If you’ve ever thought about expanding your crafting horizons by trying out some of the new high tech materials available to us today, like photochromatic inks, polymorph plastic, and conductive thread, you should definitely check out Syuzi Pakhchyan’s Fashioning Technology book. This DIY intro to smart crafting is an invaluable resource that walks you through the materials and tools you can use, gives technical primers on everything from LEDs to soldering to troubleshooting, and then offers 12 innovative projects of wearables, home goods, and toys you can make. The first 60 pages alone have become standard reference material on my desk, with clear images and descriptions of materials, tools, and techniques. There’s really no other book like it on the market.
We also put together a great starter kit for folks who just want to get their toes wet. The Fashioning Technology Smart Materials Kit comes with the book, plus phosphorescent powder (glows in the dark), photochromic powder (changes color in different lights), thermochromic powder (changes color at different temps), shape memory wire (contracts when heated), crimp beads (to control the shape memory wire), and polymorph plastic.
Get a more in-depth look at working with smart materials with Syuzi Pakhchyan on Episode 10 of Make: television:
And check out Syuzi on our CRAFT Video Podcast:
You can also check out the Fashioning Technology community site for tutorials, resources, and forum discussions.
This is the future of crafting!
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