First came indie rock bands and indie movies. Now, thanks to Jessica Vitkus, the indie movement has reached the world of crafts, where traditional techniques such as knitting, mosaic, embroidery, metalwork, sewing, and collage are being used in brave new ways.With an emphasis on recycling, improvising, and making things from scratch, AlternaCrafts offers more than 20 projects that provide this newest generation of crafters with the skills they need for the self-expression they crave. Whether they want to turn their beat-up T-shirts into a shaggy rug, an old sweater into a cozy hat, yesterday's newspaper into a bouquet of flowers, or their jeans into a new skirt or bag, this exciting book tells them how to make the transformations with a minimal amount of money and no experience whatsoever. Smartly priced and boldly designed to attract teenagers and twentysomethings, this book will also appeal to older crafters seeking newfangled twists on their favorite pastimes.