Did you know that you can protect your car door with a pool toy? Or preserve open glues and sealers by storing them in glass jars? The expert editors at The Family Handyman magazine will guide you step-by-step through a wide range of DIY improvements including:

• Interior Projects and Repairs Stop drafts, fine-tune a thermostat, dry up a wet basement, revive woodwork trim, make a carpet last longer, upgrade a bathroom on a small budget, add beams and panels to a ceiling, remove wallpaper
• Electrical and High-Tech Fix wobbly outlets, repair a remote control, install a larger electrical box, monitor power outages while you're away from the house
• Plumbing, Heating, and Appliances Repair a water-heater pilot light, replace a toilet, unclog a vacuum cleaner, tune up a gas grill, fix your dryer, connect a gas line, save on new appliances
• Woodworking and Furniture Rout perfect edges, build a super-simple workbench, apply a smooth polyurethane finish, put together a window planter, avoid common injuries from tools
• Exterior Maintenance and Repairs Quiet a noisy garage door, repair a leaky frost-proof faucet, make your lawn chairs puddle-free, fix slippery steps
• Outdoor Structures and Landscaping Sharpen a lawn mower blade, know when to rent power tools, prune for healthier bushes, build a $25 campfire bench in just two hours, find buried cable
• Auto and Garage Replace burned-out dash lights, put the brakes on high car insurance, change your own oil, prevent license-plate theft, burglar-proof your garage