A very simple and handy guide for projects to build! This book gives practical inspiration and easy-to-follow instructions that someone who’s never even picked up a hammer could follow. Great little reference tool to have!

Build It Simple is a general collection of simple DIY builds for home and garden projects collected by the folks at Storey Publishing. Originally released in 1977 as Home Made, this reformat and re-release, due out 8th July 2024 is 144 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.

It does have a cool, retro vibe, the book is illustrated (in color) throughout and the projects are basic, sensible, classics, like potting benches, Adirondack chairs, some bird houses, little garden tool shed on a post (see cover illustration) which could also double as a little free library, and even some macrame plant holders.

None of the builds have specific item or materials lists, and the tutorials are provided more as sources of inspiration than specific step-by-step instructions. Most of the projects are provided with some general measurements, but all are simple enough that most readers will be able to do a credible job of a finished (usable) project.

Four stars. This would be an excellent choice for public or school library acquisition, home use, gifting to a handy teen/tween, or for activity/makers groups.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I did not expect this to be so well-presented and illustrated.
Different projects for the house and garden, using different materials, and with accessible instructions.
The diagrams and pictures make the application easy.

Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy. I'm the fellow who would build the birdhouse in highschool shop and it would be barely suitable for Smurfs who like to live on the trashy side of life. I did attempt one project within the book and surprisingly it turned out relatively normal. Kudos to the presentation and walk-throughs. My only hesitation in making it a 5-star would have been a few video links.

I loved everything about Build It Simple by How-To-Experts at Storey Publishing. I loved the layout, the format, especially the illustrations and the project decided upon! The instructions were simple, useful, and thoughtful. I especially loved the toolshed. Also, the strawberry pyramid, the handy box, harvest rack, potting bench, and the solar dryer! I am going to make them all of my favorites and the saw jack. I've been wanting a canoe rack and I think the saw jack is similar so I'll start with that and go from there. I'm a farmer so this book was my jam. It's for the DIYers like me who know we can make that thing that will make our lives easier. I have a suggestion since they even have a basement closet under stairs install instructions and it is a FarmStand. An absolute adorable farm stand with french doors that open wide, with some windows like the chicken coop.

I truly was surprised about the advanced projects, yes there are lots of small, charming projects like the tool holder and seeding trays, which is fantastic by the way but truly this book is a gem. The illustrations bring it all together.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, Storey Publishing, for the opportunity to read and review Build It Simple by How-To-Experts at Storey Publishing.

This book of DIY has a huge variety of projects for inside and outside gardening. There are photos to follow along with the instructions. I found the written instructions are clear and not confusing at all. As a beginner gardener, this will be a must have when it publishes.

#NetGalley #BuildItSimple

This is a surprisingly diverse bunch of projects for your home, garen and homestead. They are all illustrated with simple drawings and they range from super simple to complex. Not all are woodworking, though most are. There are instructions for everything from nesting boxes to picnic tables to rooms built under the stairs to macrame plant holders. A lot of them were beyond my skills but it was a great assortment. Do note that the instructions are quite simple and sparse, which can be good or bad depending on your knowledge and preferences.

I read a temporary digital copy of this book for review.

Build It Simple was a pretty good book with some good ideas for DIY projects for the home and garden. There were a bunch of useful patterns ranging from very simple to more advanced projects. I would say this book does not really seem like it would be good for beginners because all of the plans are fairly loose plans without detailed instruction. However, if you are someone is already knows the basics of building and following a plan or blueprint, you will find these projects useful. Overall, it is a good book more for ideas then detailed plans.