Vintage Crafts: 75 Do-It-Yourself Decorating Projects Using Candles, Colors, and Other Flea Market Finds

by Clara Lidström

Decorate with the flair of yesterday and create the house of your dreams. Vintage flair isn’t just classy and cute; it’s fun to create and perfect for any budget! So let your creativity run wild on trips to the flea market, and don’t back down from that deal at the yard sale. With Vintage Crafts , use paper scraps, teacups, and a splash of paint to decorate your house room by room. More than just a craft book, Vintage Crafts features recipes fresh from the countryside, lessons for safe and easy outdoor improvement, and tips for keeping your house eco-friendly. This is the ultimate home decor resource from Sweden’s number one lifestyle blogger, Clara Lidström. Learn to liven up secondhand clothes, turn old fabrics into patchwork projects, and interject some ’50s-era chic into your thrift store finds. Elegant, old-style country projects
So look if your house is full of scraps and never-used knickknacks, turn them into something beautiful, useful, and made by you! With Vintage Crafts at your crafting table, your hands will never be idle again!
125 color photographs

Genres: Nonfiction, Crafts, Self Help, Adult

144 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2013

Reviews

[Scottsdale Public Library]

If you love the vintage, chic, retro, handmade look check out this fun inspiring book. Arm yourself with great ideas for your next weekend flea market treasure hunting trip!

- Amy O.

Vintage Crafts was visually appealing to me and I am glad I picked it up. Now I know of Clara Lidstrom, the professional photographer, journalist and author of one of Scandinavia’s most popular blog, UnderbaraClara, which I wish was translated to English because I spend a goodtime trying to figure out a way to ask her secret to where all her sweet vintage clothes come from. However, after looking at her wonderful, fun and frugally practical projects, I imagine she sews and would respond she makes all her clothes which would depress me because I know I will never find the patience to sew my own. Overall, I developed a major lifestyle crush on Clara, I want to live in her beautiful natural surroundings, raising animals and small children, all while dressed in the cutest of vintage retro outfits. Check it out for inspiration whether it be for decorating, fashion, transforming flea market finds, and quotes like, “good taste can go screw itself”.
-Lisanne

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the most part, this book was totally up my alley. I love decoration, vintage accents, flea market finds, and repurposing the old into new. I agreed with a lot of the author's thoughts and points of view; how she finds it better to a have a slightly cluttered craft room where everything is out and inspiration flows, as opposed to a really nice and tidy one where nothing gathers dust but you can't see your pretty fabrics, how hoarding everything is a good idea (you never know when you might need that scrap of ribbon or that gorgeous piece of lace), and how flea market and second-hand stores usually have the very best finds. Her general ideas, I loved, and some of her vintage ideas were really good.

However, I'm more of a vintage accent person than a vintage home one, and prefer to keep the vintage feel for more decorative items such as fancy china, beautifully embroidered tea cloths, pretty dresses and antique jewelry. I'm not so much of a one for decorating a child's room with '80s orange-flowered wallpaper (no matter how cheap you paid it) and displaying old "junk" toys on the shelves. I would rather have a modern fridge than a vintage one, and would definitely not use an old metal bowl as a lamp head. I love vintage finds, but I wouldn't want my house to look like a flea market! In many instances I found that the vintage feels were a little exaggerated, and the author displayed a bit of an "my way is the right way, and you're stupid if you don't -" attitude (which could be because of the translation, but who knows), which was slightly annoying.

Also, this book doesn't really feature any crafts. It's mostly just ideas, tips and tricks on how to make your house look vintage, and how you shouldn't buy anything new anymore. Unless you have the exact same market finds this author had, it will be pretty hard to re-create what she did. Some her ideas were good (like layering scrapbooking paper at the bottom of an old tray, or displaying jewelry instead of hiding it), but it still wouldn't really qualify as a proper "craft" book.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm giving this book 3 stars for content material and 4 stars for presentation --- it truly is a beautifully photographed book, but the DIY projects weren't really that special and the author's "you're stupid if you don't..." attitude turned me off a bit (although to be fair, that could be the fault of the translation). All in all, a pretty little book to check out from the library, but not on my "To Buy" list.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful photographs. I love the passion the author has for her creativity. Love the fabric cleaning tips. Also love her practical side (for instance, you don’t have to be too fussy with your compost pile.) I agree! Not thinking I’d paint the house in my beautiful dress though. : )

[Amy Derwae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great ideas & inspiration ~ this book makes me want to troll thrift shops & flea markets!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of cute ideas for reusing things. Also some good household and garden tips.

[Bettina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the projects in this book. They’re fantastic. Yes, her attitude is a tad bit condescending but that maybe a difference of culture. I think the author is maybe Swedish? So I don’t think she meant to even come across as that way in English. It maybe a lost in translation/cultural difference thing. She genuinely seems to be so passionate about this and her creativity is inspiring.

[Kristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has some fun quirky ideas so I loved looking through it several times. Plus she gives some tips for finding thrifty finds but there is no directions for actually doing he crafts. I did like the recipes that were throughout the book.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of an inspiration book than a practical DIY one.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little disappointed in the crafts, but kudos for not being afraid creating a home with color.

[Emily Kamminga · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting ideas - would prefer a large variety of vintage ideas and inspiration from around the world.

[Mckinley · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is much about the author and her likes.

[Juli Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh.

[Wendy Morlan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely, fun book about making do, looking for treasures in flea markets, and enjoying the simple life. Written to encourage creativity, and spiced with humor.

[Sophie L · Rating 2 out of 5]

easy to pursue and take what you want...not quite a how to guide, more of a look book for inspiration or potential ways to utilize different materials

[Megan Gery · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Vintage Crafts" is proof that you should never judge a book by its [obviously staged but very pretty] cover. The photography is pretty, but not incredible. The ideas are cute, but not fleshed out well enough to be coherent. I don't know whether to blame the amusingly poor text on the author or the translator... Either way, as cute as the cover is, this book is a waste of time.

[Gardavson · Rating 3 out of 5]

So the crafts weren't really my style, though the cover was cute. I did like the book's layout, I thought the occasional recipe was a nice touch. I didn't find things to be terribly inspired, but sometimes there's something to be said for simplicity. Not my cuppa, but maybe it works for someone else.

[Stef · Rating 2 out of 5]

Beautiful photographs but not much substance. Read more like a memoir than a how-to. Also, her crafts and decorating projects are not tutorials but rather just ideas -- she shows off objects and rooms she designed/decorated, but the projects can't be replicated -- they depend on the crafter's luck at flea markets and whatnot. Not what I was expecting.

[Trish · Rating 3 out of 5]

To me there didn't seem like there were 75 crafts to do. This book seemed like a life style book.

[Cecilia · Rating 3 out of 5]

meh

[Rachel Coyne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very charming. Beautiful images

[Beth White · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some really cool and creative craft ideas!!

[Mo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lots of pictures and ideas, but no real instructions other than "stuff I found at the flea-market or someone's attic." Not very helpful.

[Mary Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the more successful blog to books I've read. A combination craft and lifestyle book. Cue for those who like Scandinavian design. Some good tips.

[Kalie]

Love! She's got some great ideas and wonderfully speaks her mind.

[Jaya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Some useful and cute craft ideas.