Hide 

Building with Secondhand Stuff takes green remodeling and construction practices to new extremes. From deconstruction methods and salvaging tips to plotting efficient cutting plans and devising creative new uses for everyday items, it is packed with clever ways to obtain low-cost materials (and reduce landfilling in the process).

This book contains the answer to a question most of us have wondered about at some point: Is that pile of used maple flooring I saw on Craigslist worth taking? From plywood to hardwood flooring, to windows, doors, carpeting and more, salvaging building materials can save you thousands of dollars (and is about as green as you can get). This book is a hands-on, do-it-yourselfer's guide that shows you how to identify materials that can be salvaged efficiently and then gives you step-by-step instructions on how to go about doing it. Plus, it provides over one dozen complete plans featuring clever ideas for putting salvaged materials to good use as useful home furnishings.

Hide 

Good things do come in small packages.

Just ask internationally recognized small living expert Jay Shafer. His small buildings have appeared on CNN, Oprah, Fine Homebuilding, and This Old House. Ranging in size from 64 to 110 square feet, these tiny backyard buildings can be used as guest cottages, art or writing studios, home offices, craft workshops, vacation retreats, or a full-time residence.

Filled with photos, elevation drawings, and door/window schedules for six Tumbleweed box bungalows, The Tumbleweed DIY Book of Backyard Sheds and Tiny Houses, also includes an extensive how-to set of instructions that can be applied to any backyard building project. Though conventionally built, these handsome little buildings have real doors, windows, and skylights with interesting and practical details throughout. With extra attention given to energy and space efficiency in their design, these tiny houses can help deliver the relief we all need on the road toward a sustainable world.

Hide 

Beautiful, sustainable bamboo is one of the most popular materials around for gardens and home decor. This highly regarded introduction to the material is now back in print, revised and updated. It still offers rich history, fascinating background, and great projects, but with more than 20 new image,smaking this the most attractive source on the 'it' plant of the green movement.

The book covers all the tools and techniques you need for harvesting, storing, and making things with bamboo. Thirty how-to projects include bamboo fences, trellises, chopsticks, teacups, and even an outdoor shower. The updated edition describes bamboo's importance in local and global eco-systems and illustrates how to contain bamboo in the landscape. Lush photography makes the book a visual treat, and abundant illustrations add instructive detail.

Hide 

Hundreds of Ideas for Healthy, Happy and Fabulously Frugal Homekeeping

Bursting with ways to downshift, simplify, preserve resources, and honor the planet, Lemons and Lavender will give you tools to reclaim a purer, tastier, healthier and less expensive way of life. Sharp shares her radical common sense and revolutionary "freeconomics" approach to budgeting in this step-by-step guide to the good life.

Creative ideas inside Lemons and Lavender:

• Garden-to-table recipes for every meal
• Eco-deco ideas for furnishing your home
• Recipes for nontoxic cleaners, house paint and more
• Start a seed sharing garden with your neighbors
• Easy-to-make gifts with handcrafted gift wrap
• Grow your own cup of delicious herbal tea
• Learn to use organic sea salts, skin scrubs and detox bath therapies

Hide 

PlyDesign presents 73 ideas for sleek, smart home furnishings that you can make from off-the-shelf sheet materials using only basic hand and power tools. With designs contributed by more than 50 creative builders across North America, the projects include tables, stools, workstations, benches, laptop stands, shelves, art panels, organizers, headboards, doghouses, dollhouses, and more. A photo of each finished project is accompanied by a list of needed tools and materials, cutting and assembly diagrams, and clear step-by-step instructions.

Hide 

Do you have questions about woodworking? Spike Carlsen has the answers! Woodworking FAQ has everything you want to know, whether you're a beginner planning your first project or an experienced crafter putting in cabinets or making furniture. This book is like a master carpenter standing at your elbow to answer questions as they arise, including: How do I make base molding fit tightly on the inside corners? How do I prevent splintering on the end of a board when I rout it? How do I taper cut a table leg? Is there any way to take the wobble out of a chair without taking the whole thing apart? With its comprehensive information, friendly question-and-answer format, and convenient lay-flat binding, Woodworking FAQ will be the most important tool in your workshop.

Hide 

In today's world, when making home improvements, there is more to consider than simply changing the way your home looks or functions. Environmental issues should be part of every decision you make, from selecting fabric for soft furnishings to designing and siting a home extension. Eco House Book provides all the information you need to reduce your home's carbon footprint and directly improve your quality of life.

Most homes are not decorated, designed, constructed or serviced with eco-friendliness in mind. But you don't have to start again from scratch to make a huge difference in the impact your home has on the environment. We can do a great deal to convert our existing homes into greener, healthier places to live. Eco House Book explains how relatively small changes can be made (e.g., simple energy efficiency improvements, water saving tips) as well as more dramatic overhauls (such as redesigning room use, converting basements and extending your home).

Reducing the vast amounts of energy and water that homes consume on a daily basis receives special attention. You'll find advice on low-energy lighting strategies and decorative choices, improving insulation, the latest green heating systems, alternative ways of generating power, and electricity-reducing appliances.

Hide 

Inspirational and lavishly illustrated, this guide reveals the secrets to adding old-world charm and character to any home … even newly constructed houses. From heirloom furniture to classic window treatments, ideas abound for creating a beautiful rustic effect. Add simple architectural details such as crown molding. Or try paint techniques like crackling, mosaics and staining to keep a new house from seeming too new. Gorgeous photographs show what's possible with a wide variety of homes.

Hide 

Routers can do an amazing variety of tasks in the workshop, from shaping molding to cutting joinery, but which type is the best investment: trim router, plunge router, multi-base router?

Along with shop-tested buying advice, Routers and Router Tables includes complete plans for four complete router tables and routing workstations, a spiffy router lift, plus several more auxiliary fences for special operations such as raising panels and jointing edges. Also included are dozens of proven shop tips and router table add-ons, illustrated with photos. A special section features amazing sliding dovetail joints, which can only be made on the router table.

As part of the Tool Smarts Series from American Woodworker, Routers and Router Tables is a must-have book for all woodworkers, regardless of skill level. It covers everything a woodworker needs to know about these important tools.

Want to read more? Preview this book: 8 Great Reasons to Own a Plunge Router.