D.I.Y. Kids

by Ellen Lupton, Julia Lupton

All over the world, parents are raising kids to get active and embrace the "design-it-yourself" spirit of homemade arts and crafts. D.I.Y. Kids encourages young readers to use basic design principles and onhand materials to express their individuality through more than eighty imaginative projects. The book is divided into four sections "Graphics," "Toys," "Home," and "Fashion" each packed with fun ideas for making T-shirts, party supplies, pop-up cards, bracelets, stuffed animals, and dozens of other fun and useful items. Each project is explained with step-by-step instructions and colorful photographs of cool designs and the kids who made them. The projects rated by difficulty, time, mess, and cost are intended for ages seven through twelve, but can easily be modified to suit all ages. D.I.Y. Kids is designed to trigger imaginative play, without requiring fees, teams, or a minivan. It's for parents, teachers, aunts and uncles, friends and babysitters, neighbors and citizens anyone who wants to create a better world not only for, but also with, the next generation. Most of all, it is for kids who want to make their mark by exercising the arts of design with wit, intelligence, and style.

Genres: Design, Crafts, Childrens, Nonfiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published August 30, 2007

Reviews

[Green Bean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zines, Ex Libris, Ketchup Dolls, Frankenstein T-Shirts! This book puts the bits, bobbles, and scraps at the bottom of your junk drawer to use in a zillion weird and wily ways! Each project features sensible step-by-steps that you don't have to be an engineer to understand. What I like very best about this book is that it shows REAL kid-made art, full of colorful imperfections and personality! There will be no whining, "But, mine doesn't look like the picture!" The paper village seems especially groovy and engrossing! Milk carton laundromats and matchbox mail slots may take over your living room!

[Carmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A craft book for the offspring of the modern hipster. Let's spray paint some stencils on our hoody sweatshirts and make a custom desktop wallpaper for our 'puter. I'll bring a laptop, a sewing machine, some sharpie pens and office supply stickers. No, seriously...it is nice to see a craft book for kids that was published this decade and doesn't feel like a rehash of the same crafts your scout troop did in the 70s- bravo Ellen Lupton, yet again.

[Khinna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I purchased this book to find activities to do with my young in-laws. It's fun with practical and creative things to do with kids.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

An awesome book about projects made by and for real kids. All of the examples are done by real kids, which I love!
Recommended for ages 7-12.