To rest in the sun

One day I was out walking my dogs in the nature trail near my house when I came across this cute simple bench.  It was so simple and plain that it seemed perfect and practical.  So I took a picture of it.

And then, I used it for inspiration.  

I built this bench using the same simple form, but added some ornate elements, mostly the cut-outs on the top and the wavy sides.  

It's a nice accent to the yard and it's actually quite comfy.

Cute storage

I really needed a shed.  To store all of the outdoor stuff that I kept making, of course.  But the cute ones were so expensive.  The only one I could afford was one of those ugly metal ones that you see at the big box store.  You know the ones, they are usually a dingy off white with brown or green trim.  Ugh.  Couldn't picture it.

Or could I?

I figured it out.  My (wonderful) son and I put together this one:

Cute, right? 

But do you see it? It's one of those ugly metal ones.  I just painted it barn red with white trim.  

And added a cute metal flower (from Haiti) to the gable.  I think it's adorable.  And it holds everything. Why don't they just make them this color?  I they they would be much more popular  

The big sun table

I really needed a nice outdoor table.  But have you priced outdoor furniture lately?  Couldn't do it.  So I bought an old metal set from a garage sale.  It was all white and pretty banged up.

I painted the pieces black, but they still looked shoddy.

So using a big piece of plywood and some 1x2s around the outside of that, I made a frame the size of the table top and made this mosaic:

 I got most of the tiles from the local salvage store.  Breaking them up was fun.  I just threw them in the air and hit them with a hammer as they fell into a large plastic tub.

Making the mosaic is easy.  Just put down a thin layer of mortar, place the tiles, then grout.

The top just sits on the old metal table.  It's heavy enough not to blow off or move at all.  But I can remove it in the winter time and store it in my shed nice and safe.

Joining the pallet movement

So I know a lot of people are getting creative with pallets.  Maybe because they are usually available for free, maybe because they are already cut up pieces of wood.  Who knows?  But I thought I should give it a go.  So here are my pallet creations:

The pallet swing

This was an easy one.  Just sanded, stained, and hung from a tree. 

The potter's bench

This was a little more involved.  I had to take apart several pallets and add in some 4x4s and 2x4s.  

A little decoration by drilling some small holes and inserting glass rocks.  

And then I added some hooks on the side to hold my tools.

Just can't pass up free building materials!

A new view

So, I finally broke down and got new windows!  Much less breezy in my house now!  But I needed a solution to window coverings in my bedroom.  I need the privacy, but want to see out a little bit, especially to see the trees at night from my bed.

With the old windows, I had those thermal shades.  Not so attractive.  So I put some goofy valances  on the top to hide them when I had them open.  It was all very unsightly.

When I moved in, there were cafe curtains that only covered half the window.  They were cute, but it looked like a cafe!  

So to not cover the whole window, I set off to make some interior shutters.  Half way up for the small side window and 3/4s the way up for the big back windows.  

For the smaller side windows, I started with 4 old picture frames which just happened to be the right size.

For the bigger back windows, I had to make the frames. I used 1x2s and cut wedges out of the ends with the jigsaw.

Then glued them together using a square to make perfect rectangles.  

I hammered in some finishing nails in the corners for more strength and put spackle around the corners to make them smooth (sanded these down as soon as the spackle dried).  

After painting, I drilled some holes in the inside corners to hold small dowels that would hold up the fabric.  

I could have just stapled fabric to the back of the frames, but I want to be able to change out the fabric or just remove the fabric to wash it.  

After inserting the fabric panels, I just screwed in the hinges and put them up.

I have white fabric panels and light grey panels. 

I really like when they are all open during the day.  They don't block the window at all so all the light can flow in.  

Ready for spring!!

Home away from home

We did a little restructuring at work, so I needed to move my workspace and there wasn't really a good space for me (we all work in cubes at my office, even the CEO!)  So, although the facilities team worked to create a nice nook for me, I still needed a side shelf and a kind of desk space to meet with my staff.  So... I just built it all myself.

I bought a cute little kidney shaped desk at a local antique store. It was all painted brown and looked just terrible.  So I sanded all of the paint off the top (it came off pretty easily), refinished the top, and painted the base and legs white.

 Then I made a large shelf by gluing boards together (2x4s and 1x2s to get the right width).  And then I cut a curve out of it with my jigsaw, fitting the kidney shaped desk in it like a puzzle. I attached the two pieces at the bottom with mending plates, so it's sturdy.

So now when I turn around (away from my computer), I can face my staff as they sit across the little desk and talk to me.  I also made this little stained glass window insert that keeps the sun glare off my computer screen in the morning.

Its all very cozy!

The old 6 panel door

So I found a great old 6 panel door at a restore!  I wanted to do something cool with it and, just so happened I needed a headboard.  My outside walls were really cold.  So I turned this great old door into a headboard.  

 I had to strip the paint (NOT a fun process). It's really hard to find a door that is not painted (and probably with lead paint which I don't want right next to my head).  So poured the harsh chemical strippers all over it and scraped away.

It has lots of bumps, scrapes and scratches, which I like.  Makes it rustic.

I added some trim from the local big box store to cover the doorknob holes. I carved out grooves in 4x4s an fit the headboard right in. Crowned the 4x4s with finials.  

Even my dog loves it!

Big family dinners

This was a project I did a long time ago.  I have a huge family with kids that come back for holiday dinners (and sometimes they bring friends).  So I needed a big table.  And I never liked a long rectangular table. It always seems that you can only talk to the person right next to you or right across from you.  So I made a huge square table.  6 foot x 6 foot.

It seats 8 people on a regular day, but I can add at least one chair on each side (so 9 chairs) plus I have an old pew on the back wall that can seat at least 5 kids!  

The kids helped me a lot with this one.  Had to do it in the garage.  Glued the strips of wood together and then built supports with 2x2s on the underside.  The legs are 4x4s with finials on the bottom.  Lot's of sanding, staining and finishing.  But it's one of my favorite pieces.

What to do about kitty...

The problem?  I'm getting new windows.  Well, that's not really a problem -- new windows are fantastic!  But my poor kitty is very used to this goofy old cat tree that sits right in front of the old windows.

I made this cat tree a long time ago using colors from a different room.  But I want to put interior shutters (subject of a future blog) in front of these windows.  And this cat tree will be in the way.  So it's going to be disposed of.

I have another side window being put in that will not open.  And I don't plan on putting a window treatment on it, but I do need to put something in front for a little privacy.  Soooo.... 

I made this groovy cat tree

It's twice the height (goes all the way to the the top of the window) and is made of all scrap wood.  The only thing I bought was the plush black blanket to put on the shelves where the cat sits.  And since the cat is black, you can't see her shedding.  And black goes great with stained wood.  I put a side shelf so that she can climb up and around and a little covered tunnel on top.  I put a little shelf in the back for plants.  I built a little lip around that shelf so that plants won't bounce off with a little vibration when she climbs up.  The plant on that shelf and the plant on the bottom block the window to help for privacy.  In the little space where there is no shelf or plant, I put a bird feeder on the outside.  So all bases are covered and everything looks great!  Problem solved! 

The problem? Working at a laptop all day is ergonomically challenging -- hard on your neck, wrists, etc.  Some of my colleagues work on laptops all day.  Although they were offered a store bought plastic riser (that looks very boring), I decided to solve their problem with a little craftswomanship.

I made these sweet little risers out of wood and decorated them by inserting glass rocks.  One of my colleagues uses hers for office supplies (she just hasn't gotten around to putting the keyboard and mouse together).

But my other colleagues use theirs to boost up their screen to the proper height, alleviating neck strain.  

Here's my colleague Denise using hers in perfect comfort! 

These were easy.  Just some wood, stain and little legs (bought at the local big box store).  

Iron in the kitchen

So this is my latest project.  The problem?  Well there were several. First I had a white cabinet hanging from the ceiling. It  was originally over the island, but I moved the island to make more space and the cabinet was just dangling strangely.  It needed to go, but I liked the storage space for my vases and bottles.

Then the microwave which was mounted under the cabinet, was old and not working so well.  Also the spices on the counters were always messy.  And my family uses lots of spices in big jars (not little bottles like most people)!

The solution?  

 This beautiful wood and iron shelf!

I picked up the iron pieces at a local hobby store.  They were white, so I painted them metallic black.  They were just the perfect size.  I cut slits in 2x2s with a table saw and made frames for the tops and bottoms. 

Then I screwed 2x4s to the ceiling, and screwed these frames to the 2x4s after attaching the shelf on the bottom.  I painted trim in the same metallic black paint and glued it to the pieces, covering the screw holes.

Then I added more trim to the bottom to cover those screws.  I used a little black caulking to make sure it covered the screws completely.  

And I put all my vases as well as my coffee/tea/sugar containers.  It looks great!

When I finished the ceiling mounted shelf, I added similar wood shelves to the wall next to the stove using matching iron brackets.  These shelves hold my new tiny microwave and all my jars of spices.

The only tricky part about this project was cutting the wood at the right angle.  I'm terrible at geometry (hoping my kids see me struggle and study more), so I made a pattern out of poster board and used that to mark and cut the wood.  

I love the look of wrought iron and stained wood. Together, both shelving projects look great and blend in well with the rest of the house.  

Welcome!

Everything pretty should be practical and everything practical should be pretty.  So if you need something -- anything -- rather than buying some random thing in the store, just build it.  I build everything.  The things I've built over the past few years include:

• ceiling mounted wrought iron shelf and matching wall shelves for the kitchen
• a tiny table to raise up my water filter
• a Christmas angel for my front yard
• ergonomically supportive laptop risers (for my colleagues)
• a deck
• office cubicle furniture (that fits my space)
• Cubicle privacy screen (not a door, but I can kind of hide behind it)
• a mosaic table top for a beat up old patio table
• a garden bench
• a pallet swing
• a pallet potter's bench
• a 6' x 6' square (yes, square, not rectangle) dining room table
• a built-in entertainment center
• a work bench
• a headboard (from an old door)
• shutters
• 2 cat trees
• gable decoration
• stained glass windows to create needed privacy around the house
• a huge ottoman
• a huge chair

All of these things were built to solve a problem.  Something I needed.  Most of these things were built from wood or glass, but I'm learning to work with metal.  These projects have all added beauty and value to my home and much needed creativity and stress release to me. 

This blog will showcase these completed projects and any new projects or problems that need solving. Hope you enjoy.