We are looking forward to reviewing new crafting book titles on this site and Cool Craft seems a very appropriate place to start. Cool Craft by Bridget Bodoano is aimed at bringing contemporary crafting to people of all ages. The projects in this book are simple enough for the complete beginner with clear instructions and tips on basic techniques. There are many craft titles on the market at the moment, but what sets this book apart are the project designs themselves and the graphics/ illustrations.
Cool Craft is divided in to 7 chapters: Knitting, Sewing, Stitching, Accessories, Paper, and Design & Technology. Each chapter includes a ‘Getting Started’ guide and Tips are highlighted on the project pages. The different craft types are brightly colour coded, and the strong colours of the graphics give a clean, functional feeling to the projects. There are 50 featured projects, an example of which is pictured.
The book features traditional skills, but with today-relevant applications, such as making a laptop cover, and a very ‘on trend’ duffel bag. I particularly liked the section covering jewellery, with ideas for using hardware – the stuff you’d find in Homebase & B&Q – and upcyling broken, old jewellery into something new and fashion relevant. On my to do list – Project: 21 Make a sketch book cover – I might not use the cross stitch design, I might use something else out of the Templates section instead, but the instructions are clear enough to give me that flexibility.
The book is not overly prescriptive and I think this is really important. If you haven’t got something to hand, there are suggestions for alternatives – handmade should not be about consumerism. Plus, how often do you put off starting something, because you don’t have everything you need? Your project might just end up better because you have used what you have, and been inventive.
The illustrations are contemporary in a retro manner, clearly demonstrating techniques and the results of the projects. This is not a coffee table book, with beautiful photograghy, and pretty projects for whimsical things. It is bold, practical and refreshingly modern in it’s approach to the crafts. It is a relief not be flooded with twee prints. Maybe we are at the tail end of Vintage, and so Retro is far more interesting.
On a practical note, and this really feels like a practical book, the spine of the book has been designed so that the book will lay flat and stay open, whilst you work on your project. We like attention to detail and good design here at CoolCrafting. The author and illustrator of Cool Craft, Bridget Bodoana, has a number of published titles, covering DIY and home interiors. You can view these here.
What was missing? There is a big, fat, gaping hole called Crochet, that I would have expected to be included.
In summary, I think Cool Craft by Bridget Bodoano is a great place for someone starting to craft, the techniques are well explained, the approach modern, the results fairly instant. It will provide a springboard for your own ideas, all these projects are starting points. Any crafter will know that once you have made something, you can instantly see a new/different/better version for next time. Cool Craft is published by Vivays Publishing and will be available in bookstores at the very end of September. It is also available to buy here .