Shortly after making this rustic wood tray I had it placed out on the table with my bowl of clementines and we had company over. My friend Tina’s eyes lit up and said that looks like a Charcuterie Board! I had no idea what she was talking about.
Apparently, these boards are French named partly because harcuterie is the French word for smoked, dry-cured or cooked meats. So during a cocktail party or anytime your entertaining you put out a sampler of all sorts of meats on a wooden board. Cheese and crusty bread or crackers, dips and olives could also be intermingled on your board.
They can be the size of a large wooden cutting board.
reluctantentertainer.com
Or as big as the table top!
moncheribridals.com
The above photo is wedding spread!
Now this is not a blog about entertaining and making beautiful food. I’m a crafter and DIY-er so I’m going to be telling you about how I made my ridiculously easy to make serving tray.
You will need:
- 1 board 2x10x8 (this is long enough to make 3!)
- 2 handles ($3 each)
- sand paper
- stain
- rag
- clear varnish or polyurethane
- paint brush
The board above is 2x10x8 cut into three pieces-so you can 2 away as gifts-That makes the lumber approximately $4.50 per tray!!!! That is amazing. When you look at these in the stores and online they can cost $50 to 100.
Cut the board into the lengths you prefer. The one I show in the photo was 31 inches long, the second one I made was 30 and the last one was 35 inches. I would recommend that you measure the side table you are going to put this on. Are you planning to make this to be a centre piece in the middle of the dining room table? Then 35 inches is great! But, if its a dresser that is 30 inches wide you don’t want to make it wider than 30 inches.
If you prefer your wood smooth, then you could sand it. If you like it very rustic then you could bang it up a bit with some random tools. I skip the sanding step usually unless there are frayed slivers on the ends of the boards.
With your stain and rag apply the color to your wood.
I used my favourite Miniwax color Jacobean 2750. I made the other pieces of board other colors (grey and ebony) but my favorite is always Jacobean.
Since I don’t plan to put any food directly on my tray I used my usual clear coat over the wood to protect from wear and tear. This means I could even leave it outside in a rain storm and it would be fine.
If you do want to place food right on top of the tray there are many food safe options. They are not as durable (don’t leave it outside in a rain storm). Food safe options: Pure tung oil, raw linseed oil, mineral oil, walnut oil, beeswax, carnauba wax, shellac. One website suggested a mixture of mineral oil and beeswax. Here is the recipe…. https://www.finewoodworking.com/2006/08/01/food-safe-finishes
I picked up 3 of the cheapest handles the hardware store had. Each is $3-5 dollars making the cost of the project $11-15 each-assuming you already have the stain and varnish in your DIY stash of essentials. If you find some handles in the craft or specialty shops or even vintage handles by all means use them. They will be on top of the tray so it could be quite the conversation piece.
I chose this one because it screws in from the top. This is actually a good point. If you put on handles with screws that go in on the bottom you may need to counter sink the screw so they don’t scratch your table top. Or you could put 2 slim pieces of wood under the wood to lift it.
If like me, you chose handles that screw in from the top this isn’t a problem. Put the handles on the board and see where you would like them to be permanently. I put mine 3 inches from the ends (this board is 30 inches long).
Voila it was that easy…its a simple board with handles.
This would look great on a side table with a few nicknacks between uses. If you do want to use this to lay out meat and cheese, olives and antipasto you could put down paper doilies, little bowls and plates or wrap the board with cling wrap. I would do this even if you use a food safe finish for faster clean up.
If you find this too long or the wood too thick cut the boards shorter to suit you and your space.
This goes to show that if you see something so awesomely simple, see if you can make it yourself for a fraction of the price.
I hope you give it a try!
…..
Make a Wood Crate Plant Stand – Super Easy!
Have you seen these bare wood crates around at the craft stores, hardware store and even Walmart? I sure have and I love em!
I had one lying around without a purpose so I decided to make it into a plant stand for my lovely new fern. Simply paint or stain it, tip it on its end and add some wheels and you have got a super easy and cheap end table, night stand for the bedroom or like me a plant stand on wheels.
What you will need:
- large crate
- paint or wood stain
- 4 caster wheels
- screws (description below)
- screw driver or drill
These crates come in more than one size. I used one from Home Depot which was their bigger $12 crate. You could also choose 2 smaller ones, turn them on their sides and attach them.
Purchase 4 swivel caster wheels. When you visit this area of your hardware store you may be shocked to see how many different kinds of and sizes there are of caster wheels.
The screws used are really short. If you want to use a longer screw you may need to glue some strips of wood on the inside. You don’t want to use a longer screw and have the end poking through. I used short screws and they are holding just fine.
Paint or stain the wooden crate and allow to dry. I just used an acrylic black paint. Check your paint shelf and see what you have to use up. Spray paint would work, craft paint, stain to match other projects in the room…. Just make sure you are thorough because painting all the sides of the slats is a bit of work.
Place the castor wheels on the crate and decide their location.
Drill the screws into the wood.
Admire your castor wheels. This is so easy, now I want to add wheels to everything.
Add a fern on top of the crate and some summer math books for the kids below. Voila!
Yesterday was the first day of school for my girls. They were so excited…even my sleepiest kiddo was in the shower before I was out of bed. Way to go B! They worked on their summer homework books really well since June. Hopefully they didn’t forget as much during the 2 month summer break. I bribed them-mind you and put rules on their screen time. Lol. But they did it!
Hopefully you get a chance to make a super easy crate plant stand or side table.
Have a super day!
Make a Ladder Plant Stand – Easy DIY – Only $20 for Lumber
How to make an amazing plant stand on a small budget.
Help! I’m becoming a crazy plant person! My collection of plants has been growing in the last 6 months and then the plants are growing bigger…so its getting a little overwhelming…they are on the kitchen counters, bookcases and dangling from window hooks. The back of the house by the deck gets the sunshine so they are all in the same area.
After spotting the ladder-style plant shelves made out of antique ladder…..I thought the ladder shelf would be the right solution for this nutty plant buying lady.
This photo from https://abeautifulmess.com/2013/02/nesting-ladder-display-makeover.html is what got me thinking about it. I love that they painted it mustard yellow!
Rather than go in search for a old ladder I went right to the lumber store to make my own. Just a few weeks back I made a blanket ladder and its virtually the same thing-add a hinge at the top and some cross boards across.
You can change your plant stand size to be taller or shorter and add another shelf if you prefer. My plant stand is 60 inches tall and at the widest shelf, 32 inches wide. As you can see it has 3 shelves.
You will need:
- 1 – 1x9x8 Board (this might be 1x10x8 but actually is 9 inches wide)
- 4 – 2x2x8 Boards
- 2 Hinges
- Sand Paper
- Tape Measure
- Pencil
- Square
- Drill/Screwdriver
- Mitre Saw (or get them to cut the pieces at the store)
- Stain (Miniwax Jacobean)
- Varnish (Clear Coat)
- Rag and Paintbrush
- Rubber Gloves
Cut Lumber
Cut the 2 x 2 boards:
- 4 pieces 60 inches (177 cms) long
- 8 pieces 11 inches (28 cms) long
Next cut the 1 x 9 x 8 (or 1x10x8). This board was cut into 3 different lengths.
- Top – 15.5 (40 cm)Middle – 25 (64 cm)Bottom – 32 (82 cm)
Sand any rough areas after the wood is cut. If you like the distressed look you could rough the boards up by hitting it with your hammer. Scratching with the side of a screw etc. I like the rough look with this dark wood stain but I don’t want slivers. So I just sanded the ends.
A sensible person might have put the stain on now before putting it all together. However, I wasn’t feeling sensible and wanted to see if this would turn out how I imagined it. So I put it all together first and stained it at the end.
Lay out the pieces in place. Pre-drill where the screws will go. Using the 2 1/2 inch screws to attach the rungs into the sides. I put the first cross board right at the top. The next one was 15 inches below the first. The next one was 15 inches below and so on.
Now the 2 ladders are done. Lets move onto the hinges.
I chose these hinges because they are long and skinny rather than wide and short like the hinges on a cupboard.
Lay the ladders head to head on a very flat surface. Set the hinges on top and screw them into the wood.
Now I could set it up and make sure I was happy with it before going to the finishing steps.
Yup, I’m Very Happy!!!! 🙂
Stain and Protect the Wood
Almost done! Next we stain the wood. I used Miniwax “Jacobean” for a dark wood finish. I love this stain!
Wearing gloves, dip your rag into the stain.
Rub the stain onto the wood. Now is when you will wish that you did this step earlier before the ladder was put together. There is lots of corners to do if its already put together so it adds time and work. Look at it from every angle so you don’t miss any sides.
The final step is to put a clear coat. Since water could be spilling on the boards putting a clear coat of polyurethane is recommended. If you plan to put the shelf outdoors for a few months of the year you may want to put on a few coats.
I stained and allowed it to dry overnight. The next day I put on the clear coat and allow to dry over night.
It’s hard to be patient for the drying time when the rest came together so super fast!
Now the happy moment has arrived to bring it inside and add the plants.
TA DA! Having all my plants together is going to make it so much easier to remember to water them all!
This project is so simple and easy to make and inexpensive. If you have a toddler at home you may want to keep an eye on them around a project like this. The shelves are just resting on the ladder rungs. To make it more secure you could put an L shaped bracket under each shelf. Its a ladder shape but no climbing on it kids!
Don’t Forget to Pin or Share this Post!
Previous Posts You Might Be Interest In…..
Plant Puns on Painted Potted Flower Pots – Adorable Gift Idea to Make Them Smile!
How to Make a Sundial
Are you looking for an outdoor family nature project? Here is a cool idea for a sunny day. Make a SUNDIAL.
A sundial is a device that uses the position of the sun to cast a shadow to tell the time. As the sun moves across the sky the shadow moves. According to Wikipedia the oldest sundial found by archeologists is dated around 1500 BCE. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sundial
When I started my project it was very cloudy so it got more decoration than I intended. It was going to be bare wood with a light clear coat. Our weather was cloudy and rainy for several days so I had to postpone it repeatedly. Grrr.
Technically you could make a quick sundial using a stick in the ground. Or you could use paper and a pencil stuck in playdough to make a sundial in a pinch. But if you want to make one like mine, here is the scoop.
You will need:
- a scrap of wood (mine was 9 x 13 inches)
- dowel (mine was 10 inches)
- drill
- tape measure or ruler
- 12 rocks or gems
- 1 screw 2 1/2 inches long
- hot glue gun or other glue (optional)
- watch or clock with an alarm
- pencil
- spray paint or varnish
- craft paints and brush
Cut the wood to a size you choose. I would have preferred a 12 x12 square but I had this scrap 9 x 13 left over so we used it. I also had this dowel that was a leftover and already 10 inches long.
Measure and mark the centre of your board.
Screw the dowel into the centre of the wood. This was hard to take a photo of. Put the dowel on the ground, place the block of wood on top. Ensure the x marking the centre on the wood is right over top of the dowel. Drill the screw through both pieces.
We could see the clouds coming, so we decided to start the time markings the next day and for now paint the sundial to help it last longer outdoors. If you have a partial can of spray paint or wood protector…this project won’t take much.
Spray the board and allow to dry. Tip over to paint the bottom and allow the bottom side to dry.
Once it is dry you can decide where you will have the most sun in your day. You could raise it up with bricks or a tree stump. We have a lot of shade in our backyard which normally we appreciate. But for this project it made things difficult.
Now seeing the giant rain clouds moving in. We decided to post pone and begin again tomorrow. In the meantime, we could jazz it up a bit.
Using craft paint we put wide stripes on the dowel part of the sundial.
We had a package of dollar store polished rocks so we painted a white circle on each one. This will be our pretty markers for hours. Print the numbers: 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
A SUNNY DAY FINALLY ARRIVES
We did follow some of rules for making a sundial. Such as the pole needs to tilt slightly to the north. Use a compass to determine the north pole. I twisted the dowel to loosen it and put a tiny rock in that space to tilt it. If you are in the southern hemisphere you will need to use the compass to find the south pole and tilt the dowel to the south.
Just before noon put your sundial in a sunny place. The shadow of the dowel will be your first mark to write in the number “12”. I wanted that to be right at the top like a regular clock.
This is going to take more than one day to complete so make sure that no one moves it. Maybe add a note that says “do not touch” so it doesn’t move.
Next, set the alarm for 1’oclock and come back to write on the number where the shadow hits for 1pm. Write “1”. Set the alarm for 2pm and then 3pm and continue to repeat every hour until the sun sets.
After sundown, set the alarm for 7am so you can begin recording the morning time marks.
If you are going to leave your sundial outside and you haven’t already painted or varnished the sundial you should do that next to water proof it. A clear coat on the rocks is a good idea too. You don’t want the paint to shift off the stones. That can happen on polished stones.
After the times are all marked, you might want to secure the rocks so they don’t get carried away. You can use a hot glue gun (fast and easy) or E6000 glue (slow, stinky but stronger).
Our finished project does not look like a clock like other sundials. Maybe it was moved. If your kids are older you might want to do more research and see how the impact of the tilt of the earth’s access. It’s August now, will the shadows still line up in September? This project has the potential to be quite educational. Telling time, shadows, the earths axis, the solar system, using a compass,
This picture is linked to a nice pencil and paper sundial blog.
Children who spend time outdoors are more likely to be happier, healthier, problems solvers and more creative. Check out this blog post about a paper sundial. https://hubpages.com/education/Reconnecting-Children-With–Nature
https://otherwiseeducating.blogspot.com.au/2010/12/sundial.html
https://www.kcedventures.com/blog/how-to-make-a-sundial-for-kids
Here are some other posts of my projects you might enjoy!
Nature Craft – Perfect for Earth Day Activity – Clay Imprints with Plants and Flowers
Add Twinkle to Your Patio with a String of Solar Lights
$20 Solar Twinkle Light Project – No Tools Needed
Usually by this time of the summer I have had enough of the heat and let the weeds take over and the vegetable garden dry up. But this year has been different! This year I have been adding colour to the backyard patio. I have painted the old picnic table and parts of the fence turquoise, the white Muskoka chairs are now red, an old bike is now yellow with plants attached and the entire patio a multi color design.
This is what it looked like as the final bit of winter melted away. So dismal! In the summer our garden is lush and private but everything is bare naked in the winter. Grey and bleak….
We have a lattice privacy fence around the patio area that needed a bit of repair and some paint touch ups battered by the winter. This is the going to be the support for the 2×2 pieces of lumber.
Below is a pic of the other half of the patio and garage area after I finished painting the patio.
Have a look at the painted patio blog post from July.
So the next logical step for this backyard makeover is to add some twinkle lights. Being the frugal person that I am-I must brag that I did this project for $20!
First stop – the hardware store….
You will need:
- 2×2 lumber (3 for $2.70 each)
- string of solar power lights (sale $9.99)
- left over deck stain or spray paint (it costs $6.99 usually but I had this left over from the patio project)
- zip ties (dollar store)
- cup hooks (dollar store)
Step 1 Spray Paint The Boards
The great news is we use the full pieces so no power tools are needed. Just choose a paint color and get started.
I wanted to make a splash of color so I chose to use my bright orange. I could have used a dark green or left over deck stain or fence paint if I was feeling subtle. But I wasn’t….
Spray the 3 2×2 boards on two sides then allow to dry before flipping them over and doing the other two sides.
Step 2 Add The Hooks
I used mug hooks because you simply screw it into the wood. The hook is twisted into the wood a few inches from the top.
Step 3 Tie The Supports To The Fence
Securing the 2×2 to the fence was easy with zip ties. When we are putting everything away before the snow comes these zip ties will be cut off and my orange light supports will be put away in the garage.
The dollar store or hardware stores have these for super cheep I used the 14 inch zip ties.
If you don’t have a handy fence or deck to secure the wood to, you can find others who have put them in cement in a bucket to create a portable pole. Some use 2×2’s or 2×4’s and even 4×4’s.
Check out this link to a tutorial using barrels and concrete and then turning it into a planter. Its great if you have no walls, deck or fence to secure it to. https://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/outdoors/patios-and-decks/how-to-make-planter-posts-for-string-lights
Step 4 Adding The Lights
It’s August, so now is the perfect time to find clearance solar powered lights. Lets give a shout out to solar lights! What a wonderful invention this solar power is. No extension cords to plug it in. No batteries. Just leave the little solar panel out facing the sky.
Turn the light on so it has a chance to charge up with solar energy before sunset. F means flashing, S means static so the lights will be still.
Wrap the solar light cord around the 2×2 support. At the top wrap it around the hook a few times. Next drape it over to the next support. We simply wrapped it around that hook and over to the third hook. Finally wrap it down the third pole and its done.
Next to the bird houses you can see the solar power part. I need to think of how to put it more out of sight since it does need the sunlight to charge it for after the sun sets.
As the sun begins to set, I can see they are lighting up perfectly. Twinkle lights are such a simple pleasure!
Now I feel like calling some friends to come over for a root beer float and having a little party under the lights!
Make a Ribbon Mobile – Windsock
The other day I came across a ribbon party mobile on a porch and I loved! It was bright colors and looked so easy! So off I went to get supplies for my own.
New word of the day: Windsock
If you put these outside it might be called a windsock, so you can tell when its windy. Like they have at the airport to tell wind direction and speed. I did not know this word until I went looking on Pinterest to see how others had made them and that is what they called it. Isn’t that a fun fact!
This could survive the summer outdoors because it is made out of a metal wreath-as opposed to the smaller ones that people do with an embroidery hoop. However, the embroidery hoop would be good for an indoor mobile and it’s smaller so you would need less ribbon.
This is my version of it!
You will need:
- wire wreath (Dollar Tree $1.25)
- spray paint (optional)
- ribbon (variety of widths and textures) you need a lot!
- iron (if your ribbons have creases)
- scissors
- tape measure
- binder clip
- fishing line
Start out by spray painting the wire wreath. This is optional but I did originally leave mine black and it was nagging at me that I should have painted it white or pink to blend in. It doesn’t take much paint a quick spray on one side. Wait an hour and flip it over and paint the other side.
Bric a Brac and Haberdashery!
Here are 2 more definitions to make this a super educational tutorial:
Bric a Brac: Noun
-
miscellaneous objects and ornaments of little value.
- synonyms: ornaments, knickknacks, trinkets, baubles, bits and pieces, bits and bobs, odds and ends
- small items used in sewing, such as buttons, zippers, and thread; notions.
- a shop or a department within a larger store that sells items used in sewing.
More to the point – Ribbon
You will need a lot of ribbon! It would be great if you have a craft outlet store or a source for cheep ribbon with a lot of yards on the spool. You should plan to spend at least $25 on this. Wider ribbon will fill up the space quickly but the skinny ribbon is nice intermingled. It’s a great way to use up old scraps too. Lace, ribbon, ric rac, sequin strips, cheap lengths of beads. Variety is the key!
Start by cutting the ribbon into lengths between 20 and 24 inches or 50 cm to 60 cm. I like the ribbons to be staggered in lengths. Do not use ribbon with wire in it.
Slide the ribbon through the wire wreath.
Pull the ribbon through the loop to form a gentle knot.
Spread the ribbon around the wreath and then add another color. If it’s too short to tie the gentle knot you can put a single strand on the wreath by just knotting it.
Ribbons, Ribbons, Ribbons!
At this point I ran out of my new ribbon and it looks really sparse. So I head down to my sewing area and dig out all my old ribbons and lace and cut up any gray, silver, white, cream and any shade of pink in any width of ribbon.
If some of your ribbons have been folded you will want to iron them. Some of my best photos have ribbon with bends and folds and it really bugged me. So off they came and I ironed them flat. Make sure the iron is set to gentle.
A friend gave me this bottle of beads. The strand of beads is really long so there is plenty to add several lengths on this project. I also had a spool of sequined ribbon and that adds a nice bit of sparkle.
It’s actually quite beautiful now. When I lift it up there is very little wire showing.
Time to Hang it up!
Now you will need to string it up. I could have used ribbon but there is literally none. It’s all used up on this mobile. So use fishing line…its very inexpensive and clear. I used a binder loop as the connection and it will help with movement if you are using it outdoors in the breeze.
Knot it on the wreath in three places and then pull the three strands together and upwards. Tie it in a knot twice leaving 1/2 an inch (1 cm) between the knots to hook the binder clip. Then use the S hook to hang it from a tree branch.
If you hang it on a very low branch you will find your children in it. You’ve been warned…LOL
The photo above is the mobile I did before I spray painted it. You can see some of the black wire. It’s up to you – if you want to skip the spray painting step. In the end I took the ribbons off and spray painted it pink and then started again.
This would be really fun hanging over an outdoor tea party!
I choose my projects based on things I actually want to have around my house and I’m excited to make. This project is both! It turned out lovely and my daughter is happy to have it as an addition to her pink room.
Happy crafting – til next time!
Here are two ribbon and lace mobiles that I found in a store in a neighbouring town.
The one above is using a kitchen pot holder rack.
The one above is using a big white willow wreath. They had such a nice impact that I immediately pulled my phone out to take a photo. Add some twinkle lights and it would be absolutely wonderful!
How to Build a Blanket Ladder – Easy Project!
Blanket Ladder DIY
This project is one of the cheapest projects you could make. If you have the stain, varnish and screws left over from a previous project the great news is the lumber should be less than $10.
You will need:
- Lumber 3 – 8 foot 2×2 (3 x $2.50 each = $7.50)
- Power Drill, drill bit and screw driver bit
- Pencil
- Stain
- Sand paper
- Clear Coat Varnish
- 10 – 2 1/2 Wood Screws
Cut 2 pieces to 6 feet long. Cut 5 pieces to 18 inches long. (This is the size I made)
OR
Cut 2 pieces to 5 feet long. Cut 4 pieces to 18 inches long. (Good if you have a small room)
Do you see that blue sky? 30 mins later the sky had dark clouds and I was hustling everything back into my garage to avoid a major thunderstorm.
Lay out the wood and decide on your set up. I chose to put the first ladder rung 3 inches from the top. Then each one is set to be 12 inches below the next one. This left about 6 inches from the bottom of the ladder.
I predrilled the holes to help the wood not split. That would ruin the wood-trust me I’m famous for doing this and having to head back to the store for a fresh piece of wood. Doh!
I started to drill each screw into the wood to make the next step of adding the rungs easier.
Use a square to ensure the rungs go on straight.
Do you want to have it super smooth finish or rough and distressed…decisions decisions…?
Smooth…then its time to go over it with sand paper or a hand sander.
Distressed…last chance to scratch it up a bit. Rub it with the side of a screw or key. You can even wack it with hammer.
Even if you like it distressed you can almost skip all the sanding but do tidy up the ends with a quick rub using sand paper.
Now for the STINKY wood stain!
Next step is staining it. Choose a stain that will go with your décor. I really like a dark walnut finish but this blanket ladder is going into a room with a lot of black. So I used an ebony stain by Miniwax. If you are indoors open a window. If you can do it outdoors that is even better.
Watch the seams for areas where you have missed stained the first time. I used a craft paint brush to touch up the gaps and unintentional light patches.
After allowing it to dry, put a thin coat of clear protector over top. Keep in mind, clear coats come in a mat finish or glossy. I prefer glossy for the sake of smoother dusting my wood furniture but the mat finish looks really nice too. I chose to use a SPRAY clear coat.
This looks so nice next to the greenery. Maybe I should use it as a trellis instead!
This could double as a magazine rack too. I didn’t have any magazines around so I used the kids summer school work books. Tee hee…. :o)
This is such an easy project! Are you teaching your teenager some DIY skills?
What if a teenager used this ladder to set out their school clothes for the week…
Add a blanket and what a nice housewarming gift this would make!
Crafts Using Burlap and Buttons – Easy Project that Looks Great!
Make a Tic-Tac-Toe Board Game
Today I’ve got a SUPER EASY project you are going to love!
Outdoor Tic Tac Toe Board Game
I’ve been working on some of my wooden projects this week but every day we’ve had sun then clouds and then raining cats and dogs. One of my projects (a wooden sundial) to do with the kids requires a full day of full sun. So there, once again, we are running into the house to dodge raindrops with our sundial. What can you do but be patient and find another project to do. What funny summer weather!
I want to give credit to this bright idea….it was inspired by https://tarynwhiteaker.com/outdoor-tic-tac-toe-game/?m. When I saw her blog post, I immediately put it on my to do list. Outdoor games….hmmm it’s got me thinking about other giant outdoor games for summer family fun.
What you will need:
-
- 10 flat rocks (I used the bagged ones from the dollar store)
- a rectangle block of scrap wood
- wood stain and rag to apply it
- white/cream craft paint
- craft paint brush
- painters tape
- (optional) clear varnish (clear spray paint is handy for the rocks)
Lets Get Started!
I hope you have a piece of wood left over from another project that you can use. The thickness and width and length is completely up to you. I had this piece of pine left over from a mirror project I made in the early spring. I will put a link to it at the bottom of this post.
The the scrap of wood was…9×16 (23cm x 41cm) and 2 inches thick.
If there is any rough edges give the corners a bit of a sanding. We don’t want slivers. If you want it to be a smooth tic tac toe board, then you will need to put some more time into sanding it.
The stain I used is by MINIWAX called “Ebony”. If you put a thin layer on you get a grey/black effect. If you put on 2 heavy coats it will be nearly black. I used one coat for this project. I really like!
After the board is stained you will see that it’s quite banged up. I really like the rough, distressed lumber look.
You should give the stain plenty of time to dry before moving on to the next step. It started to rain so I abandoned this project until the next day.
This photo shows me using painters tape to show me where I would want to paint the lines.
Grab Your Paint Brush!
Using painters tape, mask out where to have the first two lines. Apply a coat of paint and wait 10 mins. It may need another coat of paint. Craft paint dries fairly quick but I gave it 45 mins and then was able to remove the tape and put in the opposite direction. Have a ruler handy to check the distance from the sides is equal.
If all of this is too tedious, you could just paint the lines on free hand. If you were doing your tic tac toe on paper or sand it would look more like the tape in the previous photo. Maybe I’ll try that next time. If you make a mistake you can wipe it off quickly with a wet cloth.
I was looking at the painters tape and thought hmmm…..why not paint a spot for the stones to rest. I love this technique for perfect dots. Dip your paintbrush handle into the paint and dab it on the surface 1-3 times and then reapply with paint and carry on.
Originally I was going to use a stencil on the stones…..but that was not a success. Then I was going to free hand paint the X’s and O’s and that turned out ugly too. So my solution was to do the dabbed-dots again.
This looks so much better than the ones I hand painted. LOL!
This is so easy I wonder if I should make some more for housewarming gifts….or maybe sell them at my work craft table. Several of my recent posts have made it to the craft table at work. Fridge magnets, wind spinners, the memory wire bracelets and all those items add some sparkle to the other fabric and knitted items.
If you put a clear coat of varnish on the wood it will be ready to stay out doors all summer long come rain or shine. It adds an activity and rustic charm to the deck or patio.
(As an after thought, the rain lifted some of the dots off the stones so they should get a clear coat of spray paint.)
Thanks for reading! Enjoy your Sunday and get outside its going to be a beautiful day!
Paint Old Concrete for a Colorful Patio Makeover
I may have taken things a little too far this time! I have been adding color to a very beige and grey backyard bit by bit. This weekend I went hog wild and I literally spray painted my tired old cement pad.
Our house is rather old built in the 1950’s. Its a mystery at what point they would have added this concrete pad and privacy fence but its safe to say it was a long, long time ago.
Our patio is approximately 232 inches by 135 inches or 3.5 meters by 5.9 meters.
It has 4 sections at various widths 51 inches 52 inches 67 inches 62 inches. I worked in sections. I was done three sections when the spray paints started running out.
You will need:
- brooms, dust pans
- power nozzle on your garden hose or power washer
- a concrete mold
- 9 or 10 colors of spray paint (expect to pay approx.$7.50 per can of paint)
- clear concrete sealer
Before you get started you need to clean every bit of your concrete…
In order to successfully paint concrete you must clean and prep the area properly. This means going over the surface to remove all dirt and debris. Our patio had lots of that!
All the credit goes to my father in law for digging all the grass and weeds out from the cracks in the concrete slabs. New bits of nature are constantly blowing through the air so even during the process you may need to re-sweep. So keep a dust pan and broom or whisk handy through the entire process.
Plan on spending at least an hour on the clean up process. First I used the corn broom and a kids sized snow shovel for my dustpan. Then I used an old kitchen broom for finer bits of dirt. Then I used a flat broom for a final run over to see if I had gotten it all. To be thorough now consider if any areas need to be scrubbed. I had two areas where there were potted plants with thick mud caked onto the ground under the flower pots-it would not budge. Scrubbing with soapy water will tackle this…or use a power washer. Then you will need to wait for it to completely dry.
If you leave dirt on the concrete the paint will stick to it and likely wash away the next time it rains so don’t skip the cleaning stage.
Gather the Supplies: Concrete Mold and Paint
What is a concrete mold?
A concrete mold is typically used with quick-setting concrete pre-mix to create cobblestone walkways or patios of any size.
If you were pouring concrete into this mold you would want to have it as pictured above (wide edges upwards) but for spray painting we want to have the wide part on the bottom of the mold. This will create a tiled grout effect.
Where does one buy a concrete mold?
I have had this mold stored for the last 5 years! I bought it from Lee Valley with the idea of making a concrete path in a section of my backyard. However, I took one look at the bags of concrete that I would have to haul home and mix and thought it was best to put it off for a bit….lol. That sounds back breaking!
I have looked at the website and Lee Valley does still sell this mold for $34.50. Its 20×20 and very sturdy. Here is the link. http://www.leevalley.com/en/garden/page.aspx?p=10339&cat=2,2180,33222
If you aren’t near a Lee Valley store, you may need to investigate if your closest hardware store does carry it. It looks easy enough to purchase online but harder to find in actual stores.
Here is a similar one at Walmart.com. https://www.walmart.com/ip/17×17-Inch-Pavement-Mold-Irregular-Concrete-Stepping-Stone-Patio-Paver-Mold/163739522
Possibly a cheaper alternative would be to take a piece of plastic and cut a pattern out with an exacto knife. This would be like creating a stencil. At my local dollar store they have thick pieces of sturdy plastic in the craft section that looks like a big placemat. This is meant for a work surface for crafting kids so they don’t wreck your table. I could see this being cut up as a stencil. Just a thought!
Next you’ll need to choose the paint!
I started out with these 7 colors but after the first section decided to add a red spray paint that I recently used to paint my Muskoka chairs an awesome red.
As you can see the lime green and sunshine yellow colors did not have the impact that awesome royal blue did. Lets give a shout out to Tremclad Royal Blue for its awesome job covering concrete on the first try. Yellow and lime did get a second coat once everything was dry. I didn’t actually mind the faded effect it had since colored tiles or bricks are not perfect. But then I wondered if it will fade with the sun and snow so I thought that I would want to make it darker by going over just the yellow and lime the following day.
Here I am at the 3/4’s done mark and very pleased with myself…but running out of some of my spray paints.
Here is a good picture from before and after the paint. Concrete doesn’t need to remain bland grey. The hardware store has several options for painting cement. If this is a bit too bright and busy for your space, you could do it in shades of green, brown, copper, charcoal etc. Pinterest also shows several techniques using a stencil effect. Or just painting a rectangle with a pattern on it so it looks like a carpet. So cool!
Here is the patio in the early spring with the last of snow melting. All the garden furniture packed away for the winter and the formerly-lush ivy looking creepy and brown.
In May and June I was having a lot of fun adding color by painting a few things, but the patio concrete was pretty ugly grey and not cleaned up since the spring.
This is a cool angle from the deck! Now that I have put all the furniture in place….and I realized I forgot to put the clear sealer on top. Oh plumpers! I was so eager to see it all come together I completely forgot! Tomorrow is a holiday so…hubby is home to help me remove it all again. I will start early before the temperature gets too hot. I’m hoping that with the sealer on top this color will stay vibrant and last through the seasons. This is July 1st 2018. I’ll follow up with how it held up over the years.
…
Make a Garden Work Bench / Potting Table
This is an easy DIY project for the inexpensive wooden pine shelves in the back of your closet that you’ve had for years. I was staring at mine thinking about getting rid of this plain old shelf and then I thought what if I added another shelf, made the top bigger and painted it a bright color and turn it into a garden potting station for the kids.
I have another one that I could turn into a lemonade stand using the same idea. I’ll let you know if that turns out!
This is actually an old project I made years ago so some of the details are a bit foggy. This shelf was holding our camping gear. Its really only good to hold very large things on the bottom shelf because it doesn’t have a middle shelf. It turns out that its pretty easy to add a shelf by having a board cut to size.
You will need:
- a bare wood pine shelf
- pine cut down to 12 x 30 and 16 x 42
- 16 x 1 inch deck screws and a drill
- sandpaper
- outdoor paint
- paint brushes
As I said this project was done 3 years ago so I’m going by memory on the details.
The middle shelf on mine measured 12 by 30 inches (30 by 76 cm’s) …. Your shelf may not be exactly the same so measure yours before having the shelf piece cut.
The piece on top is 16 by 42 inches (40 by 107 cm’s). Hopefully you have some wood scraps you can use in your garage left over from another project. If not they will cut the boards for you at the hardware/lumber store.
The boards will need to be drilled in place. I used the pre-drilled holes and attached the middle shelf with 2 deck screws on each corner. I put 8 deck screws in the top of the table to attach it to the vertical boards of the shelf. The nice thing about a work bench is it can be a bit rough-so I didn’t sink the screws and fill the holes.
Next the entire shelf will need to be painted. Our shelf is outdoors all summer and is stored in the garage for the winter. I used left over paints in my basement that were meant for other projects. The bright yellow paint was a miss-tint that I bought for $8.00, several years ago. It needed a lot of stirring before I could get started. Follow the instructions on the paint tin.
After I had done 2 coats of paint we were able to decorate it. The girls love to spend time playing flower store! When I purchase new flowers and vegetable plants at the garden centre they gather all the hand tools, seeds and the new plants and play at shop keepers for hours. I finally bought them some fake flowers from the dollarstore for their play store so I could get mine into the garden!
This year they were really involved in the planting of the newly purchased plants and not just pretending to sell them. Their planters are doing really well! We have to keep an eye on our potted plants since a few squirrels that are digging around
Gemma our Yorkie-Poo snuck into this photo. This photo shows the fence around our vegetable garden. This keeps the dogs from digging in the dirt. There are also some nice bunnies in there who nibble on the lettuce in the square foot gardens.
We have our own Floppsy, Mopsy and Cottontail!
Enjoy making yourselves a work bench. Come to think of there is lots we can do with these bare bones shelves. Next on my to do list might be a lemonade stand….
Enjoy your projects, til next time!
…
Plant Puns on Painted Potted Flower Pots – Adorable Gift Idea to Make Them Smile!
