Publisher: Lark Crafts
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 06/05/2012
ISBN-13: 9781454702412
ISBN-10: 1454702419

Intrepid DIY blogger Amy Anderson reclaims Mod Podge, made (in)famous by 1970s devotees who découpaged groovy TV trays and stabilized macramé plant-hangers with the handy sealant. Get the low-down on Mod Podge's more recently developed use-specific formulations: from an outdoor-safe finish for embellishing rockin' rain boots to a dimensional, clear finish for making resin-like jewelry with less mess and no toxic chemicals. Forty-plus hip, modern fashion and home décor projects -- accompanied by bright color photos and clear instructions -- will tickle teens and whimsical adult crafters alike. Kayte Terry offers other great projects for Mod Podge (and more) in Paper Made!.

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Publisher: Timber Press
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 05/01/2012
ISBN-13: 9781604692211
ISBN-10: 1604692219

The Lavender Lover's Handbook is a complete, concise growing guide to 100 top lavender cultivars. Handy charts outline bloom color, scent strength, and more to help cooks and crafters choose the right kinds for their favorite pursuits, as well as their growing conditions. Lovely lavender project ideas (such as wreaths, body oils, and soaps), mouth-watering recipes (like lavender-infused Mediterranean Chicken or crème brulée), and luscious photos throughout make it easy to see why Library Journal cheers this as "the best recent all-around lavender book...for gardeners, crafters, and cooks alike." Jennifer Vasich's The Lavender Gourmet will further whet the appetite of lavender-loving foodies.

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Publisher: Storey Publishing
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 05/08/2012
ISBN-13: 9781603427401
ISBN-10: 1603427406

Improv Sewing offers a "soothing, empowering" (Publishers Weekly) alternative to sewing books that insist pure technique mastery is the only proof of sewing success. Here, the focus instead is on sewing as a creative journey -- full of surprises, discovery, and serendipity -- that ends in having made "something lovely and wonderful." A friendly introduction to sewing basics is followed by intimidation-busting chapters on fabric selection, tailoring, and many types of embellishment. Relaxed advice plus 101 creativity-boosting projects will be a balm for stressed-out beginners, and a boon to intermediate stitchers who already love going off-pattern (but might like to get somewhere, eventually).

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Publisher: Ecco
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 05/22/2012
ISBN-13: 9780062064073
ISBN-10: 006206407X

United States of Pie collects authentic heirloom pie recipes culled from archives of farm wives' recipes, church cookbooks, newspapers, and other historic sources. Lost favorites (Chipmunk Pie, an apple-nut confection) and beloved classics (Southern Peach Pie) are described in such lush language and tantalizing detail that you'll be dying to try every recipe for yourself -- even without photos to lure you. All but the most novice bakers can easily follow the baking tips provided, and all recipes' measurements, temperature settings, etc. have been adapted for modern home bakers.

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Publisher: Potter Craft
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 04/17/2012
ISBN-13: 9780307587145
ISBN-10: 0307587142

InStyle designer and fashionista Jenni Radosevich shares insider tips for turning thrift shop finds into runway-worthy wardrobe pieces. Youthful projects range from spruced-up wardrobe basics to hot looks inspired by old-school Hollywood glamour, modern celebrity trends, and fashion classics. Try making a grommet-accented sheath dress, bold feather earrings, a ribbon tank top, or a nautical bag -- all without a sewing machine! With a few craft basics, a can-do attitude, and this inspiring book, you'll soon be sporting the season's flirtiest trends. Teen crafters will love this, and the similar moxie of P.S.-- I Made This by Erica Domesek.

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Publisher: Random House Inc
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 07/31/2012
ISBN-13: 9781607741022
ISBN-10: 1607741024

A modern baker struck gold when old filing cabinets left in her new bakeshop revealed a trove of vintage cake recipes, some from as long ago as the 1920s. Now home bakers can relive never-forgotten childhood favorites like Blackout Cake, the decadent WWII-era dark chocolate treat named for state-side port blackouts that hid docked U.S. Navy ships. Champagne Cake, an airy, pink-frosted white cake dream, starred in ladies' luncheons of the 1950s, while luscious Watergate Cake with Impeachment Frosting became the dessert of choice while gossiping over "Tricky Dick" Nixon's presidential scandals in the 60s. Fans of Cheryl Day's The Bake in the Day Bakery Cookbook will love sampling Vintage Cakes, too.

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Publisher: Ballantine Books Trade Paperbacks
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 12/14/2010
ISBN-13: 9780345525093
ISBN-10: 0345525094

Other than gender-specific tips for grooming, most of the sage advice and handy how-tos here will be equally useful for both men and women. Inspired by conversations with men from World War II's "Greatest Generation," author Erin Bried shares 100 essential life skills from the practical (baiting a hook, catching a fish, changing a flat tire) to character-building advice (how to be brave, how to work hard, how to be a role model). Fans of the author's previous DIY thrift hit, How to Sew a Button, will love this follow-up. Guys on a determined quest to be useful and well-rounded may like Thomas Fink's The Man's Book, too.

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Publisher: Portfolio/Penguin
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 10/25/2011
ISBN-13: 9781591844433
ISBN-10: 1591844436

An amateur craftsman and editor-in-chief of Make magazine, author Mark Frauenfelder expanded his DIY chops the old-fashioned way: he had to. As the dot-com bust forced him (and his family) to think more carefully about their resources, he also questioned his increasingly "virtual" lifestyle. Over a year, this self-professed geek learned to build, whittle, plant, harvest, and keep bees and chickens (separately, of course) -- and discovered that self-sufficiency is the ultimate renewable resource. Stuffed with advice and project ideas relating to all Frauenfelder's endeavors, this personable compendium of DIY theory and practice also includes profiles of inspiring DIY community leaders (who offer still more tips) plus a wealth of suggested resources.

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Publisher: House of Anansi Press
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 05/01/2010
ISBN-13: 9780887848322
ISBN-10: 088784832X

Gardening guru Marjorie Harris learned thrift from hard-working parents who still struggled to make ends meet; later, like most of us, she learned to splurge -- and painfully unlearned it. She advises that "being thrifty means being self-aware": clarify your wants and needs so you can both respect what sustains you in the present and plan for your long-range well-being. Harris offers frugal tips on home repair, cooking, gardening, smart shopping, building community, and more with help from a few famous (and famously thrifty) friends like novelist Margaret Atwood, travel writer Sylvia Harris, and actor R.H. Thompson. Pia Catton's Be Thrifty: How to Live Better with Less is another great guide to happy, sustainable self-sufficiency.

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Publisher: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 02/23/2011
ISBN-13: 9781579128623
ISBN-10: 1579128629

For author Lisa Taylor, urban farming is simply "resourceful food gardening in a city setting" -- like previous generations' compact-but-mighty victory and kitchen gardens. Your Home in the City draws upon the collective expertise of Seattle's best community farmers to help today's city dwellers transform humble urban patios (or vacant city lots) into bountiful "city farms." This comprehensive guide to everything from picking the right crop to safely discouraging city pests (like the neighbors' kids) is just the thing for urban locavores and farmers' market fans ready to take their sustainable, eco-friendly dining to the next level. Bonus recipes in the sidebars ensure they'll enjoy the harvest, and novice gardeners will appreciate the additional resources section.