Bookself Crates

Bookcase Crates Tutorial:

Supplies:
-(18)5 ½ “X 6’ cedar fence boards ($1.97 each at Home Depot)
-(4) 2”x2x8’ furring strips ($1.52 each at Home Depot)
-(16) “L” brackets ($.67 each at Home Depot
-(6) metal label holders (I bought a package of 10 on Amazon.com for $11.99)
-finishing nailer gun + nails
-walnut stain
-sander
Cut each of the cedar fence posts in half. Each strip should measure 2.5” X 6’.
Next, cut those strips into the lengths desired.

Cutting list for my crates:

Large Crates:
(9) 29.5” stripes (front, back, & bottom)
(6) 7” strips (sides)
(4) 8”- 2”X 2” strips (inside supports)

Small Crates:
(9) 9” stripes (front, back, & bottom)
(6) 7” strips (sides)
(4) 8”- 2”X 2” strips (inside supports)
The easiest way to put these together is to nail the 2”X2”s to the three side slats. Then nail the front and back slats to the side pieces.Once the sides, front, and back slats have been nailed together, nail the bottom slats on.Next, sand, sand, sand.Once the crates have been sanded, they can be stained or painted. This product is awesome. We bought this aerosol can and jar at Home Depot for $5. I was able to spray the stain on all the crates instead of spending hours brushing it on. Finally, attach the “L” brackets. I used little black carpet nails. I think it adds a rustic feel. On the little crates, I added some metal label holders. I bought a package of 10 from Amazon.com for $11.99. Go HERE to purchase those. They will need to be spray-painted though...

***The metal holders pictured are ones I took off my filing cabinet. These will be traded out once the ones I bought from Amazon arrive. These are just to show what they will look like once they are finished. Unfortunately, I only had enough label holders for one side.***

I had a hard time trying to come up with a configuration for these. I moved them around a few times, then I finally settled on this. This way, when I have little visitors, they won’t be able to manhandle my stuff (can you tell I don’t have kids…) Anyway, I think it adds a lot to the look of the bookcases- a more mature look. I still need to figure out what to do with the top of the bookcases. I think it’s a little cluttered as it stands.



Go see these great blog posts that inspired my crates:

House of Smith’s
Shanty 2 Chic

He is Risen Plate

Instead of focusing on Easter bunnies, eggs and candy this year, I wanted to put more emphasis on the real reason why we celebrate Easter... the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

He is Risen Plate Tutorial:

SUPPLIES:
*plate- I got mine at Hobby Lobby ($7.50 on sale this week)
*vinyl decal- you can purchase that at my Etsy shop... HERE.
*contact paper

Cut a piece of contact paper so it is the same size as the decal. Then, stick it the decal.
Next, rub the contact paper so it adheres to the vinyl. I used scissors to rub mine. Next, peel off the contact paper/vinyl. Throw away the left over vinyl backing.
Position the decal on the plate to where you want, then take your scissors and rub all over the decal. Finally, peel away the contact paper. The vinyl should stick to the plate. If the vinyl comes up with the contact paper, lay the contact paper/vinyl back onto the plate and rub it until it adheres to the plate.

Display!


HE IS RISEN!


Matthew 28:5-6

5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.

6 He is not here: for HE IS RISEN, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

DIY Bay Window Seat

We have a bay window in our bedroom. We have debated what to do with this space since we moved in. At first we thought that we would buy some nice chairs, but I have always loved built in window seats. They are a great use of space and a nice place to sprawl out and read a good book.

So, on one of my many google images searches, I found this image: Not only does it look awesome, but it fixes one of our problems… what to do about the heating vents. We can’t cover them, so why not put the window seat on legs?

This what the space looked like before we built the window seat. Boring….

Bay Window Seat On Legs Tutorial:

List of Supplies:

2x4’s
(1) 4x8’ sheet of MDF- cut in half.
(2) MDF trim boards
(4) legs
(4) leg mounting plates
screws
hole filler + sander
primer
paint
Matt decided to build the frame first, then install it. My suggestion would to assemble as you go in the intended space… it will save you time and headache…Attach the legs to the seat, then screw the bench to the wall. Make sure you are screwing the screws into studs. IF you don’t, the seat will not be secure and will not hold the weight and abuse over time. Nail the MDF board to the top of the frame. We had to do this in three sections. Let’s just say the person who built this bay window did not use a level and measuring tape...Next, nail the MDF trim to the front of the bench. Matt made the bench so the MDF top would hang over the trim by ½”. So in other words, the front is not flush...This is what the bench looked like once Matt was done with his handy work. Now came my part…. 1. Patch all the holes. 2. Sand all the patched holes. 3. Paint the bench with primer (FYI MDF SOAKS up paint. Primer is cheaper than paint. SO I would recommend this step.) After the primer is dry, paint the window seat your desired color. We went with cream since it matches our other trim work. Once the paint is dry, throw some pillows on the bench. Pillows make all the difference!
This whole project was about $100.00. Mind you, I still need to make a cushion for this thing, but that will be for another day…

World Map Pillow

World Map Pillow Tutorial:

Supplies:
-(2) 15”x27” pieces of fabric. I used painters cloth
-(1) package of Wrights Maxi Piping
-world map stencil- you can purchase that in my Etsy shop, found HERE.
-Black acrylic paint
-Foam roller, like THIS one

Spray some spray adhesive on the back of the stencil, then stick it to your fabric. Make sure it adheres to the fabric. Using the foam roller, roll black paint onto the fabric. It should look like the photo above when you are done. Hopefully you didn’t have any leaks…

Piping Tutorial:
This is the piping you need…
Start in the middle of one of the sides and start pinning the edge of the piping to the edge of the fabric. The cord part of the piping should be pointing to the middle of the fabric.
When you come to a corner, notch the piping like you see above, then continue pinning.
When you get to the end, stop a few inches before. Pick one side of the piping and open up the stitching with a seam ripper. Line up where the piping will meet when on top of each other and trim the excess cording so there's no overlap of that. Fold over the fabric covering the cording over the other piece as well and pin in place.
Continue to pin, until you have gone all the way around.
Since I do not have a piping foot, I used my zipper foot instead. You need to get as close as you can to the cord. I try to sew on the seam that is already sewn on the piping. You will have to using your fingers to push and guide it.
Once, you have gone all the way around, pin your other fabric piece to the one you just added piping to. Sew all the way around the pillow form again. Since you cant see the piping use your fingers to guide you. You can feel where the piping cord is. Get as close as you can to it.
Ta-Dah!
Now you can stuff it with stuffing.
Next, pin the hole shut, and sew the hole shut. Again, get as close as you can…
Now, for the finished product:




IF you don’t want to make this pillow, you can buy it in my Etsy Shop found HERE.

I found this pillow HERE, and decided to make my own.