South Florida DIY Expert Hosts New National Digital Series “DIY with Martin Amado” on CreateTV.com

Ten-part short-form videos hosted by Miami Native Martin Amado, 2020 National Grand Prize Winner of the Create Crafts Challenge




BOSTON, September 30, 2021—American Public Television (APT), the original home to public television’s lifestyle experts and sponsor of the Create Crafts Challenge on national public television multicast channel Create®, today announced the premiere of two weekly digital short-form video series encouraging do-it-yourselfers across the country to rethink home projects. Create’s Crafts Challenge Grand Prize Winner and Miami native Martin Amado leads with a weekly series – DIY with Martin Amado – and Second Prize Winner Dinah Wulf of Atlanta will follow as host of DIY Inspired Upcycling with Dinah Wulf.

The first episode of the 10-part DIY with Martin Amado releases Thursday, September 30th at noon ET. The series is hosted by Create Crafts Challenge 2020 Grand Prize Winner and television personality Martin Amado (seen on Telemundo and commercial TV across South Florida) and will continue with weekly releases through the end of October. The digital shorts feature a mix of projects designed to help viewers enhance their living space both inside and out.

APT President and CEO, Cynthia Fenneman, praised Amado, noting “he delivers a high level of professional skills and knowledge for viewers interested in fun and easy DIY projects. Create audiences’ appetite for this kind of programming continues to grow and we feel fortunate to have a host with such a strong resume on CreateTV.com!” Distributed and produced by APT, The WNET Group, and GBH Boston, Create® is a national lifestyle channel carried by 239 local public television stations, featuring food, travel, home and garden, arts & crafts, fitness, and living content.

An interior decorator, lifestyle expert, and author, Amado says his approach helps transform spaces into “beautiful, calming rooms helping homeowners use simple touches to make a change.” His series, DIY with Martin Amado, applies that theme sharing a single project in each episode to teach the audience hands-on, inexpensive ways to decorate for less.

DIY with Martin Amado
Television viewers may recognize Amado – a host/design expert seen nationally on ION Television who also contributes design segments to Telemundo’s news magazine program, Al Rojo Vivo, and their morning program, Hoy Día. For more than 16 years, viewers in South Florida have seen his work on the design show, SoFlo Home Project, which aired on WPLG Local 10, an ABC affiliate. He was featured on the home makeover segment, Room for Improvement, on WSVN 7 News, a Fox affiliate. Martin is a home contributor on NBC’s 6 In The Mix and Acceso Total on WSCV Telemundo 51, both airing in South Florida.

The Grand Prize Winner of the first national Create Crafts Challenge, Amado brings to life his passion for applying his skills and knowledge to help homeowner’s customize items to enhance their dwellings. A professional home stylist, Martin applies what he calls a “1, 2, 3” approach - “1 (walls), 2 (furniture), 3 (decorative accessories)” - to teach homeowners to think like a designer: decorate for less and save money by re-using goods you already own or can purchase inexpensively.

Martin first learned about transformational DIY projects working side-by-side with his dad who was a residential contractor in South Florida. As a pre-teen, Amado applied the lessons he learned on the construction site to add creativity to his bedroom, where he painted, rearranged his furnishings and added self-made accessories. He says it made him feel “different, more relaxed and more at home” in his space. His new digital series DIY with Martin Amado features projects ranging from trendy industrial shelving to an outdoor privacy screen to a doggie daybed and more. He said, “I was a kid with a dream, and am grateful to inspire others to create beautiful spaces through my work.”

With a degree in broadcast journalism from Florida International University, Martin pursued an acting career as a lead in commercials. He decided to merge his two interests: television and his DIY sense. Aware of the lifestyle genres featured on local commercial cable TV and South Florida PBS, Martin saw an opportunity which he has continued to pursue. That interest brought him to Create TV, where his knowledge, skills and genuine enthusiasm won the national competition.

In addition to his work in the general market, Martin has been featured on numerous Spanish Language media platforms airing nationally in the United States and throughout Latin America. His first decorating book, One-Day Room Makeovers is available in bookstores nationwide and includes detailed descriptions of many of his favorite projects. Martin works exclusively with his clients through his home styling company, The WOW Factor!, Inc.

Create Crafts Challenge 2020
Amado was selected from a nationwide pool of entries by judges who are among public television’s best known makers. Conducted as the nationwide quarantine took hold last March, the Create Crafts Challenge 2020 was judged by iconic television crafts experts, including Julie Fei-Fan Balzer (Make It Artsy), Eric Gorges (A Craftsman’s Legacy), Scott Phillips (The American Woodshop), Peggy Sagers (Fit2Stitch), Lena Skvagerson (Knit and Crochet Now!), and Fenneman. Nearly 100 entrants submitted an original video of three minutes or less featuring their best crafts project, idea or tip. Submissions were scored based on each entrant’s demonstrated knowledge, skills and familiarity with their chosen craft, ability to present ideas succinctly, overall telegenic appeal, uniqueness, and, production values. The Create Crafts Challenge judges agreed that “Martin did a great job! He was a natural on camera and has great personality.” One of the judges said she was inspired to create the rustic candleholder from his winning entry. Cynthia Fenneman said “Martin makes his projects accessible and interesting. You feel his enthusiasm in this new series, and he brings a great perspective sharing how his crafts can enhance a home’s interior design.” The Grand Prize and Second Prize award-winners were provided a cash prize and production equipment to produce each respective digital series for release on the Create channel website: CreateTV.com. Create Crafts Challenge 2020 Second Prize Winner, Dinah Wulf, a nationally acclaimed award-winning upcycling expert from suburban Atlanta, will follow Amado’s series beginning Tuesday, November 9th with the premiere of her three-part digital series DIY Inspired Upcycling with Dinah Wulf, sharing projects that offer tips to add panache to any home. Entries from the top 18 winners may all be viewed on CreateTV.com.

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About Create:
For 16 years, Create® has been the premier lifestyle channel featuring public television’s most popular how-to series, focused on food, travel, home & garden, arts & crafts, fitness, and lifestyle. Create is produced and distributed by American Public Television (APT), The WNET Group, and GBH Boston, in association with National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA) and PBS. Create TV is carried by 239 local public television stations nationwide, reaching more than 86% of USTVHH, and is seen in 21 of the top 25 U.S. television markets. Create’s companion website CreateTV.com features extensive video, the Create TV schedule, program and host information.

For more information and press preview of the series:
Jamie Haines
jhaines@APTonline.org
617-962-5604