note: Leisure Arts has published many more knitting books than just those mentioned above. The knitting books posted here are all titles I’ve reviewed; I hope you’ll find the reviews useful, but definitely don’t limit yourself to just these titles, considering that Leisure Arts make many other lovely knitting books available.

Leisure Arts Crochet Books

Leisure Arts is a highly trusted publisher of crochet pattern books. I’ve been working from Leisure Arts crochet books for a long time — so long that I can’t remember, exactly, how long it has been.

There are a few things that Leisure Arts crochet books have in common. First of all, Leisure Arts really gets “the average crocheter”.

Now, you may not be the average crocheter — but typically, crocheters want…

• beautiful projects that are styled well and photographed clearly;
• easy patterns made from affordable yarns;
• clear instructions and patterns that are well-tested and error-free;
• and projects that can realistically be completed in a fast enough time frame that they haven’t gone out of style before you’ve finished crocheting them.

Leisure Arts reliably delivers on all of the items on the above checklist.

Their projects are generally classic, useful, appealing and reasonably easy to make. Whether you’re brand new to crochet or you’re a seasoned expert, you’re almost guaranteed to find Leisure Arts crochet books that will appeal to you.

I highly recommend the following Leisure Arts crochet books:

6. Amigurumi, an Adorable Collection: Heroes, Animals and Monsters to Crochet

Do you ever crochet toys for children? If so, there’s a book I highly recommend for giving you a bunch of CUTE amigurumi doll and toy patterns. It’s called Amigurumi: An Adorable Collection.

One of this book’s top selling points is the sizable number of easy crochet patterns. This book is totally accessible to new crocheters; none of them are overly complex, but all of them are appealing.

Learn More About This Book:

• Click here to see my detailed book review of this title.
• Click here to shop for this book at Amazon.

7. Crochet Afghan Revival: 40 Classic Patterns Made to Inspire

Want to work on crocheting some new blankets and afghans? IF so, definitely check out Crochet Afghan Revival, because it’s currently the best value I’m aware of for a sizable crochet blanket pattern book. This book offers you 40 different crochet blanket patterns, plus 5 different coordinating pillow patterns. You’ll have choices for blankets to work on using a variety of interesting crochet techniques including chevrons, granny squares, motif patterns, crochet lace, colorwork and other techniques.

Learn More About Crochet Afghan Revival:

• Click here to see our detailed book review of this title.
• Click here to shop for this book at Amazon.

8. Scrappy Afghans

• If you knit or crochet frequently, you’ll inevitably end up with leftover yarns that can be challenging to use up. If you aren’t careful to find ways of using them, they can clutter up your home indefinitely. This book is useful because it gives you project ideas for making use of all those yarn scraps you have stashed.
  
  

  Answer me this: Which would you rather have — zillions of little balls of yarn, or new blankets? Yeah, that’s what I thought. It’s a no brainer.

  
  

  So if you don’t already have a bunch of ideas for using up yarn scraps, or even if you do, I recommend grabbing a copy of this book — because you can never really have too many ideas for making use of scrap yarn.

  
  

  Learn More About Scrappy Afghans:

  • Click here to check out our detailed book review of this title.
  • Click here to shop for this book at Amazon.

  9. Quick Comforts

  10. Quick Crochet With Flowers: 14 Unique Flower and Leaf Patterns — A Small, Portable Leisure Arts Crochet Pattern Leaflet

  By Amy Gaines, Published by Leisure Arts

  
  

  

  
  

  Type of Book: Crochet pattern book.

  
  

  Why you’d want to own this book:

  • Get your hands on 14 patterns for crocheting a variety of simple yet chic flowers and leaves.
  • Find instructions and patterns for using those flowers to create stylish home decor projects and wearable accessories for women: two beautiful purses, three gorgeous heandbands, several barrettes, an elegant cowl, a garland, a wreath, and 3 different pieces of wall art.
  • EASY patterns — there is not a single pattern in the book that’s rated as intermediate or advanced. Every last one has a skill level rating of “EASY”.
  • This book is small and light enough to fit in a purse or backpack. Take it with you wherever you go!

  Learn More About This Leaflet:

  • Click here to check out my full review of Quick Crochet With Flowers.
  • Click here to shop for this book at Amazon.

  
  
  

  11. Color-Block Baby Blankets

  

  
  

  This book is focused on giving you easy, colorful baby blanket patterns to crochet. It is an excellent choice of pattern books for total beginners who have learned the basics and are ready to proceed with trying ultra-simple projects. There are 2 super easy granny square blanket patterns plus a corner-to-corner crochet blanket patterns. In addition to those, there are also several blankets crocheted using basic stitches. Overall, the book is an amazing value for the asking price.

  Learn More About This Book:

  • Click here to check out my book review of Color-Block Baby Blankets by Kristi Simpson.
  • Click here to shop for this book at Amazon.

  
  
  

  12. Infant Boots & Hats: 6 Charming Sets

  

  Kristi Simpson designed this highly useful set of baby hat and bootie patterns that would be great to use for making baby shower gifts for your inner circle. They’d also make lovely charity crochet projects. These are mostly unisex patterns, which means that you’ll have suitable options to consider whether you’re crocheting for a baby girl or a baby boy.

  • Click here to see our detailed book review of Infant Boots and Hats.
  • Click here to shop for this title at Amazon.

  13. Self-Striping Projects

  

  
  

  By Bonnie Barker, Published by Leisure Arts

  
  

  Type of Book: Crochet pattern book.

  
  

  Why you’d want to own this book:

  • Make GORGEOUSLY colorful projects, without having to weave in zillions of loose ends.
  • You’ll find patterns you can use for making the most of colorful self-striping yarns, which isn’t always as easy as you might think.
  • Get your hands on more of Bonnie’s signature aran-style crochet patterns for wearable ladies’ accessories — a shoulder wrap, two cowls, a beanie cap, a cool backpack, and a dramatic poncho.
  • While Bonnie is best-known for Aran crochet patterns, she’s talented at designing other types of crochet patterns, too. In this book, you’ll get to try some of her lace crochet patterns, too. One of the two crochet baby blanket patterns in the book is made up entirely of crochet lace. The other lovely blanket incorporates both aran-style crochet and lace stitches to make a truly spectacular project. There’s also a feminine lace stole pattern included to round out the selection of patterns.
  • This excellent collection gives you a fantastic variety of patterns to work; no two are alike, even though they all share the common elements of being colorful and eye-catching.

  Learn More About This Book:

  • Click here to check out project photos and more insights in our detailed book review of Self-Striping Projects.
  • Click here to shop for this book at Amazon.com.

  14.The Crochet Closet Book: Stylish Women’s Sweater Patterns for Every Size

  

  
  

  The Crochet Closet features a total of 15 women’s crochet sweater patterns, all of which include a wide range of sizes. The majority, although not all, of the designs include pattern instructions for crocheting sizes extra-small through 3x large.

  There are two sweater vest designs included in the pattern book. The rest are either cardigan-style sweaters, sweater jackets / coats, or designs that are some sort of cross between a sweater / blazer / jacket.

  15. Crochet It, Love It, Wear It! by Drew Emborsky, AKA The Crochet Dude

  

  
  

  This book includes 13 patterns for crocheting clothing and accessories for women. Consider the subtitle of the book: “The ultimate collection for every occasion”; for a crochet pattern collection that only includes 13 designs, this book offers you a spectacular variety of fashions to make, including wardrobe essentials that would be appropriate to wear just about everywhere. There are dress-down pieces suitable for everyday attire and drop-dead-spectacular dresses you’ll reach for on special occasions.

  
  

  Most of the crochet patterns in this book incorporate post stitches — so if you love working post stitches, this is a book you’ll really want to consider owning.

  Learn More About This Book:

  • Click or tap here to check out my detailed book review of Crochet It. Love It. Wear It! by the Crochet Dude
  • Click here to shop for this book at Amazon.

  16. Touchably Textured Baby Afghans by Barbara English

  

  Touchably Textured Baby Afghans is a slim crochet pattern booklet offering you 5 baby blanket patterns to crochet.

  Learn More About This Book:

  • You can check out my book review HERE.
  • Click here to shop for this book at Amazon.
  • Click or tap HERE to shop for this book at Biblio.

  17. 24-Hour Baby Blankets Book by Jean Leinhauser and Rita Weiss, Published by Leisure Arts

  

  
  

  Sometimes you need to whip up a quick baby shower project, but you still want it to be an impressive gift. If that’s your current situation, or if that scenario happens to you frequently, you’ll definitely want to check out the patterns in this book. They’re all fast crochet projects that are estimated to take about 24 hours to crochet (of course, they may take longer if you’re a beginner or if you crochet with frequent interruptions).

  • Learn more in our detailed book review of 24-Hour Baby Afghans.
  • Click here to shop for this book at Amazon.

  18. Overlay Crochet Book by Kristi Simpson

  

  If you’re interested in learning how to crochet projects that look really complex and sophisticated, Overlay Crochet is a book you’re likely to LOVE. It includes colorful projects in which some of the stitches overlay others; this results in intricate and remarkable finished items that are quite intriguing to look at.

  Learn More About Overlay Crochet:

  • You’ll find my detailed book review of this title HERE.
  • Click here to shop for this book at Amazon.com.

  19. Busy Baby Boxes Crochet Pattern Book

  20. Fair Isle Mittens

  

  Lori Adams has designed a spectacular collection of patterns for crocheting colorful mittens that resembled their knitted counterparts. This technique is absolutely genius. If you haven’t learned how to do it yet, you’ll definitely want to check out a copy of this book, because this is currently the best resource I know of for learning how to do the colorwork version of this particular crochet stitch.

  
  

  Learn More About This Book

  • See our detailed book review of this title.
  • Click here to shop for this book at Amazon.com.

  21. 99 Crochet Post Stitches Book

  22. Triple Play Pattern Stitches Book

  23. Noggins & Necks

  24. Lovely Decor in Filet Crochet

  25. Gooseberry Patch Farmhouse Crochet Pattern Book

  26. 50 Fabulous Crochet Thread Motifs

  Please note: This is not a comprehensive list of ALL the crochet books that Leisure Arts makes available; these are only the crochet books of theirs where I have actually written book reviews to share with you. They make many other lovely and worthwhile crochet books available besides just these.

  Leisure Arts Craft Books

  The “Make and Give” Series of Craft Books by Leisure Arts: Candle Making, Soap Making and Personal Care Products

  IF you might like to make quick and appealing gifts to give to recipients you know — perhaps neighbors, colleagues at work, friends or family members — you’ll want to check out the “Make & Give” series of craft books published by Leisure Arts. The books in this series include recipes for making fantastic, gift-worthy items and then giftwrapping them to make them look their best. I’ve reviewed the following titles in this book series:

  25. Home Candle Making: Ideas-instructions-for-12-delightful-candles-to-make/

  
  

  

  26. Make and Give Home Apothecary Book: 12 Step-By-Step Recipes for Herbal Self-Care Products

  
  

  

  27. Make & Give Home Soap Making Book: 13 Step-By-Step Recipes + Giftwrap Ideas

  

  Adult Coloring Books, Markers, Colored Pencils and Art Supplies by Leisure Arts

  

  • 28. Daily Inspiration Easel Flip Book
  • 29. Leisure Arts Double-Ended Markers — To the best of my knowledge, these are no longer available. If you need new markers, please see my page on drawing with markers for suggestions on which markers are available right now and worth buying.
  • 30. Leisure Arts Brush-Tip Markers — These are also currently unavailable, to the best of my knowledge. Please click or tap here for alternative suggestions.
  • 31. The Colors Of Nature: a Coloring Book, Sketch Book and Art Journal

  32. The Knook Beginner Set: Leisure Arts’ Ingenious Needlework Tool for Knitting With a (Modified) Crochet Hook

  

  Some of the top FAQs I get from my readers are as follows:

  • Can you make crochet look like knitting?
  • Can you knit with a crochet hook?

  If you’re asking those sorts of questions, you might be interested in checking out “The Knook” tool manufactured by Leisure Arts. The Knook is basically a glorified crochet hook that has some modifications made to it. You can use this tool much like you would use a crochet hook, but the technique produces a fabric that is structurally knitted.

  
  

  Learn more in my detailed product review of The Knook.

  So there you have it: Those are the Leisure Arts craft books and art supplies I’ve reviewed. I hope you found some wonderful new pattern books and art supplies to add to your stash.

  Related Resources:

  Please Visit My Ko-Fi Shop HERE to Find My Sample Sale, Destash Sale and Digital PDF Pattern Downloads for Sale.

  Please Visit My Ravelry Store HERE to Find Digital PDF Pattern Downloads for Sale.

  More Leisure Arts Craft Books and Supplies: Diamond Art, Leisure Arts Cross Stitch Books and Patterns, Embroidery Kits and More

  Leisure Arts manufactures bunches more books, patterns, instructions, and craft supplies beyond just the items I’ve reviewed above. They offer a broad range of cross stitch patterns and cross stitch books. They also offer beginner-friendly embroidery kits that provide the embroidery floss and other supplies you need to get started with embroidery.

  Leisure Arts Competitors: Find More Companies Offering Similar Craft Pattern Books and Craft Supplies

  Stackpole Books — Stackpole Books offers informative, beautiful craft pattern books covering a broader array of craft techniques than Leisure Arts does. While they cover all the mainstream techniques like crochet and knitting, they also make instructions available for interesting niche craft techniques, too. You can learn more at my page about Stackpole Books, HERE.

  
  

  Interweave — Interweave offers a variety of timeless, classic, educational needlework pattern books and craft books including many truly useful crochet and knitting books. You can learn more at my page about Interweave craft books, HERE.

  
  

  Sixth & Spring Books — Sixth & Spring publishes cutting-edge, high fashion knitting books and other craft books. Their projects are generally stunning, and their books offer the same type of experience you get when you browse through a fashion magazine (but without all the ads). I love their knitting books so, sooooo much!

  
  

  Stamperia

  
  

  

  
  

  Stamperia’s art supplies are premium quality, and they offer a broad variety of different media to try.

  
  

  

  
  

  Altenew — Like Leisure Arts, Altenew manufactures adult coloring books and related craft supplies such as markers, colored pencils, and paints. Altenew also offers video-based craft classes covering a broad range of paper crafting techniques.

  Posted By: Amy Solovay

  
  

  This page was last updated on 10-8-2024.