Learn the basic carpentry skills needed to furnish your home and garden with beautiful and useful wood items. Twenty accessible, step-by-step projects guide you through the essential techniques without large power tools. This book contains practical knowledge, including • how to choose good types of wood and the characteristics of the wood, • a tool review with an emphasis on hand tools, and • the methods used to measure, saw, plan, join, carve, and finish your wood creations. The projects feature clean, modern designs, including knife racks, cutting boards, shelves, stools, bookends, and benches. For those interested in gardening, there are flower tables, plant trellises, and more. The projects include easy-to-follow diagrams, and the levels of difficulty are adapted to readers who aren't used to working with wood, but who like its organic feel and expression. 176 pp | 250+ color and b/w photos & illustrations