Woodshop library

GREEN WOODWORKING PATTERN BOOK by Ray Tabor, features more than 300 traditional craft designs for creating wooden products.

Each pattern is fully annotated with practical information on dimensions, tools, materials and fascinating historical details. It covers everything from fences and gates to chairs, benches, stools and garden furniture. A range of useful household items are also included, such as baskets, utensils, tools and toys. Tabor has worked for 30 years in a woodland nature reserve, producing and selling traditional products. He chairs the conservation activities of one of Great Britain's largest wildlife trusts, leads courses in woodland crafts and management, and writes regularly on crafts. The 240-page softcover sells for $24.95. Contact: Sterling Publishing. Tel: 212-532-7160. www.sterlingpublishing.com

HOW TO MAKE BOOKSHELVES & BOOKCASES, from the editors of American Woodworker Magazine, includes a compilation of articles on making shop-tested shelves and bookcases. From rustic to contemporary, readers will find 19 projects for a sliding bookrack with Arts and Crafts details, a Swedish wall shelf you can make in an afternoon, cantilevered display shelves, a dovetailed bookcase, the popular floating shelves that defy gravity, a cottage bookcase made from reclaimed lumber, a display cabinet with built-in light and glass doors, and much more. Durable and strong, the shelves and bookcases inside this new, handy project guide are sure to beautify the home and provide years of usefulness. The 160-page softcover sells for $19.95. Contact: Fox Chapel Publishing. Tel: 800-457-9112. www.foxchapelpublishing.com

A SHELTER IN THE GARDEN, by Pierre Nessmann, will inspire ambitious do-it-yourselfers to re-create the magic of secret gardens with 50 projects for constructing an outdoor wonderland. Projects include arbors and pergolas, greenhouses and potting sheds, tiny cottages and canopied cabanas, and birdhouses and birdfeeders. With more than 175 photographs of structures in beautiful gardens and backyard settings, this book showcases a huge array of ideas for outdoor projects, some largely decorative, others both stunning and utilitarian. Detailed, illustrated instructions explaining the techniques and materials used are provided. Nessmann is a journalist, garden designer and author of many books about gardens. The 160-page softcover sells for $19.95. Contact: Stewart, Tabori and Chang. Tel: 212-206-7715. www.hnabooks.com

RUSTIC CARPENTRY, edited by Paul N. Hasluck, is an instructional guide for building rustic furniture and was originally published in 1907. It features some fairly complex projects, including tables, chairs and flower stands. But what really stands out are the chapters on building porches, gates and fences, footbridges, tool sheds and gazebos. We're not talking about binding a few sticks together - many of these projects will require a building permit. It includes more than 200 drawings that offer a rare glimpse at the styles of the early 20th century. It's an interesting study even if you have no plans to build a 150-sq.-ft. gazebo in your backyard. Contact: Skyhorse Publishing. Tel: 212-643-6816. www.skyhorsepublishing.com

This article originally appeared in the November 2010 issue.