D.I.Y. GIRL: The Real Girl's Guide to Making Everything from Lip Gloss to Lamps
Jennifer Bonnell
Puffin
Crafts & Hobbies
ISBN: 0142500488
96 pages

You made that? It's great! Get ready to hear these words often --- even if you've never made anything before --- with the help of D.I.Y. GIRL. And you don't have to be super-skilled to work on the projects in this book, either.

Divided into three sections, ideas are provided for gifts, fashion accessories, and decorating. Though clever projects are found in all three sections, some of the easiest and most original can be found in the gift section. Standouts include the marble magnets and tacks, etched glass, poem flowerpots, and homemade lip balms and bath salts. In the other sections, decorated-flop shoes, hair jewelry, and a Christmas light lamp are easy enough for novices to create, yet look like something from a boutique.

Lots of craft books are available now, but this one is unique. In the introduction, it invites crafters to ignore the directions and change designs as they see fit. Readers are introduced to most types of crafts, including decoupage, sewing, beading, mosaic making, soap making, and more. Jennifer Bonnell provides her readers with many different skills and techniques, so that they can develop their own interests and ideas. A list of where to find supplies --- both online and in stores --- is a big help since a few of the projects have unusual ingredients.

There is something for all tastes and levels of skill in D.I.Y. GIRL, making it a fun read for girls everywhere.

   --- Reviewed by Amy Alessio

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