Handmade Houses: A Century of Earth-Friendly Home Design

Handmade Houses: A Century of Earth-Friendly Home Design Review

Showcasing one hundred years of innovation and environmental sensitivity, Handmade Houses celebrates some of the world’s most idiosyncratic homes from Big Sur to Sardinia. Author Richard Olsen  unveils the components used for their construction, including driftwood, boulders, and even old wine vats.

The first study of the handmade-homes phenomenon since its inception in the late 1960s, Handmade Houses revisits the subject’s roots and history, exploring how these homes and their owners paved the way for the architectural-salvage business and the reclaimed, industrial look ever-popular today. As fascinating as the structures are themselves, their owners—professionals and amateurs who personally designed and built each residence—offer their inspirations and stories behind the convention-defying homes. Design lessons are gleaned from each home—some examples of environmentally aware construction with applicable tips for use in more mainstream scenarios. Handmade Houses is an important and relevant volume to be appreciated by anyone interested in environmentally friendly design, craft, and the expression of personal style in the home.  

Handmade Home: Simple Ways to Repurpose Old Materials into New Family Treasures

Handmade Home: Simple Ways to Repurpose Old Materials into New Family Treasures Review

Handmade Home: Simple Ways to Repurpose Old Materials into New Family Treasures Feature

• Dimensions: 9.22 in. h x 7.22 in. w x 0.3 in. d
• Weight: 0.48 ounces
• Made in US

For many of us, our home is the center of our life. It is the place where our families meet and mingle, where we share our meals and share our dreams. So much more than just a space to live, our homes offer us a place of comfort, nourishment, and love for us and for our children.

In Handmade Home, Amanda Blake Soule, author of The Creative Family and the blog SouleMama.com, offers simple sewing and craft projects for the home that reflect the needs, activities, and personalities of today’s families. As Amanda writes in the introduction, “As a crafter, I’m always looking for the next thing I want to make. As a mama, I’m always looking for the next thing we need—to do, to have, to use—as a family. The coming together of these parts is where the heart of Handmade Home lies.”

Filled with thirty-three projects made by reusing and repurposing materials, all of the items here offer a practical use in the home. From picnic blankets made out of repurposed bed sheets to curtains made out of vintage handkerchiefs, these projects express the sense of making something new out of something old as a way to live a more financially pared-down and simple life; lessen our impact on the earth; connect to the past and preserve a more traditional way of life; and place value on the work of the hands. Also included are projects that children can help with, allowing them to make their own special contribution to the family home.

More than just a collection of projects for handmade items, this book offers the tools to create a life—and home—full of beauty, integrity, and joy.

Projects include:

   • Papa’s Healing Cozy: This hot water bottle cover becomes a simple way to offer comfort to a sick child

   • Baby Sling: A simple pattern for an object that offers so much to a small child—refuge from the world and a place to lay their head next to a parent’s heart

   • Beach Blanket To-Go: Repurpose old sheets to create the perfect picnic blanket for special outdoor meals

   • Cozy Wall Pockets: A creative solution for storing a child’s small treasures