Tabletop Fountains: 40 Easy and Great-Looking Projects to Make [Paperback]

Dawn Cusick (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 2000

The first how-to book on one of the hottest new trends around. Includes a fountain to make for every taste and style. The three sections (20-Minute Fountains, Two-Hour Fountains, and Weekend Fountains) present everything from a simple centerpiece of moss and flowers to an elegant stacked tile fountain. Clear instructions included for each. A craft craze waiting to happen..

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Fountains have become increasingly popular home-decor accents, but they can be somewhat pricey. Fortunately, many types are not very difficult to build, and can be made with lots of found materials and garden-center water pumps. Dawn Cusick's directions are good and her ideas relatively easy to duplicate. Her most successful designs are those that direct water to mimic nature by trickling over rocks and shells, or to flow through water-resistant items like brass vases, ceramic faces, or terra-cotta pots. Less successful are those that try to be too clever, such as the gift package fountain, whereby the water pouring over a stack of gift-wrapped boxes inspires nothing so much as the urge to grab a sponge to mop up the spill, or the office desk fountain, in which water cascades down a ladder of CDs set inside an empty computer monitor. And the lack of a source list may prove a hindrance to some, though most of the more specialized materials are readily available at home centers and garden-supply stores. Dorcas Adkins's Simple Fountains for Indoors & Outdoors takes a more elaborate, artful approach, but overall Cusick's book is a good way to begin a fountain-making journey. --Amy Handy --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

People love small indoor fountains for their pleasant, calming gurgle and the effect of bringing the outdoors inside. All that is required is a waterproof container, plastic tubing, and a submersible circulating pump. Add some decorative objects to hide the waterworks, and you have a fountain that is as self-contained as a lamp. This book outlines the basics of fountain materials and assembly and provides step-by-step projects by 12 designers. The materials are as ordinary as beach pebbles or as unusual as a recycled computer monitor. A delightful addition to craft or garden collections.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Lark Books (December 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579901891
• ISBN-13: 978-1579901899
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,241,196 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

97 of 97 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Top This Tabletop!, December 29, 1999

By 

Cynthia Collinge - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tabletop Fountains: 40 Easy and Great Looking Projects to Make (Hardcover)

As I was desperate to begin fabricating a few of these fountains for Christmas gifts (with only a short time to do so!), this book not only provided the basics in very easy-to-follow instructions (oh, so important), but the instructions are provided with touches of humor which helps quell some doubts and fears. It's not as easy as it looks; however, making a fountain can truly be mastered in a short amount of time - depending on your own creativity.

The color photos are beautiful and beneficial in providing many, many interesting ideas. These are not the mass produced fountains found at every department store during this Christmas season! These are works of art.

The only missing element which would have been helpful was a listing of ideas where the designers (and subsequently I) could locate/purchase some of the items pictured (most especially the black fountainhead on the author's own design on page 115 and the adaptor necessary to combine two sizes of tubing). I searched 15 stores before giving up on that fountainhead.

Overall, I'd recommend this book for its simple instructions, beautiful photos, and myriad of ideas for the novice.

50 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must have, packed with inspirational ideas, January 30, 2000

By 

Angel Lee "Liocorno Amethyst Moonstone" (Cleveland, OH United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Tabletop Fountains: 40 Easy and Great Looking Projects to Make (Hardcover)

I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to make their own beautiful fountains. I was easily able to create impressive fountains that rival any in stores at a fraction of the retail cost.

The book starts out with the basics including a detailed discussion of material preparation, mechanics & assembly. Design accents & concealers are then described. There is even a section on preventing problems.

Forty projects then follow. There is full-page color photo of each fountain. It is accompanied by a materials list & detailed step-by-step instructions. My favorite is a mask fountain with water pouring from it mouth.

Other fountains are made with a wide variety of easily found materials including tiles, shells, Corian, cement, glass, wood, copper, marbles, clay pots, bamboo, Lego blocks, used circuit boards & old CDs.

46 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From Mission Impossible to Mission Possible!, February 18, 2000

By 

"sleepysnow" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tabletop Fountains: 40 Easy and Great Looking Projects to Make (Hardcover)

Never a real handy person with a drill, I was surprised to see myself using it and thinking about what else I can drill a hole to use for my fountain. I am working on my third fountain since reading this book four weeks ago.

This is the best how-to book I've got so far. It makes you think of what else you can do besides following the projects in the book. The easy to follow intruction, the clear steps on how to solder and water-proof things you want to use on the fountain. It makes water-fountain building fun and easy!