This list features books about the makers movement and other topics that may help to inspire you creatively or to acquire new skills. Book descriptions are taken from the library catalog listings.
The Artisanal Vinegar Maker’s Handbook: Crafting Quality Vinegars–Fermenting, Distilling, Infusing by Bettina Malle – Translated into English for the first time, this guide offers tips on vinegar fermentation, distillation, and infusion. Detailed, step-by-step instructions for over a hundred recipes illuminate this fascinating process for beginners, and even experienced vinegar crafters alike.
The Better Bag Maker: An Illustrated Handbook of Handbag Design – Techniques, Tips, and Tricks by Nicole Mallalieu – If you want to make gorgeous, quality bags with the professional edge that really makes the difference between home-made and handmade, open The Better Bag Maker by Nicole Mallalieu. In this how-to book Nicole reveals her high-end techniques, shortcuts, and secrets for professional design and finishes.
The Big Book of Maker Skills: Tools and Techniques for Building Great Tech Projects by Chris Hackett – Makers, get ready. This is your ultimate, must-have, tip-packed guide for taking your DIY projects to the next level–from basic wood and metalworking skills to plugged-in fun with power tools, from cutting-edge electronics play to 3-D printing wizardry.
The Essential Oil Maker’s Handbook: Extracting, Distilling and Enjoying Plant Essences by Bettina Malle – Learn how to make your own shower gels and creams using essential oils that you created yourself out of materials from your garden and pantry, without chemical additives.
The Handbook of Natural Plant Dyes by Sasha Duerr – Through step-by-step instructions and color-saturated photographs, textile designer Sasha Duerr explains the basics of making and using natural plant dye, from gathering materials and making the dyes to simple ideas for how to use them.
Homemakers by Brit Morin – Brit Morin, founder of the wildly popular lifestyle brand, app, and website Brit + Co, reimagines homemaking for the twenty-first century, making it as simple as possible to go from amateur to pro with easy charts, tips, recipes, DIY projects, and tech shortcuts.
The Jewelry Maker’s Design Book: An Alchemy of Objects, Techniques, and Design Notes for One-of-a-Kind Jewelry Pieces by Deryn Mentock – Make your very own bohemian, rustic, one-of-a-kind, jewelry that integrates found objects or repurposes beautiful charms and elements from your jewelry box.
Make: 3D Printing Projects – Even if you’ve never touched a 3D printer, these projects will excite and empower you to learn new skills, extend your current abilities, and awaken your creative impulses. Each project uses a unique combination of electronics, hand assembly techniques, custom 3D-printed parts, and software, while teaching you how to think through and execute your own ideas.
Makers: The New Industrial Revolution by Chris Anderson – In an age of custom-fabricated, do-it-yourself product design and creation, the collective potential of a million garage tinkerers and enthusiasts is about to be unleashed, driving a resurgence of American manufacturing.