Top 10 Craft Projects: The BUST DIY Guide to Life

BUST Magazine has just released an amazing book that, aside from Stuart’s Young, Broke, and Beautiful, no brokeass should be without—The BUST DIY Guide to Life. Though you can read more about it in my review here, I’ve put together a list of my top 10 favorite craft projects and sections:

Tool Time: Making Basic Home Repairs

I dunno about you, but no one ever really taught me “the right” way to use tools and make household repairs. I guess I just sort of fight-or-flighted my way through IKEA furniture, crying over overflowing toilets, and, well, here I am. UNTIL NOW! From as simple as how to hang objects on your wall and unclogging your drain to the much more daunting re-grouting and re-sealing your bathroom tub, you sure as hell won’t have to resort to calling your lame ex-boyfriend or a repairman

Shape the Waist of a Boxy Blouse

I really don’t understand why boxy shirts are even a thing, like– who is or ever was shaped like a bale of hay? Whatever. For some reason this is especially common in vintage clothing, and I can’t tell you how many great shirts I’ve pass on because they were too boxy. Well, guess what, Mick Jagger? You CAN always get what you want, because it’s ridiculously easy to fix boxy blouses to fit you, as I found out by reading this section. AND if you’re totally clueless with sewing, there’s a section at the very beginning of the Your Style, Your Way chapter that gives you the lowdown on basic stitches.

De-Bell Flared Jeans

This craft project is especially great if you have a million pairs of your old, out-of-style bootcut jeans from college and you don’t have the funds to buy yourself a few new, slimmer pairs. It didn’t even occur to me that it was possible to de-flare jeans until I read this section. The best part? It doesn’t look too crazy hard.

Mock Jacobs

Though the rays-of-buttons-style cardigans may be a bit dated, I think they’re still cute—and you’ll definitely not want to spend the hundreds of dollars on an ACTUAL Marc Jacobs sweater that you might end up tossing if you change your mind. Even if it’s at a consignment shop you might still be paying at least $100. You know when you’re at a store and you’re like “Someone could totally easily make that shit at a quarter of the cost”? Well, that someone can now be you.

DIY Skivvies

Again, another craft project that would have never occurred to me—I guess you can make a tank and underwear out of a large T-shirt! My roommate has, no joke, about 30 old soccer shirts that are just sitting there doing nothing. I guess I found myself a new activity this winter.

Pain and Simple: An A to Z List of Easy Remedies to Make at Home

Ever been so broke that you can’t even buy yourself stuff to help you out when you’re sick? I have, and it’s absolutely terrible. Or, maybe you just don’t want to load up your body with tons of gross chemical shit every time you get the sniffles? Well, this section covers the small but annoying stuff like burns, bug bites, and minor aches and pains to the more uncomfortable stuff like menstrual cramps, indigestion, UTIs, and toothaches.

The Sweet Hereafter: Desserts and Sweets

I really put this here just to talk about Lindsay Larick’s Blackberry-Lavender Popsicles. There is literally no do easier dessert to make than popsicles, and you will simultaneously seem really fancy and be making your popsicles extra tasty with LAVENDER! This section also has recipes for Jack Daniel’s Ice Cream Sauce, Chocolate Mousse, and Chocolate Pizza.

Wage Slave: A Day Job Survival Guide for Arty Girls

I don’t think I need to tell you how soul-sucking and deep, dark depression-inducing a day job can be. This section does an amazing job of showing you how to whip your ass in gear without taking on a judgmental or talking-down-to-you sort of tone. Rather, it’s actually sort of inspiring and makes you feel quite capable that you CAN be happy and express yourself even if you’re not in a place where your full-time job is doing great things for your dream career.

Mad Money: Give Bad Situations The Finger with a Fuck You Fund

Man, I wish someone had told me about “Fuck You” Funds before I entered college. If you’ve never heard of them either, it’s basically an emergency fund for leaving a job you have to get out of immediately, getting out of a dangerous or intolerable domestic situation, or for when you have your quarter life crisis breakdown and cease to remember how to function like a normal human being (oh, and it will happen).

When Wedding Rituals Attack

This mini-section within the larger Indie Bride section is definitely one of my top 5 favorites here, because unlike pretty much any book you’ll ever in your lifetime buy about Wedding planning advice—this actually re-examines commonly performed marriage traditions like your dad “giving you away” and the bouquet toss. Both of these things are really gross and you should probably think twice before blindly going through the motions part of a really fucked up institution that doesn’t hold women in high regard. Just sayin’!

Photo Credit: Melanie Flick Books