Nothing smoothes the furrowed brow like the soft lap of wavelets on a lakeshore, the rythym of surf on a barrier island, or the silvery tinkle of a stream falling through the spring forest. At home-in the house or in the garden-the gentle, melodic patter of water spilling from a fountain offers the same tranquility.

Dorcas Adkins, a fountain designer and manufacturer, brings this soothing relaxation to your home using readily available materials, simple crafting techniques, and her own step-by-step instructions. She explains everything you need to know about fountain materials, supplies, and assembly, whether you choose to work with wood, stone, ceramic, or other materials and whether or not you have any building experience.

Throughout Simple Fountains for Indoors and Outdoors, Adkins's can-do attitude will give you the confidence to experiment and have fun: Relax, she urges, and let your creative talents take over.

Bring home the soothing sounds of water

The endless murmur and flow of a bubbling fountain adds a touch of elegance to both homes and gardens. Now, fountain designer and manufacturer Dorcas Adkins reveals her trade secrets for making 20 creative fountains-from a small, tabletop fountain put together without a single tool to a dramatic outdoor spouting wall fountain or a full-sized waterfall-and at far less cost than for those found in upscale catalogs. Step by step, Simple Fountains for Indoors and Outdoors explains everything you need to know.

Projects include:

--Tabletop fountains made from shells and stones

--Lava rock bonsai garden fountain

--Cedar water garden with bamboo flute

--Birdshower fountain

--Small mosaic fountain

--Concrete and ceramic spouting wall fountains

--Shishi Odoshi(or Japanese Deer-Scare Fountain)

Everything readers need to know to create elegant, soothing water fountains. Easy-to-follow instructions explain choosing and installing pumps and constructing fountains.

Introduction

Chapter 1: Materials and Supplies

Chapter 2: Tabletop Fountains

Chapter 3: Projects in Bamboo and Wood

Chapter 4: Projects in Ceramic, Concrete, Stone, and Metal

Chapter 5: Building a Full-Sized Waterfall

Appendix A: Bringing Life to Your Fountain

Appendix B: Maintenance

Appendix C: Mail-Order Suppliers

Index