ReadyMade: How to Make [Almost] Everything: A Do-It-Yourself Primer

by Shoshana Berger, Grace Hawthorne

HOW TO MAKE {ALMOST} EVERYTHING

A Do-It-Yourself Primer

You need this book. As the stuff of life piles up and things spin out of control, we could all use a little help. These never-before-seen designs and how-tos are full of surprise and wonder. Learn how to turn everyday objects into spellbinding inventions to give away to friends or keep for yourself. Our simple self-improvement techniques will make you smarter, better-looking, and more well-adjusted.

(RE) MAKE IT!

This is the "sales copy" section. Here we will talk about how useful, delight-inducing, and excellently well put together this book is. If things have gone a little flat and you're searching for inspiration, look no further. ReadyMade is full of fun projects for the whole family. It solves problems, cures dizzy spells, and holds open the door. It has a collegial, '50s garage tinkerer sensibility. It read Popular Science as a kid and dreamt of building rockets. It launches with fiery trails. It soars. When it falls, it brushes itself off and starts over. It is the Captain of Creativity. Resistance is futile. This book is 100% hope.

First project: Personalize this book and protect it from theft by cutting out this portion of the cover and replacing it with your own photo. (See page 16)

Genres: Nonfiction, Crafts, Reference, Art, Design, How To, Self Help

208 pages, Hardcover

First published December 6, 2005

Reviews

[Jai · Rating 1 out of 5]

Made by the same people who created ReadyMade magazine, this is a book with several projects divided into sections according to the main material used to make them (Metal, Fabric, Plastic, Wood, Paper). Each section has an introduction with some history of the material and its use to mankind followed by projects and some small articles sort of related to the material (The fabric section devotes some pages to "fabrication" - telling lies, storytelling. The metal section tells you about "mettle" and how to face your fears. Plastic section talks about credit cards and plastic surgery.) Its interesting, but I think they focussed more on the subject of reusing materials, which is not a bad thing, but they lost out on practicality (none of the projects were particularly useful). I think a book on "how to make everything" should really have been divided according to things people would want to MAKE. While the little articles were cute and informative, they didn't really have anything to do with reuse. I think the writers tried so hard to make this book appeal to a younger audience and to make it fun that it became more like a magazine that you could flip through in an hour than an actual reference book you would want to keep and spend $25.00 on. They even suggest cutting the hard cover of the book to make picture frames out of. Buy a hardcover book just to cut it apart?! That's when you are trying too hard and its getting ridiculous. That's not exactly a good use of resources Readymade. And I have a ruler anyway so I won't be using the spine of this book. I can just imagine people brainstorming about making the book useful and be designed to be something else other than a book and they took every single idea presented. Maybe that sounded good in theory but in practice I think it fell flat. I prefer the magazine over this book. This book isn't more than an extended issue of Readymade. I was expecting more.

[Laurel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Offers instructions and flashy illustrations for a wide range of DIY projects, from the super random chandelier made out of takeout plastic ware to the shelf made out of old drawers. They vary from the doable and inspiring to the "where in the hell will I find 100 phone books" projects?" Some of the "re-use" factor becomes muted if you actually have to go BUY the products you're supposed to be able to find for free. Also, some of them require lots of place to store stuff while you're stocking up on old egg containers...which I do not have in my 650 sf apartment. So, awesome, but not hugely practical for some things. Have fun.

[Abby Stopka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yeah so there are some interesting projects in this book. However there's a lot of these projects I would just never do as this book just does not hold my interest.

[Darcie K · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mostly flash, which is a weird thing to say about something from ReadyMade. I didn't find many of the projects to be compelling enough to try, and I didn't like all of the strange articles peppered throughout. There were whole sections devoted to things like "how to bluff your way through anything," and "the history of fabric." In a book called How to Make [Almost] Anything, I expect less filler and more projects. Wouldn't you? Subscribe to the magazine, but skip this book.

[Kristyn Redahan · Rating 2 out of 5]

A couple of good ideas. Mostly, if you make stuff in this book on a regular basis your house will look like its covered in garbage because well, it will be. If it doesn't look nice in book, its going to look worse in real life.

[Possiblymaybe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well written, entertaining, and beautifully laid-out, but not, in fact, very useful, since the projects are very time-consuming and/or relatively ugly looking.

[J · Rating 1 out of 5]

Some of the page layout demonstrated good design. Everything else...

Problem: Hypocrisy. The authors go on about environmental concerns and how not enough things are recycled and throwing things away creates more problems yet the projects take items that could be recycled and make them un-recyclable. Example: Covering a piece of lace in epoxy turns the lace from an organic material with recycling potential into non-biodegradable trash. Repurposing old laundry containers into a coat rack might seem cool, but the modifications wind up causing the containers to become trash at the end of the coat rack's life. At best, this book just delays the inevitable and at worst it actually generates more waste.

Problem: Religious overtones. There are multiple references to both the bible and god and even at one point gives tips on teaching the book of genesis to children. As I am morally against the religious indoctrination of children I find this deplorable. And why is god even mentioned in a book about how to turn soda bottle into plant pots?

Problem: Off topic. Most of the writing in the book is actually not about the projects but about random other topics that have nothing to do with the book whatsoever. It even has several pages dedicated to instructing the reader how to lie, which is not a good trait in any collaborative environment.

Problem: Mostly useless projects. The projects which supposedly have great practical applications don't really solve the problems they set out to fix.

Problem: Incorrect information. Even the conversion tables in the back include wrong numbers. I learned in middle school that there were 2.54 centimeters to an inch, yet they get even this basic fact wrong.

Problem: Encourages credit dodging and bankruptcy. One of the first off-topic sections gives detailed advice on how to use one credit card to pay off another in order to avoid paying off debt and more easily spend more money than one has. And then, they claim that bankruptcy is an okay option. The authors' rationale that "why not screw the people who are screwing you" is a complete misunderstanding of the problem. Adding more debt isn't going to solve a problem of too much debt. Spending money we don't have is the entire reason the economy (US, British, Euro) is in such a horrible condition. This is not something that should be encouraged.

[Joe.bell]

This book is a good example of the old saw about not judging a book by its cover. I first saw it a few years ago. We were on our way to Japan and got laid over in San Francisco. That automatically means a 24 hour delay and a stay at some cheesy hotel, so, to compensate, we got on the DART and rode downtown. We walked around for a while and found this interesting museum about the design in the 20th century. The museum was very good and they had this book in their gift shop. The look of it, cardboard cover and measuring tape spine, grabbed me in several of my hot spots. And it was heavy, so I was sure it was full of really wonderful projects that would engage me for a long time. Too heavy by far to carry to Japan, so I just noted the title and put it on my Wish List. Eventually someone bought it for me, and I was really excited all over again to see it. And though it does have some interesting writing and very pleasant graphic design, there just isn't anything to do in it. The projects are not even attractive in the pictures. The writing about recycling and conservation is good, but not actually new or unusually inspiring. Not a Cradle to Cradle for certain. So it is just a thing to look at, and I guess, recall how true the old saw is.

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book, using recycled resources from our home environments. I found a few things in here that I actually might use, like the wire hanger wine rack. Much better use of wire hangers than what Mommie Dearest used them for.

[Meadow · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love the website. Did not love the book.

[Carrie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Everyone in my home was disappointed by this book.

[Aiden · Rating 2 out of 5]

A few neat projects but not really worth picking up. I was really put off by the self-righteous "buy less stuff" attitude in a book where the projects required buying more stuff. The section on paper is particularly preachy but the projects all require buying new materials and often adding materials like varnish and mylar that make the paper un-recyclable.

In between the projects there are...articles? essays? ...on random topics that are bafflingly out of place. How to juggle credit cards, how to avoid plastic surgery. A history of fear. Why? I have no idea.

The attempts at humor were painful and I finally started skimming cause I couldn't bear to read it anymore.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and very impractical. Some of these projects ... yeah, I'd rather recycle the items than horde -- errr, keep -- them. But the book is fun to explore.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some of the projects looked really cool and would perhaps be good for someone just starting out or a college student (beer can room divider). But there is NO WAY I'm going to take the time to make a water bottle chase and then use it -- It would be the most annoyingly noisy chair in the world.

I may make a couple of the projects, but will modify them to more fit my needs.

I had never heard of ReadyMade magazine before reading this book, so I had no bias going into it. Some of the extra articles were cute, some seemed too involved, so I just skipped those. It seems they were trying to be entertaining along with environmentally conscious.

[Tarlen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dydy (http://dydy.multiply.com) yang pertama meminjamkan buku ini waktu kami sama-sama berkunjung ke Mid Manhattan Public Library. Aku langsung jatuh cinta berat sama buku ini. Beruntungnya aku karena aku bisa mendapatkannya di Strand Bookstore (toko buku second terbesar di NYC) dengan harga 15 dollar saja (harga asli 25 dollar).

Buku ini diawali dengan sebuah mini manifesto (with appologies to William Blake). Aku kutip sesuai aslinya:
1. I will in some way redifine space, material, functionality, or context.
2. I understand that the phrase "home decor" ist verboten.
3. With each priject, I will disclose the means of production, invite collaboration, and generally debunk the marker as auteur theory.
4. I acknowledge that common, everyday object are precious gems.
5. I will attempt to keep all consumer goods in circulation, and out of the big Wall-Mart in the sky, by reusing them.
6. Excess of simplicity laughs, excess of complexity weeps!
7. All creative endeavors are a balancing act of Newtonian physics, kitchen table logic, and snafu. We ask that you forgive what you do not approve and love us for this energetic exertion of our talent.
And... Furthermore, I swear as a ReadyMade reader to refrain from creating "finished work," as a heightened awareness of process is the whole point. I will share this book with friend and foe alike with the understanding that it is meant to be enjoyed family style, like Chinese food. I pledge to do so at the expense of my desire to keep these ideas and their off spring all to myself. Thus I make my VOW OF VIRTUE.

Seperti ulasanku tentang majalahnya pada postingan sebelumnya, craft menjadi bukan sekedar kerajinan tangan, namun ada sesuatu yang dinyatakan. Sebuah misi besar memaknai keseharian, menemukan makna baru dari ruang, benda-benda yang ada di sekeliling kita dan lebih jauh lagi mengurangi konsumerisme. Craft menjadi sebuah gerakan sosial. Sesuai dengan judulnya, buku ini mencoba memberikan solusi-solusi alternatif dalam mendaur ulang benda-benda sehari-hari. Di mulai dari kertas, plastik, kayu, logam, gelas, dan kain. Menariknya, buku ini tidak hanya memberi olahan alternatif bahan-bahan tadi melalui kegiatan craft, namun buku ini juga memberi gambaran persoalan mengapa benda-benda tadi perlu kita manfaatkan kembali, lengkap dengan karakter dari bahan-bahan tersebut.

Menurutku, penting untuk mengenali karakter bahan sehingga kita bisa melahirkan bentukan-bentukan baru sesuai dengan karakternya. Misalnya saja, ketika hendak mengolah bahan-bahan plastik, untuk tidak mengubah unsur kimianya, kita tidak dapat mengubah bentuk dengan metode pembakaran, karena teknik itu akan mengubah struktur kimianya. Sehingga untuk mengubah bentuk plastik yang perlu dilakukan adalah dengan memanaskannya dengan menggunakan udara/uap panas (hot gun atau hair dryer dapat digunakan). Dasar pengetahuan seperti ini yang ku kira perlu dikuasai oleh para crafter untuk bisa mengeksplorasi dan memadupadankan bahan.

Kelebihan buku ini yang menurutku jarang ku jumpai pada buku-buku craft lainnya adalah, buku ini memberikan bekal kepada pembacanya, bukan sekedar bagaimana membuatnya, tapi pengetahuan yang sangat mendasar untuk menciptakan bentukan-bentukan kita sendiri.

Penasaran kan? bukunya ada di perpustakaan Art & Craft, tobucil & klabs. http://craftbookdrive.org/

[Sara Habein · Rating 2 out of 5]

ReadyMade is one of those magazines I periodically buy, thinking that if I'm ever overcome with a fit of craftiness, it would help inspire my poor wallet and me to make something interesting out of stuff I already have, or can obtain on the cheap. Some of their projects veer a bit towards the "I'm bored and like making things, soo... behold! This strange and only semi-useful thing!", but others really are small strokes of "Aha! What an idea!" Unfortunately, this book version of ReadyMade is more like the former. Apart from a couple of projects featured in the book, most of the stuff is not only kind of stupid, but also rather ugly.

What I like about the magazine and its website are the ideas for reusing fabric, decorating ideas that look more spendy than they are, and interesting food/party ideas. The book has no food or party projects, but it does have just a couple of ideas in the fabric/decorating categories that I liked: a doormat made out of doll-head clothespins and a dog bed made out of old jeans. The dog looks so happy!

I'd link to either of these projects, but the website doesn't have them. In fact, I have the suspicion that ReadyMade is a bit embarrassed by their book because it is nowhere to be found on their site. Published in 2006, perhaps they've heard enough flack in the past 5 years to know they really squandered an opportunity. (A lamp cozy? Really?)

Flat-out irresponsible was how they detailed the way in which they first financed the magazine at its inception -- using credit cards, and then using other credit cards to pay those cards, and then assuming they would be able to pay off the balances in X amount of time. While this would work in theory for the responsible, planned business, and it did indeed work for them, 5 years later, we know that not everyone is that financially skilled. I don't know if those pages would have made it through the editorial process were the book published today.

Also wasting space in the book is accounts of semi-failed projects that were previously featured in the magazine, such as a chair made out of plastic bottles. "The noise when sitting on it," was one of the cons associated with the project, as if that even needed saying. "Remake This!" they ask of these projects -- but why in the world would you want to? Surely there are better discard materials with which to craft a chair.

Somewhat interesting, however, was the historical pages on wood, cloth, metal, paper, and plastic. Talking about how these materials came into wide use is probably not interesting to everyone, and it certainly doesn't help with project inspiration, but it makes sense to start the different sections with these introductions.

There's really not much more to say about this book other than don't bother spending full price on it. I checked it out from the library, and I suppose it would be an okay used bookstore purchase if it were under $10, if for directions on the dog bed project and a couple of the wood building projects alone. Still, calling this book a guide on how to make almost everything is really misleading. Rather than {Almost}, it should read {Hardly}.

(This review originally appeared on Glorified Love Letters.)

[Eric James · Rating 4 out of 5]

While, as some people have said, the magazine may be more engaging, that's the nature of the beast when it comes to re-purposing and craft projects in particular.

Still, whatever it loses in comparison, it still has tons of great projects, for all sorts of media, as well as a good deal of articles and statistics regarding waste. I guess what makes it so great is that, unlike the magazine, even the projects too difficult or just generally not applicable to me, in this format, it's just fun to read through. Over and over and over again.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a giant fan of the concept, but I find I'm dissapointed quite frequently with readymade publications. This is no exception. It has some awesome, novel ideas, but it also has a lot of excess style. Sometimes, and often, the projects are so difficult and end up being incredibly impractical. I like the lessons on each building material (paper, metal, glass, wood, fabric, etc). A nice reminder about the chemistry and background of these materials that surrounds us everyday.

What a great accidental find at the library!

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is fun to flip through. Some of the projects are hideously ugly, but some look like they would be fun to make. My problem with many of them is that they would require the purchase of the base materials! If the stuff is lying around the house, it's already being used.

I liked the little informational sections on the history of the base materials (paper, wood, etc) more than many of the actual projects. I'll hang on to this, but I'm not sure how often I'll end up making anything described on the pages (if at all).

[Lesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

clothespin doormats, saran wrap chair, comb and ruler mail slot, phone book furniture, plastic bag messenger bag. and more!
the only thing bad i could say about the book is i wished there were more projects that were simpler. many of them required buying various random things. or having trash that was like old doors or plexiglass boards, which i speak for myself, but that is not common to be something i am throwing out. i think i would love to come back to this book when/if i eventually move into a house because some of the more elaborate projects would be fun to have.

[Starr Phoenix · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book's very cool. Lots of do-able art/craft projects - and lots of built in inspiration to think of ways to recycle materials into groovy gifts and decor.

This is a pick up/put down kind of book. More like a manual. You won't read it straight thru. In fact, it's meant to be shared and discussed and turned into a creative workshop of sorts.

My favorite part of the book so far, though, is an odd little section about facial exercises you can do to eliminate the aging face's inclination to "wattle" and droop. I don't know exactly WHY this is in the book - but it was great info.

[Meredith · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the magazine, so I wanted to like the book, too. It was creative, but not ultimately that useful.

The projects purported to be recycling and reusing, but none of them featured things that I own much less that I'm recycling. For example, I don't have an old door lying around, or a shipping pallet, or wooden clothes pins, or several years' worth of phone books.

I tried to take this as an inspiration/aspirational book, but the authors grounded it too much in the specific designs and recipes. The magazine itself is much more successful as being starting point of inspiration.

[Lindy Loo · Rating 4 out of 5]

There *ARE* a lot of projects in here that I could never do in a million years, but that tends to be the way with craft-books, I've noticed. Despite that fact, it has quite a few brilliant little gems. I'm looking forward to scavenging my neighborhood for dresser drawers (only wish I would've seen this PRIOR to this weekend when there was a freakish plethora) so I can try making the shelving unit. Woot woot.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a big Readymade fan, however the concept of this book is more exciting than the book itself. Don't get me wrong, there are great projects but alot of it came from past issues of the magazine. But there are more than just projects in this book, it also includes a nice history (with useful info) of materials. I love to flip through it when I'm feeling uninspired. It was definately worth adding to my Readymade collection.

[Hoan · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG - I love this book!! Will likely buy - It is so cool and provides great ideas on how to upcycle things that you would normally just throw away or take for granted. I feel like these ideas could lead to endless possibilities of fun DIY projects. The ReadyMade Magazine is pretty much based on these ideals - which I also recommend to subscribe to. Although it's a little pricey for a bi-monthly subscription. I look forward to receiving in my mail every other month!

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

At first glance, this book is great. But it is a little too...I don't know, offbeat? for me. I like the denim dog bed on page 179, and there is a great mini-project on marking a regular jar as a measuring utensil on page 166. Otherwise, it's fun to look at, but that was about it for me. On that note, though, my boyfriend was absolutely enamored with the "table pants" at the start of the fabric chapter.

[Melissa Massello · Rating 5 out of 5]

Featured in 35 Budget Living Picks for National Book Lovers Day on ShoestringMag.com :

The favorite magazine of every DIYer may have folded, but the cool, kitschy, encyclopedic knowledge of ReadyMade's editors lives on in this awesome collection of project ideas and practical how-tos.

[Allison · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I was flipping through this in the bookstore, it seemed so cool--"Sure, I want to make neat home decor items from my garbage! Who wouldn't?"

And then I bought it and read it, and it seems for now like just owning the book is good enough. Apparently I don't actually want a CD case mural or a detergent coat rack that bad.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is hilarious! And fabulous, I actually want to make practically everything in this book and use it in my home (unlike most of the crap recycling crafty ideas in most books) like the hardcover book frame, phone-book furniture, poster-tube magazine tree, fedex cd rack, shopping bag rug, cd wall mural, I could go on and on, I love this book!

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pretty cool crafty book that shows you how to make things like a coat rack from laundry detergent bottles, a chandelier from glass water-bottles, a denim dog bed, a messenger bag from newspaper subscription plastic bags, and a shelving unit from drawers. It's pretty advanced crafts, so I'll probably never make them, but it was fun to look at :)