Planet Yumthing's DIY: Create, Design, Reinvent and Make it Yours

Divided into four categories, DIY contains fashion, beauty, decorating and entertaining projects for teens that range from funky to fabulous. Step-by-step directions illustrated with effective line drawings show teens how to create a tulle overskirt, a blue jean purse, or ribbon memento board from recycled materials and thrift store finds. Entertaining is covered from theme to food to invitations to favors for picnics, decade parties and more. Some ideas are downright tacky, such as a hotdog and pineapple kabob snack for a luau (suggesting the substitution of red cabbage for the pineapple if it's too expensive - ugh!), but the clever ideas far outweigh the lame ones and the authors always leave for or encourage individual creativity and personal embellishments. Shortcuts like asking a local hardware store to do some drilling for you, or using brownie mix instead of baking from scratch, simplify and save time. I might even try the tab curtain sundress idea myself! A website reveals more of the same; projects are similar, but none of the items in the book are online. Many projects feel revamped from teen magazines -- the turn your jeans into a denim skirt idea is hardly new. Trendiness may date the book quickly (retro 80's style is a strong theme and the truck stop shindig is so Ashton Kutcher); turn to Hey Day by "Super Clea" Hartman (Harper, 2001) for slightly more original, timeless projects and ideas.

This book is so COOL the projects are really fun and not too hard to make. I had a slumber party and my friends and I stayed up making things from the book...it was a blast!!!!The Rock and Roll skirt and the Pin It Tee Shirts turned out really cute.

I can't sew. I can't draw. I can't make anything. I am not crafty or artistic and it drives me crazy. I bought this book and made really cool and easy stuff. I think it's the perfect book for someone who is dying to be creative and crafty but feels like they might have two left scissors. It's fun and easy. The instructions are clear and it's really the ideal gift!