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Author: Karen Marie Shelton
Book Reviewer
HairBoutique.com The Creative Activity Kit:
Braids and Bows Activity Kit |
 The Creative Activity Kit:
Braids and Bows Activity Kit
by Publications International, Ltd.
First let me start off by telling you that this is NOT an easy kit to find. I
literally stumbled upon it at a Barnes & Noble bookstore in the crafts section.
In the crafts section you ask? I asked the B&N clerk about that and she
said that sometimes books or kits that look like activity things wind up in the crafts
section.
Well that was OK. There was only one "kit" so I immediately scooped it
up. It said that it was suitable for ages 8 and up. Since I am constantly
getting questions about different types of braids I am always looking for new ideas.
So what the heck. I bought the kit and here we are.
 When
I tried to find this kit on Amazon.com I could only find it by ISBN number. The
problem is that there are several other books currently published that are called
Braids & Bows. This book is
definitely different than the book by by
Anne
Akers Johnson & Robin Stoneking.
According to Amazon.com this kit/book may take 4-6 weeks to ship. I personally
think it is worth the wait. If you love new books on braiding you will be glad you
waited. I suspect that they will be able to ship the 1998 version pretty quickly.
When I cracked open the brightly colored green and white box and peeked inside, I found
all sorts of goodies which included a full-color, 64 page book with step-by-step
instructions.
The book had some great photographs and included helpful styling illustrations.
 The "kit" also included 4 different sized
barrette forms (small, medium, large) ready to be decorated with ribbons, craft wire and
sequins, which are all included.
There are also 6 hot pink plastic beads along with 4 elastic ponytail bands.
Another "included" tool is what is called a "ponytail styler"
which looks a lot like a TopsyTail tool.
 The
book lists the copyright date as 1998. However Amazon.com lists the copyright as
1995. I suspect that because the ISBN is exactly the same, that the kit was recently
updated for distribution.
The contributing writers are Janis Bullis and
Mary
Beth Janssen-Fleischman. I love Mary Beth Janssen-Fleischman's work, so
I was excited to see her name on the list. Her fishtail/herringbone ponytail is
shown above.
This is really a fun braiding book. The book even includes styles for ear length hair,
although no braids for any hair shorter than about collarbone.
Each braid pattern is demonstrated with multi-colored ribbons to show how to create the
braid. Although this book says it is for kis 8 or up, I think most people who love
messing with hair or creating braids will enjoy this book.
Besides learning to create a variety of simple to more complex braids, you learn how to
create beautiful ribbon covered barrettes, headbands and scrunchies. There is also a
very simple pattern for creating a ponytail pinwheel which is amazingly simple.
All the required materials are included for creating the ponytail pinwheel. The
book also shows how to create gathered rosettes, bows that fit around buns or braided
buns, and gorgeous bows that snap onto a French braid or braided chignon.
This book is a lot of fun for just about anyone. I really love the fact that all
the braid instructions use different colored ribbons to show the steps.
Where helpful, little notes are scattered around the pages with great options, new
ideas or ways to take shortcuts. This book was written with a lot of thought.
Contents Of Book
- Pinwheel
- Ponytail Puff w/ Basic Braid
- Shoelace Bow w/ Front Braids
- Looped Barrette
- Stacked Bow w/ Four-Strand Round Braids
- Ribbon Headband
- Beaded Barrette
- Multiloop Bow w/Pullthrough
- Ponytail Wheel
- Simple Bow w/Three Strand Ropes
- Gathered Rosette
- Round-A-Box Bow w/ French Braid
- Bunched Headband
- Plastic Bow w/ Herringbone Braid (fishtail ponytail)
- Balloon Barrette
- Snap-on Scrunchie
- Classic Bow w/French Underbraids
- Barrette Topper
- Ruffle Ribbon w/ Side Rolls
- Wired Comb w/ Twisted Bun
Do I recommend this braiding kit/book? Absolutely. I only wish that I had
found a stack of them to buy. They would make incredible presents for small to big
kids (adults). Anyone wanting to learn how to French braid or create a fishtail
(herringbone) braid will enjoy this book. If you have a repressed craftsy
personality lurking inside, even better.
Happy Braiding.
Buy The Book
Paperback
Publisher: Publications Intl (June 1, 1995)
ISBN: 0785314334 |