Tuesday 23 August 2016

Mollie Makes

I'm a bit late to the party with Mollie Makes, the latest, which is out at the moment, is issue 70 yet this is the first copy I've ever bought. I know a lot of people raved about it when it was first released back in 2011 and many signed up for a subscription. Some still buy every issue.


I have to confess that the only reason I've bought the magazine now is that I found an offer for 5 issues for £5. I've tried to cut down on buying magazines because of the cost and if I were going to spend £4.99 ( the usual price) for a magazine, there are others I'd prefer.

Knitting, crochet and, more recently, cross stitch are my preferred hobbies and it's only occasionally that I dabble with other crafts but I thought I'd give Mollie Makes a go and see what it's like. Immediate Media have a sale on their subscriptions at the moment so I thought it would be a good time to try it.


It came with a free Flower Garland kit to crochet. Free gifts wouldn't usually prompt me to buy a particular magazine as I don't often use them, but I suppose they're a little added extra.


I haven't had a proper read yet but there does seem to be a wide range of crafts in the magazine, brilliant for those proper crafty people who turn their hand to anything. I particularly like this cute felt fox which appears on the cover. The templates are included in the magazine, as are full instructions to stitch this little felt friend.


I wondered where I'd seen this T-shirt hack before. It turns out to be a project by Molla Mills which also appears in Crochetterie which I reviewed earlier this month.


These Beach Treasures really appeal to me, a lovely way to transform keepsakes which have been picked up at the seaside.


I can see that I'll enjoy looking through the five copies of Mollie Makes which I've purchased, however, on first impressions I'm not persuaded to continue with the subscription. I doubt I'd make very much from it.

I haven't been asked to write a review of Mollie Makes or paid to do so. I bought the subscription myself and just thought I'd share my opinion of it. How about you, have you bought this magazine in the past or do you buy it now and what do you think of it?


38 comments:

  1. I often find the content of magazines disappointing so I tend to trawl Pinterest and my favourite blogs for inspiration. But like you i do take up some special offers. At the moment it's a local mag and Tatler.

    Jean

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    1. There's so much inspiration on the internet these days to rival magazines, it's hard to resist the offers sometimes though but I rarely buy any at full price any more.

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  2. I used to buy lots of cross stitch magazines years ago until it dawned on me that i wasn't stitching anything from them!
    Like you i very rarely buy magazines but i was lucky enough to buy some back issues of Molly Makes at a car boot a while ago, my feeling on them is they are a good go to for browsing and oohing and ahhing but i doubt i would have the skill to make half of what is in there. Still, at that bargain price you have got to give it a go :-) The flower garland looks pretty, if you make it don't forget to show us :-)

    Did you know that you can get a lot of magazines from the library by way of the Library Zinio app? Last time i looked there were lots of cross stitch and knitting mags, the popular ones too, and they are free.

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    1. I tend to get lots of ideas and inspiration from blogs these days, I don't find I need magazines for that any longer but it is nice to sometimes have one in your hands when your browsing rather than pressing buttons. I didn't know that about the library, it's something I'll definitely look in to.

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  3. Mmm. Yes. The 5 copies for £5 came up on my Facebook feed and I went along with it. I did have an annual subscription one year, which I enjoyed, but time ran away, and I felt at the end I was buying and looking rather than being inspired to create. Perhaps I'll have more time this year (who am I trying to kid??) or Sarah will be inspired by some of the younger, easier crafts.
    I think I signed up from October, so my first copy won't come until September.

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    1. I'm glad I'm not the only one who succumbs to these offers. I'm not sure I'll be inspired to make much from them but they're certainly nice to look at and I don't mind so much for that price.

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  4. It does seem like a great little project magazine. I quite like the beach treasures ideas as so often, we pick up shells and such keepsakes but they end up in a drawer gather dust.

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    1. It's a good magazine if you're really crafty and dabble with lots of things. I thought the beach treasures ideas were really good, I like the idea of turning them in to something as my finds usually end up gathering dust too.

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  5. I have bought a few copies but wouldn't want a subscription and didn't take a lot from it either.

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    1. I'll certainly cancel this subscription before the full price comes in to effect as I wouldn't pay more for it but it's okay for the price I've got it for.

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  6. I had a subscription when Mollie Makes first appeared on the market. I liked looking at the pretty pictures and all but never made anything from it. I don't buy craft magazines but have a Which? subscription (I am very middle aged)....

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    1. There's some lovely projects in it but I doubt I'd ever get round to making them. I used to have lots of gardening magazine subscriptions but they all ended up getting a bit samey so I cancelled them all.

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  7. Magazines can be expensive ... I tend to buy one every now and again, depending on what articles/recipes etc are inside!

    The price for this Mollie Makes 5 for £5-00 is a good one, and I do like the cute felt fox, and I suspect many others will too!

    All the best Jan

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    1. I don't buy many magazines at all these days because they're so expensive. I can easily be tempted with offers though, £1 per magazine is good value even if I don't make any of the projects, I like looking at them. I think that fox is super cute.

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  8. I bought it for a while when it first came out, but like all these magazines I found that it was starting to feature projects similar to earlier ones. However, I do think it is a good magazine, and I still have all my old copies.

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    1. I think most magazines start repeating old articles which have been slightly updated, that's the reason I stopped buying gardening magazines. I do think Mollie Makes is good for browsing but I'm not sure I'll make anything from it, still, I'm looking forward to receiving the other issues I've subscribed to.

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  9. What I find annoying about a lot of knitting and crochet magazines is that they come wrapped in plastic!I like to have a quick look to see if there is anything I could make but they are soooo expensive.My OH bought me a subscription to The Knitter and that at least has quite a bit of reading in it.

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    1. I agree totally about the magazines being wrapped in plastic, I too like to have a look through them before I buy but there's no chance when they're in packaging. The Knitter is one magazine I've never bought, perhaps I should look that one out, it sounds like it might have a bit more content than other, similar magazines.

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  10. I stopped buying magazines a few years ago because of the cost primarily but also because I rarely (if ever) made anything from them. I now don't even go past them in the supermarket so the temptation isn't there for me. Your 5 for a fiver sounds like a good deal - I hope you find something useful in them. :o)

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    1. I have to walk past the magazines in my local supermarket as they're right in the doorway but I'm really good and keep my eyes focused in front of me. My temptation comes when I find an offer such as this one, but they're usually good offers so I don't mind.

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  11. I have a bit of a love hate relationship with Mollie Makes. Some of the projects are lovely but I felt a lot of them were too young foe me, that said I enjoy looking through my past copy's. x

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    1. From what I've seen, the projects look to be a mixed bunch, some I'd never want to make but others are really interesting. I'm looking forward to seeing what's in the other issues I've subscribed to now.

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  12. I tried to look inside it last week but couldn't as it was in a plastic wrapper, thanks for showing me. Some of it looks fun but I don't think I'd get round to doing them!

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    1. It's so annoying when you can't get a glimpse inside because of the packaging. I'm always full of good intentions when I buy craft magazines thinking I'll make lots of things from it, but I rarely do.

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  13. I was given a subscription as a gift last year, the volume that you show is my last one and is the only one that has interested me. I did buy a few copies when it first came out, it was more crochet and sewing orientated then. I buy the odd magazine here and there but have not found one to tempt me to take a sub out. There is so much available online now and many free patterns out there.

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    1. I'd have probably enjoyed Mollie Makes more if there was more knitting and sewing in it. I don't do much other crafting but I do enjoy looking at the projects. The usual price of £4.99 isn't worth it for me to just look through but I don't mind at this price.

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  14. I'm loving the crochet flowers. I've always wanted to learn so i can make a hat for my granddaughter.

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    1. The crochet flowers are really pretty. I'm sure you'll find time to learn to crochet once you've retired, not long to go now.

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  15. I've bought (I think) 3 issues over the years and passed them onto DD. They are nice, but along with you, I have others I like much better. Take care.

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    1. I definitely prefer magazines which concentrate on one aspect of craft, I feel as though I know what I'm getting with those and I'm more inclined to make something from them but I'm enjoying browsing Mollie Makes.

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  16. I have bought that magazine only a few times, it is very expensive over here in the US, I do have one of their crochet books.
    Hugs,
    Meredith

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    1. I always think the magazines here are expensive but I know the imports over there are even more so. We're quite lucky really that we have such a wide range of magazines to choose from, we're spoilt for choice really.

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  17. I've really cut back on magazines as I've found there can be a lot of repetition. I subscribed with the same offer when Mollie Makes initially came out, but only buy it occasionally now xx

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    1. I love these sort of offers, I don't feel as guilty buying magazines when they work out at just £1 per copy but definitely wouldn't pay £4.99 for Mollie Makes, not just to look through it. There's a few projects I like in this issue but I doubt I'll ever get round to making them.

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  18. I don't think I've ever bought this, but the covers do always look tempting. That was a great offer you found. I do like the fox!
    Lisa x

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    1. You would probably like Mollie Makes as you do all sorts of crafting, I thought you'd like the fox.

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  19. Magazines are so expensive these days aren't they? I used to buy gardening ones but stopped due to the rediculous prices. These do look interesting though, I like the beach finds and that little fox is lovely, they would sell like hot cakes on rescue open days.xxx

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    1. I do enjoy magazines but as you say, they're so expensive, I can't justify buying them at full price. I should imagine that any animal paraphernalia would sell well at rescue open days.

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