Dude Crafts

It looked like Dude Crafts by Mike Warren might be a good choice for my sons. Obviously  I'm not the intended audience for this book, but it's not suitable for my eighteen year old either.

A handful of the projects are neat. I could see making rings out of quarters, or a branding iron out of old bicycle spokes. And (in theory at least) I guess it's nice to know how to make a grilled cheese sandwich on a car muffler or heat lasagna in the dish washer. The instructions for making a metal forge out of a busted microwave don't seem to be in the book, which is probably a good thing.

Most of the projects are things we've seen before, either on Pinterest or in old craft books. Like soaking yarn in glue and wrapping it around a balloon. Or using hair scrunchies and suction cups to hold bottles to the shower wall.

Then there's the alcohol, the main reason this book disappointed me so much. Seven of the fifty projects involve booze -- and that's not counting the ones that just use the empty bottles. I'm all for hacking up old baby dolls to use in craft projects, but making one into a flask and wearing it in a tummy pack? Nope.

I'll continue my search for a project book that will appeal to my boys.

The publisher provided me with an advance review copy.