What: Do-It-Yourself Home Improvement Workshops
Where: Central Library · 600 Soledad · Downtown
Exhibition: Saturday, July 9, 2005 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Central Library and Home Depot Offer Weekend Warriors D-I-Y Workshops

Two great sources for learning how to do-it-yourself—Central Library and The Home Depot, 435 West Sunset Road—are teaming up in an original partnership to offer free D-I-Y clinics at Central Library on Saturday, July 9 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. And at the same time, they’ll also offer children aged 5-12 the chance to get in on the action at a D-I-Y Kids Workshop.

Summer is a busy time for home improvements, so three one-hour sessions are planned to cover a variety of learning opportunities for weekend warriors on Central Library’s lawn. The sessions are:

• How to Lay Ceramic Tile
  You’ll find it really is as easy as it looks on TV home makeover shows! Go home with the confidence to redo a wall space or rehab an old table with ceramic tiles.
  10:00 a.m.
• Making Wood Shelving Units with Master Woodsman Ram
  Skilled in wood arts, Ram will demonstrate how simple it is to make shelving storage cubes at home. It’s easy on you and your pockets.
  11:00 a.m.
• Pound the Pavers: Sidewalks & Drives
  Attractive garden walkways and drives don’t require a professional! Sand, stone and time are basically all it really takes to give your home some curb appeal.
  12:00 p.m.

And while Mom and Dad are busy outside, the kids can make and decorate a variety of projects for free at the Home Depot Kids Workshop, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., on the Children’s Department’s covered terrace. The event will be supervised by kid-friendly Home Depot and library staff. And don’t worry about the mess; all kids will receive a free Home Depot work apron!

More About the Event

“Most of us have started a home fix-up project presuming we’d just figure out the technique. Halfway through we end up throwing in the trowel,” said event organizer Andrew Gordon. “This is a great chance for anyone to see how simple and economical these projects can be—if you know what you’re doing before you start.”

Gordon added that another factor for Central Library and Home Depot teaming up was to make the workshops, normally offered at Home Depot stores, easily accessible to the public. “Central Library is easy for everyone to reach. You don’t have to drive to the ‘burbs, which for some people isn’t an option. We’re bringing the resources to the community. By working together, Central Library and Home Depot—well, it’s true—you can do it. We can help.”

“The Sunset Road Home Depot is really excited about this chance to work with us on this event, to take their show on the road,” Gordon noted. “Everybody involved—businesses, the public, the library—we all benefit from partnerships like this. In fact, July 23, we’re collaborating with Red McCombs Toyota and Texas AAA to host a “Heels and Wheels” auto clinic. It’s designed to give women, anyone, who may not have enough experience or knowledge with cars—aside from where the gas goes—the skills to do it themselves, and likely save money. We’ll offer guidance on basic car repair and service and the importance of planning for road trips and unexpected roadside emergencies.”

Of course, all these events are free and open to the public. One hour of free parking is available at the Central Library parking garage with validation. For more information, call the Central Library Information Line at (210) 207-2500.