Made by Dad: 67 Blueprints for Making Cool Stuff

by Scott Bedford

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780761171478
Publisher:	Workman Publishing Company, Inc.
Publication date:	05/07/2013
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	428,739
Product dimensions:	8.08(w) x 9.60(h) x 0.92(d)

About the Author

Scott Bedford is, by day, creative director at Velti, an ad agency in London, and by nights (and weekends) a Webby Award–winning blogger and occasional columnist for Make magazine who creates really cool stuff with and for his two young sons. He lives with his family in London, England.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Scott Bedford’s humor and artistic skill appeal to me. . . .Martian Door Decal, Earthquake Coat Hook, 1-Ton Lampshade, Cat-Trap Birdfeeder, Table Leg Moon Mine, Snappy Toast Rack, Titanic Bookshelf Art, Slingshot Car Launcher, Marvelous Marble Bouncer, Teddy Through the Center of the Earth, Snail Soup Decoy, and Surveillance Camera Stash. How can you go wrong with a [project] list like that?”
–Mark Frauenfelder, BoingBoing.net

“Scott Bedford has come up with some incredibly crafty DIY projects that will just absolutely blow your kid’s lid. From the light that looks like a 1-ton weight to a bunk bed speaker system that would send any child into fits of joy, there’s a ton of great projects in here to enjoy together for years to come. A must for the fun dad and crafty kids.”
–Mike Adamick, author of Dad’s Book of Awesome Projects, for Babble.com

“I am kind of obsessed with [this] book… It is so much fun! You’re gonna have a blast! Made by Dad—but I think Mom and the kids will love it, too.”
–Rachael Ray

Editorial Reviews

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

From the Publisher

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. An introduction discusses materials, tools, and techniques, emphasizing which of them are kid friendly and which require an adult to step in (for instance, one project necessitates a blowtorch). The "blueprints" are arranged by general theme and are heavily illustrated with playful drawings (both step-by-step construction diagrams and illustrations of the creations in use). The author also includes templates to give extra help to those less graphically talented. Providing wild and wacky fun, Bedford's beautifully organized projects include an alien abduction mobile, a bunk bed communicator, and a jelly bean dispenser. Though there is no index, the detailed table of contents more than makes up for this oversight. VERDICT What's not to love? This engaging compilation is clever and entertaining. A fantastic book.

Library Journal