CosmoGIRL! Make It Yourself: 50 Fun and Funky Projects

CosmoGIRL!, the little sister of Cosmopolitan magazine, has just released it's own make-and-do book of DIY projects for crafty teenage girls. “Hey _CosmoGIRL!_s,” reads the prologue, “You may not know it, but you're the most positive, can-do, pro-active group of girls that has ever walked the earth. I know that may sound like a big statement, but it's true. You're smarter than ever, you're more independent, and no one can trick you because you see right through it.”

So what kind of craft projects followed this empowering statement? Why, “Boy-Of-The-Week” panties, of course! Readers are instructed to take seven pairs of panties, and use fabric paint to write on the names of various boys. “Pick seven guys' names,” reads step 1, “Choose an M name for Monday (Mike), a T name for Tuesday (Tom), etc.” After adding ribbons and charms, you have a “Funny present for a friend who has everything.” I wonder how the reader's parents would feel about this dubious gift? (And who wants homemade underwear for their birthday?!)

“Boy-Of-The-Week” panties get this book off to a bizarre start, but the rest of the projects that follow are your standard, innocent craft ideas. The projects are all for clothes, accessories or beauty products, with a difficulty level provided for each one – Easy, Medium, and Hard—although none of these ideas are too complicated. As with any make-it-yourself book, there are some good ideas, and some where you wonder what they were thinking; and the absurd ideas are part of a craft book's intrinsic charm. The ugliest project in this book has to be the spool bracelet, where you take a large plastic spool and glue beads on it haphazardly, threading it through a chain. If it doesn't look good in the picture, imagine what it looks like in real life.

All in all, this book is a fun read. Most of the clothing projects are hideous, but the beauty section has some really cute ideas for homemade bath salts, soaps and body scrub. I'll probably make the fizzy bath bombs the next time I assemble a gift basket. I also really like the recipe for the Chocolate Mint Cookie Foot Scrub, which seems like it would be an easy and inexpensive gift to make—unlike the boy panties!!

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