Prior to the advent of the National Curriculum in England and Wales, the production of teaching materials was an established vehicle for curriculum change. The Nuffield Design and Technology Project recently published extensive materials which enlarge upon the National Curriculum. This paper presents an investigation based on case studies of two teachers in separate schools, each using Nuffield publications with one of their classes. It explores: how Nuffield materials were selected and adapted by teachers; the resulting balances between in-house and Nuffield influence; and teachers’ intuitive evaluations of the materials’ impact. Both teachers ‘injected’ similar Nuffield elements into existing schemes; they took ownership, exploiting the materials’ flexibility. Both prescribed the mechanical/structural elements of the product, but allowed extensive pupil autonomy over aesthetic elements. Text books were initially underused. In describing the materials’ impact, one teacher emphasised pupils’ learning, the other the improved quality of his own experience. This paper suggests that even a little training may greatly enhance teachers’ use of Nuffield resources.