With the cold winter months comes long days inside the house and the potential for boredom and cabin fever. Having fun and interesting crafts to share with your family can be a lifesaver on days when it's too icy or blustery to play outdoors. I especially enjoy cute crafts that my wife, boys and I can make and enjoy together.

One of my favorite winter craft books for kids is Kathy Ross's Crafts to Make in the Winter. The book is written to be handy in a classroom or group setting, so the instructions are clear, simple and come with good illustrations. Some craft books aren't as detailed or require steps that are complicated for younger crafters. When sitting down with my young sons, these types of crafts wind up being made mostly by me, because they can't carry out the complex instructions on their own. I like this book because I can guide them without having to perform every single step myself.

They have the chance to be more creative and feel greater senses of accomplishment when they do most the work themselves. Plus, I think they just like working alongside their mom and me rather than having us hover over them like craft wardens.

Crafts to Make in the Winter has a nice variety of holiday based crafts—from Washington's birthday to Groundhog Day—along with pins, decorations and fun trinkets that are just winter themed. It's a fun book and the projects are generally low cost and simple enough to do in large or small groups.