Super Crafty: Over 75 Amazing How-to Projects! [Paperback]

Susan Beal (Author), Torie Nguyen (Author), Rachel O'Rourke (Author), Cathy Pitters (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 4, 2005

The crafts scene is thriving as Gens X and Y embrace hobbies (rejected as too middlebrow by their baby boomer parents) in order to create something beautiful, functional, and unique. With its sleek design and edgy tone, Super Crafty is the ultimate hipster’s craft guide, with a wide array of accessible projects suitable for all skill levels. The book offers dozens of projects for the home (Easy Etched Glass), wardrobe (One-Afternoon Skirt), body (Flirty Floral Pasties), family pet (Greta’s Tail Warmer), and more. Organized by genre, each chapter uses a rating system to indicate difficulty, cost of materials, and age-appropriateness. “101” sections offer basic instruction in sewing, working with vinyl, jewelry making, and other crafts. A resource guide helps locate supplies, tools, and further inspiration. The authors also contribute thoughtful pieces on the underlying aspects of craft, from activism to therapy, as well as lighthearted vignettes on crafting disasters and favorite art supplies.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Write-up in BUST magazine: New Girls’ Network: Women Take Care of Business by Banding Together Along with similar networking organizations like the Austin Craft Mafia and Dinnergrrls, Portland Supercrafty is part of a handful of new women’s groups t

About the Author

Susan Beal is a writer, editor, and jewelry designer. Torie Nguyen learned to sew for the sole purpose of creating fun, original handbags. In addition to designing jewelry, Rachel O'Rourke works as an art therapist with teens. Cathy Pitters creates funky

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Sasquatch Books (October 4, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570614504
• ISBN-13: 978-1570614507
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 0.7 x 8.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #396,373 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm a writer and crafter who makes things with beads, buttons, and all kinds of crafty bits and pieces. I love Gocco printing, quilting, sewing gifts and clothes, and having friends over to make things and drink lots of coffee.

I live in Portland, Oregon with my husband Andrew and our speedy toddler, Pearl (who's my main craft inspiration and a lot of fun to make things for!). I write about things I like and projects to make at my West Coast Crafty blog, and I also contribute to the CRAFT: blog, geekcrafts.com, CraftStylish, and BurdaStyle. My favorite crafty sources are the Rose Bowl flea market in Pasadena, the Knittn Kitten in Portland, Exclusive Buttons in El Cerrito, California, and Toho Shoji in New York. And I'm always on the hunt for tins full of buttons at estate sales!

p.s. I have book websites for both Bead Simple (beadsimple.com) and Button It Up (buttonitup.com) with lots more resources and book extras over there, including flickr groups for readers to add their projects too - I'd love to see what you make. For more on Super Crafty, check out our collective site at pdxsupercrafty.com!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For Crafters with a Sense of Fun and Style, April 7, 2006

By 

California Crafter (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Super Crafty: Over 75 Amazing How-to Projects! (Paperback)

Favorite parts of this book were the sweater clips, forget-me-not shrine, the four-project sweater, and the *entire* vinyl section. Many of these ideas involve repurposed or recycled materials, which is great for those of us tired of crafts that require Martha Stewart Living sized budgets. And the few sections that didn't apply to me or weren't my style (like the few pages for pets - little friends aren't allowed in my apartment!) I could easily see using for gifts. Almost everything can be adapted for children.

Great diagrams, schematics, as well as crafty basics. This book is for crafters who like to experiment and have fun with their work while also making something they can be proud of and use.

40 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the BEST crafty books of 2005!, December 23, 2005

By 

Kathy Cano-Murillo "The Crafty Chica" (Phoenix, AZ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Super Crafty: Over 75 Amazing How-to Projects! (Paperback)

I have a huge obsession with craft books. I have two walls full of them! By far, this is one of the best books that came out in 2005. Yes, it has extremely innovative and spirited projects, useful tips and such, but what makes it so appealing is that it has so much personality. If you are among the new wave of crafters who want to have fun with your projects, this is a must-have book! Congrats to PSC for such great work!!

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Super Crafty and Super Fun, April 8, 2006

By 

Geek Crafter (Manchester, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Super Crafty: Over 75 Amazing How-to Projects! (Paperback)

I consider myself an enthusuastic but inexpert crafter. I like fast projects because I'm an instant gratification kinda gal. This book is exactly what I've been looking for.

I adore this book, and so do my crafty cohorts. With 75 ideas, there is something for everybody no matter how long they have been crafting. We're planning a Craft-ernoon to make some of the projects, but we can't decide which one, because they are all so cool.

There are also plenty of projects that I can use with the Guide group I work with, because so many of the projects use recycled items that are cheap and easy for anybody to get hold of.

My family have also enthused over which projects they like and "placed orderers" for birthday and Christmas. I just hope I can deliver in the same way the PDX Supercrafty have !