Where to Start with Sherri Haab
Sherri Haab is an American craft author, illustrator, and product designer with more than twenty published books to her name, several of which have sold over a million copies. Based in Springville, Utah, she is a certified metal clay instructor who teaches crafting seminars across the United States and internationally. Her books have won recognition from Publishers Weekly, the American Library Association, Parents’ Choice, and National Parenting Publications. Haab’s work spans resin jewelry, metal clay, polymer clay, upcycled jewelry, and mixed-media techniques. Her writing style is hands-on and visual, designed to guide readers through projects with clarity and confidence. She also develops craft products, including her patented Image Transfer Solution.
Start here
The Art of Resin Jewelry
Sherri Haab · 128 pages · 2006 · Easy
Themes: resin jewelry, mixed media, casting techniques, jewelry design
The definitive introduction to resin jewelry from one of the craft world’s most prolific and trusted authors. Sherri Haab covers everything from basic mixing and pouring to advanced layering, casting, and mixed-media techniques, all in a compact 128 pages packed with projects and inspiration.
Why Start Here
Most craft books on resin either overwhelm beginners with chemistry or limit themselves to a handful of basic pours. Haab finds the middle ground. She opens with the essentials: what resin is, how different types behave, and what tools and safety gear you actually need. Then she moves quickly into projects, organized by technique rather than difficulty, so you build skills naturally as you work through the book.
The project range is impressive for such a short book. You will make everything from Bakelite-style heart pins and faux amber earrings to glitter gem bracelets, scrimshaw-inspired pieces, and transparent necklaces backed with gold leaf. Each project teaches a distinct technique that you can apply to your own designs afterward.
What sets this book apart from newer resin guides is Haab’s emphasis on combining resin with other materials: polymer clay, metal, found objects, and paper. This cross-pollination of techniques gives you a much broader creative toolkit than a book focused on resin alone.
What to Expect
A 128-page paperback with full-color photography and clear step-by-step instructions. The tone is encouraging without being condescending. Haab assumes you are a capable adult who wants to learn a new skill, not someone who needs hand-holding through every glue application. Tips on tools, supplies, finishing, and special effects are woven throughout rather than dumped in a single chapter.
Alternatives
Sherri Haab · 160 pages · 2010 · Moderate
Haab’s comprehensive guide to metal clay, the remarkable material that starts as soft, moldable clay and fires into real silver, gold, or bronze. This revised and expanded edition includes a DVD with technique demonstrations and three new projects shown from start to finish.
Why Consider This One
If resin is not your thing but you are drawn to jewelry making with a more permanent, precious feel, this is Haab’s strongest book. Metal clay lets you create real silver or gold jewelry without traditional metalworking equipment like a forge or anvil. You shape it like clay, fire it in a kiln or with a torch, and end up with a solid metal piece.
Haab covers the full process: conditioning the clay, forming shapes, adding textures, setting stones, firing methods, and finishing. The revised edition reflects years of new products and techniques that have emerged since the original 2004 publication, making it more relevant and practical than ever.
What to Expect
A 160-page paperback with step-by-step photography and an included DVD. The difficulty level is a step up from her resin book, since metal clay requires more equipment and involves firing. But Haab’s teaching style remains clear and well-organized throughout.