Bathroom Redo

Well, the crazy summer didn't see many projects from this girl, but I finally got around to one I've been dreaming up for a while. First, the before. Another one of those hideous towel rings flanked by redundant outlet action. I already eradicated the mirror image of this with my Rub a Dub pallet art on the other side of the bathroom.

First, I cut, sanded, and stained some cheap 1"x 2" wood for shelf support and 1" x 8" planks for shelves. I pre-drilled holes in the support wood and attached them to the wall. This is actually the same process I used to build the white shelves in my craft area, minus the corbels I used for support for those longer shelves.

Then, like any project I undertake, things didn't go as planned, and I had to use some creative engineering. First, the shelves didn't want to stay on the supports, so I had to use tiny nails to attach them. Then, I couldn't figure out how to attractively camouflage the outlet collection. I went to my favorite source of wisdom, inspiration (and time wastage): Pinterest, and found this idea (the one on the right. There was no image or directions for just the basket of light bulbs, but the picture was all I needed):

Image found at: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/25-diy-lamp-ideas-blue-velvet-158867

Tinkering around with the idea caused all kinds of new problems. How do you get power to one of the light bulbs?  Answer: use wire cutters to remove a few of the wire sections so you can stick the light bulb's bootie out.

How do you hide all the excess cord from the Ikea light bulb cord? Answer: Shove it in a jar and disguise it with cotton balls.

And when the basket didn't look right on the shelf by the outlets, how do you get the cord to the plug in? Answer: Use a drill and a screw driver to hack a really tacky hole in one of the shelves and hope you don't change your mind about it.

I folded up some towels to cover up those unsightly outlets and attached a plank of wood below with vintage red faucet handles (actually drawer pulls) for a towel hook. 

And here's the whole shebang  (and the little shebanger in pirate pants who walked right into my picture...)

There's just one final set of problems to solve. What do you do when your husband declares it's too dangerous to keep the light bulb lamp plugged in and constantly takes the towels off of the shelf instead of from the way more convenient stack under the sink (and behind a step stool)? Answer: Shake your head. And fist.

Lego Table

If you know our boys, then you know there's not much they like better than Legos. The two bigguns, especially, are obsessed! As a result, we have mountains of the tiny pieces. When Reed started becoming interested in Legos, largely due to an impressive collection at Mrs. Pam's day care, I decided to copy Mrs. Pam's organizational strategy for the plastic pieces: store 'em all mishmashed together on a Lego table. I took two end tables, set them side-by-side, hammered a little trim around the surface and, voila, an instant surface to play and store Legos. 

This did not last long. I swear Legos multiply at night (oftentimes on the floor). We soon had two  large storage tubs filled with the bricks under the end tables. The tabletop was still constantly loaded. The only purpose it served was a good place to aim when putting toys away Calvin-style (chucking them in the general direction of some receptacle).  So, this year for Christmas, I made a new, improved Lego table for myself the boys. I basically copied the table top for my pallet desk. I used two 1"x 12" boards, following the same painting technique I used on the pallet desk (red craft paint, sanding, stain/black paint mixture) to achieve rustic, barn-looking wood. I used mending plates to fasten the two boards side by side. Then, I nailed trim on the outside edge of all four sides so there would be a ledge to keep any rogue Ninjas from jumping off unassisted. The table is about eight feet long, so there's plenty of room for all three boys to play.

Whether there's plenty of room for all of their Legos remains to be seen. We still have the two storage tubs under the end tables. At this point you can see some of the surface of the table, which is more than you could say for the last one. However, they still have Christmas money to burn and I know what they'll spend it on. 

I'm not too worried, though. The boys received about 10 Lego sets for Christmas. Guess where they assembled nine of them?



All over the floor...


Linking up to: Hunt and Host: boys' room tour

Craft Nook: The Whole Shebang!

I was gonna do a post on how I designed and installed shelves in my craft nook all by my lonesome, but, really, who wants to see all the details? I used some wood. I painted it. I used a level and other impressive-sounding tools to install them. It took for-e-ver, and now it's done and I love it. The end. Wanna see?

Click on the links for details on how to make the storage containers, decoupaged boxes, pallet desk, crib chalkboard easel, and crib springs bulletin board.

The kicker? The whole shebang only cost $122!!

Shelves:
   Corbels                      $ 34
   1x2" Support wood   $ 19
   1x12" shelf                $  9
   1x8" shelves              $ 14
   Paint, screws             on hand

Desk:
   2 spindles               $10
   1x8" boards            $15
   1x12" board           $ 11
   1x2" apron wood   $ 2
   Mending plates        Can't remember, but they were pennies each
   Pallets                     FREE
   paint, screws, stain  on hand

Jars:
   chalkboard contact paper     $ 8

GRAND TOTAL - PRETTY STINKIN' GOOD!!  (Unless, of course, you count the labor... But I thoroughly enjoyed most of the man-hours it took, so I don't count it!)

Linking up to Kammy's Korner Trash 2 Treasure Tuesday
                      Hunt and Host Laundry and Craft room linky party

Crib Springs Bounce Back

This summer, I officially said goodbye to baby-dom by tearing apart our crib and turning it into a chalkboard easel. But I'm not one to waste a perfectly good industrial looking thingamajig and the springs just looked so fun, that I had to perform another transformation. This one was pretty simple.

I had to remove the hangy on the frame rod thingies first. (Sorry, I have no idea what the technical terms for crib parts are...)

It was stubborn, but so am I. I had to pry out a piece of metal with the hammer tines to make enough room to force out the rod. Then, I just hammered the pried out piece.

Note the ever-present backdrop of Legos

Then, I just had to mount the sucker on the wall and hang a few items with clothespins.

I also have put one of the crib railings to use--sorta. It's leaning sideways in our bathroom as a drying rack. Actually, it's supposed to be a place for Ryan to drape his pants that aren't dirty enough to wash, but are too dirty to fold back up and put away. One look at our closet floor will tell you that it is not being used for its intended purpose, though. Today, Max asked me if it was our ladder. Yep. A ladder to nowhere, apparently...

Check out the whole craft area here.

This craft linked at Kammy's Korner

Pallet desk

Yippy, skippy! I made furniture! By myself! And it was mostly free! I started with four or five sets of pallets, free from the local hardware store. Ryan helped me saw them about in half with a skill saw (but just for the record, I learned how to use the skill saw later and I totally coulda done this step by myself!)

All of the pallets got a heavy sanding and a whitewashing with watered down wall paint. 

This process took several days this summer, and life went on. This is what the nublins did while mama was cutting, cleaning, sanding, and painting. 

Then, I simply stacked the pallets on top of each other for the left half of my desk. 

For the top, I used two 1x8" and a 1x12" board.  I dry brushed them with red craft paint, sanded, then used a mixture of stain and black craft paint to make it look like weathered barn wood. I was thrilled with the results, though the pictures don't do it justice. 

The bottom board is unsanded

I brushed on the stain/paint combo, then wiped it off with a rag. The top board hasn't been wiped yet.

I made a wood "apron" to go around the edge, but only the front and sides. I also used scraps from the apron to help hold the three boards together.

Those metal pieces are called "mending strips" and I thought about them when I looked up in the rafters of our shed. They're used to hold trusses together, but they work for slightly shoddily-crafted desks as well. I used two stair spindles for legs.  

The pallet slots are perfect for all my scrapbook papers, maps, and vintage newspapers. I have stove drip pans for "drawers," but they're pretty flimsy. I'm thinking jumbo cookie sheets would be perfect, but they're not in the budget right at the moment. 

And the desk is an adorable, practical addition to an unused corner of our bedroom, all for under $40! 

Check out the whole craft set-up here.

Linking up to The Shabby Nest

Decoupaged Boxes

My sister was cleaning out an attic somewhere a while back and came across stacks of local newspapers from  the 50s. Who did she think would want to do some dumpster diving vicariously through her? Me, of course. I've got to admit, I've hardly used any since then, but not because I don't love it. On the contrary, I love it so much that no project seems worthy of using it up. Until now. One of my craft nook ideas was covered boxes. A workplace dumpster dive resulted in five perfect boxes. They were large and shallow - almost like board game boxes, but much sturdier. I mixed up a batch of homemade Mod-Podge and got to work. Using the newspaper like wrapping paper, I smeared glue under and then over it. Once it dried, it held very well, and most wrinkles worked themselves out.

I had planned on putting them back together as boxes with lids for storage, but they looked so adorable I wanted more! I stacked all five bases on one pile and all five lids (very slightly larger) on another. I had to fill them up to the brim to keep them from sliding down inside one another, but I had so many odds and ends to store, that was no problem. Now I have twice the impact, twice the storage, and I love it!

Check out the whole craft nook here.

Linked at Kammy's Korner