~thrifty thursday~{pallet + crate storage}

This is a very rustic project. 

I am planning on using it outdoors in a covered area this summer for sunscreen, bug spray, flip flops, etc.

You will need 4 casters, pallet wood, 3 crates, 1x2 pieces of wood,  and a nail gun {or you can do it by hand}

Start with one crate and add 1x2 pieces to the inside of all 4 corners.

Nail in place.

Center a second crate on top and nail in place.

And the same with the third.

At this point, you could stain it or paint it and leave it like this.

But, I wanted to be able to push it up against the house and not see all the junk inside.

So I covered the front and 2 sides in pallet pieces.

The easiest thing would be to measure the side and cut all your side pieces at once. Nail them in place and then start on the front.

When you get to the part with the 1x2's like you see in the photo below, you will need to add another rough cut piece of 1x2 to raise it up a bit so you can attach your pallet pieces.

 When you are near the bottom, flip the whole piece upside down. 

Attach casters to the bottom with screws.

To disguise the casters

{because they are new, and not really rustic looking}

I added a "skirt" with 3 more sides of wood.

And to finish off the top, I just used the remaining 1x2's cut on a 45 degree angle and attached to the top with my nail gun.

Here it is all finished.

This is the front.

The side:

And the back!

Like I said, it's very rustic, but perfect for all those misc. outdoor things that come with summer.

It can easily be wheeled out of the way and pushed up against the house when not in use.

I love getting emails from people that have used my tutorials and created something on their own!

Be sure to send them to me at:

lakeliving4@yahoo.com

xoxo

~ 15 reclaimed wood projects you can make!~

Almost a year ago now I made these two planter boxes to flank our french doors.

They are still one of my favorites.

To see the original blog post, go here.

They were also featured on Restyle Source here.

They are looking pretty sad right now.

I think I need to go get some pretty flowers today and spruce them up this weekend.

Some other reclaimed wood projects I have made include this garden wall clock:

This reclaimed wood heart sign:

This giant "farm" sign made:

See what this be achy whale towel rack started out life as right here.

Check out this barn wood and burlap frame:

I love making frames out of chippy wood:

This Mr and Mrs sign I made was featured on TLC's Four Weddings!

This photo holder uses some interesting pieces:

This simple hand painted sign started out as a old cupboard door:

A couple other things I've made out of reclaimed wood.

This hand painted patchwork of recycled wood sign:

A whimsical Christmas tree using old moulding pieces: 

We used 2 old doors that were $25 each in our master and hung them on sliders.

One of my favorite things in our home!

Another holiday piece, this Halloween sign:

And finally, how to make picture frames out of FREE pallet boards!

I hope I have inspired you to get out your saw and make something special for your home!

xoxo

~garden pallet wall clock~{thrifty thursday DIY}

This is a fun pallet project.

It combines my love of rustic weathered pallets and gardening.

First though, I would like to say hi to my first grade school teacher Mrs. Heckendorn who apparently reads my blog every morning with her coffee.

Susan, I love you!! 

Ok, are you ready to learn how to make your own?

You will need an old pallet. I am lucky enough to have a place near me that always has a pile of them for free. So I went there and picked out the most weathered one I could find and wrangled it into the back of my sequoia. 

Then you will need to cut it into a circle with a jigsaw.

Mine is approx. 40" diameter. 

I attached a string to the very center and then using the string and pencil I 

 marked 20" out all the way around, and cut out on the line.

The back of my piece was super rickety so I attached a 2x2 to the back with 

a nail gun to secure.

Next up you will need 12 old rusty garden tools.

I got a couple at a thrift store and found the rest at The Farm Chicks this past weekend.

I am certain you can find these at garage sales for way less than I paid per tool.

Mine ranged between $3.00-$10.00 each.

Lay everything out and when you think it looks good, screw them into place.

Obviously this is not a functional clock, but I am sure you could easily do that if you wanted too.

I think the rustier and chippier the tools are, the better. 

I especially love the ones with the faded colors.

And it's a perfect addition to my potting bench!

Have a great day! 

xoxo

~how to make a seed packet pallet wood sign~

Today I want to show you how to make a sign from old pallet wood. Of course,
you don't have to use pallet wood, any kind will do.

Start by deciding what size you want your sign to be. I just laid a few pieces together to get a width I liked.

Then I cut them all the same length.

Turn your piece so that the roughest side is facing you. This will
be the back. Cut random pieces of scrap wood and using a nail gun or screw gun, attach
them to the pallet wood. This will hold it all together.

When it is all attached together, you are ready to make your pattern.
Find a vintage seed packet image and print it out.
Take it to your local copy center and enlarge it. You can
use the oversize printer, which I usually do, or piece it together.
When I went to enlarge mine, the oversized printer was in use, so I pieced mine
together. Either way works.

Turn your pattern over and scribble with a pencil all over the back. You
really only need to cover the part with the image.

Once that is done, place your pattern back on the wood and tape it in place.
Using a ballpoint pen, trace over the outlines of the image.

After you have completely traced over everything, you can remove the paper.
Then, using a fine brush and a variety of paints, fill in where the pencil transferred.

That's it! When it's dry, hang it in your favorite spot!

Let me know what you end up creating! I love to hear from you!
xoxo