Customer Reviews

Debbie Travis' Weekend Projects: More Than 55 One-of-a-Kind Designs You Can Make in Under Two Days

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I have tried and successfully completed many of the multitude of projects in this book. The instructions are clear, concise and the photographs are gorgeous. The instructions for the armoire on the cover may not be spoon-fed line by line, but the two techniques that Debbie mentions she uses on it are very clearly explained in other projects. I tried it on a table (rather than an armoire). It's gorgeous. All it takes is a little imagination. I just can't believe what a jewel this book is.

I enjoyed Debbie Travis' previous books so this was a natural to purchase.However I was disapponited.The directions were unclear on several projects-the mirror framed mirror for one,it took much longer than a weekend and the putty never dries or took to the silver paint.This book has gone to the used book store!

Debbie Travis really breaks down projects that look complicated into easy steps. In looking for info on one project, I immediately became inspired to do several of her projects. They are all easilly adapted to your home and style, and definetly make you want to go for it!!

With the number of DIY programmes on TV at the moment this was the perfect aid to my refurbishment attempts. Laid out in a neat simple to follow format the book guides you quickly through the basic priciple any inexperienced DIYer needs to comprehend. Reasonably priced the only problem I have found with purchacing this book is that it has been lent out time and time again, I simply can't get back off my friends.

I agree with other reviewers that this book has some great projects, some of which I plan to do, and it gave me some very good ideas. The problem for me is too few pictures and, in some cases, incomplete instructions.

For example, on page 70 is a gorgeous vinegar-grained and faux tortoiseshell table. But the instructions are incomplete, explaining and showing just two small sections of the work and parts of the process, and not giving instructions for the remainder of the table. The table has a very nice border that separates the center and the tortoiseshell edge, but the instructions don't even acknowledge its existence.

In several other cases, the pictures with the instructions seem to stop in mid process. It would be much better if the pictures continued through to the finished product.

This book feels as if Ms. Travis tried to jam as many projects into a set number of pages as possible, which gave me the feeling of being hurried while I was looking at the book.

I think she paid too little attention to giving full instructions and providing enough pictures. If expanded to include these things, this would be a five-star book.

This book looks good at first glance, but then it falls apart. The nice colored pictures cannot compensate for the poor hints and guidelines in creating the same effects. Also, many of the finished projects were downright ugly.

I expected this book to offer something really fresh but it didn't. I feel majorly ripped off.

Lots of easy to do projects. Most of the projects can be adapted to suit your own decorating style.

I usually order used books on amazon, and I scored a bunch of them the other week after i got my taxes doen for a penny each.
This book is exciting to receive, although after thumbing through it several times, I think the projects are really neat, just not a lot of them and doesn't really leave for very much creativity other than exactly what she did with the project. It's cool and I'll probably make some of the projects, but could possibly be better if used more as an outlet for creativity instead of an outline.

I loved this book, and any other books that Debbie Travis has on the market. Her ideas are fantastic, and she will get your creativity going to start other projects.

Debbie Travis' books are a mixed bag. Some of them I really like and some are scarce on steps and details. This book falls into the latter category. The best part of the book to me were the two chapters, "Preparing your Project for Decoration" and "The Professional Touch". These chapters cover repairs of pieces, sanding, stripping, glazes and how to tint glazes, plaster, varnishes, stains, etc. and the best way to apply them for a professional finish.

This book covers all kinds of projects, indoor, outdoor, furniture, curtains, floors, screens, slipcovers and more.

Like another reviewer I thought many of the projects were very plain, but the beautiful ones sometimes seemed to leave out steps. Some of the more interesting projects were the:

~ vinegar-grained table (pg 70),
~ crackle varnish clock table (pg 76),
~ classical screen (pg 111),
~ faux leather frame (pg 118)
~ some of the curtains

The most interesting project that immediately caught my eye was a lamp made from an antique silver coffeepot (pg 130). Even though it had a full page photograph, it was not covered at all.

Very disappointing book.