Boycraft

March 3, 2014
Duchars and Marks note, “There are plenty of craft books out there for girls, but even the ones that don’t have pink frilly cupcakes on the cover are often full of handbags, fairy wings and princess tiaras.” No such items are on display in this book, which targets “boys and tomboys” with lots of messy, spooky, and recycled crafts; boys will like the can-do attitude of this book. A particular standout is the totally enthralling papier-mâché landscape that truly does look like it will offer days of fun. American readers will have to overlook some British English, a small quirk. A larger concern is the haphazard arrangement of the projects. In the sewing chapter, for example, making a large stuffed animal is followed by instructions for making the simpler giant beanbag chair, which is followed by instructions for simplest-of-all beanbags, sequenced in the exact opposite of skill-building order. And directions are far from comprehensive; trying to make the bird feeder Duchars and Marks offer will lead to heartbreak. Still, these low-key projects will inspire outdoorsy kids who might not otherwise be interested in a crafts book.

April 1, 2014

Coauthors Duchars and Marks (cofounders, Buttonbag; ReCraft) are the moms of boys who enjoy crafting--and who aren't interested in the princess-and-glitter projects commonplace in most children's books on the subject. Divided into six sections--stitch, paper, creepy, wood, woolly, and model--the book presents a variety of gender-neutral ideas, many using recycled or repurposed materials. Highlights include the Egyptian mummy model made out of a plastic soda bottle, the decorative "bug hotel" made out of cut bamboo canes, and folded-paper water bombs that can also be used as decorations. The directions are simple, and there's plenty of pictures (including boys and girls playing with the finished designs). VERDICT Parents, teachers, and caregivers of middle-grade children who are looking for appealing craft projects will enjoy this creative collection.

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