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Crafts & Hobbies

These days, the word "hobby" evokes a sense of blase interest. Children have hobbies; bored housewives might have a hobby or two; the rest of us can scarcely be bothered. The original connotation was much different, however—a person's hobby was their avocation, not a primary sense of income, but certainly the focus of passion and interest.

To put it in perspective: Rene Descartes was a mathemetician by trade, but his hobby or avocation was philosophy. Not everyone with a hobby is going to change the course of Western civilization, but the point is that Descartes' hobby wasn't a mere back-drawer doodad he pulled out when he was bored and lonely, it was a motivating force in his life.

We're not suggesting hobbies need to take over your life, like robots in some creepy sci-fi movie. Just the opposite, in fact—hobbies should keep us from surrendering to the doldrums of existence, make us excited, provide an opportunity to exercise our creative talents and explore our interests. They shouldn't be simply a way to pass the time, because that's just another name for boredom.

At the same time, making your hobbies (whether they include cooking, weaving, woodworking, book-binding, or origami) the focus of all your attention is just as harmful. If you find yourself only working to fuel your interests, your hobbies (however harmless they were to begin with) have become your idols and you need to put them aside and learn to prioritize. Still, you need to have interests outside of work, and they need to be cultivated and not just casually dabbled in from time to time.

Why do we take hobbies so seriously? Because what we spend our free time doing reveals a great deal about who we are. If your primary activity when you aren't at work or cleaning the house or whatever is buying clothes, then clothes are what's important to you. The same is true for playing video games, watching reality TV, and bare-knuckle boxing.

It's important to choose hobbies that are constructive. As Christians, we're to do everything to the glory of God, and while some activities done in moderation might be fun, doing them all the time is more a sign of selfish addiction than simple enjoyment. Hobbies should be relaxing, of course, but they should be good for something, and good for other people.

The books you'll find below won't tell you what your hobby should be. They will, however, help you develop the skills related to certain hobbies so you can pursue them to the best of your ability. In a world that excuses lack of excellence and even defends poor quality, we need to work even harder to do our best, whether in our vocations or our avocations.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he is a husband and father, teaches adult Sunday school in his Presbyterian congregation, and likes weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.

 

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71 Items found Print
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Active Filters: 7th grade (Ages 12-13)
All-New Woodworking for Kids
by Kevin McGuire
from Lark Books
for 5th-8th grade
in Carpentry for Kids (Location: SS-CARP)
$9.00 (2 in stock)
American Boy's Handy Book
by Daniel Beard
from Dover Publications
for 4th-9th grade
in Dangerous Books for Kids (Location: SS-DAN)
$19.95
American Girl's Handy Book
by Lina & Adelia Beard
from David R. Godine
for 4th-9th grade
in Dangerous Books for Kids (Location: SS-DAN)
Animated Origami Faces
by Joel Stern
from Dover Publications
for 4th-8th grade
in Paper Crafts & Origami (Location: ELE-ORI)
$5.95
Art Lab for Kids
by Susan Schwake, Photography by Rainer Schwake
from Quarry Books
for 3rd-8th grade
in Painting Instruction (Location: ELE-ARTPAI)
Barbarian Book: Warfare by Duct Tape
by Steven Erickson
from Chinquapin Press
for 4th-Adult
in Dangerous Books for Kids (Location: SS-DAN)
Beginner Book: Warfare by Duct Tape
by Steven Erickson
from Chinquapin Press
for 4th-Adult
in Dangerous Books for Kids (Location: SS-DAN)
$11.95
Big Book of Geometric Designs and Illusions to Color
by Koichi Sato, Spyros Horemis
illustrated edition from Dover Publications
for 2nd-Adult
in Abstract & Mosaic Coloring Books (Location: COL-ABS)
$6.76
Book of Perfectly Perilous Math
by Sean Connolly
from Workman Publishing
for 4th-10th grade
in Math Games & Activities (Location: MATR-GAM)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Book of Perfectly Perilous Math
by Sean Connolly
from Workman Publishing
for 4th-10th grade
in Math Games & Activities (Location: MATR-GAM)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Boy Joiner and Model Maker
by E. A. Davidson
Reprint from Hope Chest Legacy, Inc.
for 4th-12th grade
in Carpentry for Kids (Location: SS-CARP)
$15.00 (2 in stock)
Bumper Book of Nature
by Stephen Moss
1st edition from Crown Trade Paperbacks
for 1st-Adult
in Hiking & Outdoor Adventures (Location: NAT-HIKE)
Carpentry for Children
by Lester Walker
from Overlook Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Carpentry for Kids (Location: SS-CARP)
Carpentry for Children
by Lester Walker
Ninth Printing from Overlook Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Carpentry for Kids (Location: SS-CARP)
Claymation Sensation: Underwater Claymation
by Emily Reid
from Windmill Books
for 3rd-8th grade
in Crafts & Hobbies (Location: SS-CRA)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Complete Book of Birdhouse Construction for Woodworkers
by Scott D. Campbell
40th edition from Dover Publications
for 7th-Adult
in Crafts & Hobbies (Location: SS-CRA)
$1.00 (1 in stock)
Cut & Assemble the Mayflower
by A. G. Smith
2020 Reprint from Dover Publications
for 6th-Adult
in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Cut and Make Space Shuttles
by David Kawami
from Dover Publications
for 4th-9th grade
in How Things Work (Location: SCIREF-HOW)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Dangerous Book for Boys
by Conn & Hal Iggulden
2013 reprint from William Morrow & Company
for 3rd-Adult
in Dangerous Books for Kids (Location: SS-DAN)
$27.99
Dangerous Book for Boys
by Conn & Hal Iggulden
2013 Reissue from William Morrow & Company
for 3rd-Adult
in Dangerous Books for Kids (Location: SS-DAN)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Dazzling Designs - Coloring Book
by Koichi Sato
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-Adult
in Abstract & Mosaic Coloring Books (Location: COL-ABS)
$3.39
Double Dangerous Book for Boys
by Conn & Hal Iggulden
from HarperCollins
for 3rd-Adult
in Dangerous Books for Kids (Location: SS-DAN)
$25.99
Down & Dirty
by Ellen Zachos
1st edition from Storey Publishing
for 7th-Adult
in Gardening for Kids (Location: SS-GAR)
$19.95
Eleventh Hour
by Graeme Base
from Scholastic Inc.
for 5th-Adult
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
Exploring Papier-Mache
from Davis Publications
for 3rd-12th grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Famous Figures of the Early Modern Era
by Cathy Diez-Luckie
from Figures in Motion
for 1st-7th grade
in Modern History (Location: HISW-MOD)
$21.95
Fizz, Bubble & Flash!
by Anita Brandolini
from Williamson Publishing Company
for 3rd-8th grade
in Chemistry (Location: SCI-CHEM)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Floral Borders on Layout Grids
by Stefen Bernath, designer
from Dover Publications
for 6th-Adult
in Crafts & Hobbies (Location: SS-CRA)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Garden Flowers Iron-On Transfer Patterns
by Claire Bryant
from Dover Publications
for 6th-Adult
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Gardening With Children
from Brooklyn Botanic Garden
for 3rd-8th grade
in Gardening for Kids (Location: SS-GAR)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Giant Encyclopedia of Art & Craft Activities
by Carrie Barnes
from Gryphon House
for 4th-8th grade
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Gizmos & Gadgets
by Jill Frankel Hauser
from Williamson Publishing Company
for 1st-8th grade
in Science Experiments & Activities (Location: SCI-EXP)
Golden Anniversary Book of Scouting
from Golden Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$18.00 (1 in stock)
Great Animal Search
by Caroline Young
from Usborne
for 3rd-7th grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Homemade Uniforms
by Daniel Forster
for 6th-10th grade
in American Civil War Era (1850-1865) (Location: HISA-19CW)
$5.00
Hook a Fish, Catch a Mountain
by Jean Craighead George
from E.P. Dutton & Co.
for 4th-8th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
I Spy Super Challenger!
by Jean Marzollo
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-8th grade
in Look and Find Books (Location: PIC-LOOK)
$12.74
Indian Handcrafts
by C. Keith Wilbur
2nd edition from The Globe Pequot Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Native American History (Location: HISA-19NAT)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Kate Greenaway's Language of Flowers
by Kate Greenaway
from Gramercy Books
for all ages
in Poetry Anthologies (Location: POET-ANTH)
Knight Book: Warfare by Duct Tape
by Steven Erickson
from Chinquapin Press
for 4th-Adult
in Dangerous Books for Kids (Location: SS-DAN)
$20.95 $10.00 (1 in stock)
Language of Flowers
by Kate Greenaway
from Dover Publications
for all ages
in Poetry Anthologies (Location: POET-ANTH)
$6.95
Leonardo's Mirror & Other Puzzles
Mastermind Collection
by Ivan Moscovich
First Edition from Sterling Publishing Co.
for 7th-Adult
in Brain Teasers & Puzzlers (Location: LOG-PUZ)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
M.C. Escher Kaleidocycles
Box from Purple Pomegranate Productions
for 6th-Adult
in Artists & Illustrators (Location: ELE-ARTISTS)
$20.00 (1 in stock)
Made to Play
by Joel Henriques
from Roost Books
for 1st-Adult
in Crafts & Hobbies (Location: SS-CRA)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Make Your Own Space Station
by Claire Edwards
from Paragon Publishers
for 4th-8th grade
in Paper Cut-Out Models (Location: ELEART-ORI)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Mary Frances Sewing Book
by Jane Eayre Fryer
from Lacis Publications
for 4th-8th grade
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
Mathematical Puzzles
by Martin Gardner, illustrated by Anthony Ravielli
from Thomas Y. Crowell & Co.
for 4th-8th grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
More Last-Minute Knitted Gifts
by Joelle Hoverson, photographs by Anna Williams
from Abradale
for 6th-Adult
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
More Two-Minute Mysteries
by Donald J. Sobol
from Scholastic Inc.
for 3rd-7th grade
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Mr. Benedict's Book of Perplexing Puzzles, Elusive Enigmas, and Curious Conundrums
Mysterious Benedict Society
by Trenton Lee Stewart
from Little, Brown & Company
for 5th-10th grade
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
$8.49
My Family Tree Workbook
by Rosemary A. Chorzempa
from Dover Publications
for 4th grade-adult
in Genealogy (Location: XFA-GEN)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Naming of Flowers
by Anne Halpin, illustrated by Rob Proctor
from Harper & Row
for 6th-Adult
in Botany & Mycology (Location: SCI-BOT)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Op Art - Coloring Book
by Jean Larcher
First Edition from Dover Publications
for 4th-Adult
in Abstract & Mosaic Coloring Books (Location: COL-ABS)
$4.24
Optical Illusions - Coloring Book
by Koichi Sato
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-Adult
in Abstract & Mosaic Coloring Books (Location: COL-ABS)
$3.39
Puzzles That Teach Physics
from Critical Thinking Books
for 4th-12th grade
in Physics (Location: SCI-PHY)
$19.99
Puzzling Optical Illusions
Dover Game and Puzzle Activity Books
by Thomas Crawford
from Dover Publications
for 7th-Adult
in Optical Illusions and Magic Tricks (Location: LOG-PUZ)
$3.00
Secret Garden
by Frances Hodgson Burnett, illustrated by Tasha Tudor
from HarperCollins
Realistic Fiction for 4th-9th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
Secret Garden
by Frances Hodgson Burnett, illustrated by Tasha Tudor
from HarperCollins
Realistic Fiction for 4th-9th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$16.99
Secret Garden Notebook
from David R. Godine
for 7th-Adult
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
Sneakiest Uses for Everyday Things
from Andrews McMeel
in Dangerous Books for Kids (Location: SS-DAN)
Sticks, Spools and Feathers
by Harvey Weiss
from Young Scott Books
for 3rd-8th grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
Survival Handbook - The Official U.S. Army Guide
by Department of the Army
from Dover Publications
for 7th-Adult
in Dangerous Books for Kids (Location: SS-DAN)
$14.95
Through the Eyes of Your Ancestors
by Maureen Taylor
from Houghton Mifflin
for 6th-Adult
in Genealogy (Location: XFA-GEN)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Traditional Quilts for Kids to Make
by Barbara J. Eikmeier
from Martingale and Company
for 6th-Adult
in Sewing, Knitting & Crocheting (Location: SS-SEW)
Two-Minute Mysteries
by Donald J. Sobol
Reprint from Scholastic Inc.
for 3rd-7th grade
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
$5.94
Visual Illusions - Coloring Book
by Spyros Horemis
from Dover Publications
for 4th-Adult
in Abstract & Mosaic Coloring Books (Location: COL-ABS)
$3.39
Walking with Spring
by Earl V. Shaffer
from Appalachian Trail Conservancy
for 7th-Adult
in Hiking & Outdoor Adventures (Location: NAT-HIKE)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Walter Potter's Curious World of Taxidermy
by Pat Morris with Joanna Ebenstein
from Constable & Robinson
for 3rd-Adult
in Crafts & Hobbies (Location: SS-CRA)
$15.00 (1 in stock)
Wind & Rain Brain Games
by Sarah Janisse Brown
from Thinking Tree
for 6th-Adult
in Brain Teasers & Puzzlers (Location: LOG-PUZ)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Write Your Roots - Student Workbook
by Carole Thaxton
from KONOS
for 6th-10th grade
in Konos Writing (Location: WRI-SING)
$18.00 (1 in stock)
Yellow Owl's Little Print
by Christine Schmidt
from Potter Craft
for 6th-Adult
in Crafts & Hobbies (Location: SS-CRA)
$10.50 (1 in stock)
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