 does hors d'oeuvres quite like Martha—and this 1984 cookbook, complete with 150 ideas spread across 13 different party styles (there's an appetizer for every occasion!), is proof.
Shop Now: Martha Stewart's Hors D'Oeuvres, $20.98, amazon.com.
Mixed fruit, berry, vegetable, chocolate, nut—Martha covers just about every pie or tart type imaginable in this 100-plus-recipe book, which debuted in 1985. Though the majority of Pies & Tarts is achievable for bakers of all skill sets and levels, there are a few of next-level options—like the Concord grape pie, for example, featuring a grape cluster, leaves, and tendrils made entirely of pastry.
Shop Now: Martha Stewart's Pies & Tarts, $12.94, amazon.com.
Weddings, published in 1987, would go on to inspire an entire magazine (Martha Stewart Weddings ran its first issue less than a decade later, in 1994)—which makes perfect sense when you consider the scope of the source material. Filled with glossy images from over 40 wedding ceremonies and receptions, Weddings is a bride's complete guide to planning any type of an event; its many chapters cover it all, from organization, invitations, and bouquets to music, decoration, menus, and cakes (recipes and step-by-step assembly tips, included).
Shop Now: Martha Stewart Weddings, $58.85, amazon.com.
A continuation of Quick Cook, Quick Cook Menus (1988) was filled with 230 new recipes (again, segmented into 52 menus) ideated and executed by America's favorite hostess.
Shop Now: Martha Stewart's Quick Cook Menus, $11.50, amazon.com.
It was the planner to gift a bride-to-be when it came out in 1988—Martha's custom, interactive guide featured tabbed sections with checklists and to-dos; the book was also filled with pockets for storing paper and fabric samples and contracts. A six-month calendar kept couples on track as the big day drew closer.
Shop Now: The Wedding Planner by Martha Stewart, $5.49, thriftbooks.com.
Our founder's first holiday-centric book, Martha Stewart's Christmas, was released in 1989 and is comprehensive to say the least: Filled with hundreds of recipes, entertaining tips, decorating, and craft ideas, the tome also encourages American families to make their own traditions.
Shop Now: Martha Stewart's Christmas: Entertaining, Decorating, Giving, $24.99, amazon.com.
The first thing Martha did when she purchased Westport, Connecticut-based Turkey Hill—her first of many famous homes—in 1971 was plant an orchard of old-fashioned fruit trees. She continued to acquire acres adjacent to the main property throughout the years, expanding her orchards and gardens onto just about every inch. She had become a master gardener—a keeper of colorful perennials, berry bushes, and everything in between. So, naturally, she wrote a book on the subject in 1991, teaching novice and longtime gardeners alike about creating and maintaining a flourishing, colorful yard.
Shop Now: Martha Stewart's Gardening: Month by Month, $8.32, amazon.com.
"I love hors d'oeuvres because they provide an opportunity to be wonderfully creative in the kitchen," Martha wrote in the forward of the 1992 paperback reprint—the first of several softcover reprints that would run that year—of her best-selling book, Martha Stewart's Hors D'Oeuvres.
Shop Now: Martha Stewart's Hors D'Oeuvres, $22.31 amazon.com.
In many ways, Martha Stewart's Pies & Tarts was the first of its kind—it's one of the most inspiring, comprehensive dessert cookbooks of all time. It was reprinted, 160 glossy photos and all, in paperback form in 1992.
The quintessential cookbook of the '90s (and beyond!), predicated on how to create flavorful, crowd-pleasing meals in an hour or less, was re-released in 1992.
Shop Now: Martha Stewart's Quick Cook, $7.59, amazon.com.
Martha Stewart's Quick Cook's companion book was also reprinted in 1992, this time in a paperback edition, brand-new cover and all.
Shop Now: Martha Stewart's Quick Cook Menus, $5.49, amazon.com.
Turkey Hill, the definition of a fixer-upper, also taught Martha everything there was to know about renovating and preserving a historic residence, and ultimately inspired Martha Stewart's New Old House (1992). This oeuvre tackles one of the most daunting projects any homeowner could ever face: The renovation of an entire house. She took a start-to-finish approach when writing, beginning with demolition and reno and culminating in decorating and landscaping.
Shop Now: Martha Stewart's New Old House: Restoration, Renovation, Decoration, Landscaping, $32.50, amazon.com.
Martha's first dedicated holiday book was reprinted in 1993; the cover features our founder with boughs of pine in hand, likely off to craft a wreath or garland for Christmas dinner (the book is full of festive projects, recipes, gift ideas, and more).
Shop Now: Martha Stewart's Christmas, $52.29, amazon.com.
Whatever type of party you are throwing—large or small, casual or ultra-formal—Martha has a menu for it in her 1994 book, Martha Stewart's Menus for Entertaining; in addition to the 20 menus, the guide also offers food styling and general hospitality tips.
Shop Now: Martha Stewart's Menus for Entertaining, $17.50, amazon.com.
Culled from the pages of her magazine, Martha Stewart Living (which went into circulation in 1991), this 1994 manual to holiday cooking, entertaining, decorating, gift wrapping, table settings, and so much more takes readers from Thanksgiving through New Year's Day.
Shop Now: Holidays, $9.99, ebay.com.
The recipes in the first of three books Martha would go on to publish in 1995 are easy to follow—plus, the book boasts advice on how to embellish, store, and gift the culinary creations.
Shop Now: The Martha Stewart Cookbook, $18.99, amazon.com.
Spanning New Year's to Halloween, Special Occasions, which was published 1995, covers 12 of the calendar year's holidays. Full menus and fun projects (on topics such as lighting an outdoor party and dyeing Easter eggs) round out this oeuvre.
Shop Now: Special Occasions, $7.01, amazon.com.
In Handmade Christmas (1995), Martha walks us through an entirely DIY holiday routine; learn how to make your own, well, everything Christmas-related, from gifts and stockings to ornaments and wreaths.
Shop Now: Handmade Christmas, $9.38, amazon.com.
In 1996, Martha culled all of the recipes printed under the "What to Have for Dinner" vertical of Martha Stewart Living (one of the most popular sections of the magazine) into a beautifully illustrated volume that was organized by season and offered 30 straightforward menus for families of four.
Shop Now: What to Have for Dinner, $12.06, amazon.com.
Another 1996 debut, How to Decorate covers several of Martha's and the Martha Stewart Living editors' best home decorating projects. The main focus? How to elevate and optimize a room for its actual use—in practice, not just in theory.
Shop Now: How to Decorate, $18.90, amazon.com.
Part crafting book, part decorating guide, Great American Wreaths (1996) is a missive on wreath-making. With 51 projects—a nod to the country's 50 states and the District of Columbia—that can work for every season, the book offers step-by-step guides to making locally-inspired décor.
Shop Now: Great American Wreaths, $4.79, amazon.com.
It's a phrase any Martha fan will recognize. At first, "Good Things" was a popular column in the young days of Martha Stewart Living—but it quickly turned into a tenet of Martha's brand. This book, released in 1997, presents some of the earliest "good things" from the magazine in one place and offers lessons, tips, and tricks on all topics related to the home.
Shop Now: Good Things, $38.90, amazon.com.
Folded paper stars, felt bags, Swedish ginger cookies, and boxes of Swiss meringue—these are just a few of the fan-favorite ideas, recipes, and projects in Christmas with Martha Stewart Living (1997). The first of two volumes offers timeless inspiration for the quintessential American Christmas.
Shop Now: Christmas with Martha Stewart Living (Volume 1), $9.99, amazon.com.
In 1997, Martha released a missive on everything party-related, complete with unique theme ideas (and menus, recipes, and decorating ideas) for each. A few standouts? The "Mediterranean Buffet" and "Garden Harvest Party"—two parties we'd love to attend today.
Shop Now: Great Parties, $12.46, amazon.com.
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