If you’re a fan of Amy Sedaris’ crafting books, you will love Cathy Callahan’s new book, Vintage Craft Workshop: Fresh Takes on Twenty-Four Classic Projects from the ‘60s and ‘70s. Sedaris herself even said “One of the best craft books I’ve seen. This book makes me jealous.”
Its organization is unlike any other crafting book that I have read. She provides historical context for each of the 24 crafts, showing where the inspiration came from, as well as insight on the historic and fantastic “Crafty Ladies” behind them. She then asks contemporary crafters to recreate each of the originals but with their own modern twists. It’s fascinating to see the inspiration, read about their recreation process, and see the end results.
I am totally going to be découpag-ing some magazine holders for my ever-growing BUST collection, decorating an adorable waste basket, as well as making festive gift boxes that are super unique and reusable! And when I finish those, I know there is a wealth of other crafts I would love to try later on.
I was stoked to make the recycled bottle wind chime, but then I realized that a bottle cutter was necessary. If you are a super dedicated crafter, maybe the $30+ investment would make sense, but that seemed like too for me as I have no idea if I will ever need to cut bottles again. They do look really cool though, and I bet the sound they produce is quite charming. Other than that, all of the materials are quite attainable and most of the projects seem to be manageable for the beginner crafters.
So, if you’re a vintage fanatic with a taste for unique crafts and a tad of kitsch, I highly suggest you check this book out. Check out the website here and purchase it here.
