DIY Archives

WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE THIS DIY CANVAS FRAME KIT

April 6, 2021

Sharing a beautiful DIY canvas frame kit perfect for a girls night or Mother’s Day

I did not inherit the crafty gene. My sister took all of it and upstaged me with our painted Christmas village over our college winter breaks.

But over the past year discovered, with a little bit more free time, maybe I could find my crafty side. And then a serendipity invitation showed up in my inbox.

DIY CANVAS FRAME KIT BY PHOTOWALL

Photowall reached out to me to share my experience with their DIY canvas frame kit. With over 14oo0 options between their canvas prints and wallpaper options I thought I might get lost in the huge selection.

Until I landed on their floral canvas prints.

And between clicks and searches on Photowall’s website, I found the one.

It was the perfect print for my home office.

With navy walls and freshly stained floors, this was the perfect canvas print with pinks and greens. I found the one in a matter of minutes.

And you will too.

And then …

While waiting four days for my tulip DIY canvas frame kit to ship from Sweden I started to panic. What if I screw this up? What if I break the frame or ruin the canvas while trying to assemble it?

So when it arrived, with a mix of emotions of excitement and a wee bit of fear, I removed the contents from the narrow shipping box and perked up.

Could something so pretty really be this simple?

I shared a short video on my Youtube Channel to introduce this fun DIY craft in a box.

PHOTOTWALL DIY CANVAS FRAME KIT INCLUDES

canvas print of your choosing
unassembled frame with adhesive tape
4 brackets to reinforce the corners
the most practical screws ever for an assembled framed canvas
mounting wall bracket

The kit includes a simple instruction list that does not require a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering to assemble the frame to the canvas.

Even the supers-sized screws with ribbed edges made it easy. There was absolutely no hardware, scissors or glue needed.

My only suggestion for this DIY canvas print is to use a large flat surface to lay your canvas print (print side facing down) flat.

I removed all of the contents and made sure the four frame sections were aligned on the canvas correctly. And then it’s just a peel and stick step where the canvas adheres to each frame. Where the corners magically align.

I love it. The first thing I want to do is order one for my daughter and my sister for their birthdays. This would make a lovely Mother’s Day gift. You could even do it over a Zoom call with your friends or family.

I am going to have a Photowall canvas print party this summer where everyone pre-orders their canvas and we have a little girls’ craft night.

After this past year, I cannot think of a better way to reconnect in our homes with our girlfriends and family.

Photowall is offering a 25% discount with the discount code: everydayedits25.

This discount is valid for two months so forward to your friends or adult children to kick off the season of reconnecting with our friends and family!

Disclosure: Photowall provided me with a canvas framed print of my choice.

WEEKLY IDEAS STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX

Where to Find Free Unfinished Natural Wood Slices

November 10, 2020

This tip is all about the ask to find unfinished, natural wood slices for free.

On a recent trip to Knoxville to visit my sister, my favorite brother-in-law, (BIL) (conveniently) planned a guys day out to their property during my visit. Did you catch that too? #wink #myfavBIL

But when he mentioned they were clearing a few trees my ears perked up. All of that unfinished, natural wood and a guy with a chainsaw.

That was blogger gold.

HOW TO FIND UNFINISHED NATURAL WOOD SLICES FOR FREE

John was my VIP pass to a set of six unfinished wood slices (chargers to us decor enthusiasts).

MAKE FRIENDS WITH A CHAINSAW OWNER

He was happy to haul his chainsaw and safety goggles to the ranch.

I explained to him the significance of an unfinished natural wood slice and the many uses they offer.

His tree clearing day was a success and I found a way to pack six unfinished wood slices into my luggage along with 1/2 dozen decor stapes from my favorite home store in Knoxville.

Funny, this was not the first time I asked for branches from a guy with a chain saw.

MAKE FRIENDS WITH AN ARBORIST

I did the same thing while parallel parking next to a tree trimmer crew. After I successfully parallel parked my car, I took note of the stack of branches. Again, blogger gold there in those piles of branches.

And probably a few bugs that relocated down south.

Recently we hired a tree trimmer to remove a few dead Aspen trees. When I asked him to slice the trunk into 2 feet sections he was happy to help.

I find arborists (their official name) to be eager to unload some of their hauls. And, they load into the back of my car for free.

I have plans for that tree stump.

Can I just tell you how much I love the organic feel of a natural wood slice. I use them to bulk up a window ledge or to add height to a pumpkin. They are as versatile as grapevine.

I love a charger of any kind, but there is something special about the story or memories behind the natural wood chargers.

Like the story of how this table came from a Russian Olive tree in Denver.

I smile every time I see my natural wood slices. I have the best brother-in-law- he is definitely my favorite in the family.

Thanks for stopping by today. If you have any ideas of what to do with my unfinished wood slices, please leave a comment.

The Secret to a Bathroom Remodel

September 27, 2020

I felt a little guilty sharing the bathroom remodel with friends and family and not let them in on the secret. The other thought swirling in my head is the song Secrets by One Republic. You know, like it’s something that I can’t confess.. but now I need to give all my secrets away. Well, today is the day to share the secret to a bathroom remodel.

I shared the boys’ Jack & Jack bathroom remodel here, but I did not let yall in on the secret. It’s more like a tip than a secret. Either way here we go …

I dreaded the demo bathroom remodel phase. We had just completed an upstairs bath remodel in our daughter’s room/guest room).

Neither of us was prepared for the amount of work involved to remove the following: tub, shower, shower tile, toilet, vanity, baseboards, tile flooring, sink and all that tile.

And, then the madness of the remodel is we turn around and reinstall the exact same bathroom essentials.

We learned why tile crews where jeans and not running shorts.

My husband and I learned that hauling trash bins full of tile and drywall down four flights of stairs makes a strong case to bring back the concept of the laundry shoot (or a dumb waiter).

My husband found out the task to remove shower and floor tile cost my husband a few weekends away from the slopes because of a pulled back muscle.

We planned on the bathroom remodel to be completed before our oldest son (my lefty) returned home for Thanksgiving.

We should have clarified the year.

best-decision-we-made-on-a-bathroom-remodel

The Secret to a Bathroom Remodel

Days before we planned to start the bathroom remodel I tossed a question around in my head.

No one else was in my thoughts.

“What if we could pay someone to demo the bathroom?”

Just asking the question made me feel like I was cheating on my bathroom.

To settle my guilty conscience, I ran the question by my husband. Casually … while I texted a Realtor friend for the name of her demo guy.

Together, we decided, after I had already texted this guy, there was no harm in getting a quote for a bathroom demo.

If the sequence of events sounds a bit off it is to protect my sources and timeline of events.

Secrets …

A demo crew member was in the boys’ bathroom two hours after that text inquiry to measure the bathroom to work up a bid.

Kenny’s quote was $100.00 more than I planned to pay.

I almost countered (I am a Realtor) except he sent the 2nd text that he was only free on the upcoming Saturday.

Is there a patron saint for DIY projects?

I grabbed these pics to capture a few before the demo bathroom pics and a few memories.

Scroll down to see what the boys’ bathroom looked like over the summer.

And, when I say boys I mean highschool/college-age young men. But they will always be “my boys.”

And, here was the boys’ bathroom five hours after Kenny and his two-person crew arrived on Saturday morning.

After the Demo Crew

Five hours, not months, weeks or even days. Five hours.

You guys this took a two-person crew five hours to remove the vanity, sinks, mirror, ceramic floor tile, tub, toilet, shower tile and the drywall surrounding the shower.

They removed, hauled the vanity, sinks, mirror, tub, toilet, tile and flooring debris down four flights of stairs. And then? The second best thing besides hauling it out of the house… they hauled it away.

It was the cleanest the boys’ bathroom has been since we moved into the home.

Because we all need a little help once in a while.

Before you go here is a funny story about what happened to the bathroom countertop just before we installed it (ourselves). Karma for keeping a secret!

Pottery Barn Kitchen Table Knockoff

August 3, 2020

I was ready to sell my kitchen table when I saw this Pottery Barn kitchen table on their website. I looked at this table online and looked over my shoulder to my World Market clearance kitchen table. It was an instant love connection and inspiration for my Pottery Barn kitchen table knockoff.

My veneer-ish, shiny black table was screaming to get a makeover.

I painted my round table with this Benjamin Moore color. It is Mascarpone and it is my favorite creamy white. I use it in most of the accessories in my home.

The hardest part about this creamy white is spelling it correctly.

And, this Pottery Barn kitchen table knockoff is one of my favorites! My kitchen table went from a shiny, veneer-ish finish to a creamy color to brighten the space.

kitchen-table-pottery-barn-knockoff-feature

Taking inspiration from the Pottery Barn table, I added four navy kitchen chairs. The chairs were cheap but functional.

I am looking for a long term relationship with my kitchen chairs. Any suggestions?

Next up I purchased a round sisal rug on sale at Pottery Barn. I had plans to add a rug but waited for Elliott to finish the puppy chewing phase.

Painting the table instantly brightened the dining area. The navy curtains no longer had to fight with the black table. And, the chairs had an instant connection to the window treatments too.

More recently, I added the light fixture above the table. The light fixture updated the space and made it feel lighter and open.

I shared these tips when shopping for light fixtures.

Do you have a fun Pottery Barn knockoff? Here a few favorite Pottery Barn related posts. Pottery Barn Knockoff Chaise and Where I find decor ideas.

How to Create a Bedroom Feature Wall

May 15, 2020

I think my Little House on the Prairie obsession is why I love a planked wall. It’s the closest thing to a log cabin I am going to experience. So when I suggested to my husband we create a feature wall for our master bedroom I left out the cabin on the prairie details.

How to Create a Bedroom Feature Wall

So I borrowed the idea for my own home. You know for my brownstone in the suburbs type home. So close to a cabin living life. #wink

Supplies

The supply list is familiar and not intimidating.

distressed wood planks from a lumber supplier
miter box saw
level
paint similar in shade to the wood planks
nail gun
stud finder
1/2 gallon of paint to match the wood planks

For the feature wall we purchased distressed wood planks from a specialty lumber supply company in Denver/Littleton.

Steps

1.Paint the Feature Wall

If the feature wall is white I suggest a quick coat of a paint that is similar enough to the color of the wood planks. The paint diminishes any potential gaps between the planks.

Do not overthink the paint color. If your wall paint is a darker/darkish color you might get away with it.

We skipped this step on this feature wall.

2. Stud Finder

We (my husband) used a stud finder to mark where the studs were located. It was easier to find the studs before we mapped out the location and pattern of the planks.

We started the top corner and worked our way down paying attention to spacing. We alternated lengths to give us a rustic vibe without it screaming cabin in the suburbs.

It cost just under $250 to plank the wall. The best part was we finished this on a Saturday afternoon. I love the finished look. We added these sconces above our bed.

The mantel above our bed was my first DIY project by myself. It was a copycat Pottery Barn mantel that I made with the help of the Home Depot lumber manager. He was awesome. I had my measurements and the photo of the mantel.

When we created the feature wall my husband added new pine trim and I stained it my favorite stain on the planet.

The distressed wood planks worked in our “brownstone in the suburbs” home where a mix of industrial meets Pottery Barn on a budget.

This was a half-day project and the hardest part was moving the bed and frame away from the feature wall. We loved the look and it warmed up the space. Do you recognize the framed “prints” on the mantel? I shared the repurposed project here.

Here is another feature wall idea for around $50.

Thank you so much for stopping by today!

Here is another planked wall project we created using a different product we found at Home Depot.

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How to Remove a Half Wall Between the Dining and Kitchen Rooms

August 22, 2019

The good news is my husband and I are still married after we removed a half wall between the dining room and kitchen. We had no plans to take out the half wall.

But over the course of a weekend, we made the decision and never looked back.

It was so much easier than we anticipated. It opened up the wall between our kitchen and dining room and brought light into the north side of the house that craves a little sunshine.

The decision to remove the half wall was the biggest project my husband and I have tackled. It was bigger than this project.

It required trust, grit, patience and an electrician to run interference and move an outlet. To appreciate the after here is a quick view of the dining room a few years ago.

And, yes I picked that color.

The dining room was the gateway to the kitchen. And, with a narrow entry arch into the kitchen. Here is the wall from the dining room. To the left is the door size entry into the kitchen.

Here’s the view from the dining room. By removing this wall we could take advantage of the light from the large dining room windows.

How to Remove a Half Wall | Before

Here’s the view from the kitchen.

Tip: Before we removed the upper cabinets (and the half wall) we relocated the contents of the cabinets. Before we removed the wall we wanted to make sure we would not miss those cabinets.

At the same time we relocated the microwave to an adjoining counter.

How to Remove a Half Wall | Electrical & Plumbing Details

We hired a plumber and electrician to move the mechanics to the left inside the frame. We had to add an additional outlet on the dining room wall side per electrical code. Total costs for the mechanical was just under $300.00.

Pain in The Arch

The arch was the trickiest part of this wall removal. We had the small arch where the original entry into the kitchen existed. The main level of our house has arches in and out of every room so we wanted to keep the design. But, we had to remove the original arch before we recreated a wider arch to accommodate the extended length of the newly opened half wall.

Arch Solution

My husband found Archways & Ceilings, a US-based company, that specializes in creating arches. With simple instructions on their website, my husband measured the expanded wall opening. Within a week we had an MDF template ready to install.

We framed the top of the wall with 2×4’s and attached the MDF arch to the frame. It required a drill and screws. It was a great, affordable solution. The total cost of the MDF arch was around $100.00.

The time saved: priceless.

We love the space between the kitchen and dining room and it looks like the way we envisioned it.

And, the best part of this half wall removal project was how quickly we finished it. From start to finish it was a total commitment of two-ish weekends. It took almost a week to receive the solution for the extended arch. The contractor quotes we received for the half wall tear down project were north of $6,000.00. We completed this project for less than $1500. This included the cost for the plumbing and electrical.

The Before:

It also included the temporary countertop we made until we were ready to remodel the kitchen.

Here is the halfwall area today a few years later. We love the openness into the dining room. We used the counter as a breakfast bar or additional seating for entertaining.

How to Create a Feature Wall with Reclaimed Wood

July 11, 2019

My house wish list is long on wants and short on cash. While prioritizing projects for our pending empty nest, we set our eyes on our basement. I just completed this one-hour corner home office project, when I realized the room needed a little something with a “wow” factor on the opposite wall. This is how to create a feature wall with reclaimed wood.

How-to-create-feature-wall-with-reclaimed-Wood-planks

This feature wall update came together when I found these weathered, hardwood boards at Home Depot. The wood boards provided an authentic, reclaimed barn wood appearance without having to find a dilapidated barn.

When I found it was cheaper to plank a feature wall with wood boards than to refinish/install wood floors, the feature wall project moved to the top of our DIY wish list.

And, that Happy Meal analogy was my pitch to my DIY partner and husband on how to create a feature wall for his basement home office/sports lounge.

To appreciate the after I have to share the before photo.

How to Create a Feature Wall (Before)

It was like a Happy Meal for DIY enthusiasts.

On a Saturday, in between work and travel, we nailed this feature wall project. The project took less than seven hours, cost under $300 and added a layer of warmth to a room that needed a cozy update.

The only prep for the planked wall was to paint the wall before we installed the wood planks. The install instructions suggested painting the walls a darker color to disguise any gaps between the planks.

I did a quick prep with leftover paint in the garage. The paint was leftover from the Tuscany inspired period almost two decades ago.

You could also check the “oops” section in the paint department at Home Depot.

Supply List for Feature Wall

table saw/chop saw
nail gun (+ air compressor my husband gave me on Valentine’s Day)

We (mostly my husband) used a table saw (chop saw) and an air compressor nail gun to create the easiest, most hassle-free project ever.

The only math needed for this wall was when we measured the width and height of the feature wall. We started in the bottom right corner and worked to the left and up. Because we had an “open wall” on the left side of the feature wall that became our endpoint.

We positioned a plank horizontally to trim the open-ended wall.

After spending months on this bathroom remodel, this project made a huge impact in our basement in a few hours.

The barn-like planks took an unfulfilled, uninspired wall and turned it into a conversation starter.

Sharing

Thrift Store Addiction

How to Make a Live Edge Coffee Table

June 26, 2019

Do you want in on a little secret about how to make a live edge coffee table? It looks incredibly fancy and expensive, but it was so easy to make it almost feels like I cheated.

Seriously, this finished live edge coffee table rivals many high-end furniture stores’ live or raw edge side and coffee tables.

And the only power tool needed to make a live edge coffee table was a drill to attach the metal legs.

How to Make a Live Edge Coffee Table

My inspiration for this live edge coffee table came from the Arhaus catalog. I shared how I use catalogs for inspiration here.

Steps

The first step is to do a Google search for “live edge slabs” in your area. We found our Russian Olive “species” at a Denver store appropriately named Denver’s Wood Slabs.
We visited the wood slab warehouse to find a slab that worked best for the dimensions we wanted for our coffee table.
In the warehouse, each slab included details on species and where the tree was located. Most of the Denver slabs are from parks and city streets. The Russian Olive slab we chose was salvaged from a Denver park.
The Russian Olive wood slab was salvaged from a Denver park. We provided the staff with the approximate dimensions for the coffee table. We arranged to pick up the wood slab after it was cut, planed, and sanded on both sides.

And, that is the best part. For the cost of the slab, the company did all of the work on the front end for us. And, we did not pay the price of a semester’s meal plan to pay for this live edge table.

The table looked beautiful when we picked it up.

Tip: These finished slabs are very heavy. Plan accordingly for transport.

Be prepared these slabs are very heavy. The hardest part of this project was transferring the slab from the back of our car to the saw stands in our garage.

The second hardest part was we only had one shot at getting the stain right! #wink

How to Stain the Live Edge Coffee Table

This was the hardest step for me because I tend to rush through the staining step to get to the finished project.

Do we really need five coats of stain?

Apparently, we do need five coats of stain.

Tip: Do not rush through this process.

I used my go-to stain for this coffee table. Jacobean is my favorite because it brings out the grain and adds a rich finish to the barn doors and mantel in our basement. I even used this stain on my tiniest stain project.

Together, over the course of several nights, we applied five coats of stain. In between each layer of stain, we completed a light sanding and patiently waited 24 hours to apply the next coat of stain.

Final Steps

Finally, I finished the coffee table with two coats of a water-based clear coat. Between application and dry time, it took almost a full week to stain and seal the table.

I ordered the table’s legs from an Etsy shop based in Utah.

As promised, the only power tool needed for this coffee table was a power drill to attach the legs! I do recommend pre-drilling the holes.

Line up the table’s legs based on the dimensions of the table.

We love the finished look of our live edge coffee table! Now, I think I need an end table to match!

Our Russian Olive, live edge coffee table is a little piece of Colorado history in our living room, family room and basement. We love it so much it is in a rotation throughout the house.

Thank you for stopping by today! Please check out a few recent projects here at Everyday Edits. If interested, please sign up for my once a week (only once a week) newsletter!

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Jack and Jill Bathroom Remodel

June 5, 2019

The toilet flushes and the shower works so technically the boys’ Jack + Jill (Jack + Jack) bathroom remodel is finished. Or, at least, it is a functioning bathroom. This bathroom remodel was on schedule and under budget until it went off the rails with a series of unfortunate events. We both blame the countertop. I will save that story for later because today is all about the boys’ Jack + Jack bathroom remodel.

Woohoo!

For twelve years, the boys’ Jack & Jack bathroom paint color was the color of my lefty’s Babolat tennis bag. The shower curtain rod stayed in place with tile adhesive and a scrap block of wood. I shared the before bathroom photos here.

I remember thinking nothing good happens when water comes in contact with wood. #realtorlife

But, that woodblock was scrappy and did not move in ten years. The adhesive held up longer than the 1/2 dozen toilet levers replaced over the course of a decade.

I do not want to know what my boys flushed down the toilet that required so much force it broke the lever multiple times.

But today is all about the finished bathroom remodel.

We ordered this dual vanity with sink, countertop and mirror combination from Wayfair. The vanity was scheduled to arrive three weeks after we placed our online order. This gave us some much-needed wiggle room to install the floor and shower tile.

We changed our minds with our plans to install ceramic wood floor tiles and went with a luxury vinyl plank flooring we found at Home Depot.

We based the decision on the fact it was a secondary bathroom where the (hold it together moms like me) the reality is my boys will be home for shorter increments.

It made financial sense.

When we removed the baseboards we opted to replace the builder size baseboards with the more substantial 4″ trim. I love it! I want to replace all my trim!

With the flooring savings, we decided to hire a tile guy to install the shower tile. We went with a conservative grey subway tile for the shower wall. We found a great deal on the tile from a floor & tile store. It looks great against the new white, cast iron tub.

Again, the tile guy was worth every dollar. He and his partner were up and down our stairs a hundred times making the tile cuts in our garage. We were on budget and saved our backs and marriage by hiring out the heavy lifting.

We were so close to finishing the bathroom before our middle child/son’s visit over the Easter weekend. The only thing we had to do was install the dual- sink vanity.

What could go wrong?

This is where the project went into, “You have got to be kidding me,” but I am going to save the countertop story for its own post. The story and life lesson are THAT good. If you follow me on Instagram, you may have caught a peek.

Here was the final detail for the boys to college bathroom remodel. We love the finished bathroom.

How to Build Farmhouse Kitchen Shelves

April 5, 2019

The farmhouse shelves in our kitchen were one of my favorite projects. The shelves opened up the space and added a bit of a trend to my aging, dated kitchen. The farmhouse kitchen shelves were an inexpensive solution to replace the dated cabinets and not lose valuable storage. If you are looking for an entry-level DIY project these shelves are a perfect starting point.

Well, when we knocked out the wall between the kitchen and dining room we lost a row of upper cabinets. The open shelves was a great way to keep the space open and add storage space for the essentials.

It was a simple project with 2 x 12 select pine from Home Depot. We went with select pine because it has a smoother finish. I cut the pine boards to size using a table saw (with an assist from my assistant (husband) to hold the end of the board).

I used my favorite pre-stain wood conditioner to prep the wood shelves.

This was my go-to stain for most of my DIY projects. I have a few other favs, but this is a reliable stain and gives me a rich, Colorado rustic finish.

I went with a heavy bracket and found Wade’s shop on Etsy. These were super easy to install to the wall and the weight of the brackets matched the weight of the pine shelves.

The hardest part of these farmhouse shelves was capturing a photo at the right time of day (still waiting) and staging the shelves. Seriously, I was so excited to stage the shelves and it has been many late nights with episodes of Friends in the background while trying to find the right accessories.

This was an easy Saturday afternoon project. I loved this project so much I added the same shelves to our aging basement kitchenette/bar. So the farmhouse shelf photos are from both spaces.

I am taking staging suggestions for staging the shelves in the comments.

How to Make a Wood Mantel for Under $75.00

March 26, 2019

I know it’s spring, but now is the time to think ahead to next fall and the warmth of a fireplace! Recently, my husband I took advantage of a rainy weekend and built a wood mantel for under $75. Here is how to make a wood mantel for under $75.00. And, in a weekend.

My plan to figure out how to build a wood mantel began in my childhood. I remember the prep involved with a wood burning fire.

My dad fanned the flames (literally) while my mom added pinecone firestarter to give the smolder a little more kick.

And, for 32 minutes, we enjoyed a wood burning fire. Looking back, it was no surprise our family was one of the first on the block to convert our wood burning fireplace to a gas fireplace.

One of the reasons we bought our brownstone in the suburbs home was it came with a finished basement. And, it had a dual-sided fireplace.

Dual-sided fireplaces were like a two-for-one. We got the benefit of one fireplace straddled between two rooms.

How to Make a Wood Mantel | Before

This is a rough image of the fireplace. The white mantel and tile front were too fancy for the basement vibe we wanted to achieve. Not to mention this screamed 2002 builder grade fireplace. But, the bones were good! It just needed an update. We finished this stacked stone fireplace update last year.

With the resurfaced stacked stone front, my attention went to the fireplace mantel. This drives my husband crazy because I am always one project ahead of him.

The white mantel was too fancy for the space. I wanted a wood mantel but not too rustic. Living in Colorado we have to tone down the log cabin and bear images that come to mind of those, not from Colorado. #wink

The only problem with a dual fireplace is it’s best when both sides match. So when we updated one side we made a duplicate fireplace mantel on the opposite side. We did the same process when we replaced the tiles with stacked stone.

The coolest part of this mantel was the trip to a specialty lumber store.*** My husband loves this kind of thing so he took the lead to find the knotty alder wood.

How to Make a Wood Mantel

We searched multiple ways to attach the mantel. We started here and Googled our way around the how-to details.

Wood Mantel Supplies

Knotty Alder Wood 1×8′
Furring Strips
We built the mantel to resemble a 3 sided box with the back open to make it easy to attach above the fireplace.
We used 1x8x3 for the three sides of the box.
We used the furring strips to create smaller wood blocks to nail the pieces together (from the open-ended back side).
Short finishing nails so the nails would not pop through the front.

Mantel Installation

Use a 2×4 (shorter by 5″ on each side of the mantel’s length and then screw into the studs. The finished mantel attaches to the 2×4 (because the opposite side of the mantel’s face is open).

Finish with making pilot holes on the top of the mantel and then screw into the 2×4.

We finished with Jacobean stain (my fav)

How to Create a Storage Closet from a Coat Closet

February 20, 2019

This is the time of year, with chilly temps, when I love to watch a Rom-Com movie and clean closets. Except, this particular weekend I made the decision to create a storage closet from an entry coat closet.

how-to-create-storage-closet-from-coat-closet

I was over the wire shelves, with missing brackets and “weak weight points.”

how-to-create-storage-closet-from-coat-closet-everyday-edits

It was time to relocate and/or organize the contents of our entry hall coat closet to a more useful storage closet.

My husband’s only question, “Why do we need new shelves when you just removed 30 pounds of wire shelves? With a slight tone to my voice I gave him my go-to pitch for house-related projects:

“I planned this project months ago.”

I describe our home as a brownstone in the It’s wider than a brownstone (that’s the suburbs part) but has multiple levels and lots of steps. Our main level includes the kitchen, family room, living room, study and dining room and guest bath.

The only storage is what is in the kitchen. This storage closet from coat closet makeover was in the works for years and once it made it to this list the plan was already in motion.

Moving down a flight of stairs to the entry level is the front door and a hall closet.

When guests arrive thru the front door there are two choices; to go up a flight of stairs or to go down a flight of stairs to the basement.

The basement also includes the garage entry door. You following this?

It was this accident when I saw this goo creeping (spilling) out of the entry closet that set the plan into motion. All along, our coat closet really wanted to be a storage closet.

So on a blustery winter afternoon, before the first commercial during the Proposal with Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock, I pulled all the contents from the entry hall coat closet.

With a carload of melamine shelves like these and a table saw, we got to work with measurements. We took into consideration the height of the vacuum cleaner and the back up dog food bags. It’s also nice to have a place to stash Amazon orders.

I wanted shelves where I could slide in existing storage bins. I wanted the storage closet to include the everyday essentials/non-essentials in one place.

Things like light bulbs, bulk toilet paper and paper towels (remember all those stairs). It’s nice to have those supplies nearby but not next to the flour and sugar canisters.

And in a few hours and repainted interior walls, I transformed a coat closet to a storage closet.

DIY Goals in 12 Months

January 8, 2019

I love lists! I make lists for the days, weeks and months. In college, I made lists by the hour like “begin poli-sci exam” followed by “finish poli-sci exam.” Those three to four days of finals generated dozens of countdown lists. It’s all about the feeling of accomplishment.

My son left for a mission trip to Belize on Sunday. I have a head cold that has settled in my lungs and sinuses so I am on day 2 of sweats and slippers. Messy hair takes on a new meaning when you have a cold. So when I ran my eyes thru his bedroom this morning to make sure he had packed all the clothes I suggested, I found this on his nightstand. He is my son. This was his packing list. #goals #proudmommoment.

I don’t know what I love more that he called his boxers, undies or that he spelled toiletries correctly.

So with a cold. my Christmas jammies and the movie The Help I buried myself into the couch nd created a list of DIY goals for 2019. It’s ambitious, but aren’t we all a little more ambitious the first week of January?

Organization will be a theme for DIY goals this year. Starting with our entry closet by the front door. This closet door looks so pretty, but what lurks behind it is a hot mess of light bulbs, batteries, extension cords and office supplies.

And, once we get the entry closet organized I will need to refresh the front door. I loved my decision to paint the stained front door white, but it gets banged up during the year. And, yes that’s a tennis racquet along the wall. Every room has at least one random tennis ball. I smile every time I find a tennis ball under the tables and window treatments. #momoftennisplayers

Next up are the cabinets on the kitchen island. I flirted with the idea when I painted the kitchen island a fun gray! And, if you follow me on Instagram you may have seen a sneak peek of my island plans! Here’s a look at the kitchen island. The cabinets are on the other side.

Another top 12 DIY goals is a major gut job of the boys’ jack & jack bathroom. I shared their bathroom here when I started dreaming of new tile, bathtub, toilet, vanity, and lighting.

Barn doors were one of the only trends we were ahead of before every other social, digital and print publication. Our last barn door project was replacing builder grade slider closet doors with barn doors. I shared a sneak peek here. But now, I want to attempt a different version of a barn door. Stay tuned!

Sharing : Pieced Pastimes

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