Book Review: Make it Yourself, by NODE

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Book Review: Make it Yourself, by NODE

Every once in a while someone comes along and creates something that should have already existed, but no one else realized it. Hacker/curator Node put together this incredible PDF encyclopedia of 1,000+ maker projects in late 2024. Each piece is rendered in beautifully minimalist linework, equalizing the presentation of builds from hundreds of creators. Although an all-encompassing tome would be impossible, the range is exceptional, covering everything from electronics to furniture to fashion.

Though it’d be at home on a coffee table, it’s an e-book for a reason — each image is a link to the project’s site, so you can learn to build all 1,000+ projects yourself. Maybe it’s the implied simplicity that gives the reader a strong sense of I-want-to-make-that, but I’ve found it a good tool for ramping up my motivation.

Minimalist clock art from Make it Yourself by NODE.

I wouldn’t be surprised by a premium charge to cover the effort behind it, yet for reasons I don’t understand (but still appreciate), it’s free.

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Sam Freeman is an Online Editor at Make. He builds interactive art, collects retro tech, and tries to get robots to make things for him. Learn more at samtastic.co, or on socials @samdiyfreeman.

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