Making Stuff Book Review

By: Meredith MacDonald

Making Stuff: An Alternative Craft Book
Edited by Ziggy Hanaor

Seemingly dozens of artists contributed projects to Making Stuff, (including some favorite past and present glitterati). And the result is that nearly every craft frontier is explored in a way that makes you feel like you are back in high school, with the best art teacher ever and plenty of time on your hands. After some basic introductory material, the projects are categorized by function: clothing, jewelry, home, children, and “the random bits that fill in the gaps.” There really is something for everyone in here, and projects are so open to your own inspiration that the result can be as campy or sophisticated as you want. Making Stuff features a great layout, and projects often include schematics and large photos, though the photos sometimes appear fuzzy or dark.

I loved many of the sewing projects – making an awesome, wide bow belt from a small amount of fabric, recycled silk tie purses, and a smocked dress that works for an adult or child. Adorable Steiner dolls and a passport holder made of paint chips also stood out to me. One or two projects may be too bizarre for most, such as a tiara constructed from plastic toys, and several projects have definitely been available in various forms for years – there was nothing new to me about crocheting a shopping bag, making hemp necklaces, or rolled beeswax candles. However, that’s not quite the critique it sounds like, because I can still find inspiration in these projects. After seeing a picture of a bathmat knit on giant needles from old concert t-shirts, I immediately reached into my closet, and a cotton sundress that I wore to my high school graduation a million years ago became reborn that very night as a bathmat. I knew there was a reason I couldn’t get rid of it. Making Stuff would be a great foundation book for a craft library, especially if you have friends of the younger set to craft with you.

See Also

Review: Alabama Studio Style
Review: Kids in the Garden
Seeds of Inspiration