So I'm giving a try at this "how to build" thing using SketchUp. I really like it, and there's still a lot I need to learn, but after seeing what Ana White did, I knew I had to give it a shot. She is amazing and I've been getting a whole lot of inspiration from there. If you haven't seen it yet, check out her site ana-white.com.

Anyways, here we go. We needed a Bar Table for an empty space in our kitchen. I guess you would call it the "breakfast nook". We aren't the type to spend a lot of money on furniture (have you been shopping lately? It's ridiculous!) So after looking over the interwebs and gaining inspiration from Ana White, I came up with this. Follow along and hopefully by the end you'll have one of your own.

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Hey there. Well, I promised myself that I wouldn't be building anything new (at least furniture) until we moved. I broke that promise to myself...

We needed (well, wanted) a DVD and game case cabinet or shelf. I had seen pictures while looking for ideas of those vintage wooded filing cabinets, the kinds used in old schools and offices. If I were to make one that could hold DVDs, well that would be sweet. Using scrap wood from the shop, this is what I put together.

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Drum roll please....Ta-da! I have finished the Vintage Style Lighted Cabinet! Everything I was waiting for came in the mail today so I was able to get it all buttoned up before the weekend. So here she is in all her glory, good things. Continue reading to see more images of the final piece. And also, if you missed part 2 of this build, you can view it here.

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Hello again, here's the second update on the "Vintage" Lighted Cabinet. I have now installed the trimming, the back bead-board, built and installed the drawers, sanded and painted the whole thing. Here are some pictures of the progress so far...

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Hey guys, how are things? So I wanted to catch you up on what's going on around the shop right now. I had written my last post about brainstorming my next build. I've started on the cabinet and will show you where I'm at right now. This is going to be a window door cabinet that is lighted from the inside.

 Me and the misses made a trip over to the local Antique Shop and found this window for sale for $35. Check out the hardware that was on it.

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Hello again, I told you I'd be back. Here's another simple Christmas Decoration for your viewing and crafting pleasure. I wanted to make a Christmas sign, and after browsing around the internet for some inspiration I came across this:

Inspiration from Online

The saying is from, as you know, Home Alone. Me and the wife thought it was funny and looks great. On to the build!

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Happy Holidays everyone! It's been awhile since my last post, so I thought I would start things back up with a little Christmas decoration how-to. Today I'll be making a Christmas Stocking Holder using old drawer knobs. I saw a picture of one of these in the magazine 'The Country Sampler', and knew it was right up our alley.

The Stocking Holder hanging on the Mantle

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Well hello there. I would like to share with you the latest project I just got finished with. I was standing in my shop looking around thinking about something to make. Something small - and I didn't want to pay for anything in building it (I'll break that later).

I always thought to myself how it would be nice to have some sort of message board on the refrigerator that we could write shopping lists, grocery items needed, and quick notes on. A Chalk Board! Let's do it.




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Me and the wife were out shopping the other day and we were in one of our 'go to' stores - Ross (wife loves the prices) and sitting back in the furniture section was a cabinet that had shutter type doors. I was looking for something that would look good in the bathroom and thought this was a perfect fit.

They were asking around $50 for this piece - but you know I'm not going to pay for this type of furniture...so...off to the shop!
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Hey guys. I saw this in our favorite antique store several months ago and thought that it was a great idea. It wasn't until I ran across a picture of one the other day that I decided to make one.

Clothes Pin Photo Hanger

I love the look of it, and the purpose it serves. Here's what I did - I took a couple pieces of 2x2 (actually it's about 1.5" x 1.5") and cut to length. I forgot the exact measurements I used, but it's entirely up to you. I then cut 45 degree angles at each end and put it together with wood glue and screws (like a picture frame)

45 Degree Angles

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There's nothing like a little outdoor relaxation when the weather gets warm, but if traditional hammocks are just a bit too difficult and uncomfortable for you, you can make a sturdier hammock-like hanging chair out of tree branches.

It takes a lot of work to put together, but it's more tedious work than it is difficult—as long as you're comfortable cutting up a few tree branches, you shouldn't have too much trouble with the rest. You just need to cut them into 2" long pieces, drill a hole through each one, and thread your hammock string through. You'll get something like the above picture, which is more comfortable than a regular chair or swing, but not quite as absurd as a regular hammock. Hit the link below to see a full how-to.

Make a wooden hammock from branches! by Samuel Bernier

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