DIY Life

Ever heard of French General? Of course you have. If not, you're in for a treat, as the renowned owner of this lovely craft/notions store has penned her first sourcebook for lovers of French country coast to coast. Kaari Meng includes ready-to-use pattern sheets, embroidery transfers and step-by-step instructions to infusing your home with a bit of 'a francais.'

One of my favorite projects of Kaari's is her gorgeous scalloped tablecloth that looks like an image straight from Martha Stewart herself. I'd love to try the project with a beautiful floral fabric for a last-minute summer dinner party. A similar tablecloth in French General's 'red quilt' fabric would look equally striking, especially for a backyard bbq baby shower I'm currently planning.

I feel silly craving a book that focuses on sewing and embroidery when I haven't yet perfected the art of either, but I suppose a gal can dream (even the French ones!). And dream I shall...

French General: Home Sewn
Written by: Kaari Meng
Chronicle Books, $24.95

If DIY was a dessert, Curiosity Shoppe owners Derek Fagerstrom and Lauren Smith would be creme brulee. Filled to the brim with great DIY projects (that keep getting better!), the duo recently took their advice to the books in Wallpaper Projects. What amazed me most about this book was the incredible amount of information available, from prepping your walls for paper to removing the tough stuff.

As with most DIY projects from Fagerstrom and Smith, the design is in the details. Ideas for using wallpaper scraps that may otherwise be trashed are plenty in this book, including tutorials for notecards, paperweights, magnets and brooches.

My favorite tutorial? Picture frame mats using wallpaper. I honestly hadn't thought to use wallpaper for this purpose, but after seeing the results, I'll never go basic again.

Including a section for wallpaper improvisations (where you can scan your own photos to create the look!), the book ends with a bang. Certainly a resource any DIY lover will want to keep on their [wallpapered!] shelves for years and years.

Wallpaper Projects
Authors: Derek Fagerstrom and Lauren Smith
Chronicle Books

This weekend we hosted a goodbye party for my cousin who's off to college and I gifted her this book [but not before taking a peek myself!]. I was amazed at the detailed projects that were both colorful and age-appropriate; perfect for any young decor-lover on a budget.

I even found a few ideas myself that I'd love to incorporate, dorm room or no dorm room! The book begins with helpful tips on what may not be allowed in a dorm room, furniture that can serve multiple purposes, and choosing an inviting color scheme. There's even a section on making those cinderblocks look a bit more... luxe.

My favorite tutorial is, BY FAR, a felt zebra-print rug. A no-sew and fully functional rug, the "cut-it-out felt rug" tutorial includes a template for the look, as well as color scheme ideas and an easy-to-use pattern. I have a feeling I'll be trying this in my own home this month!

From messenger bags to lamps and fleece robes to message boards, this is the co-ed's guide to living with style. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if this read inspired incoming freshman to switch their majors ASAP. To interior design, of course!

Dorm Decor
Authors: Theresa Gonzalez and Nicole Smith
Chronicle Books

My three-year-old loves to listen to stories. As a conscientious mom and former reading teacher, this thrills me beyond words. We read books together often throughout the day, and though I love to spin a good yarn, we really like to listen to audiobooks while traveling in the car.

We own some good ones, and we frequent the library to check out lots of recorded books every three weeks. But Owen's favorite stories we can't find on CD, so we've just had to be creative about it. Here's what we've discovered:

• Robert Munsch is an author and storyteller with the sense of humor of a six-year-old boy. This works out for us, and since he's got scads of downloadable stories, it is a great resource.
• If you and your child like the classics, Kiddie Records Weekly has all the old recordings you listened to as a child, scratchy LP quality included! Some of these are really priceless; my son loves this version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

Just when you are ready to slather on the sunscreen and go searching for beach creatures, your preschooler starts complaining of a stomach ache.

It's tough being stuck inside on summer days, but you know he'll recover faster, and keep the cooties to himself, if you keep him home. If he's not sick enough to last a day on the couch watching movies, but he's not well enough to brave an afternoon at the beach, you'll need some low-key sick-day activities to keep you both from going stir-crazy.

Here are some of my ideas. Share your own in the comments, and we'll all expand our little bag of sick-day tricks!

I am one of the lucky ones. I grew up with my mother reading to me constantly, and since I always saw my parents reading, I had good examples (ah, the power of modeling). Reading was an innate love for me.

What if you found reading later in life? Is it possible to become well read without that solid foundation? Or what if you got lost in mundane life tasks and put reading by the wayside for a while? Can you still be well read?

In my opinion, as an avid reader, someone who holds a degree in English literature, and a former reading teacher, the answer is yes. It's never too late to start reading regularly, and it doesn't take much to catch up, so to speak. Thankfully, there is a pool of amazing books from which to choose.

After the break, you'll find my tips on how to become well read.

Don't have anything lined up for Mother's Day yet? Feel bad 'cause your tight budget won't stretch to that mega-bunch of roses? Well, here's a suggestion: if your mom's into gardening, run out this weekend and pick up a yard-related gift. Wrap it up nice and pretty and give her that, alone, or pair it with a nice little box of chocolates or a few fresh flowers. She'll love it...and it won't break the bank!

Here are my top ten budget Mother's Day gift ideas for gardening moms. All of my suggestions are $20 or less--making them perfect for kids, grandkids, or big kids on a budget! Although it may be too late to have these items shipped, your local stores carry variations of nearly all of these items. Oh, and if you're open to slightly pricier ideas, check out last week's gift ideas post!

1. LL Bean Go-Anywhere Flexible Tote, $16.50
This soft, yet very sturdy, LLBean tote comes in a range of fabulous colors, including perfect-for-Mother's-Day bright pink. Also available in more practical hues, like dark green. Use it for anything outdoors-related: mix soil in it, haul tools or clippings in it, etc. This 11-gallon tote is built to last: it is UV-resistant and has reinforced handles.

What are we trying to achieve when we express our individual style? I'm typically looking to show off a bit of my own flair, letting the world in on who I am and what I'm about. Adding one-of-a-kind accessories is a great way to do this.

If over-sized diamond-encrusted initials aren't your idea of personalized style, then this recycled book handbag might be just the expressive piece of fashion that you're looking for.

There isn't much that says more about us than the books we read and the classics we've enjoyed. Take one of those old favorites, and turn it into a funky handbag. I'm excited to try out this project because it looks relatively straightforward, and the final handbag is sure to be a piece that gets people talking.

Scrounge the thrift stores for a copy of your favorite book, or find an interesting classic. Match it to your fabric of choice, and some purse handles. With these personalized pieces, follow the instructions in the video, and enjoy your newest and hippest accessory.

Eric Stromer.

Now I'll pause while you ladies catch your breath and quit daydreaming...

If you're not drooling, but wondering who I'm talking about, Eric Stromer is a popular DIY personality. Beginning his career on Clean Sweep and Trading Spaces, he now hosts his own HGTV show, Over your Head.

In this series he rescues DIY'ers from themselves, coming into disasters and turning them into successful projects. He's written and illustrated a book titled The Do-It-yourself Family where he offers projects for the whole family and shares reflections about living the DIY life.

This interview with Stromer sheds some light on the man behind these projects, his passion and motivation. The family man encourages parents to include their children in home improvement projects, making DIY a way of life and something over which families can bond. He offers some great suggestions for kid-friendly projects. He also offers tips for the new DIY'er, recommending starter projects.

Even as one of People magazine's sexiest men alive, he has more fans of his work than his good looks. How does he react to all the attention on his looks? Well, he doesn't seem to think it makes one ounce of difference. He comments that if you're good at your work and know what you're doing you could have a bag over your head and you'd still be respected.

Stromer is down to earth and professional. While I believe that's true in the home improvement industry, I'm sure his good looks helped his TV career.

Christmas is in less than a week: is all of your shopping done? It's getting a bit late to order anything (especially if you don't want to pony up for pricey overnight shipping), but if you're shopping for crafty friends, there's probably a lot available in your own town.

However, bead, paint, and yarn choices are completely subjective, you may not know what tools your loved ones need (beading loom? spinning wheel? umbrella swift? easel?), kits can be hit-or-miss, and I'm not sure anyone needs craft-themed sweatshirts. (Ever.) Have major advances in the world of crochet hooks or embroidery hoops really been made in the past year? Probably not. So when I thought about what makes a great holiday gift in the DIY realm, I kept coming back to one thing....

Please join us after the break to find the best of the latest craft books! There's certainly something here to please almost every creative person on your list: beaders and jewelry makers, people straddling the mixed-media art/craft divide, knitters, crocheters, scrapbookers, and anyone else who likes to learn how to make interesting things with their hands.

(Even better, you shouldn't have any problem finding most of these books at 4:00 in the afternoon on December 24th.)

You can buy secret compartment books, usually with a velveteen lining, in plenty of stores. However, they tend to be made from books which were expected to be best-sellers. These books are often connected to politics or current events (for a long time, they were all by the prosecutor in the original O.J. Simpson criminal trial).

I don't know about you, but that's not the kind of book I ever buy: a "secret compartment book" made from one of them would probably stick out like a sore thumb, even in my extensive personal library. It looks like I'm just going to have to make one of my own. This Secret Compartment Book video from MAKE could help... and I can help you make it even better, with the addition of a few more tools.

I don't have a sacrificial Haruki Murakami novel to use for this project -- you know, to really blend in with my collection -- but if you're a certain kind of reader, one who doesn't read best-sellers, this seems like the sort of thing for which the cheap hardcover classics sold by every chain book store would be great. Find a good, thick Tolstoy or Dickens (lots of room in those!) and go to town, or choose something long and boring that's already taking up space on your own shelves.

This would make a great gift... or an amazingly sneaky gift box. If you'd like to know more, please join me after the break.

[suggested via BoingBoing. Thanks, Ryan! I'm not saying Tolstoy and Dickens are boring, but rather that their books aren't in short supply.]

This DIY children's book is a great way to teach your little one about the day. It could be a great transition tool for outlining how preschool days will go, or other routines that they might struggle with. If your child has difficulty getting in gear for school, take pictures of each step: Getting up, brushing teeth, eating breakfast, getting dressed, walking to school, hanging his coat, greeting the teacher and so on. Print out these free comic captions to animate the story. As you narrate the steps, they'll have fun with the pictures and captions. This will reinforce routine and help them prepare for the coming day.

I know the intention here is to make a book that teaches daily routines, but I'd also make a few just for fun. let your little one dress up as a super hero and add cations to their universe-saving story. These Batman style bubbles will be really popular with the kids and you'll have fun sharing the story too. You can laminate and bind the book or just use a flip photo book. Have fun with this one.

Carol Meldrum's book Knitted Icons came out recently. It features ten-inch-tall knit versions of various celebrities, ranging from Chairman Mao to Gandhi, Queen Elizabeth II to Madonna. At this writing, it's the featured book at Urban Outfitters' online shop, and as such, they have a free pattern from the book for you to download.

You can make this adorable Audrey Hepburn doll, which depicts the beloved actress as Holly Golightly in her iconic Breakfast at Tiffany's gown and updo. (Sadly, Holly's eyelash-embellished sleep mask is not part of the outfit.) It's done in four different Rowan yarns, and even has a tiny tiara, necklace, and cigarette holder.

It would make a wonderful holiday gift for your most stylish friend, albeit a kitschy one. Here's a direct link to the zipped PDF file: Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly.

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.

Tim Ferris, author of The 4 Hour Work Week is at it again sharing his efficiency tricks and experiments with us. This time he's deconstructing and learning a new language in just one hour. He suggests that you ditch the books and CDs and instead delve into the mechanics of language and really dissect your subject.

First consider the new language a sport. With any sport there are some physical requirements. How closely does the new language resemble your native tongue? Does it use familiar sounds or will you need to re-train your brain and muscles to form sounds you've never experienced before? Tim walks you through the language deconstruction to determine how long it will take to gain fluency.

Once you know the rules of the game and the requirements of the specific sport, put your energy into training. Tim explains the theory behind this language deconstruction and outlines the process from curiosity to fluency. You might be preparing for a trip, or exploring a new language for business, or maybe you just want to dazzle your friends with some foreign vocabulary. Whatever your reason, this method looks a lot easier then suffering through hours of CD lessons and poring over language books.