DIY Life

Shabby chic is an interesting home decorating style. It's almost as if you are trying to give your home a haphazard look, slightly worn out, a little bit mis-matched, traditional with a twist. Originally seen in European country homes that were expensive to keep up, shabby chic was borne out of the necessity to keep home decor costs to a minimum.

Certain design elements are associated with shabby chic: fringe and tassels, different types and patterns of fabric used in the same room, distressed surfaces, and flea market finds.

After the break, we'll reveal a few tips and tricks to help you get this look on your own.

Bring a bit of vintage style into your bathroom with Julie Reed's crocheted bath rug. The doily pattern that she used is from 1918: authentic and classic. The full tutorial will give you everything you need to recreate this bath mat in your own home.

Julie doesn't just list supplies and steps, but walks us through what works and what doesn't, as she chooses the right yarn and tries to minimize the ruffled edge.

I love her color choice. The juniper and charcoal heather compliment each other beautifully. This is the kind of inspired piece you could build your whole bathroom around. After the break, I'll discuss some DIY ways to finish off your vintage style bathroom.

Mother's Day invariably means an avalanche of mundane gift ideas for mom. If your mom is into gardening big-time, why not get something she can use and/or enjoy year-round--unlike, say, that $60 bunch of flowers or (yawn) potted herb garden you were about to order. Read on for ten gifts that real gardening moms would love to receive this Mother's Day!

Oh and by the way: all of the following gift ideas are available on the Web, which is cool because it means you don't have to schlep to the mall or your local blue- or orange-hued home and garden superstore. The down side: prices do not include tax or shipping. But, hey, if you can avoid a trip to the mall on Saturday it's worth it, right?

1. Japanese hand shears, $25-$48
Renowned for their beauty and durability are these Japanese hand tools. The secret? They are constructed from carbon steel (as opposed to stainless steel). Elegant rolled steel handles give them an unusual and distinctive appearance. In order to prevent rusting, these tools must always be dried after use and oiled occasionally. Aficionados swear it's worth the effort.

Pam Garrison is a relatively well-known artist and craft blogger: you may have seen her work in the Somerset family of magazines, or over at her blog.

Recently, Pam wrote about a decorating project she'd done in her own home: she made over the closet in her art room by papering its interior and adding shelves.

There's nothing so unusual in that, but the paper is entirely vintage (and vintage-style) wallpaper scraps, put up in a patchwork style. The effect is a cheerful and pretty collage. She credits the inspiration for the project to Alicia Paulson of the popular blog Posie Gets Cozy, who has done a closet door in a similar style.

Read more about how Pam did it, along with some further suggestions of my own, after the break.

Weddings can be very expensive, and everyone wants to cut pennies where they can. Why not start by making your own guest book? It can be a really simple project, and is an opportunity to create something special and unique that you'll appreciate looking at in the many years of wedded bliss to come!

Things you'll need:

• Blank book: You can get these at just about any craft store
• Xyron machine or glue stick
• Rubber stamps: There are many wedding themes available
• Stamp pads
• Poetry or Quotes you like, related to the theme of course, printed onto cardstock
• Photos
• Ruler
• Pens
• Decorative scissors

And, if you decide to antique the book, you will also need:

• Brown acrylic craft paint
• Sponge brush
• Water

You'll find the instructions after the break!

Quality antiques are beautiful and add a unique flavor to the home. However, I learned a thing or two on the subject when I used to write a regular column on the antiques market in Savannah, Georgia. Most of all, I learned that dealers, antique malls, and private sellers abound, and their prices can vary wildly. Don't shell out big bucks for antique furniture until you've learned the basics. Here are five top tips to guide you in your search:

1. Carefully examine the finish. Does the finish look very old (at least one hundred years old) or has the piece been refinished? This could be the case if it the finish is particularly smooth and clean. Newer knobs or drawer pulls are another giveaway indicator of refinishing. This can be detected by searching for indentations on the outside of drawers or cabinets, or by identifying disused screw holes on the inside.

A refinished piece is less valuable, so be aware that this should be reflected in the sale price. A truly old, unfinished piece will be somewhat worn-looking, and you can also expect to see a buildup of wax or oil, and dust or grime in the wood's crevices.

I don't spend a lot of time in upscale hotel suites, so learning that the 2008 trends in home decorating will follow a boutique hotel style didn't mean a whole lot to me. Still, the more I read about these design techniques the more interested I am. You can achieve that rich, eclectic New York style at home. This article tells us how. The idea that stands out for me is mixing and matching furniture styles. That plain, simple, and matching look that you'll find in most current living-rooms is fading out in favor of more adventurous styles.

Mixing furniture style, and choosing different but complimenting pieces will give your room added character. Choose a variety of wood textures and don't be afraid of mixing new with antique. Use bold colors and patterned fabrics wisely, but don't shy away from them. If you want to highlight something, go ahead.

With tips on hiding your big ugly TV and bringing color into your rooms, these ideas will have you living in hotel style in no time.

Different woodworking projects call for different kinds of adhesive. You probably have each of these kicking around your workshop, but the key is knowing when to use which one. This quick reference to types of woodworking glue will answer your DIY adhesive questions and help you avoid a sticky (or not so, depending on the mistake) situation.

If you're looking to restore antiques or bond kitchen cabinets, it's important that you choose the right glue for your project. Here are the 5 common glues for DIY woodworking projects. Check out the full article and learn when to use each one:

• Contact cement
• Carpenter's glue
• Hide glue
• Titebond I, II and III
• Polyurethane wood glue

Once you get your grounding in wood working glues it's time to make some sense of the rest of those bottles you see lining the glue section of your craft and hardware stores. M.E. Williams helps you decode those in her post, Which glue should you use?

Many women have a fond place in their hearts for Victoria, the magazine that ceased publication in 2003 after a 16-year run. It was a lifestyle magazine, glancingly similar to Martha Stewart Living, with articles about anything that fit in with a romantic 19th century theme. It also showcased attempts to capture a similar vibe in modern life.

Some features were overtly historical, while others would simply be about wearing vintage-repro jewelry with modern clothing. There were always lots of recipes, all of which seemed to have something to do with country-house Christmases, garden parties, and afternoon tea.

If that sounds wonderful to you, I have good news: Victoria was recently relaunched with a new publisher, and is available on newsstands. Since that is not, however, news that is necessarily related to any sort of DIY topic, I have to add that they have some tips for you on their website. You can learn more about them after the break.

I have wonderful old (circa 1800's) books in my house that are pretty beat up from so much use, and because they are, well, old. Some of my books are missing the binding. My bible gets used so much, we had to duct tape the cover on!

You and I can repair the binding on our beloved books, thanks to wikiHow. They have step-by-step instructions and pictures that we can easily follow to get our books back into usable condition.

Using plastic glue that you can probably buy online, binder tape, scissors, something to smooth edges, heavy rubber bands, and a sharp needle, you can repair the worn out binding on your favorite books.

WikiHow cautions not to repair the binding on really old books yourself; rather, take it to professionals. In that case, I guess I will leave my ancient books the way they are. They also caution not to use packing tape or duct tape on your books. Over time, the tape will turn to goo and eventually ruin your book. Hmmm, that hasn't been my case with my Bible, so I guess I will leave the duct tape on it for now.

This old flathead screwdriver has the words "PATENT APLD FOR" on it. The flathead, or slotted tip screwdriver has been around for a very long time. According to Mahalo, the screwdriver was invented in the late Middle Ages, and was the only mechanical device not from China. About.com says the flat-bladed tip for the carpenter's brace was invented in 1744, and handheld screwdrivers didn't appear until after 1800. We're not really sure what year this particular screwdriver is from, but something must have been an innovation for a patent-- perhaps the handle? Check out our gallery for more close-ups of the tool, and let us know in the comments if you have any history on this.

This week's mystery tool is a rather large, clunky item. As you can probably tell, it is not a hand tool, and requires more rigging (not shown) to function properly. This one's pretty rusty, but the functional ropes are still attached. It is used to lift and drop items that would normally require some heavy lifting. Can you guess what it is? Leave it in the comments! For more pics, check out our gallery with more pictures.