The summer stretches out ahead of you.

Ach, but you’re already just a little bit bored. Seriously, you can only play so many video games, ride your bike so many hours, swim so many laps. So what do you do when you’ve got time on your hands? With “Now Make This,” curated by Thomas Bärnthaler, you’ll never wonder again.

Everything you’ll touch this summer was made by somebody: your bed, your game controller, your bike, and your swimsuit. The makers of each of those products were kids once and if they can do it, why can’t you make something cool, too? With this book, you can, using things you’ll find around the house or garage. Some of the projects will need a grown-up’s help but you might not need money. Best of all, your creativity can go wild because “sometimes what you might think is a mistake can actually make your project even better!”

If you’re going with your family on a great vacation this year, for instance, you’re going to need a “Jar in a Jar” from designer Sam Hecht. It will require a grown-up’s help to make, but it won’t cost much and it’ll help you keep track of those tiny souvenirs you’ll bring home.

Are you babysitting this summer? If you are, you’ll be in high demand when you bring sock puppets (from designer Jaime Hayon) and “cut & fold masks” (from matali crasset) with you. Both of these things are easy-to-make yourself, and they’ll entertain little sibs and customer’s kids alike. You might also want to invest in some colored construction paper, too: lots of projects in this book use it.

No doubt, you’re going to need a gift for someone this summer and a balancing sculpture from Ladies & Gentlemen Studio will make a great gift that you make yourself. A fishnet lamp from Neri&Hu requires the help of an adult to make, but it’ll be so cool that you’ll want one, too. And if you’re really feeling ambitious, make a toilet paper wall for yourself, or a playhouse for your little sister.

“Who knows,” says Bärnthaler, “maybe you’ll grow up to be a designer one day!”

Remember making your own fun out of imagination, odds and ends, and junk? Your child will have those kinds of memories, too, when you’ve got “Now Make This” around the house this school-break.

Of course, you’ll know by paging through it that this is a launching-point for inspiration. “Curator” Thomas Bärnthaler says in his introduction that the 24 projects in this book shouldn’t be exactly copied. That gives kids permission to hone their imaginations while DIY-ing, templates help for accuracy, and the cost-and-time indications give them a realistic idea of what they’re in for. But beware: some projects will absolutely require your help, especially those with power-tool-as-ingredient.

The Bookworm Sez:
“Now Make This,” curated by Thomas Bärnthaler
c.2018, Phaidon
$19.99 / $24.95 Canada
122 pages