Archives for August 2019

How to Build a DIY Water and Sand Table from 2x4s

August 15, 2019 by Ash 20 Comments

See how to build your own DIY water and sand table with interchangeable bins with lids! The best part is the whole sensory table can be made from 2x4s.

Every year we have backyard parties for our kids’ birthday parties.

Eileen plans tons of themed games and ties all of the yard toys into the theme of the party (check out our son’s puzzle party).

But what do the kids always end up playing with?

The water table. Water tables are such a hit for kindergarteners and preschoolers – I know our son could play with one all day.

This year, we decided to DIY a water and sand table, with bins that you can easily swap out, clean, or dump out.

It was made from all 2x4s which fits in perfectly with this month’s At Home DIY challenge – What can I build with a 2×4? Be sure to scroll to the end of the post to check out everyone’s projects!

DIY Water and Sand Table

First I sketched out a 3D design of what I wanted the table to look like. Here’s what I came up with:

It was a fairly simple design, comprised of two H shaped legs connected by some cross pieces. I made sure that the sensory play table design was large enough to accommodate two large plastic bins at the top.

Tools and Materials

8′ 2×4 boards (5 pieces)
Kreg pocket hole jig
3″ deck screws
3″ pocket hole screws
3′ bar clamp (can do without clamp, but really helped to secure structure for pocket hole joining
Countersinking bit (helps prevent wood from splitting from deck screws)
Storage bins with lids (2 needed, approx. 22″x16″x6″)
100% tung oil (or your preference of waterproof sealer)
Miter saw (hand saw works too if you don’t mind the work)

To join the 2×4 pieces, I wanted to use pocket holes as much as possible. This would allow for an aesthetically pleasing design with no visible screw heads on the exterior surface.

It was time to cut the 2x4s to length. Based on my measurements, I only needed 5 pieces of 8′ 2x4s. My miter saw made this task a breeze. I just followed the dimensions in the design and I was done in no time at all.

Here is a color coded diagram showing the required 2×4 cuts for this project:

Here are all the cut 2x4s ready to be assembled into a sand/water table:

To assemble the wood, I started with the H shaped legs.

I first drilled the necessary pocket holes using my handy Kreg pocket hole jig:

Next I set the pieces of the leg in position, clamped them together with a long bar clamp, and inserted the pocket hole screws:

The pocket holes made for a very rigid leg.

After the legs were assembled, i started joining them together with some cross pieces of 2x4s.

I found it easiest to turn the legs upside down and attach the table top 2x4s first:

I attached the table top 2x4s to the legs with long deck screws, as seen below:

To avoid splitting the table top 2x4s, I made sure to pre-drill the holes with a countersinking bit:

Here’s the top of the table attached (albeit upside down at the moment):

Finally, I attached the last 2×4 cross piece joining the bottom of the legs together. This piece would help stabilize the legs and prevent them from bending inwards. I joined it to the legs with some pocket hole screws.

To get the last cross piece flush with the legs, I clamped on some scrap wood to serve as a temporary guide:

Construction of the sand and water table was complete at this point. The last step was waterproofing it with two coats of pure tung oil:

The sensory table was now finished. I added some storage bins at the top, and just needed to fill them with sand and water. The storage bins were roughly 22″x16″x6″. This was an ideal size to comfortably fit 2 bins in the table.

This project was very quick and cheap to make. It took about 2 hours, and cost less than $15. It would have been free if I had some extra 2x4s lying around, but sadly my scrap wood collection had dwindled.

I can’t wait for our next party to try out our new play table. I’m sure the kids will find it a huge hit!

See more What Can I Build With A 2×4 Projects

Everything You Want to Know About Sun Shade Sails

August 13, 2019 by Eileen 4 Comments

A sun shade sail is a large fabric canopy that is suspended in the air for shade in outdoor areas. It’s a thrifty solution for enjoying your outdoor space without worrying about the sun and its heat.

This article will tell you everything you need to know about shade sails. If you are looking for specific installation instructions, check out on how to install a sun shade sail tutorial.

Sun shade sails are growing in popularity because they are a quick and cheap solution for the hot summer sun. When compared to awnings, a sun shade sail provides you with hundreds of dollars of savings.

When buying our sun shade sail, we researched all kinds of outdoor shade options, including an awning, pergola, and even a covered porch.

The sun shade sail was the best option for us because of the cost – as well as the flexibility and ease of putting it up and taking it down. We’ve had our sun shade sail for years now and are so pleased with it.

All About the Sun Shade Sail

It’s amazing how much cooler our patio is in the middle of the summer.

Sun shade sails help block UV rays, keeping an outdoor area 10-20 degrees cooler. The shade sail fabric is breathable, enabling the hot air to rise through the fabric.

While we have ours on our patio, you can use a sun shade sail anywhere.

It’s perfect for decks, play areas (such as swing sets or sandboxes), pools, or even on top of pergolas. You can even use them as a car canopy or for vertical privacy shade in the middle of the yard.

Before sun shade sails become popular residentially, they were commonly used professionally and commercially in many public outdoor areas to beautify shade, such as outdoor seating at restaurants or picnic areas at splash parks.

Various Shapes & Configurations

Sun shade sails come in a variety of colors and different shapes, most commonly rectangles, squares, and triangles. When choosing colors, keep in mind that lighter color shade sails will block more UV rays.

You can hang sun shade sails in a few different ways – they can be lower in the middle and higher at the anchor points. Or, you can alternate high and low at the anchor points for a more creative look.

We went with a simple off-white, rectangle sun shade sail. We hung our higher at the anchor points and lower in the middle.

Single or Multiple Shade Sails

Sun shade sails are definitely a great alternative to simple-looking shade structures – they’re very geometric looking, like a work of art.

You can start off with just a single sail in your configuration (like us), or you can use multiple sails if you are feeling creative. For an even more creative touch, consider mixing different sun shade sail shapes. If you sun shade sail is curved, there might be a gap in between the sails.

Overall, sun shade sails are multi-purpose shade that you can use for any outdoor area that you need shade for. They’re fairly easy to set up and really durable.

Sun shade sails are also made so that you can easily take the shade sail down whenever you need to.

Two Type of Shade Sails

When choosing your sun shade sail, you’ll want to think about what type of sail suits your needs. There are standard sun shade sails and waterproof sun shade sails.

Regular sun shade sails are not waterproof. The porous material of fabric lets the water run right through.

However, as shade sails took off in popularity, some companies started making a second type – waterproof sun shade sails or partially waterproof ones.

There are benefits to both of these types of sun shade sails, so you’ll want to determine which is best for you.

Standard Sun Shade Sails

Standard sun shades are porous, letting water run right through. Even though your outdoor area will get wet, there are quite a few advantages for standard shade sails.

A big advantage to buying a standard sun shade sail is that the water will not pool at the top of the sail. This puts less strain on your anchor points.

Even though this type of sun shade sail lets the rain through, it does a great job not of letting the sun through. When compared to waterproof sun shade sails, the standard one makes for a cooler area because the fabric is breathable, allowing the hot air to rise through the shade sail.

We have the standard (not waterproof) type of sun shade sail. I don’t mind the rain coming through because the point of the sail was to block the sun. It’s also great because my plants still get the rainwater.

I also like how the water runs right through because it doesn’t create any pooled water anywhere.

Waterproof Sun Shade Sails

The obvious advantage to waterproof sun shade sails is that they keep your outdoor area dry. This is great if you have furniture or table settings that you don’t want to get wet. This is also similar to a porch setting, as you can sit out and enjoy the rain without getting wet.

The main disadvantage is that the waterproof shade sails will put a lot more strain on your anchor points, so this is something to definitely consider when making your decision on the type of sail and anchor points. You want them to be really sturdy.

Waterproof shade sails are usually more expensive (they are made with a different fabric and coated with waterproofed materials), and they are usually smaller in size, due to water pooling.

In addition, some sails are partially waterproof. Read the description and the reviews on the shade sail you are interested in to make sure it’s aligned with what you have in mind.

Keep in mind, if a sun shade sail is completely waterproof, it will keep more heat in – as it can’t escape through the breathable fabric.

Sun Shade Sail Hardware

When you buy your shade sail, you’ll want to see whether it comes with a hardware kit or not. If it doesn’t, you’ll need to purchase one.

We definitely recommend getting a sun shade sail kit (as opposed to buying individual hooks) because the kit holds the hardware you need to attach to the sail and your anchor points.

Making Your Own Sun Shade Sail

It is possible to make your own sun shade sail. You’ll want to make sure you research the fabric and see if there is UV protection. You’ll definitely need to know your way around a sewing machine, and your sewing machine will need to endure tough fabrics.

Buying Your Shade Sail

You can buy your shade sail at so many places including Costco, Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Amazon. We got ours on Amazon – love the convenience of Amazon prime! The cost will vary depending on the brand, the size, and the materials, but overall sun shade sails are very cost-effective.

Set Up & Take Down

Once you get your sun shade sail installed, it’s very easy to set up. It takes 5 minutes to put up or take down – it’s super quick.

For us, we put it up during the spring when the sun starts to get hot, and we take it down in the fall. If there’s a heavy storm coming, we’ll take it down for that. Our sun shade sail requires very little maintenance. If your shade sail gets dirty, you can just hose it down. We’ve had our sun shade sail for 3 summers, and it’s holding up great. Check with the sun shade sail that you purchase, but most are supposed to last for 10 seasons.

DIY Sun Shade Sail Installation

When installing your shade sail, think about the below factors and how they relate to the area you have chosen for the sun shade sail.

Determining the Location

When deciding where to put your sun shade sail, you definitely want to pick an ideal location. There’s a lot to think about in terms of the sun’s location, the size of the sail, the anchor points you’ll use, and any obstacles in the way.

Think about the Sun

Ideally, you’ll want to orient your sail so that it follows the path of the sun.

For example, if the sun rises to the left of your house and sets to the right, you’ll gain the most benefit from you sun shade sail by running it from left to right. If you get the angle of the sun rays right, you’ll get your shade to be in an ideal spot for the majority of the day.

So, definitely take note of where the sun rises and sets in accordance to your house.

Think about the Size

Think about the size of the area you need to cover and see if it’s practical to get by with just one shade sail or if you need multiple sun shade sails.

We needed to cover a BLANK BY BLANK AREA so we got the BLANK BY BLANK.

Your anchor points will have to go further apart than the size of your sail. So your shade sail should be a little smaller than the area you want to cover.

Determine Anchor Points

Next you’ll establish some anchor points for the corners of the sails.

For our sun shade sail, we anchored to sides to the house and two to wooden posts that we installed.

Ideally try to find existing anchor points such as strong posts or your house or shed. Trees should only be a temporary solution. Flag poles and lamp posts are generally not strong enough and would likely bend or break, especially on the windy day or during heavy rainfall.

Now, you could install a sturdy post and always turn this into a flag pole or some kind of lighting.

You might wonder too if the posts look odd when the sun shade sail is not up. Ours blend in with our deck, so they don’t really stand out. However, we do have plans this summer to add some solar lighting to the top of the two sun shade sail posts.

Work Around Obstacles

You’ll also want to look at the area you chose in regard to what is around it. For example, you’ll want to take into account your outdoor grill because you’ll want to leave this unsheltered.

When we installed our sun shade sail, we had a huge landscaping rock where we wanted to put one of the sun shade sail posts. It took us quite a while to get the 300 pound rock moved, but it was all worth it to put the sun shade sail in the ideal place.

What Do I Need to Know Before Installing a Shade Sail?

There are a few things you’ll want to know before installing your sun shade sail.

Using Hardware to Attach the Sun Shade Sail

If your anchor points include a building, such as your home or shed, a really popular anchor point is a simple pad-eye with some carbineers.

As mentioned above, rather than looking for individual components for anchor mounts, they are typically sold in kits specifically for sun shade sail purposes.

The kits conveniently include carbineers, u-bolts, and turn buckles (which are essential for tensioning).

Installing Sun Shade Sail Posts

If you are installing posts, you could use steel poles or wood posts. With using wood, you should use a minimum of 6×6 pressure-treated wood.

If you are using steel, definitely don’t think you can get away with using galvanized poles, typically used in chain link fences. Those will bend in a heartbeat.

Also, if you are putting posts or poles into the ground, you’ll need that ground to be clear. You even might want to call 811 to mark your ground if you plan on digging.

This is a good idea to make sure are no buried gas or water pipes where you plan to dig. After calling 811, they will come to your home and mark your ground for free.

You can install the posts pretty quickly – it’s an easy DIY. We detailed all the steps on how to build the posts and install the sun shade sail.

6 Before & After Room Makeovers (That Won’t Cost a Fortune)

August 6, 2019 by Eileen Leave a Comment

After working hard all day, everyone deserves to come back to a home they love.

When you’re sitting on the couch flipping channels at the end of the day, you don’t want to be thinking, “Ugh I have to do something about those outdated cabinets.” Or, “those walls need a new coat of paint.”

Girl, (or guy), you can do that! Refinish those kitchen cabinets. Paint the walls a new color. Hang a gallery wall that you just adore.

There are so many things you can DIY to make you feel happier in your home.

Things that will give a room an entire new looks – like doing a stencil for an accent wall, rearranging furniture for a better layout, and painting old furniture. Anyone can do these things – no matter your DIY skill level.

The following before and after room makeovers include every skill level (from beginner to advanced); however, they are all cost-effective makeovers that you can learn yourself.

6 Before & After Room Makeovers (That Won't Cost a Fortune)

Without further ado, here are six before and after room makeovers that will blow you away.

Incredible Mudroom Makeover

This is another favorite of mine. I drew a vision on a piece of scrap paper for our awkwardly shaped mudroom. And, we made the vision come to life! We built this decked out hall tree with cubbies for every member of the family, to keep backpacks and coats organized. There's basket storage above each cubby and a drawer below each. Don't tell my husband, but my favorite part is the drawer knobs! They card catalog drawer pulls and I absolutely love them. If you think you don't have enough space to pull off entryway organization, think again. We did a lot with just an L-shaped piece to work with. Of course, we did a wall stencil and added shiplap too. Check out the details! This is another one where the before pictures will stop you in your tracks.

Sitting Room Revamp with Bookshelves and a Window Seat

You won't believe the before on this one. This was just a plain sitting room, off the master. For months, all we had in it was couch and a lamp. Yet, I could see the potential here (plus I had boxes upon boxes of unpacked books in the garage). It only seemed right to build these Beauty and the Beast-esque floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, complete with a window seat. After all the DIY projects we have completed over the years in our home, this is my absolute favorite spot. And that cushion? I DIYed that with materials from around the house, even with my horrible sewing skills. Check out all the details here!

Easy Bedroom Accent Wall

If you are feeling like your walls are just too plain, doing an accent wall can definitely completely change a space. In our old home, we did a striped accent wall for the nursery. In our new home, we did a heart accent wall (keep reading for pictures). Both were really easy DIYs - they broke up the white wall space and added so much character to the rooms. This is definitely a project that anyone can do - no special skills required, and it's very cost-effective.

Organized Craft Corner

This three part makeover takes only a corner of space - and adds so much organization. We added fun painted pegboard to the walls, along with shelves that creatively fit 8 fabric storage bins, and a homemade customized cubby shelf. If you are looking to add more organization or storage to a room, this is a perfect example of utilizing vertical space!

Pantry Makeover

This one is not a full room, but it's an important space - the pantry! Before our pantry had metal shelves that I had covered in contacted paper, and it looked a mess. Instead, we took those out, added wooden shelves and drawers!! The drawers are an amazing storage to have in a pantry (plus you can hide snacks). Also, beforehand, I covered the walls with a white brick wallpaper. We never really gave much thought to our pantry prior to this, but the added storage, organization, and aesthetic has made us fall in love with this update.

Thrifty Kitchen Cabinet Makeover

I couldn't stand our old cabinets. Every day I would stare at them and think how outdated our kitchen was. Refinishing an entire kitchen of cabinets was a ton of work; however, I was willing to put it for an improved look! The best part was the cost - which was less than $400 in materials (mainly the gel stain and the hardware). You can't beat that, as kitchen renovations normally cost thousands!

In addition to the above before and after room makeovers, here is a before and after of our nursery in our new home! We replaced that crazy looking accent wall with stenciled hearts. It was easy and took minimal work (especially compared to painting the whole room – the accent wall was all it needed).

Nursery Before

Nursery After

Another easy add is painting a stencil! It’s cost-effective but does take work. Here is a stencil we did in our mudroom:

I hope these DIY before and afters have inspired you to make some quick fixes in your home that will make you feel more content in your home.

Some of the DIYs just involved painting while others also involved building; however, we were able to do all the room makeovers ourselves with the DIY skills we’ve learned.

Even small fixes like refinishing furniture or painting can make a huge impact. So, pick a room and get started on your update!

If you aren’t sure where to start, grab our free 5-step guide for making over a room in your home! We have a workbook too that will walk you through an amazing room transformation.