All in Build
So we started with Simpson Strong-Tie’s Deck Planner Software. It is a free program available to everyone on their website. You create a log-in and then start designing and it is super easy to use. It prompts you for the shape, size, if its going to be freestanding or not, type of material you are going to use, style of railing, do you want/need stairs etc.
One mans junk is another man’s treasure. Recycle, reuse, repurpose…. or like I like to call it Upcycle! When I was first starting out making stuff I did a lot of upcycles. I thought of them as cheap learning experiences. You can usually find cheap pieces on the street, a garage sale, Facebook marketplace or Goodwill. And since they are cheap, if you totally mess them up it isn’t that big of a deal.
If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I have been in the process of completely transforming a closet in my master bedroom into a built-in closet and office combo. Full details and reveal on that coming soon. Well as part of the makeover I needed a place to hide my printer and my files. I don’t have that many files, so I decided to make a rolling filing printer cabinet. But not just any cabinet, I wanted this one to kinda be hidden… after-all this is in my bedroom and I don’t always want it looking like an office.
I used to be a seasonal plant lady… you know, my plants only lasted a season. But recently I am getting the hang of keeping some plants alive! And when they grow big you need to repot them in bigger pots… who knew. Also, I want to try my hand at propagating some of plants to save money on always buying new ones. And that can get messy, so I decided to build myself a potting bench. A spot dedicated to all my planting tools and it can live outside so any mess won’t matter.
Howdy guys… today I have a really special build to share. I built Awesome Oscar, my fur baby, a dog house! And not just any dog house… an AWESOME, Modern , Scandinavian inspired and slatted dog house! Oh and I teamed up with my good friends over at Simpson Strong-Tie to ensure that his house was built right, sturdy and would last a long long time! Wanna know how I made it? Well, let’s get started!
I went thru so many different version of what type of bed I wanted… farmhouse, modern, platform… there are so many awesome options out there. But how I came up with this version started with a recent build, my DIY Textured Storage Bench. I love how it came out and currently have it in my bedroom, so I wanted something that would coordinate with that. It has a bubble hammered texture to it and I thought that would look great on the headboard, so I started my design there.
And I didn’t want just any old barn door, I wanted something special for this door… after all it was the entrance to the Master Suite… and it had big shoes to fill by replacing the pirate flag. I joke, I kid… haha. But in all seriousness I wanted something AWESOME here and I wanted to try a woodworking technique that I hadn’t done before… tongue & groove joinery! But I also wanted this build to be approachable, so I made it from 2x6 fir boards you can get at any big box store.
When I was first starting making I was so curious about how things went together, especially barn doors. I would see all these pretty pictures of barn doors on Instagram, but people would never show the backs. So I always wondered were they just gluing boards together, was there actual joinery in there, what does the back look like, what is this made out of, etc? And now that I have been doing it, woodworking, for a while I can let you know that the answer to the questions…. and the answers are yes, yes, flat and decorated, wood plywood and mdf! So needless to say, there is not one right way or wrong way to build at barn door… at least in my opinion.
Recently I completely renovated my entryway. See before and afters here. Plus, see how I added a transom window above the door here. But one thing that still wasn’t quite right was my mailbox. It was an old worn metal mailbox that had a fleur de lis on it that wasn’t matching my more modern style and it totally blended in with the new black paint. So it was time for an upgrade. And with this upgrade I wanted to try a new-to-me woodworking joint… finger joints or box joints! So let’s get started.
The world is kinda crazy right now and life as we know it has seen some changes… from social distancing to toilet paper shortages to a lot of people getting sick. And those of us who don’t have an essential job (Thank you 1000% to those who do!) we might be going a little stir crazy. So I teamed up with my friends over at Bernzomatic to create a #STAYHOMESCRAPPROJECT with the hopes of inspiring you to use what you got and make something AWESOME.
This build is inspired by my most popular build to date… the “OG” Shiplap Hall Tree Bench. In my humble opinion it is an awesome design, but it is more on the farmhouse side. And since like me and a lot of others style is leaning more on the modern side these days I thought it would be fun to design a modern version. Hence the “Modern” Shiplap Hall Tree Bench… think black paint, vertical shiplap, light wood and AWESOME!
When a client came to me and asked if I could help build her some privacy screens I knew this would be a great opportunity to partner with my friends at Simpson Strong-Tie and showcase how easy it is to build a fence frame using some of their brackets.
One of my favorite builds in 2019 was my Bubbly Bar Cabinet. It is not only functional, but it looks super awesome and was my introduction into power carving. Ever since that build I knew I wanted to do more of it, so I teamed up with Saburrtooth Powering Carving Tools to create another AWESOME piece. And this time I knew I wanted to add texture to the whole piece. And what better piece to start with than a bench, a storage bench, because everybody could use a bench and a storage bench is even better! So let me start with showing you how I created the bench.
If you are anything like me you struggle with keeping things organized! Well today I am going to share how I organized my growing router bit collection. And it is a simple solution that will work for 1-16 bits, it is mobile and could be easily modified to fit with your space!
Who doesn’t love sitting around a campfire!?! I know I sure do and that is the reason I wanted to build these. But I also didn’t want to spend a ton of money on materials to make them because outdoor furniture can take a beating in the Arizona heat. So I decide to challenge myself to make them each with one (1) board… one 2x12 construction grade board. That along the hardware brought each chair to a cost of $22. Can’t beat that, so let me show you how I did it.
If you are like most people you need a place when you first come in your home to drop stuff! Whether it be in the entryway, the laundry room, the garage, or a dedicated mudroom having a place where the shoes, coats, purses, backpacks, etc. can live helps keep the rest of the house from being one big drop zone. So when my client came to me needing a spot just like this for a small space in her laundry room, we designed something that worked perfect for her space. But not only that I think this piece could work for a lot of people and was an easy and fun build that you could easily put your design or personality stamp on.
I recently teamed up with Bernzomatic to be part of their “Torch Bearer” program…. what does that mean you might ask. Well, it means that over the next year I will be bringing you several projects that include some sort of torched element. I am so excited to get to add this element to my making… just another way to bring you more AWESOME DIY projects!
Power carving is something that I have always wanted to try ever since I got into woodworking. It seemed so fun and the textures you could create endless. That is why when my friends at Saburrtooth ask me to team up on a project, I jumped at the opportunity. I knew exactly what I would carve… you see I had been wanting/needing to make myself a bar cabinet. My pantry is small, so I figured by making one I could free up some space in there. And since it was gonna hold all the bubbly, I decided to carve bubbles on the front like champagne or beer bubbles.
So let’s start from the beginning with the design. My husband wanted the biggest deepest patio we could get with unobstructed views. Our current patio was 30’ long and that length was good so that we didn’t cover the windows to two of our bedrooms. Our house is already on the darker side and we wanted to keep as much natural light inside as possible. So we knew 30’ long, but how were we going to that big of a span without posts in the middle? I didn’t think it was possible, but my husband wouldn’t give up on it. So I went and talked to an architect friend and he said it would be possible with an 18” glulam.
If you have been following along with me on Instagram you know I have recently been completed making over my patio and when we demo’d the old patio I saved the wood in hopes of repurposing it one day. Well, once the new patio was finished I knew that I wanted to have a dining table out their for dinner parties once the the weather gets a little nicer… so that is what I set out to do.
