Shitty Craft Club A club for gluing beads to trash, talking about our feelings, and making silly things

Beads. Sequins. Hot glue. Corn. The Shitty Craft Club takes the craft book concept and turns it every which way. Half memoir, half craft guide, comedian Reece's first book shares experiences from her youth to her viral break on TikTok, showcasing who the author is today: a maker of shitty crafts. What, exactly, is a shitty craft? What seems like nothing more than beads, hot glue, and hours of repetitive work is actually a way to explore concepts of self-care and resist expectations of perfection--and voilà, a pink sequined shrimp made of tinfoil. Full-page, full-color examples, step-by-step instructions, and supply lists for a dozen or so projects are provided for solo crafting or Shitty Craft Club sessions with friends. All materials are readily available at craft stores, and Reece also provides a list of ideas for sustainable craft supply sources. All in all, readers will take away various ways to be their own cheerleader and advocate: who needs others cheering you on when you can make your own sequined trophy?

Comedian Reece debuts with a quirky and digressive guide that encourages readers to embrace their imperfections by creating tacky crafts. She shows how to make a "shitty trophy" by gluing aluminum foil handles onto an empty bottle or cup, adorning it with rhinestones, and then taping on a sticky note commemorating such achievements as "Bought Vitamins!" and "Went Outside (Once)." Personal anecdotes accompany each project, as when Reece recounts a tough breakup after which she "couldn't remember what made me happy," then outlines how to construct a "Box of Good Stuff," which involves bejeweling an empty tissue box and filling it with scraps of paper featuring "things we know, like, and love about ourselves" ("I love my huge ass," Reece suggests). Other projects include the "rhinestone wall shrimp" (fake jewels glued to aluminum foil molded into the shape of a shrimp), beaded "soulmate bracelet," and a "pom-pom" made by tying loose yarn and ribbons together. The eccentric tone charms, though comedic asides sometimes overwhelm the crafting, as when Reece displays a series of her "tweets transformed into inspirational posters" ("All I do is send voice notes to friends and cook potatoes"). This is fun, if light on the actual crafting. (Sept.)