Get Crafty

This is not your mother’s home ec!

When Jean Railla was in her twenties, she thought being a bohemian meant smoking in cafes and going home to a crummy, dusty walk-up apartment. But then she had a shocking thought—would vacuuming really get her booted from the riot grrls club? So she began to cook, and then to knit, and then she took up sewing. Soon she had launched getcrafty.com, the webzine for radical craftiness.

Get Crafty is about realizing that domesticity matters—that an apartment with handmade pillows or a bathroom with an Elvis theme is more life-affirming than the same old Ikea couch. Jean inspires readers to start making creative choices throughout their lives—in the way they shop, cook, dress, decorate, and, of course, craft. You will learn to consciously create your space, experience the joy of making things by hand, find the zen in cleaning, stock your pantry, and find treasure in the trash. It’s Home Ec, only hip. You will:

• Discover the joy of making it yourself, with instructions for a knit bikini, DIY cards, floral soap, and homemade peppermint lip gloss
• Create your own space and make simple home improvements
• Take a quiz: Which craft is right for you?
• Learn to thrift like an expert
• Take up Craftivism: 20 crafty causes that make a difference
• Organize crafty girl groups, and host a Naked Lady party

Get Crafty is more than craft projects; it’s a new way of thinking and living, a way of finding happiness by expressing yourself creatively in every aspect of your life.