People Who are Freaking Geniuses: Gail Jacobson

So, there are a lot of craft-project blogs out there, of course. This month, I thought I’d share one that’s been in my RSS reader for quite a while, and still gives me that little thrill of excitement whenever I see there’s a new post – which is saying something, in this crowded internet landscape of ours!

Gail Jacobson’s blog is aptly named Can’t Stop Making Things. Just about every post is a tutorial of some kind, and for a crafty omnivore like me, there’s a ton of inspiration.

All images by Gail Jacobson, used with permission.

Project: Decorated Shoes

Gail seems to work in just about every medium under the sun – she makes things with wire and beads, she sews, she builds and paints, she makes digital art, she creatively reuses materials from her recycle bin, she does paper crafting, metal crafting, and on and on. I love this diversity so much! Not only has Gail inspired me to try some new things, she always gets my wheels turning with new ideas. Also, I wonder what her craft room looks like!

Project: Button Card made from take-out packaging

I’m always impressed by the quality of Gail’s how-to’s as well. I mean, tutorial-izing a paper project is a completely different thing from tutorial-izing a woodworking project, and yet Gail always manages to make the process clear and understandable, with lots of process images.

Project: Eyeglass Hoop

Gail’s projects are always, as the blog’s header proclaims, “Doable, Affordable, and Useful.” The “Useful” part is where I think Gail really excels as a project blogger. I’m always seeing ideas on her blog for genius little stuff to better organize my home or belongings.

Gail also finds really innovative ways to use common materials, and she gives you nice, accessible points of entry into crafts you might not have tried before. You never need a ton of supplies, and most projects can be completed in just a few hours. This is a great blog to peruse on a Friday when you’re wanting a weekend project, but aren’t sure what it should be.

Project: Plastic Rose

As a case-in-point on the “innovative materials use” front, check out one of my all-time favorites: Gail made this rose out of plastic spoons. And a candle. It’s MacGyverlike, really.

I haven’t even gotten to all the holiday-related ideas on Gail’s blog. She always has fun projects for celebrations. Go spend some time in her archives!

Project: Simple Bench

This “Freaking Genuises” thing, by the way, is a series. If you’d like to see the other freaking geniuses I’ve featured, head over here.