Craft Activism: People, Ideas, and Projects from the New Community of Handmade and How You Can Join In

by Joan Tapper, Gale Zucker, Faythe Levine (Foreword)

Join the Handmade Movement!

We make to give. We make to share. We make to connect with others. Crafters all over the world are using their hands and hearts to make a statement, change the world, and build community.

Craft Activism is an inspiring celebration of this growing movement. Inside, dozens of superstars of this grassroots phenomenon share their experiences, tips, and advice on living, teaching, and promoting a more meaningful DIY lifestyle. Learn to craft for your cause, connect with other crafters, think green, organize a fair, host an online exchange, create yarn graffiti, and more. The book also includes 17 creative projects from designers who challenge you to reimagine how your craft skills can be used to make a difference. Whether you knit, sew, crochet, or collage—and even if you’re not sure where to begin—this book is your guide to the incredible power of handmade.

Genres: Crafts, Nonfiction, Knitting, Art, Activism, How To, Politics

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was an attempt to explore activism using crafting. Not sure how successful it was. First of all, is there a difference between "knitting for charity" and activism? I kinda think there is. Is there a difference between doing your part to keep products out of the waste stream and ecological activism? I kinda think there is. How "craft activist" is it to yarn bomb trees, park benches, etc., with yarn that I can only assume is acrylic (basically, oil-based plastic yarn)?I don't get the impresson that Ms. Tapper has thought through what it means to be an activist. That said, there are some interesting folks that she puts the spotlight on in her book. One woman is literally making public statements with provocative sayings machine knit into sweaters. Another woman creating knit versions of the pelts of various endangered animals.

If she wants to talk craft activism, she should take a look at Fibershed in Northern California, which is a movement to source the actual fibers we wear on our bodies closer to home.

She could look at the Church of Craft, which is reclaiming the spirituality of crafting and creating intentional communities of crafting around the country.

Stuff like that. That's real activism. Most of what is in this book doesn't qualify.

Still, there are some nice craft directions in here. It is beautifully illustrated. I like the pattern for mittens, and some good ideas for charity work.

[Arie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As is the case with many craft books, the actual given patterns were almost universally ugly. However the crafters and ideas in the book are pretty cool, and there's a lot of inspiring works with no pattern given that beg to be recreated.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book didn't turn out to be what I thought it would, really, and it actually feels almost like it wasn't sure what it wanted to do. Profile crafters? Showcase the craft/DIY movement? Inspire charity-based crafting? Give patterns/instructions for projects? It does a little bit of all of that. Feels a bit random, but there are great pictures and neat projects here. The only one I was tempted to make was the Bella Brooklyn Housedress on page 68.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm biased. I love Gale's photography. I mean, love. Can't get enough of her pictures.

I'll put that aside for a minute to evaluate this book as objectively as possible.

Joan's writing is vibrant; the projects are enticing; the pictures are stories unto themselves.

And Mr. Jefferies, the cutest dog in knitting blogosphere makes an appearance.

Crafters, get this book. Buy it, don't just borrow it. You're going to want to make these projects and enjoy the stories about our fantastic community.

Objective, right?

[WifeMomKnitter · Rating 4 out of 5]

My picture appears in the book. Sweet!

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book for its general overview of ways to connect craft to "activism." (Activism is defined and illustrated in broad terms, and as a gentle way to make inclusive community). A very cool aspect of the book is the information about real people and groups who are taking specific actions of craftivism.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Craft Activism. For starters, the focus of this book is not necessarily on the crafts themselves but truly about the Community of crafting. There are sections on crafting to send a message, honor the past, supporting causes, recycling/repurposing and build communities. In each section there are stories of artists on what they do, how they came to do it and why. Then there are projects that the reader can do. There is also a nice resource section.

I found the artists' stories to be very interesting and many of them were inspiring. I haven't done any of the craft projects myself... yet. I borrowed this from the library and will be purchasing a copy to own, and then I will be trying out some of the knitting projects. (I love the bicycle lane statement cardigan.)

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Craft Activism: Ideas and Projects Powered by the New Community of Handmade and How You Can Do It Yourself is a beautiful book full of really interesting people doing really great things. Part pattern book and part biographical sketches of activists, it helps to highlight some of the ways that crafters can use their skills to help contribute to causes about which they are passionate. The pictures are just lovely, and the patterns (and why they were created) provide inspiration for independent artistic expression as well as simple pattern templates. I think it is an excellent starting point for the crafter new to using their talent for change.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting perspective on crafting. There are a couple of things I learned that I will research more, but the high point was the Ravelry article. Always a treat to be surprised.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love crafting. There aren't many things out there that I have not tried. So when I got the opportunity to review this book, I found myself seriously excited. While there are patterns in each section, the strength of this book is in the stories of those who have open doors for new crafters. Ravelry designers, Jenny Hart, and Vicki Howell are just a few of the crafters highlighted. Each section focuses on a different type of involvement and gives tips on how to get involved. I very much enjoyed this book.

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had heard a ton of praise for this innovative book, but it kind of fell short for me. I do think it's great that craft has gained stature in recent years. But I'm not sure it warrants a book. May be I'm not the target market. The knitting patterns did not inspire me, and most of what was written, I had read in blogs on-line. If you're not aware of yarn bombing or yarn storming, then read away!

[Jordan]

this is my first review. so i really liked this book. it has a great message,and great projects.it's not really for beginners so i can't do some of them. but it's got lots of info and side bars about the crafters so it's still a good read.

[Gale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes of course I am 100% biased. I am thrilled with how it came out. I hope you will be, too.

[Joanne Wiggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book ever on different types of crafts and the groups supporting them. Very much a must read for those interested in crafting "outside the box".

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

In contrast to Craftivism: The Art of Craft and Activism, this one is more about the craft/DIY angle and less about the activism. It reads to me as a book planned by craft companies (yarn companies, for example?) to drum up interest in learning crafts by sprinkling "activism" around here and there. I'm not sure that most of these projects are activism in any meaningful sense of the word, but if you're looking for project ideas that you can perhaps adapt to a cause near and dear to you, this may be a jumping-off point for you.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice book that gives a broad overview of crafting and activism. It also gives out a few free patterns and tutorials for projects throughout the book. I personally felt that it all felt a bit surface level and wasn't particularly interested in the tutorials because of how vast, unique, and personal individual crafting experiences are, but I have read reviews of other books on the topic that lamented a lack of "how-to"s, so I recognize that they have a good use here! I do agree with other reviewers that unfortunately, most of the crafts are pretty ugly. Rather than step-by-steps on how to reproduce a particular piece, I would have preferred some more open-ended tutorials, especially since upcycling with your own materials is such a large part of craft activism.

[Sarah Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, so the main reason I marked this book down to 3 stars was because it really is NOT a book on activism, but rather crafting community, charity and awareness. Totally different things, so I feel the title and description is a bit deceiving.

The reason it didn't get 1 star was because there was a lot of good information on creating crafting groups, personal experiences from many types of crafters on how they started out, and some various projects you could work on yourself if you wanted. Overall a HUGE chunk of this book is knitting with a bit of sewing and then random sprinklings of other crafts. If you are not interested in knitting don't even bother with this book.

[Ruth · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was not at all what I thought it would be. I guess I should have had a clue what it would be like since it had the word "activism" in its title. I thought perhaps it would suggest REAL actions you could take to make a difference in the world - for example, making hats, scarves, and mittens/gloves for homeless people and yarn bombing places they would be most likely to find them. Instead, the book was rather self-righteous about using craft arts to "inform" about political and social issues. Kind of like putting up posters or marching for hunger, but not getting your hands dirty by volunteering at a food pantry. I gave up reading it in the second chapter.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best part of this book are the profiles and images of various women crafters doing really interesting creative things within the traditional woman-led makerspace. There were a number of women profiled who I’d like to go look up and learn more about. (This book was written in 2011 and I feel like since then these particular areas of subversive or unexpected or activist crafting have surged even moreso; I kept feeling like the tone was almost quaint in its unavoidable ignorance of what was coming in the next few years.)

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and inspirational read. Got some good ideas.

[Cynthia Varnado · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring

Lots of good ideas and it’s good to see people using their creativity to help others . A good read.

[Cromaine Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved reading about various ways to use crafting to support a cause.

Recommended by Community Relations Coordinator Amelia.

[SassieMolassie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very cute book, but I honestly wouldn't do any of these projects.

[Ting Pimentel-Elger · Rating 4 out of 5]

lots of great ideas but some are not within my scope and interest.

[Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Continuing my reading about different ways that people can resist is this book from 2011 about how you can use arts and crafts (mostly knitting and crocheting) as tools for activism.

[gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this on a whim from amazon since I have a free month of Amazon Prime and the shipping cost me nada. I'd never seen or looked through this book before I ordered it, and for a craft/pattern book that's always a dicey proposition. What little I could see on the Amazon "look inside" preview looked promising, so I ordered.

This book has a lot of information about craft collectives and groups operating around the country (and overseas) and it's pretty inspiring to see what other people are doing. I got some great ideas about knitting for charity with my knitting club at school - there's a group that gives scarves to kids who've "aged out" of the foster care system and I found that whole idea very touching. I think my teen knitters, some of whom have lived through some hard times themselves, will respond to this project and donate - I know I will.

The projects here are a mixed bag - some sewing projects (I'm going to make a "house coat"), a fair amount of knitting (mittens, scarves, cardigan, yarn-bombing ideas), embroidery, multi-media art cards, and some metal work.

I'll make at least three projects out of this (red scarf, house coat, recycled t-shirt sundress) so I'd call it a good investment.

[scc101 · Rating 1 out of 5]

WHAT I LIKED:
This book introduced me to some interesting projects and sites:
-Red Scarf Project - Former foster kids who attend college get a care package with a hand-knit red scarf.
-Ravelry - site for knitters and crocheters

There's a profile of a person followed by a project. All the crafters/artists are women, and I haven't decided if that's good or bad yet. (See the next section)

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
I don't think I will ever make any of the projects in the book. First, I sew and quilt and there weren't so many projects that interested me in the first place. Second, I like practical projects. Yes, some of the projects were practical (mittens) but some were not (skirt made from plastic bags). I get the upcycle appeal, but it's just not my thing.

Also, Men knit and quilt and sew and make crafts too! But none were featured in the book. Check out Man Quilters (could be named better, but it's a community for men who quilt).

[Lindsay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like several other cause/hobby books I've read lately (namely American Grown by Mrs. Obama), I'm not sure who the audience for this book is. Clearly the people most likely to read this book are those already involved, and thus the fairly basic information presented doesn't offer much that you didn't already know. I guess if a non-crafter happened to read this book they might find themselves much more educated on the topic.

My favorite parts were the project ideas/patterns and the bios of various popular crafters.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

not quite as good as some other craftivist books on the market. It seems torn - is it a how to DIY craft book, a Catalogue, an overview of people who work in areas that could loosely be deemed craftivist? If you want a seriously basic Intro to craftivism plus some patterns and how too's then this is the book for you. If you are already firmly embedded in the craftivist world, actively working for a specific cause in order to change the social/ political make-up with the world, then you could probably give it a miss. It doesn't introduce anyone you don't already know.

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This provides an interesting overview of craft, some of it relating to activism, and some more about making things yourself. The author seems to view all of this as activism, but having grown up making a lot of things of necessity and to save waste, I do not see all of it in an activist light (and I may be missing some subtle elements here). There are many patterns included in this work. There are some very helpful hints at the end of each section to help with organising local and not so local craft connections, and there are some exceptional sections, especially about Ravelry and quilting.