Review: The Bust DIY Guide to Life: Making Your Way Through Every Day by Laurie Henzel, Debbie Stoller

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

The modern appeal of “do-it-yourself” projects has a broader reach than ever. And who better to teach us how to DIY our lives than the über-crafty editors of BUST, the quirky, raw, and real magazine “for women who have something to get off their chests”? In The BUST DIY Guide to Life, magazine founders Debbie Stoller (of Stitch ’n Bitch fame) and Laurie Henzel have culled more than 250 of the best DIY and craft projects from its 15-year history. Organized by category—beauty and health, fashion, food and entertaining, career, finance, travel, and sex—and written in BUST’s trademark brazen and witty style, this quintessential DIY encyclopedia from the quintessential DIY magazine is eclectic, empowering, hilarious, and downright practical, truly capturing the spirit of women today.
NetGalley download includes parts 1 and 2 of the ebook.

MY TAKE:
I'm starting to get into DIY projects, so I thought this would be an interesting book to read.

The Bust DIY Guide to Life: Making Your Way Through Every Day contains DIY projects related to home, fashion, beauty, food and money. Each project includes a list of materials, step-by-step instructions and pictures of the finished product. Some projects also include a template or a pattern for you to use.

The review copy I received only contained the first two sections of the e-book. I was disappointed, of course, because the section I really wanted to read was the food one, which wasn't included.

I did find the sections that were included interesting, though, because the projects included seemed like fun and useful, especially if you're already an experienced DIY-er.

The fashion section, in particular, was pretty awesome. It included projects like how to alter the shape of a boxy blouse, as well as how to make fuzzy headphones that can work as ear muffs. A lot of the projects require a sewing machine or at least a basic knowledge of how to stitch by hand. There's a primer on using a sewing machine, though, if you're unfamiliar with how to use it but want to learn how.

If you're thinking about starting your own jewelry business, this book would be a good place to start as well, as there are plenty of DIY projects for things like cocktail rings, necklaces and bracelets. My fashionista friends would absolutely love this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Open Road Integrated Media for the e-copy.

THE GOOD:

1. There are plenty of fun projects.
2. The instructions are quite detailed.
3. The layout is neat and attractive.

THE BAD:

1. Some of the projects may be too complicated for beginners. 

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

Our readers rejoiced, many letting us know how grateful they were to see proof that feminism and the home front need not be at odds with each other. 

READ IT IF:

1. You like DIY projects.
2. You're a fashionista.
3. You like learning new things. 

RATING:


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