Clever idea, very well executed! The plants (ok, "plants") included in the book look surprisingly real and would be at home just about anywhere. Those of us with a black thumb for indoor plants, rejoice!

If you have a black thumb, like I do, but you still love to be surrounded by plants, this book could be your saving grace.

Corrie Beth Hogg has clearly spent innumerable hours working with all types of papers, paints and other goodies to bring Handmade Houseplants to life in a way that some of us can't do with real plants. She has presented 30 types of plants to create followed by 5 bonus projects, all photographed beautifully by Christine Han.

The book begins with a couple of "conversations" with Corrie Beth where she introduces herself and her love of nature and crafting and moves into the usual tools and materials section (none of which are difficult to find nor expensive). She talks to us about work space and vessels to hold the plants, describes the plant parts, and she details tips and techniques used in every aspect of each of the creations, right up to gift wrapping them (each step showing wonderful photos along the way). She even talks about what happens when mistakes are made and eases us into the need to not be immediately good at this.

Then comes the actual plants. Not only do they have a brief description, tools and materials, they also each have notes detailing the number of leaves, vines and their lengths, number of sprigs and leaves in each...plus the size/type of pot and the approximate finished size of the plant. These notes are extremely helpful in knowing which plants you feel ready to tackle. I was amazed how how large some of them actually are like the Spiral Ginger and the leaves of the Monstera Deliciosa!!

Templates, index and resources complete the book. The templates are as true to size as allowed by the page. When increasing is necessary, the percentages are given. The only thing I wish is that those particular templates also talked about placement on the copy bed. I've always had an issue with knowing where to place the template in order to properly allow for the increase on the paper without sending it right off the page.

As can be expected, some projects are far more life-like than others. Personally, I love the Pink Cordyline, Swiss Cheese Vine, Rex Begonia Vine and Peruvian Maidenhair Fern. With 30 to choose from, you won't have an issue finding ones that are just right for you.

I had a library aide who made paper flowers and they were beautiful. I wanted to learn how to make them and this book was great. The plants look real and they give step by step instructions.

Learn how to make realistic plants from paper in this debut book. There are instructions at the beginning for the various techniques and materials used, as well as details for each project. These include tools, materials, and finished size. There are cutting and painting templates included, some of which do need enlargement. There are 30 different plants included with colors ranging from light green to pink and purple.

I am moving soon and want to add some greenery to my house. However, I am very bad at keeping plants alive, and thought that paper might be a good alternative. There are over 70 pages of instructions at the beginning, which felt a little overwhelming, but once I got into the individual projects, it was easy to find specific ones that I liked and only focus on those materials and techniques. I especially liked the variety of colors, sizes, and shapes that were included. I felt that some plants looked more realistic than others, but overall the book felt comprehensive and makes me want to try at least a few of the plants.

Beautiful DIY projects!
Thanks to NetGalley and Timber Press for the opportunity to read and review Handmade Houseplants by Corrie Beth Hogg with photographs by Christine Han.
A helpful, wonderful guide for making houseplants out of paper, by adding paint, floral wire and a pot, to create plants prettier and healthier than the real versions. Lists of supplies needed, how-to directions and skills and techniques, help the artist make sure all of the details aren’t forgotten. Details such as plant buds and leaflets and many more, and that these details turn out perfectly. Instructions for maintaining and repairing paper plants includes cleaning tips and an assortment of fixing advice,bonus projects and templates are included towards the end of the book. 5 stars for this guide to paper plant perfection!

I love this book. Not sure where I could fit these in my house if I was to make them myself, but just knowing that these beautifully realistic looking artificial plants can be made by a crafty person, engaged my imagination and joy at the prospects.
I recommend this.

Handmade Houseplants is a really cute book. It is full of faux plants that are crafted to look nearly real! They are all adorable and would make a good project for a library program.

I have really enjoyed this book! I was able to begin to make one of the plants in minutes after following the directions. Even better, I was able to convert it to a Cricut pattern and let the machine do the cutting while I glued. It was so much fun my family is getting together this weekend and we are all going to make Christmas Cacti together. Given that these plants never will need watering, it’s the best house plant gift we can “grow” together. I’m looking forward to more books from this author. She has great ideas!

I have zero time for more crafting these days but these looked fun, so I read through the introductory lessons and then looked at all the project pictures. Therefore, I haven't tried any of the projects myself but I did think the instructions were well done and especially thought the pictures would be very helpful! I'm not one for painting or doing anything too difficult (like building a tree trunk) but I did think the Christmas cactus and the Oxalis looked both the easiest and the most realistic in the final project (I thought those that were too sparse looked too fake) Happy crafting!

These paper plants look fantastic when done! The author does a good job giving plenty of easy to understand directions, color pictures to follow, and finished project pictures as well.

Some of the plants are more difficult than others so they will take practice to do correctly. Plus, if you are not good at painting, they may still suffer a little bit and not come out as good as the author's, but she does do a good job showing you how to paint the "plants" to mimic their live counterparts.

Like most books that show how to create crafts, she gives a summary of the tools that you need and why you will need them in the beginning. She also explains why certain materials are better for certain projects so you end up with the best results. She even puts in an "oops" page and how to fix common mistakes.

The book is filled with templates as well so you get the perfect cut for whatever plant you are working on. Plus the book as an index so you can go where you need without having to go through all the pages searching for a specific set of instructions.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an advanced copy to read. All opinions are my own.

Plants you can't kill! I love when nature and craft are combined. Hogg has crafted tutorials for creating 30 different houseplants essentially from paper with the addition of wire/dowels for stems and painted accents on some. Hogg begins with the materials needed and the various techniques used before moving into tutorials for creating each plant. Each tutorial includes step by step instructions as well as clear photographs detailing each step. Templates for the various leaf shapes are included.

While I love having live houseplants, paper plants are a great option for someone who travels a lot, who simply doesn't have a green thumb or even just for those spaces that aren't ideal for a live plant. They're also a great option for those with pets since some plants are toxic to cats and/or dogs. I think my favorites are the Pink Polka Dot Plant and the Sassafras Seedlings. There's is enough variety here to suit any taste.

Thank you to Corrie Beth Hogg, Timber Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this fun book. All comments are my own, unbiased opinion.

What a great book! We currently have a monthly crafting group that makes paper flowers so this was a wonderful addition to the mix of crafts we will be tackling this year. Great pictures, easy to follow instructions and a useful final product! Especially if you don't have a green thumb!

I fell in love with this book and am eagerly awaiting its publication. Although I haven’t tried any of the projects yet I have already bought supplies. Well laid out, clear instructions and colorful and engaging photos. Should be popular.

The first part of the book explains all the tools, materials, skills and techniques needed to create realistic paper plants. It has a lot of useful suggestions and detailed explanations that ensures that you don't run into any problems later on. Even if something goes wrong, the "When 'oops!' happens" section has it covered. The next part of the book consists of 30 plant projects, among them: african mask plant, swiss cheese vine, fish bone cactus, inch plant, oxalis (my favorite!) and the ever so popular Monstera deliciosa. In case you were wondering, they not only look realistic but their dimensions are also life-sized, even the big Monstera. A bonus projects section focuses more on creative ways to use, arrange and display your plants. The last part of the book contains the templates for all the projects (some of them need to to be enlarged) and a handy list of resources, all of them with their webpage addresses.

All in all, this is a fabulous book. The possibilities of what you can do with these plants are endless and coming up with your own templates and plant arrangements should be fairly easy after reading this book. Just keep in mind that these projects require a lot of cutting and assembling (specially if you want to create plants with a lot of leaves) and crafting these beauties requires more dedication than a quick tissue paper flower, but the results are more rewarding as well. Christine Han made an awesome job with the pictures in the book, they are so pretty I wouldn't mind framing a couple of them!. Make sure check the author's blog which has free DIY projects, some of them like the one's you will find in the book. *I read an eARC

This book is so much fun and would make a great present for your crafting friends. I was a little put off by the first few pages listing the equipment and techniques, but it's easy to skip this and go straight to the plants themselves. The images describe the process of making simply and easily. These projects would make great presents, especially with the resurgence of house plant keeping. Looking forward to making most of these and ultimately designing my own based on the techniques.

Although I haven’t made anything out of this yet, I want to say how colorful these plants are and how easy they look to make!
Well done!

"Handmade houseplants: remarkably realistic plants you can make with paper" by Corrie Beth Hogg is an inspiring collection of diy projects for those of us that love plants but whose green thumb is non-existent! There are detailed supply lists of everything you will need as well as a general techniques section. There are 30 different plants presented, from the delicate Oxalis to the giant Monstera delicious, all with varying skill levels. Included at the end are a few bonus projects as well as all the necessary templates. And there are lots of pictures throughout, which is great for those of us who are image-based learner's!

Personally, I thought the pink cordyline and alocasia infernalis plants were the most realistic looking. The never-never plant was my least favorite, reminding me of a kid's art class project. The author is an artist (which I am not), so many of the plants are painted with various mediums. I also would have liked a few more "bonus project" ideas, perhaps as a gallery with less text.

That being said, I am looking forward to trying out some of the projects! In the past, I have created giant paper flowers as part of displays at the library where I work, so I'm always on the hunt for new ideas!

This fun, multi-media approach to home decor is sure to appeal to those who lack green thumbs and/or love to create, color, and glue. I foresee this as a rapid checkout item for our library,

This is a lovely craft book -- lots of thorough advice and direction on how to make your own paper plants. Full of good photographs, quality instructions, and a hefty project list.

Everybody loves houseplants, but not everyone can or wants to grow and care for them. In Handmade Houseplants, almost more beautiful than the real thing, are plants made from paper! This guide includes step-by-step instructions for 30 of the most popular houseplants, from monstera and peperomia to fiddle leaf fig and philodendron. Detailed information and pictures inform the reader concerning the tools and supplies one will need. And the great thing is, you probably already have some of them. I liked the section on gift giving, as these plants would make a beautiful and unique gift. The projects are simple enough to be made in few hours and the required materials are affordable and readily available. If nothing else you will love the enchanting, colorful photo