The Bust DIY Guide To Life

I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions. But year-round, I do enjoy pursuing clever ideas that help me be more self-reliant and resourceful.

For years I’ve relied on Bust Magazine for such ideas. This publication, now 18 years strong, is one of the pioneers of today’s DIY movement. They host Bust Magazine Craftacular in five cities every year. And one of their articles spawned a knitting group, which turned into the bestselling Stitch n’ Bitch book series as well as 1,000 Stitch n’ Bitch groups worldwide.

Now they’ve collected the magazine’s best DIY information in a new book, The Bust DIY Guide to Life: Making Your Way Through Every Day by Laurie Henzel and Debbie Stoller. It’s fresh, informative way of acknowledging the skills that women have honed for generations, updated for today’s readers. The volume covers all sorts of categories, from home décor to business start-ups. There are basics including how to grow your own veggies, how to master basic sewing, how to save and invest. But the bulk of the book is made up of specific projects you just might want to try.

• Roast coffee in a popcorn popper.
• Make home remedies.
• Replace shampoo and conditioner with products found in your kitchen cupboard.
• Tie dye your tights.
• Learn to maintain a bicycle.
• Make a retro push-light wall fixture.
• Propagate plants from cuttings.
• Brew ginger beer.
• Make a wall shelf out of a few vintage books.
• Learn to style your hair in a beehive, French twist, flip, Gibson girl bun, or ala Frida Kahlo.
• Make vanilla extract.
• Be your own publicist.
• Make ear muff headphones.
• Turn an old cassette into a change purse.

The book is a resource you’ll turn to again and again. But don’t forget to check out the magazine
too. Each issue is a feisty and witty acknowledgement that each of us should be exactly who we are.

A review copy was provided for this post.