Domiknitrix: Whip Your Knitting Into Shape
Jennifer Stafford - 2006
of dominatrix, re: knitting] (2005): a woman who dominates her knitting; broadly: a badass knitterYou have knitted your last bad piece. Let the DomiKNITrix show you the ropes. Yes, it may be painful to take the time to knit a gauge swatch, count stitches and fix mistakes. But just think of the pleasure you'll get when you knit a gorgeous, perfect sweater with no holes and no uneven stitches.Learn the rules or else. Inside you'll find a no-nonsense, comprehensive guide to essential knitting operations and finishing techniques, including step-by-step instructions for all the basic stitches used in the patterns in the book.Get your hands dirty. The book features over 20 spicy projects to satisfy any knitting appetite. For a Knitting Quickie, choose from one of the smaller projects, such as the Mohawk hat or the popular Snow Devil cap. If you want more of a challenge, try the L'il Red Riding Hoodie or the Big Bad Wolf icon sweater, The Slink or City Coat.
Make Your Own Ideabook with Arne & Carlos: Create Handmade Art Journals and Bound Keepsakes to Store Inspiration and Memories
Arne Nerjordet - 2015
A source of inspiration; a method of organization; a peek inside the chaos and creativity of our own minds. An ideabook can be any one of these, or all of them, or something else entirely: a collection of memories, a way to store recipes or patterns, a genealogical journal, a planner for a wedding or renovation or garden ... The sky is the limit! With Arne and Carlos's wit, style, and trademark handcrafting genius to guide you, learn how you can make and enjoy your own ideabooks--to celebrate, remember, or reach out for all that lies ahead.
Bust DIY Guide to Life: Making Your Way Through Every Day
Laurie Henzel - 2011
And who better to teach us how to DIY our lives than the über-crafty editors of BUST, the quirky, raw, and real magazine “for women who have something to get off their chests”? In The BUST DIY Guide to Life, magazine founders Debbie Stoller (of Stitch ’n Bitch fame) and Laurie Henzel have culled more than 250 of the best DIY and craft projects from its 15-year history. Organized by category—beauty and health, fashion, food and entertaining, career, finance, travel, and sex—and written in BUST’s trademark brazen and witty style, this quintessential DIY encyclopedia from the quintessential DIY magazine is eclectic, empowering, hilarious, and downright practical, truly capturing the spirit of women today.Praise for the BUST DIY Guide to Life:“This lifestyle manual will come in handy when you need anything from a headache remedy to a dirt-cheap wedding.” —Entertainment Weekly“Has tips on beauty, fashion, and finance, too, all with attitude. But our dog-eared pages? Decorating, all the way.” -- Los Angeles Times“It’s a rare do-it-yourself book that combines instructions for both homemade pot holders and Tantric sex. But The Bust DIY Guide to Life isn’t your typical how-to manual. The book, by Bust magazine cofounders Laurie Henzel and Debbie Stoller, is an irreverent yet informative guide to much of what life throws your way—removing laundry stains, lubricating a bicycle chain, even planning a wedding on the cheap.” —Akron Beacon Journal "Looking for one source to provide answers on how to do practical things? This is it! A friendly compendium that shows you (with many pictures and diagrams) how to replace a broken zipper, make soap, turn your bell bottoms into straight-leg jeans, how to buy an old house, how to buy a vintage car, how to skateboard and lots more." —The Fresno Bee
Knit Your Own Cat: Easy-to-Follow Patterns for 16 Frisky Felines
Sally Muir - 2012
With easy-to-follow instructions for 16 distinct felines, Knit Your Own Cat is the irresistible guide to knitting the pet you've always wanted. Cats and knitters are perfect companions. What's better together than a kitten curled up in a basket of wool or a frisky feline chasing a skein of yarn down a hallway? Since the instant success of Knit Your Own Dog, cat lovers have been clamoring for a book of their own. That time has come. Knit Your Own Cat is packed with knitting patterns for 16 different fanciful felines, from a pretty Persian to a sleek Siamese, from a cuddly kitten to a traditional tabby. The cats are surprisingly easy to make: With a few evenings of work, you can have a covetable companion for life. Each cat includes clear, step-by-step instructions for both knitting and assembling the parts. The cats can be knit into various positions such as standing, sitting, crouching, and curled up for a nap. You can add details like collars, bells, and bows. Photographs throughout show the finished cat from various angles, and each cat is accompanied by a description of its real-life temperament and physical characteristics. Cats include: Abyssinian, Bengal, Black Cat, Black & White, British Shorthair, Burmese, Devon Rex, Kitten, Maine Coon, Orange, Persian, Ragdoll, Siamese, Tabby, Tortoiseshell, and Turkish Van.
Sewing Green: Projects and Ideas for Stitching with Organic, Repurposed, and Recycled Fabrics
Betz White - 2009
In "Sewing Green, " Betz White takes stitching to an even higher level of sustainability, presenting 25 projects made from "repurposed" thrift-store and back-of-the-closet finds and organic fabrics. White's whimsical yet practical designs include an apron constructed from men's dress shirts (and a wallet from the shirts' cuffs ), a soft blanket pieced from secondhand cashmere sweaters, and even a tote bag refashioned from used Tyvek envelopes. Along the way, White dispenses tips on everything from how to deconstruct old garments for reuse in new creations to how to wrap gifts with resusable fabric scraps instead of paper. Inspiring profiles about well-known leaders in the eco-stitching movement are sprinkled throughout, and a complete resources section helps crafters make eco-smart choices. With "Sewing Green, " today's sewers will be fashioning handmade heirlooms and sustaining traditions for generations to come.
Drawing Lab for Mixed-Media Artists: 52 Creative Exercises to Make Drawing Fun
Carla Sonheim - 2010
Her innovative ideas are now collected and elaborated on in this unique volume. Carla offers a year's worth of assignments, projects, ideas, and techniques that will introduce more creativity and nonsense into your art and life. Drawing Lab for Mixed-Media Artists offers readers a fun way to learn and gain expertise in drawing through experimentation and play. There is no right or wrong result, yet, the readers gain new skills and confidence, allowing them to take their work to a new level.
Tape It & Make It: 101 Duct Tape Activities
Richela Fabian Morgan - 2012
This fun-filled book offers dozens of creative ideas and easy-to-follow instructions for using duct tape to make everything from wallets and coin purses to novelty neckties and household decorations. Separate chapters give directions for projects that include— Duct Tape Accessories—wallets, sandals, watch strap and more Duct Tape Clothing—apron, necktie, mini skirt, tool belt, and more Duct Tape Flowers—roses, iris, water lilies, and more Duct Tape Animals—turtle, duck, lion’s head, puppy, and more Megativities— skyscraper, Rubik’s Cube, and moreDirections are presented mainly in illustrated form and entail numbered steps that start with a rectangular section of tape. Succeeding diagrams indicate the shape and direction of each progressive fold, leading to the final illustration of the finished piece. Here’s a book of fun for both grownups and kids, and a great way to introduce children to crafting. They’ll find that it’s easy to get started, and once they’ve tried any one of this book’s easier projects, they’ll be itching to construct increasingly challenging and imaginative creations. More than 500 color illustrations.
How to Make Books: Fold, Cut & Stitch Your Way to a One-of-a-Kind Book
Esther K. Smith - 2007
Whether you’re a writer, a scrapbooker, a political activist, or a postcard collector, let book artist Esther K. Smith be your guide as you discover your inner bookbinder. Using foolproof illustrations and step-by-step instructions, Smith reveals her time-tested techniques in a fun, easy-to-understand way.
Re-Bound: Creating Handmade Books from Recycled and Repurposed Materials
Jeannine Stein - 2009
This book shows you how to take everyday materials from around the house, flea markets, thrift stores, and hardware stores and turn them into clever and eye-catching hand-made books.
Dare to Repair: A Do-it-Herself Guide to Fixing (Almost) Anything in the Home
Julie Sussman - 2002
Dare to Repair is a do-it-herself book for every woman who would rather be self-reliant than rely on a super or contractor.No matter the depth of your pockets or the size of your home, a toilet will get clogged, a circuit breaker will trip, and a smoke detector will stop working. It's up to you how you'll deal with them -- live in denial, pay the piper, or get real and do it yourself.Dare to Repair demystifies these home repairs by providing information that other books leave out.In Dare to Repair, you'll learn how to:Take the plunge -- from fixing a leaky faucet to cleaning the gutters.Lighten up -- from removing a broken light bulb to installing a dimmer switch.Keep your cool -- from maintaining a refrigerator's gasket to changing the rotation of a ceiling fan.Get a handle on it -- from replacing a doorknob to repairing a broken window.Play it safe -- from planning a fire escape route to installing a smoke detector.Filled with detailed illustrations, Dare to Repair provides even the most repair-challenged woman with the ability to successfully fix things around the home. Once you start, you won't want to stop.
Made by Hand: A Collection of Projects to Print, Sew, Weave, Dye, Knit or Otherwise Create
Lena Corwin - 2013
In Lena Corwin’s Made by Hand, she re-creates and builds upon her popular workshop series in order to reach crafters in Brooklyn and beyond. For this “best of” collection, she has chosen expert teachers and her favorite projects: Jenny Gordy introduces us to knitted socks and elegantly sewn tops and dresses; Cal Patch teaches how to make a modern embroidery sampler as well as a braided rag rug; and Corwin herself presents her favorite screen-printing and stamping techniques. In total, there are 26 lessons/projects, all presented with step-by-step photos and illustrations.Praise for Lena Corwin's Made By Hand:“Decorate with coffee table books. A few Glamour picks: Lena Corwin’s Made by Hand . . .” —Glamour Magazine“A must-have for anyone who wants to create unique décor.” —Decorating Shortcuts magazine“Made By Hand offers the perfect range of usable textile handiwork, presented by fourteen teachers who obviously enjoy their craft —ForeWord Reviews“The 385 detailed illustrations, along with excellent step-by-step photographs and clear instructions, make each project tempting and approachable.” —Studios magazine “Those messy hands alone are inspiring me to get creative.” —Modern Eve “I got a sneak peek at a mostly lovely book. I can’t contain my excitement over this book. The projects are varied and so much fun.” —The Stylish Nest “The photography and layout of the book is gorgeous: wide open with lots of white space, reminiscent of Japanese craft books. And there are people, whole people, sitting and doing crafts, not just disembodied hands. Isn’t that part of the reason we craft—for the human contact?” —Knitty.com “Made By Hand offers the perfect range of usable textile handiwork, presented by fourteen teachers who obviously enjoy their craft.” —ForeWord Reviews“Made By Hand is gorgeous . . . filled to the brim with beautifully executed diy tutorials from a host of talented artisans.” —Michelle S Blog
Origami Boxes
Tomoko Fuse - 1975
Instructs in the folding of paper into such three-dimensional forms as square, triangular, and hexagonal boxes and their lids.
Edible DIY: Simple, Giftable Recipes to Savor and Share
Lucy Baker - 2012
Based on the popular Serious Eats column by the same name, Edible DIY includes 75 recipes divided into five chapters: Crunchy, Boozy, Sweet, Spicy, and Jars. With plenty of packaging tips throughout, Edible DIY is the perfect solution for making inexpensive edible gifts in your own kitchen with everything from Chocolate-Peppermint Marshmallows and Coconut Granola to Homemade Sriracha and Espresso Barbeque Sauce. Illustrated with inspirational full-color photography throughout.
The Crafter's Devotional: 365 Days of Tips, Tricks, and Techniques for Unlocking Your Creative Spirit
Barbara R. Call - 2009
Crafters dabble, collaborate, muse, and make, all in their own way and on their own timeline. For all crafts, there are established techniques to follow but wild, innumerable ways to experiment, using the basics to launch crafters to new heights. Crafter’s Devotional can aid that launch. Each day of the year is given its own focus, on which the reader will find a daily dose of craft content that inspires, instructs, and illuminates.
Good Mail Day: A Primer for Making Eye-Popping Postal Art
Jennie Hinchcliff - 2009
Mail art is a collaborative art form with a long and fascinating history populated by famous artists as well as everyday practitioners. The term “mail art” refers to pieces of art sent through the mail rather than displayed or sold in traditional venues. Mail artists often use inexpensive and recycled materials including postcards, collage, rubber stamps, and photocopied images. Mail art is a truly international activity and a fun way to connect with people in every corner of the globe. Readers will learn to create decorated and illustrated envelopes, faux postage and artistamps, find penpals, make a mail art kit, and much more!