Maybe it was when I discovered that Gen Art's resident rock 'n roll loving gal, Carrie Schupper, was seriously into knitting in her downtime. Or when the guys from Salt & Samovar, one of my favorite Brooklyn indie rock bands, showed me one of their rad handmade albums and revealed plans to create a signature fragrance from scratch to be sold at live shows. And then there's the recent success of indie craft fairs like Renegade driving the point home—suddenly DIY is where it's at.

An interesting fact that filmmaker Faythe Levine hopes to capture in her new work-in-progress documentary, "Handmade Nation: The Rise of DIY Art, Craft and Design." She's hosting a free screening of a 20-minute segment of the film tonight at the Jane Addams Hull House Museum followed by a discussion; in anticipation of this DIY love fest, I've picked five of my favorite crafty kids to spotlight below.

1. papercutdiecut
Beautiful, intricate paper-cut art that is handmade using a sharp knife and scissors in an ancient Chinese method.
2. Nervous System
An innovative and mathematically-inspired accessories line launched by a pair of aesthetically-inclined MIT grads. Geek chic.
3. something's hiding in here
Among other things, Shauna Alterio and Stephen Loidolt carve novelty mustaches out of wood; that makes them hilarious heroes in my book.
4. LOYALTY & BLOOD
A Brooklyn-based line of handmade jewelry and screenprinted tees and totes that possess a delightfully-dark sense of humor.
5. Julianna Holowka
This tough-as-nails designer boasts mean cards for many occasions; one of my favorite missives reads, "that iPod doesn't make you cool."

- Caroline Stanley

Similar Topics:art, DIY, Documentary, film

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