Book Review: The Handbuilt Home: 34 Simple Stylish and Budget-Friendly Woodworking Projects

adirondackchairs
Painted Adirondack chairs (Photo by AForestFrolic)

Every room of your home has a different feel to it. The reason for this is that every room looks a little different and is stocked with different furniture and décor. If you’ve thought about changing things up by furnishing your entire home with unique items made from wood, there is a book that is perfect for you.

Published in October 2012, The Handbuilt Home: 34 Simple Stylish and Budget-Friendly Woodworking Projects for Every Room by Ana White is a comprehensive handbook of 34 unique projects that you can make by hand using wood and other basic items to construct them.

With step-by-step tips on how to make these items by yourself, you’ll be amazed at how unique you can really make your home look. The book describes how to make a variety of furniture pieces. They include wood beds, dressers, Adirondack chairs, small play tables for the kids, end tables, storage units, simple home accessories and so much more. The book specifies how each of the 34 items can be made by utilizing basic types of wood available in your local hardware store. It then describes which tools are needed to work with the wood. In each example, only a saw, a drill, and other simple tools are necessary to make these items. The text is also written in a very basic format for beginners who have no experience whatsoever in woodworking or furniture building. Additionally, the book lists costs and estimates of how much time each step of the individual projects will take, making the experience understandable and more enjoyable for all. Once you finish making one ore more of these items, you’ll enjoy the rustic feel that it brings to your home.

Author Ana White is a popular online blogger who has helped to inspire millions of readers with her writing style that encourages individuals to try something new by making things themselves. White has openly documented how she has saved thousands of dollars by getting stylistic ideas from stores and then making her own creations on a small budget. She is a young mother and demonstrates how people with limited finances can still make the most of them. White hails from Alaska and got into making furnishings for her home when she designed and later built her own residence. You can learn more about her and get inspired yourself at www.ana-white.com.

For additional resources on how to make furniture using logs and wood, be sure to check out LogFurniture.com.

How to make a rustic flower stand

flowerstand
A flower stand (Photo by nerissa’s ring)

Flowers add a lot of flair to a room. Flower stands come in all shapes, styles, and sizes. In fact, there are several ways you can make a rustic flower stand that will go well in a log cabin or a home in which rustic furniture is prominent. Here is a basic method of making a rustic flower stand courtesy of the rustic furniture book Great American Rustics:

The flower stand in this how-to example should be hexagonal in shape, meaning it is six-sided. The sides should be fixed to a base supported upon tripod legs. It will stand about 3’3’’ in height. Elm boards are suitable for making the sides of the stand and the bottom of it. They should be 1’3’’ in height by 9’’ in width at the top end. At the bottom end, they should be 6.5’’ high by 1’’ thick.

Put the edges of the boards at a level of roughly 60 degrees and fix them with nails to make them sturdy. When all six sides are completed, prepare the hexagonal stand baseboard to be used as part of the next step. Put holes in it for drainage purposes, and make sure that these holes are equidistant so that they are 1.25’’ in diameter at an angle of roughly 60 degrees for the tenons of the legs to go in. Next, you should screw the base to the sides of the stand and ensure it is all fixed together properly.

The twigs for this fixing process should be seasoned so that they are at least a year old prior to using them. In addition, the twigs should be sawn in halves. Straight twigs should be used as well. If it is necessary, shoot the edges slightly so as to create a closer fit when fixing them so that they are parallel. Attach the lower border to the hexagonal base of the stand. Then, the upright pieces should go over the angles, which are hollow. Finally, fix the top-sloping pieces and then the horizontal twigs. The legs should be nailed at the stand’s base and at the center where they cross each other. They should be further secured with twigs that will essentially act as rungs.

By following these steps, you should find yourself with a beautiful, handmade rustic flower stand!

Increase your knowledge about log and rustic furniture as well as various methods you can use to create your own amazing rustic creations by using LogFurniture.com. This website is a tremendous informational resource on log furniture whether you’re looking to buy it from a local company or simply want to learn a new hobby by making your own furniture pieces.

How to make a rustic armchair

An armchair or recliner can be one of the most comfortable pieces of furniture. Just sit back, put your feet up, watch TV, or take a nap in your armchair. In terms of log furniture, rustic armchairs are popular items that provoke a sense of the outdoors in your living room.

A rustic armchair could be made with a similar design to this basic armchair. (Photo by Paul Lowry)

If you’ve ever thought about making your own rustic armchair, here are some tips on how to do so. These tips come from the book Great American Rustics

To start the process, pick out four slightly curved logs that will serve as legs. They each should measure roughly 3’’ in diameter. The front pair of legs should be about 2’ high. The back pair should be about 2’9’’ inches in height. The front seat rail should measure roughly 1’2’’ long by about 2.5’’ in diameter. The back  seat rail should be about 1’ in length. The side rails should be about 1’3’’ long. The ends of these rails should be appropriately trimmed and measured in order to properly fit the legs. They should also be fixed with inserted ash or elm dowels that measure about 2/5’’ in diameter.

The height from the ground line to the seat top should measure about 1’4.5’’ in height. The battens that form the seat should rest on the side rails, and cleats should be fixed to the inner sides of each of the four legs. This will help to support the extreme and front battens.

The arms and back of the chair are made into three parts. The scarfed joints should be fitted so that they come immediately over the back legs. The treatise work is then added. Finally, the struts and dentils are fixed around the seat. The chair can be made from under-barked wood without any kind of dressing. The other option is that the bark can be removed and the wood, when it is dry, can be finished and stained with an outside varnish.

Use LogFurniture.com as your premier online resource for information about making log and rustic furniture along with recommendations on where to buy it and reviews of companies that manufacture and sell these items.

Book Review: Green Woodworking: Handcrafting Wood from Log to Finished Product

Green woodworking is a form of woodworking that takes us back to our roots – literally. Green woodworking involves going directly to  trees and taking logs that are unseasoned – or “green” – to use when making pieces of log furniture or other rustic wood items. It’s different from more common methods that require power tools because the woodworker uses manual tools such as a drawknife and a broad axe to separate the logs and claim them for future woodworking projects.

A chair made from green woodworking (Photo by Jason Pettitt)

A great book that explains this topic is Green Woodworking: Handcrafting Wood from Log to Finished Product is a fantastic book that clearly explains what green woodworking is and what kinds of projects woodworkers can do to create uniquely “green” finished products to share or sell.

Published in August of 1987 by Rodale Press, this book contains 11 chapters that are packed with information, tips, and techniques on green woodworking. The book opens with an introduction on what this process actual entails and the cultural perspectives on it along with how it has changed over time. It then delves into the various materials and processes used to perform this type of woodworking.

The book includes images that speak to the reader by showing exactly how techniques work. Some of the specific techniques outlined in the book are hewing, riving, shaving, boring, bending, and joinery. If you don’t know much about these terms and are thinking to yourself “what in the world is ‘boring’ other than something that’s no fun,” this book will explain all of these methods in simplistic terms. It also features some famous green woodworkers who have paved the way for this woodworking process in recent years.

Author Drew Langsner has been teaching woodworking classes in the state of North Carolina for many years. An expert in the craft of green woodworking, he has also written other books on it, including Country Woodcraft and A Logbuilder’s Handbook.  Others include The Chairmaker’s Workshop: Handcrafting Windsor and Post-and-Rung Chairs (2001) and Green Woodworking: A Hands-On Approach (1995).

To find additional resources and information on woodworking or log furniture, use LogFurniture.com. There are lots of other articles on the site along with reviews of great books as well as company profiles that feature woodworkers and log furniture makers from around the country. It’s easy to make your own log furniture if you have the right resources. This site is an excellent starting point to help you get the logs rolling.

Book Review: American Rustic Furniture

American Rustic Furniture is one of the most comprehensive books on rustic and log furniture in the United States. This hardback book was published in March 1984 by Random House Value Publishing. Despite its 1984 publication date, it continues to hold up today as a fantastic modern source of information. It is made up of 149 pages of fascinating images and blurbs about some of the most popular types of American rustic furniture along with some of the most unique pieces that will leave readers in awe when they see these creations. The images are the driving force behind the beauty showcased in this book. If you’ve ever considered adding some rustic furniture to your home or want to learn more about it, this book would be perfect for your bookshelf.

A rustic fence (Photo by Jacob Varghese)

Along with a neat introduction, there are two parts to the book. The intro delves into the history of rustic furniture in the U.S. and talks about the culture influences of western life on the entire nation throughout its multicultural existence. Part I of the book is called “Rustic Furniture: Old & New.” It discusses and includes pictures of rustic American furniture spanning many decades, from some of the oldest furniture in colonial times to more modern pieces from the late 20th century. Chairs, tables, sofas, beds, and other accessories are the main items found throughout this section. Part I is called “Rustic Carpentry.” This section. In this section, you can learn how to make all kinds of different rustic pieces of furniture and outdoor items. These include armchairs, garden seats, gates, and fences in a rustic western style. Not only does the book describe how to make them by hand, but also it offers clear instructional graphics that give the reader a precise step-by-step method to making them. The Source Guide at the conclusion of the text lists numerous woodworkers who contributed to the book and companies that manufacture rustic furniture.

Author Susan Osborn compiled the book, but there are also a number of contributors who submitted photos and woodworking technique instructions. They include the staff at Fine Woodworking Magazine. Readers will enjoy the content in this book as it comes from some of the sharpest minds in the industry, including Osborn.

Be sure to use LogFurniture.com to find reviews on other books about rustic furniture. There is also a wealth of information on the site along with plenty of links to other online and offline resources.

The Uniqueness of Log and Rustic Furniture

No two logs from a forest are exactly the same. (Photo by Greenpeace Finland)

“Nature abhors straight lines,” said 18th-century English architect William Kent. This quote perfectly describes why log and rustic furniture is so appealing because it is so unique in its design.

When you shop for furniture (or any manufactured items for that matter) at a big-box store, you will likely be getting items that were made on a manufacturing line in an industrial warehouse somewhere in the world. We all own furniture like this, and there is nothing wrong with it. However, in terms of its design, it pales in comparison to the natural look of log furniture since it is perfectly put together in a way that each piece looks exactly the same.

Many log furniture designers make their pieces from natural logs that they obtain from forests themselves. In turn, they keep the bark on the logs and leave the knots in them when completing a final project. For instance, a log table may include knots and curvy lines that appear a bit grotesque and, in some instances, completely odd at first glance. However, the designers deliberately leave this character in the wood to make it as unique as they can. Log chairs, sofas, and other pieces on which people can sit are obviously made in a way that stresses comfort. But in the legs of a chair, for example, a woodworker may keep the sturdy knots in place to help support the seat while maintaining the uniqueness and beauty of the logs that were used to create it.

Another reason log furniture is so unique is that many logs used to make it contain original beetle tracks and chew marks from animals in the wild. Have you ever seen a log with a chew mark from elk in it? If so, you know it is twisted and bent where the mark appears on it. A log that has been a part of nature for a while has plenty of character to it, especially if it comes from an environment in which pesky critters have roamed the area and have put their own stamp on it. However, these are the best kinds of logs and demonstrate how no two logs from such an environment are exactly the same, much like no two snowflakes are the identical.

If you are looking to add some of this incredibly unique rustic furniture to your home or log cabin, be sure to use the premier resource for information on it – LogFurniture.com. There are lots of pieces that are very affordable for individuals with limited budgets. It’s hard to put a price tag on furniture that comes right out of a forest, but anyone can own these pieces.

Book Review: Woodworking Basics: Mastering the Essentials of Craftsmanship

Learn about woodworking tools like these in this book. (Photo by Ktow)

Have you ever thought about wanting to teach yourself how to work with wood and make your own nifty creations? If so, there is a book you should definitely check out.

Woodworking Basics: Mastering the Essentials of Craftsmanship is a fantastic book that will teach you all about woodworking and the tools you need to master the craftsmanship of beautiful, unique items. Written by Peter Korn, this 208-page paperback was published by Taunton Press and released to the pubic on October 1, 2003.

This book is based on a two-week course on the fundamentals of woodworking that is frequently offered at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Camden, Maine. The text takes a very simplistic and easy-to-understand approach to the concepts of learning the basic skills is needed to crafting furniture and other home décor items from wood. The book goes through a variety of relevant subjects that include working with tools, cutting dovetails, and two fully explained projects on how to build a bench and a set of small cabinets. Benches are one of the most popular types of rustic wood and log furniture. They offer a unique place to rest and enjoy some friendly conversation with guests or family and friends.  Cabinets can be used to store all kinds of things, and if you make them small enough, they can be placed in almost any room in your home or log cabin. That is why both of these items are discussed in-depth in this book.

One of the appealing things about the book is that it talks about which tools are really necessary for woodworking and which tools you can really do without. Some of the tools suggested include used hand planes, chisels, Ryobas, and waterstones. These tools are much cheaper than those like jointers, planers, routers, and table saws. Because of this, the book will help you save money on the items you’ll have to invest in. But in the end, you should get a greater return on your investment by using inexpensive tools that work just as well.

Author Peter Korn has written several books on the subject of woodworking. Some of his other titles are Working with Wood: The Basics of Craftsmanship (1993) and The Woodworker’s Guide to Hand Tools (1998). They are all similar in how they are written so that anyone can pick them up and understand them. Plus they are all reasonably priced so that you won’t be breaking your budget when wanting to learn a new craft for a hobby or a potential full-time job as a woodworker.

Be sure to use LogFurniture.com as your premier resource for information on log furniture and woodworking as well as which books and resources to look at like the one discussed here.

Best Wild West Ranches in the U.S.

A horse ranch (Photo by Correa Carvalho)

Ranch life is like nothing else. Living in a rural environment away from the everyday noise and stresses of city life can be an extremely relaxing way to enjoy life. Even if you rent a log cabin on a ranch for a few weeks or months, it will be one of the best getaways you will ever experience.

According to a recent story on FoxNews.com, the following list consists of some of the best “wild west” ranches in the United States:

THE ALISAL GUEST RANCH & RESORT
Solvang, California

This ranch offers 10,000 acres of grazing fields, canyons, and hills.
It’s a working cattle ranch that goes all the way back to the 1800s. It currently houses about 100 horses and was once the home of former Kentucky Derby winner Flying Ebony. Horseback riding lessons, golf, tennis, and bass fishing are among the many fun activities available here. The resorts contain lots of rustic and log furniture items for your enjoyment.

SOUTHERN CROSS GUEST RANCH
Madison, Georgia

This equestrian ranch offers a “wild west” feel despite the fact that it’s in the southeastern U.S. It is home to more than 150 horses, many of which guests can ride. With lots of open pastures and wooded trails, the ranch offers a comfortable and rustic spot for vacationers looking to just sit back and enjoy nature. It’s only about an hour outside of Atlanta.

RED HORSE MOUNTAIN RANCH
Harrison, Lake Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

This 300,000-acre ranch is located in the beautiful state of Idaho. Guests can enjoy riding through trails and exploring the western wilderness with plenty of elk to keep you company. The accommodations here include log cabins and fancy suites for western lovers. They are furnished with rustic log furniture, covered porches, and outside decks. If you aren’t into riding horses, you can fish, play archery, or have some fun riding a zip line.

BRASADA RANCH
Powell, Butte, Oregon

Located in the high desert of central Oregon, this quaint 1,800-acre retreat offers Juniper trees, private lakes, a tricky golf course, and plenty of sunshine throughout the year. The lodge and cabins here are casual yet elegant and include rustic furniture to make the experience as western as possible. From horseback riding to fly-fishing, there is an activity for everyone to enjoy. If you just want to sit around a campfire at night and enjoy the stars, you can do that, too. Oregon is one of the most picturesque states in the country, and a trip to this ranch will capture many of those images for you.

Book Review: How to Build Your Own Bentwood Chair: A Guide to Building and Selling Rustic Furniture

Learn how to build a log bench like this one by reading this book. (Photo by Photo Atelier)

Have you ever thought about building your own log chair or other types of rustic furniture? There is an extremely informative book you might want to check out for step-by-step instructions on how to do this. This article takes a closer look at the book titled How to Build Your Own Bentwood Chair: A Guide to Building and Selling Rustic Furniture by Wallace Eadie.

Published by Universe.com Publishing on May 10, 2011, this 84-page book offers an introduction to the process of manually handcrafting log and rustic furniture. If you want to give it the old college try as a hobby, the book offers information on how to do that. If you’ve considered getting into the business and want assistance on how to do this as a full-time gig, there is info on that in the book as well.

The book discusses easy and cheap ways to collect materials and tools that are necessary to set up a home workshop. The main focus of the building process centers on how to build a bentwood log chair. However, there are plenty of tips on ways to construct other types of furniture for both indoor and outdoor use. These other items include love seats, plant stands, benches, beds, and garden furniture. The images and graphics in the book make each process easy to follow no matter how much experience you have. There are also two chapters in the book entirely devoted to informing readers about how to make money selling log furniture and the most effective methods necessary to market yourself and your items. If you want to do this on the side or make a full-time job out of it, this book will give you the information and encouragement to put yourself on a self-employed track to success in this unique business.

Wallace Eadie, the author of the book, previously worked for several years as a Probation Officer in Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada. He started making rustic furniture as a hobby on the side, but his interest in it grew and it later led to a full-time career for him. He now has over 16 years of log furniture making experience, and he also teaches classes on it to beginners wanting to learn the processes involved. Many of his creations are now on display in hotels, ski resorts, and private homes all across western Canada.

Books are a terrific source of information, especially when it comes to how to build your own log furniture essentially from scratch. This book is no exception. But there are also lots of online resources to help you even more when searching for information on log and rustic furniture. Be sure to use LogFurniture.com as a one-stop shop for info on everything related to furniture and accessories made from natural logs and wood materials.

The Beauty of Log Furniture

A forest (Photo by Moyan Brenn)

Nature is a beautiful thing. There is nothing like spending some time outdoors when the weather is nice, taking in the trees, plants, animals, and other natural elements that surround us. When it comes to log furniture, you can bring the beauty of nature right into your home.

There are all sorts of furniture with which you can furnish your home or log cabin. But the uniqueness of log furniture makes it a type of furniture that is so different from the typical pieces of manufactured furniture that are commonly found in furniture stores. Handmade log furniture that comes from natural wood that is hand-selected right out of a forest evokes an incredibly natural and outdoor look and feel.

If you have ever been deep inside a forest, you probably know the feeling of being in a quiet, quaint environment that makes you feel like you are getting away from the stresses of life that we all experience from time to time. You can bring this rustic, natural, and colorful environment right into your home by getting log beds, tables, chairs, sofas, and so much more. It’s also nice to be able to show off some of your furniture to family and friends who come to visit. Their eyes will be gazing at these rustic pieces of furniture that literally take your world outdoors without actually being outside. From the naturally occurring knots and bark on the logs to the feeling of knowing that your furniture came from the nature, log furniture gives off so many senses that you can’t get from any other kind of furniture.

Not only is log furniture nice to look at, but also it is built to be sturdy so that it will hold up for decades to home. Cedar and pine are some of the most durable types of wood and are used to make all types of log furniture for both indoor and outdoor use. A chair is an example of a furniture piece that likely gets a lot of use. Having a log chair will last for a long time, whereas other materials used to make a chair do not have this long lifespan. Just by looking at log furniture, you can tell how durable it is – and how it will save you time and money that you’d otherwise have to spend for brand new items.

If you want furniture that looks beautiful and evokes a soothing, rustic atmosphere, you should definitely look into getting some log furniture. Use LogFurniture.com for lots of resources on different types and where to find this type of furniture.