I Spy DIY Style: Find Fashion You Love and Do It Yourself [Brossura]

This book is so cute. The colors on the cover pop, and it's well-designed throughout. The best thing I can say for it is that it'll be bookshelf candy - it's adorable.

But the content is so flimsy, you'll probably never make any of the projects. Very few of the projects involve significant alterations; you simply start with clothes you have, that apparently already fit and look great, and you add some small details based on a runway style. Take the dress on the cover: the supplies needed include "white dress, large plastic garbage bag, masking tape, fabric paint in four colors, foam paintbrush." Sure, the stripes turn out cute, but isn't it just as easy to find a white dress with stripes as one without stripes that fits you perfectly off the rack? Isn't DIY style supposed to be about making things, or altering items you'd never be able to wear otherwise? There is a project that turns a sheer scarf and a piece of fabric into a shirt, but very few of the projects require much sewing. And while some of the items are a little over-the-top or gaudy for my taste, others are downright appalling, like the Nautical Bag (p. 92) that turns an ugly placemat into an uglier purse that no one I know would be caught dead carrying.

Most of the projects involve minor decorative changes, and no structural changes. Add ankle straps to black pumps. Glue ribbon to a jacket. Paint stripes on a hat. Bleach the bottom half of a dress. Good for inspiration if you're clueless with a needle, but you'll spend so much on the supplies that you might be discouraged from attempting "DIY" ever again. Even if you do find a handful of projects that you like, you won't be referring back to this book again, because the instructions are so simple. If you're actually interested in repurposing old clothing in a practical way, check out the style section of The Bust DIY Guide to Life: Making Your Way Through Every Day (Bust Magazine). You'll get a lot more for your money, both in the book itself (it's got a lot of info) and in the projects, which mostly employ items you already have or can find used.

A video review to give you a glimpse of the inside. Take a look & decide for yourself! XOXO

I really enjoyed reading this book. Though I haven't tried any of the crafts in it yet, I can easily see myself wearing or accessorizing with almost everything inside. I found that this book is also similar in ideas with the book, P.S. I Made This, by Erica Domesek.