Easy Wood Crate

So how many have days where, we seem to either be a couch potato -- reading a good book or catching up on your favorite show OR where were super busy doing numerous household chores, a quick 30 minute workout, as well as squeezing in a couple of crafts.

Well, my day today has been the later. Waking up early may have something to do with it too... And dinner is done and cleaned away - yep early dinner all done before 5pm!!

I will say not everyday is like this - some days are a couch potato day, where I catch up on emails, TRY and write a few words, line or if my girls allow a chapter of my book :)

But today, with the sun shining, I wanted to try my hand at making a crate - which will house some fresh spring flowers.

Before I start, I will say I didn't take pictures of each step -- but here is a  link to another post to see the basic way I made this crate.

I had some spare wood which I cut into:

 4 same sized long pieces for the sides

 2 same sized for ends (pine wood) which were about 1 inch wider than my other end pieces of wood

2 same sized for ends (the smaller dark wood)

4 same sized pine wood for the bottom

2 scrap pieces of wood for the inside to stabilize the crate

2 handles (which I had lying around)

Black Paint Pen

Benjamin Moore, Arcadia White Paint

Nails, Screws & a Hammer

What I did was to make 2 separate boxes using 2 long and 2 shorter pieces of wood. 

Nailing them together.

( Click on this link follow pictures 4 -6 to see how to make the box)

Then setting the one box with the larger sized end piece of wood upside down on top of the other box and using the scrap wood, I nailed them in place.

Once that was made I painted it. It took 3 coats in total.

I didn't even worry about paint blotches or runs - I wanted this to NOT be perfect.

Then I drew on some numbers and used the Black Paint Pen to color them in.

Then I screwed some handles on and popped in some of my favorite spring flowers which has brightened our little living area up.

I LOVE how it turned out 

 Even though I'm not the best carpenter.

Easy Wood Crate

If you want to know how to make the yellow picture frame tray/chalkboard that is under the wooden crate

CLICK HERE

The only thing I did differently was

 add handles and add a cloth backing to it using a Staple Gun

These are the pictures for the yellow Picture Frame Chalkboard Tray 

Look closely at the bottom, you can see the 4 smaller sized wood which made the bottom base.

 I nailed that to the bottom box.

Here you can see the small pots of flowers fit just right. 

And on the inside, you can see the 2 scraps of wood holding the 2 boxes together.

You can make any sized crates

 Just measure the size of your flower pots your gonna use and  off you go. 

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Decorative Shabby Chic Serving Tray

This Decorative Serving Tray

Took a half a day to make!

Easy

Anyone can make this tray.

On my thrift store rummaging, I found some great wood picture frames, for a steal.

(Tons of future projects to do, yeah)

This picture frame cost only 50c...! Yep cheap. 

So start shopping at thrift stores for your next bargain.

First give your frame a good clean & let it dry.

Remove the back & keep to use later.

I gave the frame a couple of coats of spray paint, using Krylon Black Paint and Primer. Leaving to dry in between coats.

Next, I had a sample pot of Benjamin Moore blue paint. I used a foam brush and painted three coats, again leaving it dry in between coats.

To at texture I used, my leftover a

Benjamin  Moore - Acadia White Paint & used a sheet of kitchen towel, then rubbed the paint onto the frame, working quickly, rub off any excess paint, till you get your result.

Using you steel wool & fine sandpaper - distress.

I dug through my scrap fabric, and cut a piece to cover the thick cardboard backing from the frame.

Using a hot glue gun, glue your fabric to the cardboard. 

 Make sure you stretch as you glue, you don't want any creases.

I used Mod Podge to seal the edges of the fabric, and let it dry.

I bought these handles from Hobby Lobby, when the hardware was on sale, they were only $2 each.

Mark where you want the handles to go, the predrill.

Screw on your handles, and use a finishing wax to seal.

Put your glass in & fabric backing and secure with the existing pins.

Then

Sit back & enjoy your afternoons handy work.

Shabby Chic Decorative Serving Tray.

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Coffee Table Makeover

 I've have never done a 'Big' furniture makeover before, but when I saw a Dinged Pine Coffee Table at a thrift store, I smiled and thought to myself, 

Good bones for a makeover!

I bought the coffee table for $10!

Now it was time to start the makeover.

 First, using my rotary sander, I sanded down the top with coarse sandpaper. I wanted to completely take all the pine color & varnish off, so I sanded it back to the bare wood. I did sand the corners & edges down - with my little girls who will be clambering on & running around the table, I didn't want ANY sharp edges.

 I followed with a fine sandpaper, to smooth it out. I did leave the big dings on it  - I wanted the table to look used, not pristine.

Turning the table onto its side, I unscrewed the top of its legs- keep the screws safe, you don't want to lose any.  With the weather turning colder, I had to stain the table inside, in our cozy small college apartment- stinky, yes! Make sure you open windows. 

I used Minwax, Deep Walnut Stain, and using an old cut up old T-Shirt, I rubbed it into the top, going with the grain. Leave to dry overnight. Then I gave it a second coat, using the same technique. and left it to dry overnight.

The Legs.

I wanted the paint to have a good base to adhere to the legs; I sanded the sheen off using a medium sandpaper. 
Then using the brand,  'Benjamin Moore - Premuim Flat Interior Primer & Paint' ( from Ace Hardware), the color I chose was, Acadia White.

Giving it a light 1st coat, ( it feels like a chalky paint when applying it) I left it dry for a good 2 hours before applying the 2nd coat, then the last 3rd coat, 2 hours later. 

I left if completely let it dry overnight.

Back to the coffee table top.

I didn't want, yet another dark piece of furniture, ESP not in such a small space, I used some of the left over Acadia White paint.

I wanted the darkness of the stain to show through, *so I used, 1 part paint, to 2 parts water & mixed well. *

Using a roller, I gave the top a light coat only leaving the paint on for about 3 minutes, then using an old, but clean cut up T-shirt, I rubbed off the excess paint. Then let it dry.

Now I wasn't sure if I wanted to go lighter or leave it that color. So I set it aside for the night, kept looking at it to see how I felt about the color, in the end, I decided, I wanted it lighter.

                          Following the *same steps* as above

I did, 1 light coat each time, to see how light I really wanted it to be. I did a total of 3 more coats. The light wash paint doesn't take too long to dry, so you don't have to wait to reapply your next coat. (You can decide how many you want to use.)

I let the final coat dry for 5 hours, then using Steel wool and a fine sandpaper, I distressed the top, around the edges and across the top. You can start to see the stain peeking through :)

I wanted  the table to have something in the middle & after looking at stencils & creative vinyl lettering and the cost, I decide to do mine, Freehand. 

I did Art through school, calligraphy being one course, so I gathered old English fonts, and did my rough drawing first on tracing paper. This is where you make your mistakes first :)

Then using a pencil I marked out the lines where my lettering was to go.

Then taking a deep breath, I drew the lettering on.

(Make sure you make a light pencil mark & don't press hard or you'll leave a groove from the pencil lead)

When I was happy with how the lettering looked, I used 'Painters Black Calligraphy Marker' from Hobby Lobby, to paint/fill in my pencil lettering.

 When I had finished, I sat back and looked at it, then decided to make it my own, by adding longer lines and curves of some of the letters.

Once the lettering had dried, I took steel wool and distressed the letters, to match the rest of the top. and the legs. 

To see how I made my Shabby Chic serving tray from a picture frame click HERE

Taking a cloth, I applied Minwax Paste Finishing Wax.  I purchased from Ace Hardware I left the wax on for 20 minutes then taking an old sock - I rubbed the wax in, I did the 'Wax on, Wax off ( karate kid style lol) in circles. You can feel when you have rubbed the wax in - the surface feels smooth and you can see the shine.

I LOVE

 Our New

 Coffee table.

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