Curbly Bookworm: Return of the STUPID SOCK Creatures

By: Diy maven Oct 24, 2012

created at: 10/24/2012

When John Murphy wrote his first book Stupid Sock Creatures, little did he know he would start a sock creature revolution. People everywhere were so inspired by the eight creatures contained within, they began making sock creatures of their own. John then invited these loyal readers to become guest designers for his latest work, Return of the Stupid Sock Creatures (Lark Crafts, October 2012, 132 pages). 

The book is divided into two parts. The first… Continue Reading

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Curbly Bookworm: DIY Ideas, Projects and Tips for Every Room

By: Diy maven Oct 02, 2012

 

The new title from Better Homes and Gardens, DIY Ideas, Projects and Tips for Every Room (Wiley, 264 pages) is so jam-packed with amazing photos, tips and projects, I’m not sure where to begin. Seriously. When I first opened the book I immediately suffered from inspiration overload. My problem was trying to take it all in at once. Not good. Better would have been to approach this incredible wealth of… Continue Reading

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Curbly Bookworm: "Recycled Home" by Rebecca Proctor

By: Diy maven Aug 27, 2012

created at: 08/27/2012

From blankets to bowls to wallpaper to teepees (yes, teepees), Rebecca Proctor's new book single-handily revises "make do and mend"  to "make do and recycle." Entitled, RECYCLED HOME, Transforming Your Home Using Salvaged Materials, the book has something for every skill level who has a penchant for re-use. Divided into seven sections (Living, Sleeping, Bathing Dining Utility, Kids and Outdoors), the 50 featured projects are complete with concise directions and full-color pictures. Here's a project that caught my, an Upcycled Chair Seat,… Continue Reading

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How to: Make a Modern, Minimalist Bird Feeder

By: Diy maven Apr 30, 2012

created at: 04/23/2012

As soon as I spotting this bird feeder in Fern Richardson's beautiful, new book Small-Space Container Gardens, I immediately had to ask her publisher, Timber Press, if I could share it with my fellow Curbliers. Okay, yeah, it's a bird feeder and Fern's book is about small space gardening, but she does devote an entire chapter on attracting birds, bees and butterflies to tiny gardens. So there. Now, on to the… Continue Reading

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Bookworm: Small-Space Container Gardens

By: Diy maven Apr 27, 2012

 created at: 04/23/2012

 No garden? No problem. Fern Richardson of Life of the Balcony fame shows us how to have an enviable garden without the acreage in her title Small-Space Container Gardens from Timber Press. Organized into 9 tidy sections, we cover everything from flowers to herbs, from shady patios to sunny decks and everything in… Continue Reading

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Bookworm: The Beginner's Guide to Growing Heirloom Vegetables

By: Diy maven Apr 25, 2012

created at: 04/23/2012

Don't let the title of Marie Iannotti's new title from Timber Press fool you. Her guide for growing all that is heirloom is perfect for the beginner and the experienced gardener alike. However, if you are a beginner to this variety of vegetables, you might wonder just what an heirloom vegetable is. According to Ms. Iannotti, there are three requirements that must be… Continue Reading

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Bookworm: Handmade Garden Projects + BONUS Cocktail Table How-to!

By: Diy maven Apr 23, 2012

Lorene Edwards Forkner’s book Handmade Garden Projects is filled with  step-by-step instructions for over two dozen projects that will keep you busy for this growing season and beyond. Featherweight planters (made of peat and cement), vinyl wall flowers (made of LPs), a vintage-y outdoor chandelier (made of wire edging), a pergola (made of plumbing pipes) and much more, there’s something for every garden and every DIYer. You can snag it right now at Amazon for about $14.

 With the permission of Ms. Forkner’s publisher, Timber Press, we’re pleased as punch to share two original projects from Handmade Garden Projects. The first is this Gabion-Style Cocktail… Continue Reading

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Curbly Bookworm: DIY Furniture: A Step-by-Step Guide

By: Diy maven Nov 30, 2011

created at: 11/30/2011

Don't let the unassuming title or cover of industrial designer and artist Christopher Stuart's new book, DIY Furniture: A Step-by-Step Guide fool you. The work is filled with some of the most interesting DIY furniture I've ever seen--and I've seen a lot. Chris collected 30 projects from the best designer-makers out there and put them into the collection that includes projects for every room in your home, and they're all constructed of… Continue Reading

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Curbly Bookworm: Crazy for Cake Pops

By: Diy maven Oct 14, 2011

Imagine this: On the eve of your 29th birthday you lose your job. What do you do? Well, if you're Molly Bakes you stay up until one in the morning baking and frosting 30 cupcakes for your friends. That evening proved pivotal for Molly, as it was the beginning of a love affair for baking and a new career.

Soon thereafter, she began selling cupcakes in Brick Lane Market in London's East side. It was then she came to another turning point. She… Continue Reading

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Recommended Reading List Updated for Spring 2011

By: Bruno Apr 13, 2011

It's Spring, and for most of us (at least up here in the north country of Minnesota), that means a raging, uncontrollable urge to be outside of the house. Reading books? A not-so-close second. Still, there are lots of good new titles out there, and some of 'em might even assist you in your outdoorsy endeavors. We've updated our Recommended Reading page for Spring 2011; here are some excerpts ...

Square Foot Gardening

Grow more in less space! Ok, to be fair,… Continue Reading

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Creating Your Own Small-Space Edible Garden

By: Diy maven Mar 23, 2011

created at: 03/23/2011

Confession: As a vegetable gardener, I'm pretty pathetic. We used to have a 12' x 15' vegetable garden at the back of our property (about 200 feet from our house and down a somewhat steep hill). With the weeding and watering, our excitement every spring for growing our own peppers and tomatoes faded quickly, leaving us with a less than flourishing garden. Several years back, we gave in, realizing that, even though we have plenty of room for a 'proper' garden, we just weren't 'proper' garden people. We… Continue Reading

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Spring Cleaning 101: Tips from a Pro

By: Chrisjob Mar 08, 2011

For the first time in months, there's a beautiful ray of mid-afternoon sunshine cascading through my window, and illuminating all the dust and grime that's built up through the winter months.

I dunno if the sun is going to last, but I do know that I can't pretend like my house doesn't need a thorough scrubbing and organizing anymore. Grrrr...stupid… Continue Reading

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1001 Classic Old-Time Household Hints

By: Modhomeecteacher Mar 07, 2011

Cleaning house while dreaming about cleaning up the garden beds. Looking back, it's likely that I could have done a better job at both last year. To get myself pumped up for a Spring clean and purge, both inside and out, I just ordered 1001 Old-time Household Hints: Timeless Bits of Household Wisdom for Today's Home and… Continue Reading

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Snip, Burn, Solder, Shred (Plus 4 Bonus How-to's!)

By: Diy maven Feb 16, 2011

created at: 02/11/2011

David Erik Nelson's new book Snip, Burn, Solder, Shred from No Starch Press is subtitled 'Seriously Geeky Stuff to Make with Your Kids.' That's true; the projects inside the book will appeal to kids, but they will also appeal to adults with a penchant for DIY. That's why it's a perfect book to buy to tell the kids in your life it's for them, but really it's for you!

The book is divided into 3 parts. The first is entitled 'Kid Stuff,' and it contains things that are great for… Continue Reading

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Recommended Reading List Updated for Winter 2011

By: Bruno Feb 03, 2011

Guess how many new books are released every day? Yeah, I have no clue either, but it's a lot. Too many to keep track of, though we do try. Today we've updated our Recommended Reading page with a bunch of new titles for Winter 2011. These are books we've reviewed on the site, or just books we came across and thought looked cool. Here are some that I liked (make sure to click through to see them all):

 Fiesta at Rick's: Fabulous Food for Great Times with Friends

I watch Rick's show on public… Continue Reading

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