After the success of I Like You, her informative, tongue-in-cheek guide to becoming the “hostess with the mostess,” actress Amy Sedaris (Strangers With Candy, Jennifer’s Body) returns with another how-to guide and homage to old-fashioned homemaking. Simple Times: Crafts For Poor People offers step-by-step instructions on creating arts, crafts and knick-knacks that are cheap, funky, useful, or just plain weird… and not all that tasteful.
Simple Times: Crafts For Poor People
The book has a little something for everyone, including:
- The Joy of Poverty: how being poor forces you into being creative and resourceful.
- Handicraftable: crafting tips for the elderly, the weak and the mentally ill.
- Safety Meeting: the perils of a messy work place, overconfidence, and drugs and alcohol.
- Crafting for Jesus: learn the ten commandments of crafting.
- Hay Burners: extensive advice on how to rabbit-proof your home. (Sedaris, who lives in Manhattan, is the proud owner of a pet rabbit named Dusty.)
Decorating With Amy Sedaris
Here are a few home décor ideas from Simple Times:
- Make a decorative rusty nail chime that doubles as a fly killing device.
- Use a shirt box as a cheap alternative to picture frames.
- Create stained-glass-effect candles using coloured tissue paper.
- Make fireside cushions – “sit-upons” – from old newspapers.
- Learn the dos and don’ts of creating a craft room.
Practical Advice From Simple Times
Some projects may seem odd at first, but could prove to be useful – or at the very least, lots of fun:
- Identify common beans and grains with Cathy Camper Seed Art.
- Make Stuffed Mushrooms using Portobello mushrooms and plain old mayonnaise.
- Learn how to toast coconut, and make coconut frosting and coconut jewellery.
- Make your own sausage, from scratch.
- Turn old lunch boxes into funky travel containers that can be used to store medication or crafts supplies.
With her customary wit and quirky charm, Sedaris suggests gift ideas for golfers, single moms and nudists; decorates rooms in ways that will amuse children and keep the elderly occupied; and crafts mouth-watering recipes that would make Martha Stewart cringe. She even goes as far as offering tips for love-making – including ideas for homemade sex toys (please don’t ask.)
The recipes and handicrafts that make up Simple Times: Crafts For Poor People require very little effort, few materials, and a lot of imagination. The result is antiquated, quaint objects that reek of growing up in the 60s. Many of the projects, which may have seemed like good ideas fifty years ago, have become absurd and surreal in today’s society. But absurd and surreal are Amy Sedaris’ bread and butter.
Publication Details
Title: Simple Times
Author: Amy Sedaris
Publication Date: November 2, 2010
ISBN: 9780446557030
Source
For more information about the Amy Sedaris books I Like You and Simple Times: Crafts For Poor People, as well as other great titles, visit the Hachette Book Group online.
Andree Lachapelle - Andrée reviews books, movies and local events, and brings you essential beauty, fashion, travel and wedding planning tips.
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