Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

The best. What I love most about this book is that it doesn’t glorify the perfection you see in other craft books. Honestly, sometimes you just want to craft a shrimp, and you don’t need the question, “Why?” stopping you.

2 sh… stars
“I’ve never written a book before, right? But I sure invented a bunch of rules based on how I thought authors wrote books. You know, all those classic author rules like: Write everything by yourself with help from no one completely stream of consciousness and zero plan in one long word processing document and then print it out and circle a bunch of bad writing in red pen and completely start over after a random but incredible burst of inspiration and then turn it in at exactly 11:59 on the night it’s due…”

An avid reader, I am used to author’s having organized their thoughts into cohesiveness. This is the first craft book I have read and reviewed, that was not well organized in the attempts to be funny. Actually, it was organized into chapters, such as The Sh… trophy, Pompoms to Pom(p) you up!!!, Being Gay is Actually a Craft.” It is mostly the run-on sentences, stream-of consciousness chatty you-can-do-this friend dialogue that drove me crazy. Again, I am now sure that I am not the target audience.

I have done crafting for decades. Not everything turns out the way you want it to be, like this book. When I wrote the title of the book, Word warned me “This language may be offensive to your reader.” I found that ‘crappy’ word choices were used more than necessary in the book. (I should have known better, given the title.)

On the plus side, the pictures are bright and colorful. A pink rickrack bookmark is sewn into the binding. Cool! On the minus, I would not keep any of these crafts and feel like they would contribute to the waste stream with little redeeming creative, aesthetic value. “I have some really good news. I recently discovered that you can make your own trophy. For literally anything. Which means we can all become the champions of whatever we want, whenever we want!” If this is what you think, you might enjoy this Sh… Craft Club book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a funny craft book. Do you want to craft but feel overwhelmed and not sure where to start? Then this is the book for you! Sam Reece show us how to have fun with crafting and not take it too seriously.

I loved the book. The crafts seem accessible, and I loved the idea of not being a perfectionist. I don't think I can recommend it to a group of people, because of the title. However, I do know of a couple of patrons who may love this book, and I can recommend it to them. :)

Hilarious!!! Give yourself permission to just have fun with this crafting book. Cute, silly craft ideas. Also funny pictures and hilarious random quotes.

This book would be great for a frustrated teen. I think the projects in the book would go really well with some self-care teen library programming and the book is a good one for frustrated creative folks.

Perhaps a bit naively, I had been hoping for something a little more useful in the shitty craft club book, not that art has to be useful. I like the idea and the self compassionate self-care aspect of the book very much.

It was fine. I'm not into the author's style of crafting and I thought there was a whole lot more text than craft projects so I wouldn't pick it up for myself, but it seemed like the projects were easy and could be done with a lot of on hand stuff so that is always nice.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review, but opinions are my own.

Shitty Craft Club is a warmly humorous multi-craftsy inspirational romp by Sam Reece. Released 19th Sept 2023 by Chronicle Books, it's 144 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats.

This is such an incredibly enthusiastic, bubbly, fun, and freeing book. Sam is like the coolest babysitter, who made popcorn and let you stay up and watch *almost* scary movies when you were 12 years old. She's quite funny, and so relatable, slightly off-kilter but genuinely and enthusiastically dedicated to making crafting accessible and *fun* for everyone.

Humans need creativity. Living ever more specialized and busy lives, quite often more isolated from one another (especially with and after the pandemic) has left most of us struggling to find time to do anything creative. This book is a nice reminder to grab some crafts supplies and "just do it".

Spontaneity is foremost, and the process is a significant part of the therapeutic value of crafting. This book is *full* of sparkle and glitter and very colorful. The aesthetic is youthful and fun, occasionally frenetic, but always fun.

Chapters are arranged somewhat thematically: an intro (with discussion of her crafting philosophy and how-we-got-here), you-can-do-it crafting even for people who don't think they can, appreciating the things readers do in their daily lives and building community by showing everyone procrastinates, defeating perfectionism, pom-pom crafts, beads, community, personal attributes (being gay is a craft), holidays (sort of), corn (!?), and social events/crafting with friends.

In addition to the stream-of-consciousness humorous monologue, which actually often shades into near profundity, each chapter contains one or more tutorial projects. They, much like the book, are enthusiastic and colorful. I don't know how many I would really want to display in my actual house, but the point of the book is for readers to free themselves to embrace creativity without too much perfectionism, and in that, it succeeds spectacularly.

Four stars. Funny and fun. Probably more suited to young urban 30somethings than to serious artists doing art and not having much fun doing it.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes

Way funnier than expected!

I love crafts. Well, I love the idea of crafting. Should be “self care” right? Art, beauty, glue guns…but that requires finding all the supplies and having the creativity in my exhausted brain to come up with ideas.

Shitty Craft Club not only supplies ideas, but also confidence and humor to inspire the creative effort. While I’m still confused about Sparkly Corn, I fully embrace the shine and glitter involved. And who doesn’t love permission to be perfectly imperfect.

All in all, a great time whether you want to make a Soul Mate Bracelet or not.

Thank you to the publisher and ARC for allowing me to preview and review this book. All opinions and review are my own.

This is a hilarious manifesto of teaching yourself how to find joy in anything again. The author, Sam, writes in a relatable style and the photography is perfectly paired. Sam reminds everyone that crafting can be fun and more importantly that perfection is a myth.

"There's no perfect way to do anything. So change the rules." The concept of this book is great--crafting is for everyone and there are no rules. I believe fans of Sam Reece will enjoy this book, having followed the author on social media. I was expecting a bit more craft projects, but did appreciate the aim of the book.

"Shitty Craft Club" is an absolute delight, deserving a resounding five-star rating. Sam Reece, the comedian behind this TikTok sensation turned book, invites readers into a world of creativity that's wonderfully chaotic and refreshingly imperfect.

This book, with its humor and unconventional approach, delivers a powerful message: everyone is an artist in their own right. Reece gives us permission to let loose, embrace our quirkiest ideas, and have fun without the pressure of perfection. This can be difficult for me so I really appreciated the encouragement. It's about celebrating our unique artistic expression, no matter how unconventional it may seem.

With step-by-step instructions and hilarious anecdotes from Reece's life, the book provides a roadmap for creative adventures that are both fun and relatable. The book perfectly combines the spirit of millennial/Gen Z humor with the whimsical crafting style of Amy Sedaris and the colorful energy of Lisa Frank. It's a vibrant celebration of creativity in its purest form.

From making pom-poms to sculpting rhinestone shrimp out of aluminum foil and glue gun magic, Reece proves that anything and everything can be a craft. Even simple tasks like taking a sip of water can become a craft in this playful world. Life is undoubtedly challenging, and this book encourages us to find joy in gluing "trash to more trash" if it brings us happiness.

In conclusion, "Shitty Craft Club" is a lighthearted, inspiring, and wildly entertaining journey into the world of creativity. Sam Reece's witty guidance reminds us that artistry can be found in the most unexpected places, and it's okay to embrace the imperfect, the whimsical, and the wonderfully weird. This book is a five-star celebration of creativity and the joy it can bring to our lives.

Shitty Craft Club: A Club for Gluing Beads to Trash, Talking about Our Feelings, and Making Silly Things by Sam Reece is currently scheduled for release on September 19 2023. Did you know that you are a glorious and incredible artist? Wait, really? Well, you are. Shitty Craft Club gives you permission to have fun and be as weird, wild, and wonderful as you want to be. It’s about trying your best, not perfection. With step-by-step instructions and funny, deeply relatable tales from her life, Sam Reece, founder of the Shitty Craft Club movement, hilariously guides you through dozens of projects. Making a bunch of pom-poms so you can be your own cheerleader? That’s a craft. Sculpting a rhinestone shrimp out of aluminum foil and a glue gun? A craft. Having literally one sip of water (congrats, by the way)? Yup, you bet—a craft. Because life is hard. So why not spend a bit of time gluing some trash to more trash if it makes you happy?

Shitty Craft Club is a fun and enjoyable read. Are the crafts in the book my style? Nope, but I think that is kind of the reason I read this book. The encouragement to craft things just because it is fun and you deserve to do something you enjoy is fantastic. I have been doing different types of arts and crafts all my life, and I admit to falling into the trap of needing things to be just right or as close to perfect as possible before letting it been seen. Making myself a trophy for getting through the week might have sounded silly before, but maybe that is just the reward I need. Not the final result necessarily, but the making and doing of the craft for no good reason other than I want to and can is something we could all stand to do a little more, especially when (hot glue gun burns and clean up aside) there is no harm or downside in giving yourself the space to do this type of thing. I thought the authors voice was very honest and funny, making this book a joy to read. The emphasis on being health and happy, and working with sustainable and recycled supplies was an added bonus. I think this book is a great read for crafters and perfectionists of all kinds, and is definitely worth the read.

The crafts are certifiably silly, including a wall hanging of a shrimp covered in rhinestones, but the essays interspersed between the tutorials have heart-warming messages about important topics like self acceptance, survivorship, and impostor syndrome. I will recommend to makers and crafters looking for self-care books, and fans of Amy Sedaris, especially "Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People" and people who enjoy crafting memoirs that touch on emotional topics like "Hooked" by Sutton Foster. Thank you to Netgalley and Chronicle books for digital review copy.

This book had me laughing and snorting all the way through to the end!

I'd never heard of Sam Reece or the Shitty Craft Club - but omg, sign me up -- this was a hilarious, part self-help part shitty craft book that was thoroughly entertaining!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

A silly and sarcastic illustrated craft book. You probably will not want to make ANY of the crafts in this book but you may connect with her words and relatable mom situations.

✨ Review ✨ Shitty Craft Club: A Club for Gluing Beads to Trash, Talking about Our Feelings, and Making Silly Things, by Sam Reece

Want to feel inspired to be crafty without spending tons of money or actually being good at it? Then THIS is the book for you.

The book is full of photos and exploding with color. It's really beautifully done!

With directions to make everything from pompoms (out of literally anything) to a rhinestone shrimp to awards for adulting, this book isn't your traditional crafting book. The author writes with humor, reminds you to do basic things like drink water (thank you), and creates just such a delightfully silly book that's a perfect gift for your girlfriends that don't quite have their lives together.

Genre: Crafts & Hobbies + Humor & Satire
Reminds me of: literally nothing I've read before lol
Pub Date: 19 Sep 2023

Read this if you like:
⭕️ crafts but you're not really great at them
⭕️ chaos and laughing at your life

Thanks to Chronicle Books and #netgalley for an advanced e-copy of this book!

Another one I read a month ago on a plane, and I lost the review I wrote out. Unfortunately, I do remember this one. It’s not worth anyone’s time unless they are a member of the online community already. Pinterest has been craft ideas.

I loved the photos and the layout of this book! It was really delightful and such a fun way to consider self-care and not trying to be perfect all the time (What better way to do than to do it with shitty crafts and trash). This book is absolutely geared towards millennials/gen-z but that’s not a bad thing. I enjoyed reading this, the graphics and photos were what really stood out in this book and made it so much fun.