Kid Made Modern [Hardcover]

Todd Oldham (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2009 | Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

Do-it-yourselfers ages five and up can go retro with enough projects by legendary designer Oldham to fill entire rooms. Taking inspiration from mid-century designers and artists such as Charles and Ray Eames, Marimekko, Alexander Girard and Dorothy Draper, Oldham revisits modernism in the new millennium. Bold, vibrant and kid friendly, these projects provide days of fun for burgeoning modernists.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Oldham, a big name in the fashion and design worlds, brings his enthusiasm for mid-century modernism to kids in this appealing, hip title that is part crafts book, part introduction to design history. In each of the book’s sections, Oldham celebrates well-known designers (George Nelson, Isamu Noguchi, and Ray and Charles Eames, for example) through brief introductions followed by hands-on projects that are entirely kid-friendly, including scarves, paper lanterns, patterned bulletin boards, jewelry, book covers, pillows, and pet accessories. Using everyday materials, from potatoes to bubble wrap to aluminum foil, the activities are explained in clear language; but most young people will still need some adult help to puzzle out all the steps, illustrated in bright color photos that include a cast of multicultural kids. The occasional rhymes in Oldham’s text sometimes fall flat, but his encouraging words about creativity, fun projects, and extensive resource sections will inspire a wide age range to learn more about both the world of design and their own crafty talents. Grades 3-6. --Gillian Engberg

Review

"It's too cold outside. There's nothing on TV. You've read all your books. Sigh. You're out of things to do! Lucky for you the book 'Kid Made Modern' by Todd Oldham is cock-full of 52 easy-to-do crafts." —Girl's Life Magazine

"Diving into the easy kids crafts in Todd Oldham's 'Kid Made Modern' is like having your own personal modern art teacher. Projects range from easy to difficult—from making over your sneakers with surprising shoe lace colors to sewing a log-shaped felt pillow. Unlike art projects, which immediately scream 'kid-made,' Oldham's popsicle stick-free crafts will delight both kids and their design-savvy parents." —Babble.com

"This activity book from renowned designer Oldham uses the work of Mid-Century modern visual artists—including Isamu Noguchi, Alexander Calder, and Charles and Ray Eames—as springboards for 52 hands-on creative projects. Brief tutorials introduce skills and techniques, paired with full-color photos of kids and the various processes. Some are simple, like Alexander Girard-inspired dolls made from wooden spoons and Luis Barragán-style cardboard houses, while others are more challenging (making a felt laptop case with a monster face requires machine stitching). But, regardless of ability, there's much here to capture the eye of ambitious, crafty readers." —Publisher's Weekly

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Ammo Books (November 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1934429368
• ISBN-13: 978-1934429365
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #79,726 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Todd Oldham is one of the most beloved and mediagenic designers working today. Originally a couture fashion designer with several stores in New York, and a commentator on MTV's House of Style, Todd's career has evolved to include all areas of design, from film and photography to furniture and graphic art. Todd appears frequently as a consultant on NBC's Today, as well as on MTV's enormously popular Crib Crashers, for which Todd redesigns teenagers' homes in the likeness of their favorite stars' abode. Oldham designs his own line of dorm room furnishings for Target in addition to a line of furniture for La-Z-Boy, and he is currently developing a television series based on Handmade Modern. Most recently, he has become a contributing editor to ReadyMade magazine. He lives in New York City.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty Good Book, November 28, 2009

By 

J. L. Forcey (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Kid Made Modern (Hardcover)

I bought this for my boyfriend's little sister who is 8 years old. She enjoyed it a lot and so did her mom. There are a lot of crafts inside that they can do together, and some she can do by herself. There are some sewing crafts (with a machine and by hand) that will really be more for her in a couple of years.

I really liked how this book integrates crafts with educating children about modern art. And yet, the book is not made so that the child must read about the artists in order to be able to do the craft. So, this 8 year-old can just do the craft and not really care about the artist or she can read about the artist. There are sections on art media (i.e. paint, felt, tape) and that's really neat for the learning aspect as well.

Lastly, the two biggest things that the 8 year-old's mom loved about this book was that: 1) the crafts are done mostly with items you can find around the house, and that 2) there is such a variety in the crafts. Some are clothing, some are furniture, some are art pieces, some are toys.

I definitely recommend this book to children ages 6-12 who enjoy arts and crafts.

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Great coffee table book, January 21, 2010

By 

toddler mom (chicago, il) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Kid Made Modern (Hardcover)

I was excited to receive this book because I love midcentury modern decor. The book itself is very fashionable with great pictures. However, I think for most people this book is not a realistic craft book and I am an avid crafter. There are not many projects that are kid and budget friendly. A lot of the projects are very time consuming with tons of prep work needed by an adult before starting a project. I can bet your kid will lose interest in about 30 mins into the project due to its complexity. There are some complicated sewing project and how to decoupage furniture. Unless you have an old table that you don't care about, I doubt you're going to buy a table just to decoupage as a craft project. My recommendation is to check out this book from the library or to thumb through the book at a book store before making the decision to buy.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best gift for creative kids!, April 19, 2010

By 

Mimi Pond (Los Angeles, Ca USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kid Made Modern (Hardcover)

This book is perfect for the creative kids in your life! Want to inspire a young designer, artist, or just a craft-happy kid? BUY THIS BOOK! It has all kinds of genius ideas for projects using lots of stuff you already have laying around the house!