DIY

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How to Build a Dollhouse Bookcase

There are great plans online for dollhouse bookcases and we wanted to build one with slightly different features – roof slope and dimensions. The inspiration is a Pottery Barn Dollhouse Bookcase. However, we wanted to put a small twist on the design – a light take on a midcentury modern style roof and a dollhouse that was 36w x 42h x 12d. Here are some handy resources and considerations when modifying the design. How to Modify the Design and Build...

How to Build a Vanity – Pottery Barn Hack

We set out looking for the perfect vanity for our daughter’s room makeover. There were plenty of options online, but none of them quite fit the space. Nichole found some inspiration in a Pottery Barn vanity (retails for around $300) but it was to small for the space. For about $120 in materials, we set out to design and build our own version. Overall our finished project was 32w x 17.5d x 29h. Here’s the Pottery Barn Chelsea Kids Vanity...

6 Steps to Build Wooden Butterfly Slat Art

In the process of updating our daughters room we decided to build a custom wooden slat picture frame with butterflies. This unique piece was easy and fun to make. Here is our design and build process. Project Design Considerations: With each project, even the simple ones, there are design considerations I go over trying to implement Nichole’s vision. To help prime your creative process, here are some design considerations. #01: Size of Wood Slats and Space Between. We opted for...

How to Make a Floating Picture Frame – Rabbet Edition

Nearly two months ago we set about creating a floating picture frame (see it here) and I wanted to spruce it up a wee bit. I invested in a proper “thumb friendly” router (like this one) and a rabbet bit set (this one). The design was to create a picture frame with no visible nails or the need to fill nail holes. Here’s the adventure and my first experience creating a double rabbet joint. PROJECT DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS #01: Measurements You’ll...

How to DIY Wood Wrapped Canvas Art for under $100

Landscape canvas large form prints have a huge impact in any room. Many designers are using these as focal pieces in dining and living rooms, and I’ve seen some gorgeous wood floating framed canvas prints that I would love to have for my home. McGee and Co. has some beauties, including this landscape piece in a floating frame for about $1,478 for a 72×48 inch print: And for around $600 and at a size of 26×37, this piece is another...

6 Steps to Winterize Your Sprinkler System and Avoid Freeze Damage

Getting the water out of your sprinkler system before the weather turns frigid avoids potential damage to your sprinkler heads and lines. It’s also a great way to wear out the kids as they run around seeing what sprinklers are hissing like dragons. As water freezes, it expands, creating pressure that can break plastic and metal. Here in the PacNW, the crisp October mornings bring yard crews with pamphlets announcing winterizing in the $75-125 range. And one of the things...

Updating Pendant Lights

Replacing and updating lights is a great project. Here is our adventure in finding the perfect modern lighting solution for our kitchen. It is a project that is possible to take on yourself. If you aren’t comfortable around electricity, then you should check with an electrician. For most replacement projects, it’s a matter of swapping out the fixture as the existing ceiling box should work. First Things First – Power Off and Check your Product Updating lights could get complicated...

Upgrade your Pulls and Knobs to Enhance your Cabinets

Swapping out your existing pulls and knobs is an easy DIY project and can really change the character of your space. It can be as simple as only needing a screw driver. Lucky us, we needed to drill new holes in our cabinets which was a wee bit stressful. Here are some tips and tricks to upgrading those knobs and pulls. Selecting Hardware Finish. Because the majority of our existing finishes are satin, we opted to stay with a similar...

How to Install Landscape Lighting on a Retaining Wall

Adding lights to an existing retaining wall is possible, but it is easier while being constructed. For both of our wall areas, we were fortunate enough to have areas where the ground rose up to meet the wall caps. After searching online and seeing what the landscape supply stores carried, I selected some powder coated paver wall lights. The process for install is fairly simple as I had already installed the landscape lighting transformer with some moon rays. Here are...

How to Avoid Common Wood Project Finishing Errors

There are a number of wood preparation and finishing errors on the project below. At some point, I’ve made them all and learned my lessons the hard way. I can tell you that prior to staining, boards always felt smooth and looked ready to turn a beautiful shade of whatever stain I was going to apply. Problem #01: Improper edge treatment and not enough glue. For your glue project, having straight and crisp edges will make your joins look flawless....