Made by Dad: 67 Blueprints for Making Cool Stuff - Softcover

Bedford, Scott

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0761171479 ISBN 13: 9780761171478

Publisher: Workman Publishing Company, 2013

Synopsis

The Snail Soup Can Decoy to keep the candy stash safe. The Customizable “Keep Out” Sign to deter meddlesome siblings and parents. A Bunk Bed Communicator made from cardboard tubes (“Psst! Can you keep the snoring down?”). Clever, whimsical, and kind of genius, here are 67 unique projects that will turn any dad with DIY leanings into a mad scientist hero that his kid(s) will adore.

No screens, no hi-tech gadgetry. Made by Dad combines the rough-edged, handmade ethos of a Boy Scout manual or The Dangerous Book for Boys with a sly sense of humor that kids love. Scott Bedford, a creative director by day and Webby Award–winning blogger by nights and weekends, wields an X-ACTO knife, magic marker, and prodigious imagination to create endlessly delightful projects for his two sons. He knows that kids like contraptions and gadgets, things that are surprising―a chair that appears to be balanced on eggshells. Things that are complex―a multilevel city, with buildings, tunnels, and roads, built from old boxes around the legs of a table. And especially things with humor―the Snappy Toast Rack, made to resemble a crocodile’s gaping mouth.

The projects are shown in full-color photographs, and the instructions are illustrated in detailed line drawings that exude personality. Some are quick and simple enough to be done in a coffee shop; others are more of an afternoon project― yielding hours and hours of rich, imaginative playtime.

About this title

About the Author:

Scott Bedford is a London-based creative director who has worked for both global agency networks and cutting-edge technology start-ups. He is also the author of Made by Dad and a Webby Award–winning blogger who loves to make things and draw. He lives with his wife and two sons in Marlow, England.
 

Review:

“Made by Dad: 67 Blueprints for Making Cool Stuff by Scott Bedford is so good it hurts―’cause you know that if your own dad had had this book in his hands, your childhood would have totally rocked. “Chock-full” doesn’t even come close to describing the teeming nature of this tome. The fun photos, cool diagrams, clear instructions and handy cut-out templates run the gamut from wacky home decorations and gadgets (like setting up a Bunk Bed Communicator) to subversively educational science projects (like getting sucked into a Gravity-Defying Black Hole) to zany party ideas (like making Radioactive Sports Drinks).”

–BookPage

“Hey, dad, want to ratchet up your coolness quotient? Pick up a copy of Scott Bedford’s new book.”

–Chicago Tribune

“I made the mistake of leaving this book on the coffee table recently where my nearly 5-year-old scooped it up, spent 30 minutes paging through it and then cornered me in the kitchen with a list of projects from it he wanted to make. . . .Moms, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and friendly neighbors would all make good ring leaders for these projects. . . .My son was enchanted.”
–ApartmentTherapy.com

“A treasury of 67 clever, exciting and imaginative projects. ... Getting kids to make and create instead of simply consume and use is a challenge for parents. ... Made by Dad provides a good place to begin.”
–Wall Street Journal

“Remember all the crazy things you made as a kid, like ramps for toy cars or contraptions for pulling pranks? In his first book, illustrator Bedford, who also blogs at What I Made, gets in touch with his inner child. With a host of silly projects, this title is directed at parents looking for interactive activities for their children. . . . What’s not to love? This engaging compilation is clever and entertaining. A fantastic book.”
–Library Journal

“Made by Dad: 67 Blueprints for Making Cool Stuff by Scott Bedford is so good it hurts―’cause you know that if your own dad had had this book in his hands, your childhood would have totally rocked. “Chock-full” doesn’t even come close to describing the teeming nature of this tome. The fun photos, cool diagrams, clear instructions and handy cut-out templates run the gamut from wacky home decorations and gadgets (like setting up a Bunk Bed Communicator) to subversively educational science projects (like getting sucked into a Gravity-Defying Black Hole) to zany party ideas (like making Radioactive Sports Drinks).”

–BookPage

“Hey, dad, want to ratchet up your coolness quotient? Pick up a copy of Scott Bedford’s new book.”

–Chicago Tribune

“I made the mistake of leaving this book on the coffee table recently where my nearly 5-year-old scooped it up, spent 30 minutes paging through it and then cornered me in the kitchen with a list of projects from it he wanted to make. . . .Moms, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and friendly neighbors would all make good ring leaders for these projects. . . .My son was enchanted.”
–ApartmentTherapy.com

“A treasury of 67 clever, exciting and imaginative projects. ... Getting kids to make and create instead of simply consume and use is a challenge for parents. ... Made by Dad provides a good place to begin.”
–Wall Street Journal

“Remember all the crazy things you made as a kid, like ramps for toy cars or contraptions for pulling pranks? In his first book, illustrator Bedford, who also blogs at What I Made, gets in touch with his inner child. With a host of silly projects, this title is directed at parents looking for interactive activities for their children. . . . What’s not to love? This engaging compilation is clever and entertaining. A fantastic book.”
–Library Journal

About this edition

• Publisher: Workman Publishing Company
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 0761171479
• ISBN 13: 9780761171478
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 336