Stylish DIY sewing and craft books come a thimble a dozen these days. The best we've seen in a while is "Born-Again Vintage" ($25, pottercraft.com) by young designer Bridgett Artise. Those whose tastes lean toward boho-adventurous are bound to find at least a couple of ideas they'll want to try from a total of "25 ways to deconstruct, reinvent and recycle your wardrobe." Think Anthropologie style for less than half-price. Three of our favorites are: a shrug (mini-capelet) made by trimming back and bordering an old sweater, a snappy cropped jacket fashioned from a brocade coat, and boot pants, which make stuffing jeans or other thick-fabric trousers into high boots easier by replacing below-the-knee denim with old jersey sleeves. The key is knowing where to find cheap vintage clothing with interesting textures and patterns, and Artise solidifies her credibility by listing store suggestions for each of the 50 states. For Minnesota, she cites Lula's, Succotash, Swank, Via's and Rewind, all in the Twin Cities. See more of Artise's designs at her website, b-artise.com.

KRISTIN TILLOTSON