Hey there, can you introduce yourself?

Hello! Bonjour! Welcome! My name is Alison Caporimo and I'm a magazine editor, Brooklyn-based maker, and the author of InstaCraft.

Tell us a bit about the book?

I wanted to make a craft book where anyone could get their hands on the materials (if they didn’t already have them lying around the house). For this reason, I kept tools super simple: glue, tape and scissors are your best friends for these projects. I also kept project time short: 5 to 10 minutes to complete a craft! Everyone can find a few minutes to spare in their day, and why not use that time to make trendy gifts and accessories.

What was the inspiration behind it?

With my background in style, I'm always on the hunt for new trends. When I moved into New York City's East Village, I would go into local shops to memorize patterns that I loved and look at materials printed on labels. It didn't take me long to realize that I could make this stuff, that anyone could really. That's when I decided to stake out local hardware stores and chain shops and turn generic items into trendy decor and accessories.

Which is your favourite project?

It's so hard to choose! But if I had to pick a favorite child, it would be my Faux French Lockets. I remember spotting these colorful pendants in Martha Stewart Living. Pretty soon they started popping up on popular style blogs like A Cup of Jo. With a price tag of about $100, I accepted my DIY challenge. After a week or two of experimenting, I found a way to recreate them for under $5!

What is your craft space like?

My craft space entails a rickety paint-splashed desk tucked away in a corner of my bedroom. There are candles, watercolor prints, and more plants than you can handle. I love being surrounded by nature.

Have you always been creative?

I've always loved making things. Poetry, crafts, music. A friend once told me about his 3 door rule: that music, writing, and painting are 3 different doors into creativity. And the more you leave those doors open, the more creative crossover you'll experience. I try to push myself to make new things all the time. Whenever in doubt, just try your hand at it.

When did you first start crafting?

I was six-years-old and working on this library club project that involved sprinkling sand and sticking sea shells on picture frames. I couldn't get enough of it. I made one, then two, then five… my family started to hide frames from around the house, afraid to one day find them all turned into my sandy masterpieces!

Who are your crafty heroes?

I have major craft crushes on A Beautiful Mess, Design Love Fest, and Brit + Co. Their tutorials are super simple and the finished projects are gorgeous.

Where do you find inspiration?

For inspiration, I read. Wilde, Nabokov, Melville, anything. Poetry makes me swoon.

What's next for you?

I'm pouring my heart into my Etsy shop, Figment and Fragment. I love spending my days hand-rolling clay beads and designing fun jewelry. I also just finished contributing to a new DIY jewelry book.