I recently received a copy of the book Craft Activism: People, Ideas, and Projects from the New Community of Handmade and How You Can Join In by Joan Tapper. I wasn’t sure what to think about this book when I first started flipping through it, and the part of the title that said “new community” kind of threw me off a little too. New? How new was any craft community when people have been crafting, together and individually, for thousands of years? However, once I found some time to sit down and read through it, my opinion changed.

By “new,” she is mainly talking about how the Internet has made “community” a really different concept. While quilting circles (for example) are nothing new, virtual communities are, and this has really revitalized the entire DIY movement. So I can buy into the idea of a new community now.

The other part of the puzzle was trying to figure out what this book was. Is it a project book, narrative, an informational book? I finally realized it was a little of all three. Each section of the book focuses on specific aspects of crafting that are very popular today such as recycling or charity crafting. Then inside these sections are stories about artists who are active in this area, information about how you can become involved, and then projects. For example, one of the first sections I was understandably drawn to was “Crafting for a Cause,” and this had a narrative about Norma Miller and how she became involved with the Orphan Foundation of America’s Red Scarf Project. Then it moves on to give a brief DIY on how to find ways to help local charities, and under the “Makers Jam” section other organizations such as Afghans for Afghans are highlighted. Finally, the section ends with three how-to projects, a red scarf, an afghan, and pair of mittens.

Though this book seems heavy on the knitting projects (which is one issue I had with it since I’m primarily a crocheter), it does include other types of crafts such as sewing, paper-arts, and embroidery. The photographs are also a big part of what makes this book appealing. This is the type of craft book you sit down and read, though, not just skim and look for projects to tackle, but we are not talking about heavy duty reading. It’s light, fun, and interesting. In fact, you can read the first chapter on-line at Amazon. Just click the link on the image of the book at the top of this post, and on the right side of the screen, you will see a link that says “read first chapter free.” Click on that, and a window will open up showing the first chapter. This also has a Kindle version, which considering the new Kindle Fire exists now, this is definitely intriguing.