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62nd out of 62 books
—
3 voters
Bust DIY Guide to Life: Making Your Way Through Every Day
Whether it’s sewing clothes, making cheese, or growing a garden, the modern appeal of “do-it-yourself” projects has a broader reach than ever. 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...more
Hardcover, 368 pages
Published
October 1st 2011
by Stewart, Tabori and Chang
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This book is not messing around when it’s like, “Here’s your ultimate Guide to Life, y’all!”
Because seriously. Need to know how to throw a garden party? Or how to brew your own beer? Or get rid of stains, grow houseplants from cuttings, or make a leather headband? It’s in here.
So are tips for creating an emergency plan, resewing an oversized hoodie, getting rid of calluses, and developing a weight training program.
And making your own paper lanterns.
And organizing your kitchen.
And cooking seaf...more
Because seriously. Need to know how to throw a garden party? Or how to brew your own beer? Or get rid of stains, grow houseplants from cuttings, or make a leather headband? It’s in here.
So are tips for creating an emergency plan, resewing an oversized hoodie, getting rid of calluses, and developing a weight training program.
And making your own paper lanterns.
And organizing your kitchen.
And cooking seaf...more
My goodness, this is a weighty tome.
It's a fun, skimmable DIY guide with a fun, ballsy voice, which--if that's your thing--is great. And it is my thing, and it's great. But this is not a book I need to own. While I appreciated the breadth of information (hairstyling! cocktail parties! housecleaning!), but for my own reference, it covered too much at the expense of informational depth. I'm the sort to want separate books on housecleaning, hairstyles, and cocktail parties, but if you don't, this...more
It's a fun, skimmable DIY guide with a fun, ballsy voice, which--if that's your thing--is great. And it is my thing, and it's great. But this is not a book I need to own. While I appreciated the breadth of information (hairstyling! cocktail parties! housecleaning!), but for my own reference, it covered too much at the expense of informational depth. I'm the sort to want separate books on housecleaning, hairstyles, and cocktail parties, but if you don't, this...more
Some pretty interesting stuff in here. Regular readers may notice that some of these tips were actually in BUST and they might remember some of these recipes/ etc.
I just basically looked/skimmed through this book, and realized that I'm not reallY eager to do any of these craft projects any more. I did enjoy some of the recipes and liked the crafts, but I know I'm not going to do them. There were also some tips on things to do- like travel alone, starting a woman's investment club etc.
Some intere...more
I just basically looked/skimmed through this book, and realized that I'm not reallY eager to do any of these craft projects any more. I did enjoy some of the recipes and liked the crafts, but I know I'm not going to do them. There were also some tips on things to do- like travel alone, starting a woman's investment club etc.
Some intere...more
I didn't get a chance to read through this cover-to-cover before it had to go back to the library, but what I did read/flip through looked pretty good. It falls in the same category as Three Black Skirts and Modern Girl's Guide to Life but has more craft-related sections and is slightly more up-to-date by virtue of being recently published. If I didn't already own those other two I would want to own this, but as it is I don't currently have shelf space for it.
Nicely designed and full of fun crafts and sage advice (from cleaning, saving money, gardening, and more!).
I was disappointed with the food section where recipes were written in paragraphs and there were no photographs for each of the recipe. I glazed over that entire section.
I borrowed this book from the library and scanned all the pages that had crafts I wanted to try later. I recommend this to all instead of buying the book outright.
I was disappointed with the food section where recipes were written in paragraphs and there were no photographs for each of the recipe. I glazed over that entire section.
I borrowed this book from the library and scanned all the pages that had crafts I wanted to try later. I recommend this to all instead of buying the book outright.
I was hoping they'd include the rag rug tutorial from way back when, but this definitely collects some of the best how-tos from issues of Bust over the years. Some of the tutorials could go into more detail or include clearer pictures, but these were all magazine articles at one point, so I don't hold it against them for the most part. Definitely a good starting point for a chick with indie sensibilities who would like to develop her DIY skills.
This very much reminded me of those early 1970 hippie books on "How To". Get a jar, put in some soil, plant a seed. Very basic ideas and instructions and many (most) of the projects definitely convey "home made." It might be fun for a very young person just moving out on their own wanting to decorate on a budget, but overall, Pininterest would supply more sophisticated projects and results.
Lots of attitude, lots of kitsch, lots of projects. Too much maybe? This book is HUGE and covers everything from beauty ideas to life saving tips, but for as much as it covers, it's light on usefulness and depth. I don't sew and a lot of the crafty DIY projects involved sewing, other projects take way more than they were worth. It was fun to leaf through, but overall it was a disappointment.
I liked this, but I think it's actually a little advanced for me. I am not ready to make sex toys out of household items or do my hair in 50s fashions (I would rather watch 2 minute videos about beehives). I could see this being good for a new grad who is going into The Real World soon though. And I still love Bust.
I got a couple of good things from this book...like how to plant potatoes in a bucket. Most of the cleaning things I already knew and I am not a party giver so that was not helpful. I do like the form of the book, that the pages are not those slick cookbook type pages and the book is not heavier than a brick.
Bust Magazine is a guilty pleasure of mine, so I was intrigued by the premise of this book. I plan on enjoying an afternoon perusing this, and then never DIYing any of the suggested projects, but I am okay with that. Another reviewer said this book contains just about everything under the sun except unicorn wrangling and how to play the banjo, so I might be disappointed...
It's an alright book.I thought it was cool that they had a section on how to brew your own beer (I don't drink,but still cool) and I really want to make those blackberry and lavender popsicles.I also will be growing potatoes on my porch this year thanks to this book. :)
TCL Call#: 640 Henzel L
Madeleine - 3 stars
I liked the premise of this book - a Jill of all Trades awareness of things important to daily life - I just found the instructions too flip and brief. Perhaps a little less hipness and little more how-to?
Madeleine - 3 stars
I liked the premise of this book - a Jill of all Trades awareness of things important to daily life - I just found the instructions too flip and brief. Perhaps a little less hipness and little more how-to?
Maybe I've just read all these articles before, but nothing seemed new. Definitely a very basic overview of just about anything you can think of and the kind of book I might actually own so you can refer back to it for recipes/craft ideas.
Lots of interesting projects here, and some yummy recipes. The style was a bit much in some places, and the directions a little hard to follow if you dont already know what you are doing, but overall it was worth the read.
Samplings from BUST Magazine's 'Real Life' section. I love the magazine, so the book is a nice way to condense all the DIY excitement without having to find it in back issues. A fabulous reference for crafty types.
Perhaps
Bust
can fill the hole that the closing of ReadyMade has left in my life.
Everything a girl could ever need to know is in this book. I think I'm going to buy it and truly savor it instead of taking it out from the library every time I feel like flipping through it.
I liked it. If you're an avid Bust reader, it'll replace your binder of ripped out projects. There's a good range of projects and information, and the stuff I've tried so far has really worked.
Ladies, here is you crafty DIY alterno-guide. Even when I think, "there is no way I'm doing that!" it is a joy to know I could make my own undies out of old band tees. Love, love, love it.
A little bit of everything! I enjoyed browsing through, and I love the sassy attitude of the whole book. Would be a great grad gift, or maybe a "congrats on your first apartment" gift.
A great resource of all kinds of useful information in one place. From fashion, beauty, home decorating, sewing, gardening, cooking, traveling.. the list goes on!
I remember lots of these from the magazine, nice to have them in one place. I think I'd re-read / consult this if I owned it, but can live without. Nice design. Still don't know where to get the damned powdered tea for the chai recipe, which is frustrating on a personal level. As if you cared.
Five stars for including how to hem jeans. Not quite as much new content as I first thought, but some is better than none.
It is a crime that I do not own this. The best of BUST magazine's crafts. gud stuf.
Great tone and content. Fun to flip through. The directions seem brief for some of the more complex projects. I have several flagged to try.
Good stuff, got it for daughter... may have to get one for me too.
Perfect graduation, housewarming, or shower gift. BUST rules.
Thanks, sweet Emily, for making me the face scrub!
This book is ok. It has some cool ideas.
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Stoller is the co-founder, co-owner, and editor-in-chief of the third wave feminist, popular culture magazine Bust magazine.
More about Debbie Stoller...
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Jan 13, 2012 09:09am