Crafty Girl: Cool Stuff
Arriving at a precise definition ofcoolmay be next to impossible, but almost any girl would probably agree that this little book is indeed full of cool stuff to decorate her room to the hilt. Why hang a plain bulletin board, peg rack, or window treatment when you can make a mesmerizing memo board (fabric, rickrack, felt cutouts, silk flowers), Mexican hat rack (painted folk-art motifs), or illustrated curtain (magazine images on a clear shower curtain)? Who wants ordinary frames and phones when she can surround her photos with fake fur or beads and baubles, and bedeck her phone with rhinestones and pearls?The authors strike just the right balance between kid-friendly ideas told in cool-kid lingo and the parental voice of reason, advising readers when to check with their elders before charging ahead. "Doors of Perception," for example, warns kids that all but the most open-minded parents might veto this project that entails painting and decoupaging photos directly on the door. But alternative suggestions include decorating a door-size sheet of butcher paper, aluminum foil, or felt for a less permanent but equally creative approach. The pages overflow with eye-catching graphics that make for fun browsing, but except for the occasional diagram there are no pictures of the finished product. Fear not: the excellent directions are more than adequate to steer young crafters through the process while giving them free reign to arrive at results that are entirely their own.--Amy Handy