Bazaar Bizarre Not Your Granny’s Crafts

The desire to stand out with quirky, handmade, one-of-a-kind fashion has created a huge new crowd of hip young crafters hungry for ideas. In Bazaar Bizarre, Greg Der Ananian, founder of the bicoastal craft fair of the same name, combines a variety of how-to projects from radical crafters on his bazaar circuit. Speaking to everyone from alternateens to hipster thirtysomethings with an irreverent retro-chic attitude, this book is for those looking to put an edge on the things that grandma used to make. Bazaar Bizarreoffers smart, subversive inspiration unavailable from traditional crafting books and patterns, appealing not only to the nostalgia for folk expression of previous generations, but also to the popular DIY attitude of the young and stylish. From silk painting to quilting and bookbinding, projects such as Anarchy Soap and Vinyl Record Cuffs teach basic skills of popular crafts and offer tips on how to creatively customize with thrift store purchases. Readers will love Der Ananian’s sardonic commentary, “Craftoids,” about the history of crafting, punk- rock crosswords, funky finger-food recipes, and musical play lists.