Customer Reviews

HomeMade: 101 Easy-to-Make Things for Your Garden, Home, or Farm

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

 

 

The pictures in this book are just terrific- clear, well-drawn, and simple in that pre-digital, 70's pen-and-ink style that makes me downright nostalgic. And there are a lot of things in the book that I didin't know I needed until I saw them- how about a tool cleaner? Put sand in a large container, mix in used oil, and store your tools in the sand/oil mix. They come out not just cleaned, but already oiled, too. Also inside: multiple composters, a cold frame, a root cellar, feeders, brooders, bird houses, chairs, benches, fencing, gates- and you can probably build them most of them just by looking at the pictures. It's like having a cool great-uncle teach you old farm tricks.

If you build things, this book is great. It's not very detailed so you have to fill in the blanks, a beginning builder may need a little help. What a cool book for ideas on "farm life" type of items. Movable pig styes, horse sheds, chicken coops and even an incubator. My Aunt & Uncle owned this book when I was a teenager. My uncle built an incubator for me from the plans in this book. I gathered a dozen duck eggs from the haystack (after installing a dimmer switch to regulate the temperature from the light bulbs, because I couldn't find a thermostat) I incubated a dozen duck eggs, diligently turning them twice a day, watching the thermometer, keeping the water pan full. Every egg hatched. What a triumph! It is 20 years later and I still pull that book off the shelf. It's a keeper.

This book is a wonderful aid for those who want to add a creative (and helpful) touch to their home, garden, or farm. The ideas presented in the book offer something for every level of crafts-person. The drawings are clear, uncluttered and easy to understand and follow. The directions are concise yet full of information. The projects will blend in to any home. A wonderful book for the beginner!

I am a DIY type and was looking forward to this book. The project that initially caught my eye after going through the book was the Portable Horse Stable (pg. 151). The illustrations and list of materials seemed sound and the blurb about the project says the stable was designed at Rutgers University. The design is published by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture as Plan 6082. After looking over the plans and materials in the book, I looked up the published plans from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture to compare, and discovered where the plans diverge. The plan in the book leaves out many pieces of hardware that would not only make assembly easier but the structure more durable, and the dimensions in the book are also incorrect.

The book is a nice place to get ideas, but is lacking in the "how-to" if you want to actually build any of the items in the book. I would not recommend buying it for the plans. Check out publications at Home Depot or the library or online if you want to do that. This is mainly a well-illustration idea book. Check it out at the library, borrow it from a friend, and get your plans from other sources.

This is a book that offers a variety of home, garden, and farm essentials for general functioning, but also how to get to the point of making things, including saw horses and a work bench. Also included in this edition are lists of materials, which was very handy. The illustrations are clear without being laborious. We treasure this resource. Happy building.

good book for do it yourself I will enjoy it for years to come I will start a new project when I get through the book

I purchased this book for my son-in-law for Christmas. It immediately got passed around the room and some comments were "where did you get this" "this is so neat" "the directions are really clear". My husband wants to borrow it. My son-in-law and daughter are in a Medieval reenactment group and they often build things together so I know others will see it and the information will be used.

This book was not as nice as it sounded.....less than expected. I guess that you "can't tell a book by it's cover", holds true in this case.

I did not receive my original order and as soon as I contacted the seller, I was sent another copy which arrived in great conditon.