Ash

How to Build an Entryway Bench with Hooks and Storage

January 30, 2019 by Ash 4 Comments

How to Build a Entryway Bench with Hooks and Storage Post Preview: This article will show you how to easily make this hallway bench with hooks and storage, perfect for mudrooms or entryways.

This post is sponsored by Old Fashioned Milk Paint. All opinions are entirely my own.

Do you ever have a busy room that’s an absolute mess? A room where there’s absolutely no efficiency?

This was our previous mudroom (see before picture below).

It was a disaster.

Shoes and coats were always just tossed everywhere. Backpacks, diaper bags with no place to go.

When you have a room that drives you crazy like this, you have to rethink it. My wife came up with this great plan of installing a hall tree – with an L-shaped bench and locker-style cubby shelves.

Upper cubbies would be loaded with hooks for hanging things like coats and kids backpacks. Lower cubbies would hold shoes. We even planned to add drawers to parts of the lower cubby shelves for additional storage.

My wife’s favorite part of the plan, aside from the organization, was that we were using completely natural milk paint and Tung Oil, provided by Old Fashioned Milk Paint. Their milk paint is a gem – completely natural ingredients and it was a dream to work with.

In addition to the built-ins that we were making, my wife Eileen also planned to stencil the wall and add some shiplap.

With these grand visions, the mudroom had know idea what was coming. Check out the before and after mudroom pictures:

How to Build an Entryway Bench with Hooks and Storage

Below are the instructions, tools, and materials for how to build this decked out entryway hall tree yourself 🙂

Tools and Materials

4 sheets of 4×8 birch plywood 3/4″ thick (primary building material)
1 sheet of 4×4 plywood 1/4″ thick (for drawer bottoms)
Pocket hole screws, plugs and jig
Construction adhesive
Milk Paint – We used Old Fashioned Milk Paint in snow white
Pure tung oil
Wet/dry sandpaper 300+ grit
Deck screws (1.5″ and 3.5″)
Finishing nails
Table saw and miter saw
90 degree wood clamp
Coat hooks
Drawer sliding hardware
Drawer knobs

Entryway Cubby Bench Design Ideas

So, Eileen came up with her vision and sketched it out. Before our kids could color over it, I put her vision into place using a 3d design on my computer.

The entire structure was to be made mostly out of ¾” birch plywood, cut into strips.

Several hidden areas were going to be reinforced with 2x4s.

Finally, since plywood was being used, I had to cover all the exposed edges with trim.

I planned to make my own trim by cutting thin ¾” strips of pine board.

To join all the pieces together, I was going to use a combination of construction adhesive, deck screws (1.5” and 3.5”), pocket hole screws and finishing nails.

The mudroom hall tree shelves consisted of three segments – two lower cubbies for drawers and shoes (and to also serve as a bench), and the upper cubbies – think locker-style – for hanging things in.

So logistically, this meant I could work on different parts of the cubbies as was convenient for me, and have them come together in the mudroom.

Building the Lower Cubbies for the Entryway Bench

I started with the two lower cubbies first. Here is what a finished cubby looked like (minus any drawers):

I used my table saw and miter saw to make the below wood cuts:

Each lower cubby consisted of three vertical (16.25” x 19”) and two horizontal (16.25” x 17”) pieces of plywood.

The horizontal pieces attached to the vertical ones.

The structure was further reinforced with some 2x4s in the rear, and some plywood in the front.

The rear 2x4s also would serve as anchor points to bolt the cubbies to wall studs in the mudroom.

Joining the Cubby Shelf Pieces

To join most of the pieces together, I drilled a number of pocket holes using my Kreg Pocket Hole Jig, as shown below:

The pocket holes were ideal for joining inside pieces of wood, like the piece in the center.

Here is what a pocket hole joined section looked like:

I used some deck screws to join the end pieces (with the help of a 3ft bar clamp to keep everything tight during the joining process):

Sneak Preview of the Entryway Cubby Shelves

When the two lower cubbies were done, I placed them inside the mudroom to get a feel for how they would look:

I also bolted some 2x4s to wall studs in the corner provide support for the entryway bench over there.

Not wanting to sacrifice some electrical outlets in the room, I also cut out some notches in the cubby shelves, so the outlets could still be accessed.

Painting the Lower Cubbies

After I was happy with the look of the cubbies inside the mudroom, I brought them back outside for painting:

We used Old-Fashioned Milk Paint, which we absolutely love. It’s completely natural and has zero VOCs. It’s made from just milk casein, lime, and earth pigments. There’s no smell and it goes on beautifully. To see how to use milk paint on raw wood, check out this post.

Building Drawers for the Entryway Cubby Bench

With the lower cubbies complete, I moved onto the drawers.

They were a simple box drawers made from 4 pieces of ¾” plywood for the sides, and a thin ¼” plywood sheet for the bottom. I attached the sides together with construction adhesive and screws to form a square.

Then, I used more glue and finishing nails to secure the plywood sheet to the bottom.

Here were the drawers so far:

If you want to learn more about making custom drawers, check out my post on building pull-out drawers. I give all the details on these DIY shaker-style drawers on that post.

Next, I mounted the drawers in the cubbies with some drawer hardware (at this point, the cubbies were back inside after being painted and bolted to wall studs):

I would later revisit the drawers to add a nice custom shaker-style drawer fronts and handles.

Building the Bench Top to the Cubbies

Now it was time to cut the wood for the bench tops that would attach to the lower cubbies. I used two pieces of ¾” plywood and cut them to size.

Attaching the Bench to the Cubbies

I secured the two plywood benches to the cubbies with construction adhesive, and inserted screws from underneath.

Here are the cubbies prepped with construction adhesive for one of the benches:

Here the benches have been secured in place with the constructive adhesive and screws:

Installing Trim Around the Benchtop

Once the benchtop was in place, I covered all the exposed plywood edges with some custom cut trim:

I used my miter saw to cut the corners of the trim at 45 degrees, so all the pieces would fit seamlessly together.

Then, I attached the trim to the plywood benchtop with construction adhesive and finishing nails (with the help of my finishing nailer to speed things up).

Afterwards, I gave the trim edges a light sanding by hand to bevel and smooth them.

Here’s another picture of the trim showing an inside corner:

Neat Trick: Making Colored Wood Putty

Here’s a neat little trick I did to fill in some gaps and holes after the benchtop trim was installed.

Normally I would use wood putty to fill in these spaces, but I had planned on staining the wood and did not want the putty to stand out very discolored (especially since I was planning on using a light, very transparent tung oil stain). So I made my own wood filler.

I took sawdust produced from cutting the trim and mixed it with Elmer’s glue. I mixed a little glue at a time, sometimes adding more sawdust, until the mixture was putty like.

Then I filled in any gaps and holes with my custom made wood putty.

After it dried, I sanded it down.

The end result was great. My custom made wood putty produced a near perfect color match filler.

I did originally make the mistake of mixing the sawdust with wood glue on my first attempt. It was a bad idea. The mixture dried so hard that it was nearly impossible to sand off. So make sure to use Elmer’s glue if you’re using the trick on one of your own projects.

Here’s a picture showing the custom made wood putty drying (looks messy now, but after a good sanding, it produces great results):

Staining the Benchtop with Tung Oil

Next I started the process of applying Tung Oil to the benchtop. I opted to use pure Tung Oil for this project.

It was going to be a little more work and time, but I didn’t want to use any chemical-based stains.

This meant also staying away from any Tung Oil marketed as “fast drying”. Those meant the Tung Oil was mixed with a chemical to hasten the drying period.

Pure Tung Oil takes several coats spread over a long period to achieve good results.

So I rubbed on some pure Tung Oil to the wood with some lint free rags, then gently rubbed off any excess oil sitting on the surface. I was pretty liberal with the amount of Tung Oil, as it was the first coat.

Then I let it dry for about 24 hours (or until the surface wasn’t so tacky anymore).

The room did have a fairly strong odor of Tung Oil, but at least it wasn’t a strong chemical odor. It was akin to the smell of cooking oil. I made sure the window was open during the day with a large fan. I kept the fan running all night too to help with the drying.

After the first coat was dry, I started the process of applying more coats, about 24 hours apart. I did about 4 more coats in total until I was happy with the color.

The more coats you do, the darker the stain gets.

On these subsequent coats, I did not use rags though. I wet sanded them.

This means I lightly rubbed on the Tung Oil stain with very high grit sandpaper specially made for wet sanding (the paper wouldn’t fall apart if sanding while wet). Using high grit sandpaper to apply the Tung Oil resulted in better penetration of the oil into the wood.

Here is the picture of the Tung Oil applied to the bench top:

Building the Upper Cubbies for the Entryway Bench

The lower cubbies were done for the time being. It was time to move onto the upper cubbies. I had to give the Tung Oil stain a few more days of drying anyway before I could work near to the benchtop.

Cutting the Pieces for the Cubbies

Here I am trimming the long 8 ft pieces of plywood for the upper cubbies (I’ve got an assembly line flow going on):

These strips of plywood were going to be the five vertical segments of the cubbies (10.5” x 69.5”), and the header piece (10.5” x 71.25”).

Also, I needed four smaller pieces (10.5” x 17.25”) for some shelves at the top of the cubbies.

Joining the Pieces for the Upper Cubbies

After the pieces were cut, I pre-drilled screw holes to attach the five vertical pieces to the header piece:

To attach the vertical pieces, I found it super convenient to use a 90 degree wood clamp.

After applying some construction adhesive, the clamp help hold the pieces in place while I inserted some screws from underneath (in the holes I pre-drilled earlier):

The upper cubbies are starting to come together now. Here they are with the five vertical pieces attached (note that the whole thing is upside down at the moment):

Reinforcing the Cubbies

To reinforce the vertical pieces and make the structure more rigid, I added some extra plywood in between each section at the header (fastened with pocket hole screws, as you can probably tell by the holes):

It was time to flip the vertical cubbies over (I had constructed them upside down for convenience):

Next, I added some more pieces in between the sections. These additional pieces served two purposes.

First, they reinforced the cubbies even more.

Second, they were going to hold hooks for the cubbies. I wanted strong mounting points for the hooks so they wouldn’t fall out, and attaching the hooks directly to the cubby structure made the most sense.

Here’s a picture showing the back of the vertical cubbies with the reinforcing pieces attached (I used a lot of pocket holes to attach them):

Painting the Cubbies with Milk Paint

I got some help from Eileen to paint the upper cubbies. She put on several layers of milk paint and was happy with the look:

BTW, check out Eileen’s awesome post on using achieving great results with milk paint and raw wood!

Installing the Locker-Style Cubbies in the Entryway

The cubbies were now painted and ready for the mudroom installation. I lifted them onto the benchtop and started securing it to wall studs (I used 3.5” deck screws for this task).

Here’s Eileen hard at work helping to attach the cubbies:

To secure the upper cubbies to the bench and prevent the vertical pieces from moving around, I used some pocket hole screws to lock them in place:

I would later fill these pocket holes (using special pocket hole plugs), sand and repaint to hide them.

Attaching Trim to the Cubbies

Next I spent some time installing trim to hide the unfinished plywood edges. Here’s a close-up of some of the trim (you can see some plugged pocket holes waiting to be painted):

Just a few remaining tasks for the entryway bench and cubbies

With both the lower and upper cubbies installed, the mudroom project was nearing completion:

I had already installed most of the shiplap (post coming soon), and Eileen did a wonderful job of stenciling the wall.

See Eileen’s great post about stenciling walls!

At some point in every project, you are left scratching your head trying to solve a problem. Here I am in one of those moments (I forget what my issue was at that time, but clearly I figured it out to complete the project!):

Making Custom Drawer Fronts

At this point in the project, I went back to the drawers to finish them. I custom made some shaker-style faceplates.

The result was some amazing looking drawers:

Make sure you read up on my post about making custom drawer fronts for full details.

Installing Shiplap Between the Cubbies

In this picture, I have already installed shiplap in between the upper cubbies for a uniform look in the room:

The structural pieces of the vertical cubbies were starting to blend into the shiplap.

They only stand out now because they are sanded and unpainted.

Notice how I also taped off the benchtop. The Tung Oil was still a bit tacky and I did not want sawdust, paint and other debris falling on it as I worked with the upper cubbies.

Adding Hooks

We ordered some simple hooks from Amazon – we used 8 of them on this built-in hall tree. I added them directly into the cubby structure – not into the shiplap.

The shiplap wouldn’t have been strong enough to hold the hooks, as the shiplap in between the cubby shelf was only secured to the wall with construction adhesive because of their size.

We also have been using 3M command hooks for extra spots on the sides of the locker cubbies.

That is an added bonus of putting dividers between each of the cubbies – you get more storage.

It’s perfect because it gives more space for coats and hats. And boy, you can pack a lot of stuff into this built-in entryway storage bench.

Entryway Storage is finished!

Shortly afterwards, the project was completed! The Tung Oil technically needed some more time to cure, so I put up “Wet” signs to let people know not to sit on the bench.

I gave the Tung Oil about two more weeks to cure before the bench was available for use.

Here are the finished mudroom cubbies:

Amazing isn’t it! Eileen and I love our new mudroom cubbies. Everything has its place. All the shoes are tucked away and coats and bags hung neatly on the abundant hooks.

Time and Cost of the Hallway Bench with Hooks and Storage

It took about 3 weekends (not full days) to build this decked out entryway storage bench with locker-style cubbies. I did also work a little bit during the week to apply Tung Oil here and there. The cost was $250. Not bad for a huge piece of furniture?

How to Build Simple Wall Shelves

January 15, 2019 by Ash Leave a Comment

How to Build Simple Wall Shelves Post Preview: In this post, you’ll find out how to build easy DIY wall shelves. You can customize the measurements to your needs. These shelves perfectly fit 8 fabric storage bins.

As part of our craft room organization, we turned a haphazard corner of space into a truly organized craft corner. Previously we installed the pegboard and built and mounted a cubby shelf. Last, we are added two simple shelves to go above the pegboard.

One of the things we love about doing DIY projects is that you can customize what you are making to be perfect for your needs. Just like how we made the cubbies to fit tons of scrap book paper, we were making these to fit four fabric storage bins per shelf. These easy DIY wall shelves are perfect for holding bins. You create customized storage out of just a little wall space and wood.

Here’s a before picture of the entire craft corner organization project.

And here’s the after of the beautifully organized craft corner:

Here’s how we made the final part of the project – the simple DIY wall shelves.

How to Build Easy DIY Wall Shelves

The first step in making these simple storage shelves was figuring out my supplies. First, I needed to find shelf brackets. Eileen wanted to use decorative wooden shelf brackets. The only one I could find in stock at Home Depot was decorative but had a max weight capacity of 10 lbs.

I knew Eileen would be putting more than 10 pounds of weight on shelves.

However, the wood itself felt pretty sturdy.

The low load capacity stemmed from the cheap keyhole hangers on the back. The shelves were going to be secured to the wall with lag bolts, so I could ditch those keyhole hangers and just reinforce the brackets.

Here’s a picture of the wooden bracket (also called a corbel):

There are lots of ways to put a simple shelf on the wall.

Depending on the design and load bearing capacity of the shelf, you can either attach directly to drywall (with toggle bolts or other drywall fasteners), attach to wall studs (with lag bolts), or a combination of the two.

My homemade wall shelves needed to be able to hold a lot of weight, so pure drywall attachment was out of the question.

I had initially planned on bolting the wooden brackets directly to wall studs. However, the placement of the wall studs was not practical for the look of the shelves. Either the brackets would be really close together, or one side of the shelf would extend very oddly past one bracket. I could attach one bracket to a stud and the other to drywall, but I wanted a more sturdier design.

A Shelf Design that Worked

So I came up with an elegant alternative for the craft room shelves. I would bolt a 2×4 directly to the wall studs, spanning the length of the shelf. This would hold most of the load. Then I could position the wooden brackets however I liked, as they would rest directly on the drywall (regardless of stud position).

This design was essentially replacing the cheap keyhole hangers (that came with the brackets) with a beam bolted to wall studs.

Here’s a picture showing the final design of one of the shelf mounts (it’s upside down right now):

Once turned right side up, the surfaces currently facing you would be pressed flatly against the wall, and lag bolts would secure the 2×4 to wall studs.

See how the vertical surface attached to the wooden bracket wasn’t flush with the 2×4?

It’s because this shelf mount was going to rest directly on the pegboard. So even though the 2×4 would be bolted to the wall, the wooden brackets would sit on the pegboard.

Eileen requested this design as it looked really good visually. So I had to offset the brackets for this mount to account for the depth of the pegboard. This wasn’t an issue with the second shelf mount, as it would rest entirely against the wall.

Assembling the Shelves

For the construction of the mount, I used construction adhesive and deck screws. It was critical to pre-drill all the screw holes with a countersinking bit.

Here’s the shelf mount turned right side up (you can see the shelf behind it waiting to be attached):

I attached the shelf to the mount with more construction adhesive and deck screws:

Here are the two shelves primed and painted (again I used the enamel based cabinet paint for the shelf surface):

I had used a ¾” Forstner bit to make a hole for the lag bolts. This would prevent the lag bolt heads from sticking out past the surface of the wood. For an even more aesthetic touch, I planned on covering the holes with some mushroom head screw hole plugs.

In no time, the last construction part of the craft room storage and organization project was completed with these homemade wall shelves.

Mounting the Shelves to the Wall

These simple storage shelves were very easy to attach. I rested the lower shelf directly on the pegboard and inserted the lag bolts. Since the pegboard was already level, I didn’t have to worry about this shelf being uneven.

Once in place, I used some 12” spacer 2x4s to hold the above shelf in place while I attached that one as well:

Shelf Organization Tips

I purposely built the DIY shelves so that four storage bins could fit on each shelf. Below is how Eileen utilized these shelves.

She picked up eight fabric storage bins from the dollar store! The storage bins aren’t super sturdy but they were perfect otherwise and could easily be reinforced. She ended up only using six, but each bin has a purpose – kids crafts, sewing accessories, holiday crafts, felt scraps, and extra office supplies.

Eileen was in awe at just how much these bins held and how organized – and easily accessible her materials now were. Marie Konmari would be proud 🙂

A Finished Craft Corner

The pegboard, wall shelving, and cubby storage all came together really nicely, providing a plethora of DIY storage space in Eileen’s craft corner. What used to be otherwise wasted space was now turned into a massively organized craft corner – just with wall space!

And here, my friends, is the end result of all of this new craft room organization and storage:

Eileen emptied out tons of plastic storage containers and even a dresser, using this three-part craft room organization. The pegboard held a ton of desk and craft supplies. The fabric storage bins held many things that were previously stuffed in desk drawers and the closet. The cubby shelves emptied a craft cart. Here are all the things that were emptied onto the craft room organization pieces:

And, here are a few pictures of the finished craft room corner:

Don’t forget to get our free plans so you can fix up your craft space as well! If you are looking for more organization, this quick easy DIY shelves are simple to make and hold tons of storage. You can use these simple shelves anywhere you have wall space, not just in a craft room or office.

How to Build Wall-Mounted DIY Cubby Shelves

January 10, 2019 by Ash Leave a Comment

How to Build Wall-Mounted DIY Cubby Shelves Post Preview: You will see how you can build your own DIY cubby shelves and mount them to the wall.

If there’s one thing we’ve learned in all of our DIY endeavors it’s that you can do a lot with a little bit of space.

Using just one corner of a room, I’ve been revamping my wife’s craft corner with three things: pegboard, wall-mounted cubby shelf, and some simple wall shelves.

In our previous post, I shared how we mounted the pegboard, and in this post, I’ll be sharing how I built the cubby shelves. Afterward, I’ll share how I built the simple shelves (which are a gem as they hold 8 fabric storage bins!).

How to Build Homemade Cubby Shelves

My wife was really excited about the cubbies, knowing they would bring a lot of organization and storage to her craft room.

She had so many paints and other crafts that would fit perfectly onto cubby shelves. With cubbies being open, it makes things easy to find and quickly grab. Since everything is on display, it’s natural to keep it organized.

So, I did some research and came across two popular designs for cubby shelving. The first design used pocket hole screws to hold the cubby shelves in place.

The second design used routed dados for the shelves. I went back and forth about which design I wanted to use.

The pocket hole method was the fastest and easiest to do. I am also a huge fan of pocket holes.

However, I felt that these cubbies needed a bit more craftsmanship. After all, they were going to be in the same room as our recent window seat bookshelf project. So I opted for the routed dado design.

As for the wood, I normally just use the common pine boards sold at Home Depot for most of my projects.

However, the cubby shelves needed an upgrade. Common pine boards are full of surface imperfection and knots. So I opted for their “select” pine boards. It was twice the price of the standard boards, but there was a huge difference in the quality.

I was excited to work with wood of this quality. It was a rare treat for me.

Cutting the Dados for the Cubby Shelves

Now on to the construction of the cubby storage shelves. First, I had to calibrate my router to the correct depth setting. I used a scrap piece of wood and made repeated cuts with varying depths until I got the 3/16” depth required for my dados:

Next, I outlined the dados with a pencil and ruler, and clamped down a piece of scrap wood for a router guide.

Now let the routing begin:

I was a little disappointed with my first dado. I’ve done many dado cuts in the past, but for some reason, this one was slightly wavy. The edges were not perfectly straight like I was accustomed to.

I started to worry that something was wrong with the router. Then after closer inspection, I realized that my scrap wood guide fence had small imperfections along the surface.

Thinking this might be the root of my problem, I swapped out the wooden guide fence with a metal ruler, as seen below:

I re-ran the router through the cut and success! The wavy edges went away.

I guess scrap wood isn’t the solution to everything.

I had to be careful using my ruler as a fence for the rest of the cuts though. It provided a very small surface for the router to move along. The router risked slipping over the edge of the ruler and ruining the boards.

So very carefully, I cut all the boards and produced the following:

Here’s a top-down view showing how I cut dados on both sides of some of the boards:

The boards with dados on both sides were going to sit vertical inside the cubby shelf. Then square shelves would be inserted into the dados to form the cubes.

Adjusting the Cubby Design

At this point, I took a look back at my design, and suddenly remembered something that I had forgotten.

Eileen wanted some of the individual cubbies to be long enough to hold standard printer sized sheets (8.5×11) for her large card stock collection.

I had intentionally gotten 10” wide boards for the cubbies to account for this. However, I forgot to factor this requirement into the rest of the design.

The dados were all cut to allow perfectly square cubbies, approximately 8”x9”x9.25”. This would result in the 8.5×11 sheets hanging off the edge slightly.

I didn’t want this to happen, so I needed to make an adjustment to the design. With the dados already cut, I really didn’t want to waste any wood. So I thought really hard and came up with the adjusted design below:

Two of the vertical boards could be cut right where the bottom dado groove was made. Then a longer horizontal shelf could be inserted spanning two cubbies.

This would result in the two end cubbies at the bottom being long enough to hold the 8.5×11 sheets easily.

It also added a nice aesthetic touch to the design, breaking up the repeating squares. Both Eileen and I were very happy about the design modification.

Assembling the Cubby Storage Shelves

With that little hiccup out of the way, I proceeded to assemble the shelves. I used deck screws, construction adhesive and 90 degree wood clamps. Also, I used a countersinking bit with my drill for the deck screws. I didn’t want to risk the wood splitting.

Here is a picture showing the wood clamps in action:

Construction adhesive was essential to a sturdy design that wouldn’t wobble over time:

Here I have the 4 main vertical boards secured in place:

The cubby shelves are starting to take form here:

I used construction adhesive for all the inside shelves too, I didn’t want them moving in the dado grooves over time. I also used some deck screws where possible too (like on the end pieces).

Here is some more progress made on the cubbies (see how I also had to use some bar clamps to pull the inside shelves tightly into the dados):

Using Ratchet Straps

When all the inside shelves were placed into the dados, I saw that the top measurement of the cubby shelf didn’t match the bottom. Little gaps here and there in the dados were adding up and making the top of the cubby wider than the bottom by about an inch.

When I squeezed in one pair of dados with a bar clamp to eliminate a gap, another gap would open up slightly somewhere else. It was getting a little frustrating.

Then inspiration hit me. Maybe I could use some ratchet straps to pull in all the shelves tightly at the same time. It seemed a little silly at the time to use ratchet straps for this project, but I gave it a shot:

Guess what? The ratchet straps worked.

As I tightened each ratchet, I could hear the satisfying creak of the dados squeezing together tightly.

I checked the upper measurement of the shelf and it was finally in agreement with the bottom.

I secured the final top board and attached some strategically placed boards in the rear to help mount the cubbies to wall studs. The cubby build was pretty much complete.

Here is the cubby shelf so far. It looked so nice – and Eileen loved it. It was the perfect answer to her craft room organization and storage problem.

All that remained now was to wood putty the screw holes and paint.

I used one coat of primer and one coat of cabinet enamel paint. I had some enamel paint left over from previous projects, and thought it would be perfect for the cubbies.

Since I didn’t want items sticking to regular paint over time, the enamel based paint would eliminate this concern.

Here is the painted cubby storage shelf eagerly awaiting installation:

Installing the Cubbies

With the pegboard already mounted to the wall. I next needed to hang the cubby storage.

Unfortunately, the size and weight of the cubbies was too much for me to just hold it against the wall while I attached it. Eileen was pregnant at the time, so she couldn’t help me out.

So I got creative and I attached a temporary 2×4 to the wall studs for me to rest the cubby on. This would allow me to position it perfectly without breaking my back. It would result in some small screw holes in the drywall after removal, but I could easily patch that up with drywall compound.

Here’s a picture with the temporary brace in place (I made sure it was perfectly level):

Here is the cubby storage shelf mounted to the wall:

Cubby Organization Tips

Here is the completed shelf – including Eileen’s organization.

She used the cubby shelf for card stock, construction paper, and felt organization. That emptied an entire cart worth of messy piles. She used little bins and mason jars to organize things like paper clips, tacks, paint brushes, pom-poms, kids scissors, and popsicle sticks.

She does a ton of kids crafts with our son, including lots of card-making and letter-writing. With this cubby organization, she can easily access his collection of stickers which are grouped in a bin as well as card stock and envelopes.

Craft Corner Organization Pictures

Here are some final pictures of the craft room organization. The project was comprised of three parts: the pegboard, the cubby shelf, and the simple wall shelves.

And most impressively…

With the amount of new storage created with these three things, Eileen was able to empty out tons of storage containers. She emptied three storage towers, one cart, and one dresser. She completed underestimated the amount of space all of the new craft room storage gave her.

Here’s the impressive ensemble of containers she emptied with this project:

I was sure happy to see that black dresser emptied out. I tossed it to the curb that very day. It had been in closets for the past eight years and before that was my old college furniture.

Don’t forget to download our free plans for this craft room organization and storage project.

How to Make an Outdoor Reindeer & Santa Sleigh Decoration

November 18, 2018 by Ash 9 Comments

Outdoor Christmas decorations are always so expensive.

We’ve had our eyes on a set of reindeer and a Santa sleigh for years – but the price is always ridiculous.

And, at the after Christmas sales, they are always sold out.

So, I did what I do best – and I made my own.

It’s not the exact Santa sleigh and reindeer set she had her eyes on, but I wanted to go in a different direction than the standard Christmas yard props.

With my recent purchase of a new jigsaw, I could get pretty creative in making a homemade outdoor Santa sleigh decoration.

After bouncing some ideas off Eileen, we decided to cut out a sleigh and two reindeer from plywood.

Then, I would drill tiny holes along the perimeter and insert string lights. The whole thing was to be suspended between my front porch posts.

It turned out pretty nice – and we paid nothing for it. We used plywood leftover from various big projects and lights that we already had.

In fact, all of our Christmas decor projects in the Deck the Home blog hop have been made from scrap wood & other leftover materials. Check out the Christmas star and buffalo check tree. 🙂

Without further ado, here are the instructions on how to make this outdoor Santa sleigh decoration. Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom to see the other outdoor projects and tutorials in the blog hop.

How to Make Reindeer and Santa’s Sleigh Yard Decor

For just a few hours of time and less than $20, you can make your own reindeer and sleigh outdoor decorations.

Sketching the Reindeer and Sleigh

To start, I did my best to sketch out a sleigh and reindeer. Here’s my sketch of the sleigh:

Here’s the sketch of the reindeer:

Cutting Out the DIY Reindeer and Sleigh

Once I was happy with the sketches, I moved onto my jigsaw to start cutting them out.

It was important to use the right saw blade as I didn’t want to risk breaking off an antler or produce really rough edges. I opted for a fine blade made specifically for cutting curves in plywood.

To cut out the sketches, I found it easiest to place the plywood on top of a wooden box while using the jigsaw.

Here is the final cut of the Reindeer:

Here is the sleigh:

I did two reindeer, so after I cut out the first, I traced it onto another sheet of wood to make a second reindeer.

Drilling Holes for the Holiday Lights

With the cutouts made, I moved onto drilling holes for the lights.

To start, I used a marker to place dots where I wanted each hole to be.

I made use of a 2” spacer to ensure consistent spacing between all the holes. (It was a cut piece of a drinking straw.)

Here’s a picture showing how I used a spacer:

When all the marker dots were added to the sketch, I had to determine what size drill bit best matched the diameter of the string light bulbs.

I figured out what drill bit to use by trial and error drilling various sized holes into a piece of scrap wood.

With my ideal sized drill bit selected, I proceeded to drill out all the marker dots.

It was important to use a piece of scrap wood as a backing for the plywood as I drilled each hole. The backing allowed me to quickly move from hole to hole without worrying about damaging my work bench.

Also, it reduced the likelihood of the drill ripping out any plywood as the bit emerged out the other side.

Here’s the Swiss cheese reindeer after all the holes were made (the scrap wood backer board sure took a beating after two reindeer and a sleigh):

Attaching Lights to the Outdoor Holiday Decor

With the holes drilled, the next task was to insert the lights.

I had initially hoped that the holes were going to be snug enough to securely hold the bulbs without them falling out. This was not the case however.

So I strategically placed several globs of hot glue to keep the string lights attached to the plywood.

Here I am working with the lights and hot glue:

Here’s the completed back side of a reindeer with the string lights attached:

Here’s the completed front side of a reindeer:

I repeated the process for the rest of the entourage until all the bulbs were inserted into the holes and secured down with hot glue.

Adding Hanging Hooks

One last thing remained and that was hooks to allow the sleigh and reindeer to be suspended.

I decided to use some wire mounting clips for this task. These were small plastic clips normally used to mount coaxial cables to walls for organization.

However, they would be perfect for my project.

The sleigh and reindeer were now completed.

To hang them up outside, I added two eye hole screws to my porch posts.

Then I ran some wire through the plastic clips attached to the plywood earlier.

Finally I strung the wire through each eye hole screw, tensioned it well and plugged in the lights.

Here is the sleigh and reindeer in it’s full beauty.

Here is what the inside looks like – with the outdoor lights:

And, I lost the daylight pretty quickly, so I lucked out in seeing the lit up reindeer and Santa sleigh right away.

I was pretty pleased with how it turned out. More importantly, my wife loved it.

If you are wanting to buy outdoor Christmas decor but don’t want to spend the money, definitely think about making your own. We made ours for free with extra materials we had.

However, if you have to run to the hardware store for materials, it would probably run about $20 (plywood and 3 strings of lights).

Not bad for $20, right!?

Want to see more? Check out all the outdoor decor in the Deck the Home Blog Hop

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How to Build a DIY Screen Door

July 22, 2018 by Ash 7 Comments

For some reason, flies love to hang around in our garage.

As annoying as they are in the garage, they are even worse if they make it inside the house.

I finally got tired of chasing after flies in the house and decided to install a screen door leading into the garage.

Now, in traditional Just Measuring Up fashion, I wasn’t about to just buy one from the store.

I had lots of wood left over from previous projects, so I decided to just make my own door. I just needed to buy some hinges and insect screen.

DIY Screen Door Design

I had a basic idea of what I wanted the scrap wood screen door to look like.

So I had a quick session on the table saw and miter saw using the scrap wood that I had laying around, and here is what I came up with for the screen door design:

DIY Screen Door Materials

Boards (see details below)
2 door hinges
Handle
Insect screen
Trim
Spring (or pneumatic closer)
Magnetic catch (optional)

Since I was retro-fitting a custom door in the door frame, the dimensions were customized to fit within the existing doorway trim.

Here are my exact dimensions:

How to Use Scrap Wood to Make a DIY Screen Door

The long boards for the screen door I cut with my table saw, while the triangle trim inserts were done with left over scrap wood using my miter saw. I used whatever surplus boards I had lying around the garage.

If I were to buy boards from the store, I would be fine with just two 1′ x 10′ x 8′ boards.

Next, I had to join the pieces together to form the screen door. There are lots of different ways to join these pieces. I opted for the simplest method of using pocket hole screws. I used my trusty Kreg pocket hole jig.

Here is my Kreg pocket hole jig in action, connecting the pieces to make the scrap wood screen door:

How to Make Pocket Holes for the Scrap Wood Screen Door

Making pocket holes with a jig is really fast and produces very strong joints. Here are what some of the joints look like:

Pocket holes joints do leave visible holes. Normally, I don’t mind them.

However, I wanted this screen door to have a more professional finish.

So I filled the holes with these pocket hole plugs and a touch of wood glue:

Once the wood glue is dried and the plugs are sanded down, the holes practically disappear (a coat of paint will seal the deal):

Using Triangle Inserts for the Design

In making the scrap wood DIY screen door, I didn’t use any pocket holes for the triangle inserts. I just used some construction adhesive and two finishing nails.

Here is the assembled scrap wood screen door (it’s looking great so far):

Installing Door Hinges on the DIY Screen Door

For my particular set up, it was more practical to install the hinges on the outside of the screen door frame (rather than inside, like typical door hinges are).

So rather than screwing the hinges directly into the screen door trim (which would be hideous and not very strong at all), I decided to make simple mounts for the hinges.

I cut out a small segment of the existing doorway trim, and inserted a block of wood. This piece of wood was both glued and screwed into the doorway to make a strong mount for the hinges.

Here is what one of the mounts looked like for the DIY screen door:

Attaching the Screen to the Door

After my wife painted the door, I proceeded to attach the screen to the door. I wrapped the door really tightly with the screen and stapled the perimeter of the windows with my staple gun:

Then I used my utility knife to cut away the excess screen:

I covered the staples with door trim by attaching construction adhesive and letting it dry overnight:

Attaching the DIY Screen Door Accessories

While attaching some of the screen door accessories (like hinges, handle and magnetic catch), I realized some of the screws were a bit too long.

They were sticking out the other side of the door. I remedied this by shortening the screws to the thickness of the door.

Trimming the Screws

To trim the screws, I drove them into a scrap piece of wood. Then I secured the wood in a vise and used my handy Dremel to cut off the protruding parts of the screws (via a reinforced cut-off wheel).

I made sure to wear gloves and safety goggles for this, as lots of sparks fly when cutting metal.

Here’s a picture showing my screw trimming station:

Attaching the Screen Door

To attach the DIY screen door, I placed it in the doorway and positioned it in place.

I needed a 1/8″ gap between the door and the frame. So to ensure a consistent gap along the entire perimeter, I used several wooden shims underneath and along the edges of the screen door.

Once I was satisfied with an even 1/8″ gap, I screwed on the hinges to lock the screen door in place.

For the moment of truth, I pulled out all the wooden shims and watched the screen door swing freely.

Next, I attached the door handle and a long spring to self close the door.

However, I noticed that even with the spring in place, the screen door didn’t remain closed all the way (there was about half an inch of a gap). So I used a magnetic catch to keep the door pulled in all the way.

The DIY screen door made from scrap wood was complete!

Here is the finished homemade screen door for the garage:

For a final touch, I also attached a latch to be able to keep the screen door open if needed:

The DIY screen door only took a few hours to complete (although I had to wait extra time for paint and glue to dry).

Since I reused extra wood left over from projects, my total cost for the DIY screen door was around $30 (for screen, hinges, spring, handle).

And, the flies? They can longer get into the house.

And that, my friends, is a win.

12 Things Every DIYer Needs in Their Garage

June 26, 2018 by Ash 16 Comments

With so many DIY projects in progress, our garage is usually a hot spot of disorganization. I finally got around to organizing my garage (again) last weekend.

When it was all done, I stood by the door admiring my handiwork, hoping that this is the last time I need to do a garage organization overhaul.

This time, the garage is really efficiently organized. There’s tons of DIY garage storage shelves, lots of folding and rolling work spaces, creative nooks that house frequently-used items, and a few fun things as well!

Now that every single thing has a place and is neatly organized in the garage, it makes me want to start a DIY project right away. But before I do so, I wanted to share these DIY garage storage ideas with you.

Without further ado, here is list of 12 things around my garage that I made or bought to help organize DIY projects and efficiently store tools.

Battery Charging Station

Over time, I have accrued a number of power tools with different types of batteries. I believe I have 8 different types of battery chargers. Now when I buy new cordless tools, I try my best to find ones that will work with my existing batteries.

Nevertheless, I am still stuck with an existing assortment of battery chargers that need to be organized in my garage. Managing all of them can get messy, so I decided to centralize them into a battery charging station.

It’s just a simple L shaped storage shelf off the side of one of my workbenches. This DIY garage storage idea has organized my batteries perfectly.

Hidden Workbench Storage

Of all the DIY garage storage and organization ideas, this is one of my favorites. I recently built a new rolling workbench, and mid-construction I thought about how much potential storage space was being wasted inside.

I am always on the lookout for making use of idle spaces, so I came up with the idea of hidden storage for the workbench.

So, I divided my workbench into 3 sections, and attached the top with hinges. Just under the table top, I now have huge drawers of garage storage space.

To make it even cooler, I installed some pneumatic lid supports to keep the lids in place when open. The supports also make it a lot easier to open since the lids are pretty heavy.

Rolling Tables with Storage

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted a workspace in the middle of the garage or out in the driveway.

So I finally drew up some garage plans for a rolling storage table, with a lot of emphasis on storage and organization.

The rolling table with storage is turning out awesome. My custom table has drawers on both sides for maximum organization. I use locking wheels so the table doesn’t roll when in storage or when I’m working on it.

Even the height of the table was carefully taken into consideration. It’s the exact height as my table saw. So when I am cutting large pieces of wood with my table saw, I can just roll out my table for extra support. When I’m done with the table, it rolls away to fit under my garage workbench and serves as static drawers.

Don’t mind the missing drawer in the picture! The table is still under construction, but very usable in its current state.

Folding Workbench

As much as I love my garage workshop, it still is just a garage. As such, our cars need to fit in there from time to time.

So, to strike a fine balance between a solid workshop and a working garage, I constructed a folding heavy duty workbench.

The folded workbench is mounted on the walls and supported by 3 floating legs. When I need to park the car in the garage, I push the legs flat against the wall, and the whole table folds down.

See my post for more details on this awesome folding workbench. It’s definitely a must-have for an organized, functional DIY garage.

Wall-Mounted Computer

A computer in the garage can be a really valuable tool.

I like to sketch 3D designs of my projects on the computer. It makes it easy to visualize how something will turn out in end, and helps me determine how much material I will need.

It’s also great for instructional YouTube videos.

When I’m not using it for projects, I just use it for music at night to keep the projects pumping along.

I built my own computer (made the case out of wood!), and mounted it high up on the wall next to a TV.

No sawdust is going to get up there. I control with with a mini wireless keyboard and built in touchpad for the mouse.

Check out my blog post for full details on my custom made garage computer – such an awesome DIY garage idea, right?!

Shelves Galore

I have to admit – I may have gone a little storage shelf crazy in my garage. In fact, I even have sub-shelves attached to larger shelves. I can’t help it – they are so practical and useful. Here is a whole subset of DIY garage organization ideas for shelving.

Extra Plywood Hack

Here I have some metal storage shelving in my garage, but I took it to the next level by bolting on some plywood to the side to store an assortment of things (like rakes, brooms, and even a chainsaw).

This has been so helpful to not have these items on the floor haphazardly.

Scrap Wood Bin

Using otherwise wasted corner space, I built a scrap wood bin, and attached some shelves above it to store the smaller pieces (that would normally get lost in a bin).

The bin and accompanying shelves house all of my scrap wood, emptying out other areas of the garage. Plus, all of my scrap wood is easy to find for my DIY projects made entirely of scrap wood.

Mini Shelves

Here is a mini shelf I built for holding some plastic drawers. The plastic drawers are holding the items for the computer/TV. Whenever I have an item that I don’t have a great place for, I just make my own little stand or shelf to hold it.

Sliding Shelf Tower

I also made a storage tower with sliding shelves for the garage. It holds a TON of things on it. Check out the blog post for the sliding shelf organization plans and design. This is Eileen’s favorite part of the garage because of the all the storage. In fact, she’s been wanting a few of these storage shelves that slide in the basement.

Sub-Shelves

Here’s the sub-shelf I mentioned earlier. I couldn’t stand looking at the empty void beneath one of my larger shelves. So one day I tossed together some scrap wood for a mini shelf attached underneath.

French Cleat Shelves

French cleat shelves are awesome. I made these storage shelves from scratch with a french cleat mounting system. They hang very sturdily off the wall, and lift off with ease for me to carry around on various projects.

See my blog post about french cleat shelves to learn more about them.

Repurposed Shelves

Here I repurposed some closet wire shelves for spray cans. My neighbor tossed them out one day, and my eyes lit up. Free storage!

Don’t underestimate something that you or someone else is getting rid of – especially something that can be used as shelving.

Various Storage Bins

Storage bins are great for screws and commonly used things like driver bits and washers.

I dedicated a number of shelves to just storage bins. I even mounted some storage bins to the wall for easy access.

They are also very portable. You can take them around with you during your project instead of having to run back to the garage every time you run out.

Folding Stands for Bulky Tools

If you don’t have the space in your garage workshop to dedicate to certain bulky tools (like table saws and miter saws), then consider folding stands for them.

My table saw came with a built in folding stand. It allows me to fold up the saw and store it upright. It saves a considerable amount of space. The stand also makes it very portable. I can just wheel my table saw where ever I need to use it.

Similarly , I bought a folding stand for my miter saw. I get the same organization perks in the garage as my folding table saw.

In addition, it comes with extending arms to help support long pieces of lumber I need to cut.

Easy Access to Power Tools

Whenever I need to plug in a tool for power, I never have to wander too far for an outlet. With this awesome extension cord holder, I just grab the cord and pull out however much I need.

When I’m done, I crank the handle to reel the cord back in. This extension cord holder is probably the most used contraption in my garage.

To make it even more convenient, I mounted it on hinges so it can fold away when not being used.

Here’s a really good tip. If you use a lot of power-hungry tools (like table saws, miter saws, or even large shop vacs), I highly recommend a pair of dedicated 20 amp outlets, on their own breaker.

I hired an electrician to install this for me, but it was pretty cheap. I can’t tell you how many times I used to fire up my table saw just to trip the 15 amp family room breaker. My wife was not very happy sitting in the dark when previously she was just enjoying The Bachelor.

Having a pair of outlets on their own breaker also means you can even run multiple high wattage tools simultaneously and never have to worry about making trips to reset breakers.

Overhead Storage

Your garage ceiling is prime real estate for storage.

It’s completely out of the way, but there for you when you need it.

So take full advantage of any free space up there. I’ve been using some heavy duty U bars bolted to my ceiling joists to store most of my lumber.

I just grab a ladder or stepping tool when I need to access them.

There’s a wide market of ceiling mounted storage accessories for you to check out. Just be weary of their load limits and make sure you attach them to ceiling joists with lag bolts.

Magnetic Tool Holders

I recently picked up a handful of magnetic bars to store loose tools. They are an awesome organizational tool. I tacked them onto any free surface that made sense.

I use the magnetic tool storage holders to store wrenches, screwdrivers, loose screws, basically anything that is made from metal. Magnetic bars make it so convenient to quickly grab a tool, then slap it back on the bar when done. And they are pretty cheap!

Blowing Off Some Steam

Not all DIY projects are full of bliss. There are times you will get frustrated. At the end of a hard day, you’ll probably want to let off some steam.

That’s why I built a boxing speed bag platform in the middle of my garage workflow.

It’s stowable too so it rises out of the way when not in use. It’s even secured to the ceiling with rubber dampeners to reduce the noise.

Check out my blog post for more details on my boxing speed bag platform.

That’s it! I hope my list gives you some ideas for your own DIY garage storage and organization projects.

Let me know what cool things you have in your garage, especially DIY garage storage ideas. I’m always on the lookout for more things that can make my garage workshop time be more efficient and productive.

How to Shorten a Tall Dresser

March 27, 2018 by Ash 38 Comments

My wife is always coming home with new furniture – chairs, dressers, nightstands, tables. She loves to redo them, and they always turn out really nice.

Recently Eileen’s aunt and uncle gave her an old dresser from when her uncle was quite little. The dresser needed a little TLC, and so we had a plan to make it over with milk paint.

However, after watching a little too much HGTV, Eileen saw a couple of DIYers run a dresser through a tablesaw. So as Eileen was out in the driveway getting ready to paint the dresser, she got a vision of how nice the tall dresser would look if it were shorter.

Now, I’ve never had modify furniture in this manner before, so… challenge accepted.

How to Shorten a Tall Dresser

Here is the dresser in its original lanky self:

Eileen wanted the new height to be comparable to some existing dressers in our house, so I set my target height to around 34.”

There were a number of ways I thought to accomplish this. I settled on the simplest method of cutting a section off the bottom, and relocating some trim to conceal my work.

To make a quick prototype, I toppled the behemoth and lopped off its legs to get close to our target height:

Once we were satisfied with the feel of the new height of the shortened, it was time to dig into the details to restore the look.

At this point, it looked like a giant box with just the legs cut off:

To unbox the look, I marked out cutting lines with my golden trio – measuring tape, speed square and pencil:

My jigsaw made short work of cutting this dresser:

Here I extracted some trim for relocation:

Unfortunately, some of the trim had wood glued into some grooves that I needed exposed. So I clamped them down in my JawHorse and chiseled out the grooves:

In the process of shifting all the trim upwards, I exposed some more grooves in the new legs. I didn’t want to leave the grooves there and risk pieces of the legs breaking off.

So I filled in those grooves with scrap cut-offs accompanied by a generous serving of wood glue:

Once the wood glue dried, I trimmed and sanded the cut-offs with my random orbital sander, resulting in some solid looking legs:

All the trim was now relocated and the dresser reconstruction was completed:

We were so pleased with how the tall dresser was now shortened and couldn’t wait for the next step of the project – making it over with milk paint.

Check back next week to see the complete dresser makeover!

How to Build Ramps, Steps, and Custom Doors for a DIY Shed

March 22, 2018 by Ash 26 Comments

Almost any shed can benefit from a ramp and steps.

Such is the case with my shed.

If you’ve been following along with me as I built my shed from scratch, my storage shed plans included a spot for both steps and a ramp.

If you missed my previous posts, check out my Shed Project Phase 1 (how to build a shed foundation and framing) and my Shed Project Phase 2 (how to build paneling and roofing for a shed).

So back to my shed plans. My plans included having two entrances – a double door entrance for the riding mower and a single door entrance to access backyard storage and garden supplies.

For the riding mower entrance, my plan was to build a ramp, and then the steps were a necessity for the second entrance, due to how high above the ground the door was.

I built the ramp, steps, and doors from scratch. Keep reading for the details.

I originally wanted to put the ramp on the right side of the shed, but due to the slope of the ground, it wasn’t very practical anymore. So I adapted my plans to put the shed ramp on the left side and put steps on the right side.

How to Build Steps for a Shed

The shed steps for the single door were pretty easy to build. I bought 3 pre-cut step stringers from Home Depot.

Step stringers are the support pieces at the sides of the structure that hold up the steps you walk on.

I did have to measure the maximum height from the shed floor to the ground to buy the right length step stringer though.

It turned out that 3 step stringers were adequate.

As for the actual steps, I trimmed some 2 x 4s lengthwise with my table saw, and assembled them like a boardwalk.

I used 3 pieces of wood per step, with a little spacing in between.

To connect the stringers to the shed, I used a joist hanger. It’s just a U-shaped metal bracket that’s screwed into the floor joists on the shed, and each stringer rests inside.

As for where the stringers met the ground, there needed to be a solid foundation.

To achieve this, I buried some concrete blocks slightly below ground level and rested the stringers on them.

I also attached some 2 x 4 spacers in between the stringers and fastened them to the concrete using special Tapcon screws.

After I covered up the concrete blocks with dirt, you couldn’t tell they were there.

The concrete blocks gave the shed steps a really solid feel when you walked on them.

Here’s a picture of the completed shed steps:

The boardwalk style steps added a nice touch to the plywood shed.

Later on, I covered up the fronts of the steps with a thin piece of plywood, and then applied a good deck stain to protect the wood.

How to Build a Ramp for a Shed

The ramp construction was similar to the steps in that it used stringers and hidden concrete block supports. To learn how to build a ramp for a shed, read the step-by-step instructions below.

Determining the Ramp Angle

For the shed ramp, I first had to determine the angle of the slope.

If I made the shed ramp length too short, the slope would be too steep and cause me problems when driving the mower up. Either the bottom of the mower would hit the top of the ramp, or the mower would not have enough power to climb the slope.

Too long of a shed ramp would not look that great, and it would take up valuable yard space.

After some research, I decided to go with a 4-foot shed ramp. It was going to make a slightly steeper than normal ramp, but I was okay with this.

Five foot ramps seemed to be the most common length for a shed ramp. Yet, I wanted to compromise between functionality and aesthetics (be sure to keep reading this section to see how this turned out).

Once I determined my shed ramp length and angle, I cut 5 stringers out of 2 x 6 wood.

Leveling the Ramp Foundation

The next step was to set and level the concrete blocks for the lower foundation. The leveling took a little bit of time because I had to get each stringer to sit perfectly flat on the blocks while maintaining an even ramp surface.

Attaching Stringers for the Shed Ramp

Once leveled, I worked on attaching the stringers to the shed.

Instead of using joist hangers like I did with the steps, I needed something much stronger to hold the weight of the riding mower.

Based on my research on shed ramp design, I went with a ledger mount. This was just a piece of wood attached to the shed that the stringers rested on for primary support.

To make the ledger, I just bolted a giant 2 x 10 piece of wood to the floor joists.

Near the bottom of the 2 x 10, I bolted on a 2 x 4 for the ramp stringers to rest on.

While the ledger handled the vertical load on the ramp, I didn’t want any lateral movement, so I used two types of fasteners to secure the stringers to the ledger.

The first were some L brackets to keep the stringers in place (just one L bracket per stringer).

The second fasteners used were the 6-inch TimberLok screws I had secured the roof joists with.

Before I used them on the stringers, I wanted to secure the lower portion of the stringers to the concrete blocks first.

The TimberLok screws would really lock the stringers in place, preventing me from adjusting them on concrete blocks.

Building the Ramp Foundation On the Shed

Onto the foundation for the shed ramp now – just like the steps, I used some wooden 2 x 4 spacers between the stringers.

I attached them to the stringers with L brackets and used some more Tapcon screws to secure the spacers to the concrete blocks.

With the shed ramp foundation set, I ran one TimberLok screw per stringer at an angle through the top middle of the stringer, straight through the 2 x 10 into the shed floor joists.

This made a very tight connection between the stringers and the shed.

There was going to be no lateral movement here. The whole ramp for the shed was extremely solid at this point.

Here’s a picture of what the shed ramp looked like so far:

Here’s a close-up of the stringer foundation where I used a Tapcon screw to secure the spacers to the concrete blocks:

And, here’s a close-up of the stringer/ledger connection where I used an L bracket and a 6-inch TimberLok screw:

Completing and Testing the Shed Ramp

To finish the ramp, I screwed on some sheets of ¾” thick pressure treated plywood, as seen in the picture below (I would also later apply a coat of deck paint to protect it from the weather):

At this point, I was very excited. I could finally drive the mower into the shed using the ramp.

So I wasted no time and retrieved the mower from the garage. I positioned it carefully at the bottom of the shed ramp, put it into gear and slowly drove up.

Everything was looking great….until I made it halfway up the ramp.

The mower did not have the power to drive up the shed ramp at my current speed. I should have gone with the 5-foot ramp design with a more gentle slope.

So I tried a different approach to getting up the shed ramp. I reversed down the ramp, put the throttle on max, and let go of the brake.

The mower shot up the shed ramp and successfully made its way into the shed.

This is how I park my mower today.

It took a little bit to get used to, but I have to drive up the shed ramp at near full speed, with care not to drive into the shed wall at the back.

Installing Windows and Building Doors for the Shed

At this point, I was almost finished building the shed.

I just had to attach some more trim to the shed exterior, and install the windows and doors on the shed.

How to Install Windows on a Shed

The shed windows went on easily. I first used window flashing tape to seal the window frame and the siding.

Then I ran caulk along the shed window perimeter (on the flashing) and placed the window in the opening.

The caulk held the window in place long enough for me to drive some nails through the window nailing strips.

Then I covered the flashing and nailing strips with trim.

Here’s a picture of one of the completed windows that I installed on the shed:

How to Build Doors for a Shed

For the shed door, I custom built the doors following the steps in the shed design plans.

I needed 3 doors for the shed – a single door by the steps, and double doors by the ramp.

They were constructed with a rectangular frame of 2 x 4s sandwiched between two sheets of T1-11 siding.

For the trim design, I did some research online and found several patterns to show Eileen.

She has an eye when it comes to design and picked a pattern she liked. It looked fancy but was very easy to cut with my miter saw.

Eileen primed and painted the doors for me to match the shed.

To install the shed doors, I put them in place and spaced them properly in the door frame with some wooden shims.

These were some seriously heavy doors, and as such, needed some heavy duty hinges (3 per door).

I screwed the hinges onto the shed door frame and the shed door (making sure to hit the wooden frame inside the door).

Once all the door hinges were installed, I removed the shims, and voila – the shed doors swung open nicely.

To wrap up, I screwed on a door handle and a bolt lock.

Here’s a picture of the double doors installed with my fancy trim work:

Adding Lattice Under the Shed

Almost done with the shed now! Time for some final touches.

Since the shed foundation rested on concrete blocks, there were large gaps under the shed where animals could enter and reside.

Because I did not have any future plans to open my shed up for tenants, I wanted to seal up the underneath area.

We have groundhog problems, and they live under the sheds of our neighbors.

I came up with the cheap and easy solution of using plastic lattice fence.

These came in 2’ x 8’ strips which I cut to fit using my table saw. The lattice was already white and matched the shed trim.

Installing Lighting on the Shed

I also wanted some lighting for the shed when it was dark. I opted to use a solar panel motion LED light.

So I mounted the lights in between the shed door entrances. Then, I positioned the solar panel on the right side of the shed where the most sunlight was available.

Here is a picture of the completed DIY plywood shed. You can see both doors and windows, with the solar panel on the side:

Time and Cost of Building a Shed from Scratch

Finally, I completed the shed!

It took about 2 months for me to single-handedly build the shed, and it cost about $3000.

I did my research online and estimated that a pre-built shed this size and quality would have been more than $7000. Building it myself netted huge savings.

The shed freed up a lot of space in the garage too. The riding lawn mower, push mower, wheelbarrow, gardening tools, and other large items fit in there with lots of room to spare. It definitely provides a lot of storage space.

We even put all of our summer patio furniture in there during the winter – with space left over.

It was definitely a worthwhile endeavor.

With no construction background, and never having built anything close in capacity to a shed, I impressed my wife, my neighbors, and myself by building a shed.

Future Shed Plans

My work on the shed isn’t over yet though. I still have some interior plans for it.

Down the road, I plan to install shelves and other organizational units. I also want to install another solar motion light inside the shed too.

Additionally, I envision a partial interior wall to provide more wall space for hanging tools (in case the four shed walls weren’t enough), and possibly utilizing the roof rafters for some storage.

The sky’s the limit, and you can bet there will be a blog post to tell you all about it!

If you missed Building a Shed Phase 1 (Foundation and Framing) or Building a Shed Phase 2 (Paneling and Roofing), be sure to check them out.

Building a Computer from Scrap Wood

February 25, 2018 by Ash 30 Comments

I’ve tinkered with the idea of a garage computer for some time.

I use 3D design software for a lot of projects, creating designs on my office computer and then making printouts with handwritten dimensions.

The problem with that is I can’t rotate the objects in the printouts – or zoom in to see more detail.

It would be nice to just have a computer down there in the garage so I can view my model data in a more real-time and interactive format. I could definitely see it boosting my productivity during projects in the garage. It would be like having an interactive garage assistant.

Technically I could just use a laptop down there. However, a workshop filled with sawdust is not ideal for me to bring my laptop in and out of.

So, a dedicated computer customized to better suit my workshop would be superb.

Unique Twist on a Custom-Made Computer

Being a computer guy practically my whole life, I’ve built a lot of computers from scratch. Once you’ve built one, the task becomes pretty straightforward and repetitive.

For my garage computer idea, I wanted to try something different.

Besides, my garage was already full of unique inventions (see my folding workbench or sliding storage shelf project). So, becoming an addition to my garage requires a certain level of oomph.

Here’s what a weekend of work resulted in:

The insides of a computer are fairly standard and not that exciting to look at. To garner attention, you’d want to focus on a fancy exterior.

So for my garage computer to earn an admission ticket into the garage, I decided to figure out how to build computer case out of wood – something I had never done before.

Simple Intro to Computer Design

Before I jump into details of my project, it may help a bit to know a little about how computers are built today. So, here’s a quick primer on computer design, in case you’re not too familiar with the topic.

A barebones computer system contains the following parts:

Enclosure (case)
Motherboard (with memory and CPU )
Hard drive
Power supply
Cooling fans

Computer Case

The case just houses all the components. Technically you could build a computer without a case (which I have in the past – you can get pretty creative with a bunch of computer hardware and a milk crate), but leaving all those parts exposed increases the likelihood of physical damage.

Motherboard with CPU and Memory

The motherboard is a large circuit board that almost every part plugs into and allows all these parts to talk to each other. Parts on the motherboard are typically fixed and non-customizable, with the exception of the CPU and memory.

The CPU is the brain of the computer and performs most of the calculations necessary for you to surf the web or do your taxes.

Memory is a necessity for the computer to operate. In general, the more memory you have, the better performance you’ll see, as more programs can run simultaneously.

Hard Drive and Power Supply

A hard drive stores all of your programs and documents. The bigger your hard drive, the more data you can keep.

A power supply distributes power from your electrical outlet to the various components inside the computer. Without a power supply, your computer is just a large paper weight.

Keeping It Cool

Cooling fans help maintain a proper operating temperature inside the case. Ideally, you have a fan pulling cool air into your case (where it is heated up by different parts – mainly your CPU) and another fan exhausting the hot air.

That’s it for minimum requirements for building a computer.

Now that you are enlightened, unto my custom build.

How to Build a Computer from Scratch

For this homemade computer, I wanted to make the case as small as possible, so I focused on using small parts to fit the bill. Now that you have a basic understanding of computer parts, here are the parts I used for this DIY computer.

Choosing the Right Motherboard

After some motherboard research, I settled on a Mini ITX version. These are small boards meant to fit in small cases.

There are lots of Mini ITX motherboards on the market. The one I bought came with a CPU already. Actually, it was a CPU/GPU hybrid chip (GPUs boost the graphics performance on your computer, like how smoothly I could rotate my 3D designs in tinkercad), so that was a nice bonus.

Passive Cooling

Even better, my motherboard came with a passive cooling system. Most CPUs get really hot and need a metal heatsink (a metal block with lots of fins) and fan directly on top to dissipate the heat.

This extra hardware equates to more space needed in my case.

A passive cooling system ditches the fan for just a low profile heat sink, and relies on the case doing a good cooling job. Passive cooling really only works on low powered CPUs, such as the one that came with my Mini ITX motherboard.

Additional Components

As for the rest of the components, I had a 4 GB memory stick lying around from previous builds that would be adequate for my usage.

I also had a spare 64 GB solid state drive (SSD) that I was able to reuse. An SSD type hard drive was a must-have for this build. They are a lot more reliable than alternative mechanical hard drives, and also take up a lot less physical space.

Here’s the hard drive and memory stick I used:

Finally, for cooling fans, I used spare ones lying around my office:

How to Build a Computer Case from Wood

Once the computer was built, I was ready to move on to building the computer case out of wood. It was a pretty simple process.

Assembling the Case

Constructing the case was pretty easy. Using the measurements from my design, I cut various shapes and lengths of wood. Then I used a combination of wood glue, screws and finishing nails to secure everything together.

Power Supply Holder

Here’s the power supply section coming together:

Motherboard Risers

Here I have motherboard risers in place (six wooden pegs that the motherboard will rest on):

Here’s a close-up of one of the risers, showing a screw that will secure the motherboard to the case:

Cooling Fan Brackets

Next I made plywood cutouts for the cool fan mounting brackets:

Almost Done with the Case

The case design was mostly completed at this point:

Installing a Plexiglass Window

To complete the design, I needed a piece of plywood for the cover. To give the case some more character though, I decided to put a plexiglass window in the cover.

Here I am using a Forstner drill bit to make rounded corners for the window:

Next I used a jigsaw to cut out the rest of the window:

To install the plexiglass, I cut it slightly larger than the hole. Then I attached it to the cover with some screws.

Here’s what the plexiglass looked like from underneath:

Here’s what the cover looks like from the outside (I had given the cover a coat of yellow paint by now):

Applying Paint and Polyurethane

With the whole case spray painted yellow, I decided to give it a few coats of polyurethane to make it shine.

Look how glossy a little polyurethane make things:

Installing the Electronics

With the case was completed, I could install all the electronics:

Shining Light on the Situation

For a final wow factor, I added some yellow LED lights to the interior.

Here is the case lit up at night:

Mounting in the Garage

To install in the garage, I built a simple wooden mount for the computer and attached it to the wall:

Controlling My Garage Computer

To control the computer from anywhere in the garage, I’m using a mini wireless keyboard with built in touchpad.

I also use a wireless trackball mouse too for when I need extra precision.

This was a really fun project to work on. It put a nice twist on the mundane task of building a computer.

Not only does the computer look really cool in the garage (especially in the dark with the LED lights turned on), but its been a huge time-saver for me.

I just have to look up at the screen when I need measurements for cuts or to plan out last minute design changes.

Time and Cost

In total, the project took a weekend to complete (mainly because of the paint/polyurethane drying times). Final cost was around $150 for the electronics.

No cost for the case as it was made from scrap wood lying around the garage.

Have you built a computer of your own? Share your design with me!

How to Make an Oversized Wooden Jigsaw Puzzle

January 21, 2018 by Ash 42 Comments

Looking for a fun DIY project to work on? If you have some wooden boards lying around and a saw, here’s a one hour project that’s sure to be a puzzling hit with the kids.

For our little one’s recent birthday, Eileen and I decided to throw a puzzle theme party. We had the idea to make a giant jigsaw puzzle as a fun yard activity for the kids.

My son is always watching (and pretend helping) me build projects around our home, so I thought that he would love that I was working on a special project for his birthday.

So, I made a 3-foot tall custom-made puppy puzzle.

It was a cute puppy with vibrant colors and caught all of the kids’ eyes. It was really easy to put together too. But most importantly, my son loved it.

When assembled, the puzzle was even firm enough to be a standing toy dog. So, it worked as a fun prop for photos too, especially since it was almost as tall as the kids at the party.

How to Make an Oversized Wood Jigsaw Puzzle

When figuring out how to make an oversized wood jigsaw puzzle, I started with some 10” wooden squares, each ¾” thick.

Making the squares was easy as I just bought a piece of 1 x 10 x 6 board from Home Depot and cut it into five 10” pieces (well, technically 9.25” pieces as that was the true width of the board).

Then I laid out the boards and sketched a simple outline of a dog.

I used silhouettes from dog images online as inspiration for my own design. After I was happy with the sketch, I moved to the garage to complete the puzzle.

To cut out the design, I tried both a jigsaw and a scroll saw. The scroll saw worked out to be the easiest method.

Funny thing about this scroll saw is that I picked it up from the local Habitat for Humanity store for $5. It looks like it’s from the ‘70s too, but it worked like a charm.

If you don’t have a jigsaw or scroll saw, a regular hand (or hack) saw can work just as well, just a bit slower.

After the pieces were all cut, I placed them in a clamp and sanded the edges smooth.Next I had to attach all the interlocking pieces. One disadvantage of cutting my design out of squares was that the interlocking puzzle connectors would need manual attachment.

I cut the interlocking pieces out of the adjacent pieces. Then I opted to use pocket hole screws for attaching them. My Kreg pocket hole jig made this a super easy task. This was the fastest method for me, and also made for a very sturdy connection.

Here I am drilling some of the pocket holes:

I also labeled each connection so I would not attach the wrong piece on accident, and put some alignment marks to make sure they were in the correct position (or else the puzzle would look misaligned).Soon all the connectors were attached and the puzzle construction was complete.

The last step was painting. I used kid-friendly acrylic paints that Eileen had on hand. As far as colors, I used various bright colors.

The puppy puzzle was all done. I tested it with our little one and he loved it. He quickly put it together and started petting it.

This project fast, easy and cheap. It took only an hour to make, was a simple design and cost $11 for the board. It can easily be extended to other designs too.

How fun would it be to have a zoo of puzzle animals!

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Ash

How to Build an Entryway Bench with Hooks and Storage

Tools and Materials

Entryway Cubby Bench Design Ideas

Building the Lower Cubbies for the Entryway Bench

Joining the Cubby Shelf Pieces

Sneak Preview of the Entryway Cubby Shelves

Painting the Lower Cubbies

Building Drawers for the Entryway Cubby Bench

Building the Bench Top to the Cubbies

Attaching the Bench to the Cubbies

Installing Trim Around the Benchtop

Neat Trick: Making Colored Wood Putty

Staining the Benchtop with Tung Oil

Building the Upper Cubbies for the Entryway Bench

Cutting the Pieces for the Cubbies

Joining the Pieces for the Upper Cubbies

Reinforcing the Cubbies

Painting the Cubbies with Milk Paint

Installing the Locker-Style Cubbies in the Entryway

Attaching Trim to the Cubbies

Just a few remaining tasks for the entryway bench and cubbies

Making Custom Drawer Fronts

Installing Shiplap Between the Cubbies

Adding Hooks

Entryway Storage is finished!

Time and Cost of the Hallway Bench with Hooks and Storage

How to Build Easy DIY Wall Shelves

A Shelf Design that Worked

Assembling the Shelves

Mounting the Shelves to the Wall

Shelf Organization Tips

A Finished Craft Corner

How to Build Homemade Cubby Shelves

Cutting the Dados for the Cubby Shelves

Adjusting the Cubby Design

Assembling the Cubby Storage Shelves

Using Ratchet Straps

Installing the Cubbies

Cubby Organization Tips

Craft Corner Organization Pictures

How to Make Reindeer and Santa’s Sleigh Yard Decor

Sketching the Reindeer and Sleigh

Cutting Out the DIY Reindeer and Sleigh

Drilling Holes for the Holiday Lights

Attaching Lights to the Outdoor Holiday Decor

Adding Hanging Hooks

Want to see more? Check out all the outdoor decor in the Deck the Home Blog Hop

DIY Screen Door Design

DIY Screen Door Materials

How to Use Scrap Wood to Make a DIY Screen Door

How to Make Pocket Holes for the Scrap Wood Screen Door

Using Triangle Inserts for the Design

Installing Door Hinges on the DIY Screen Door

Attaching the Screen to the Door

Attaching the DIY Screen Door Accessories

Trimming the Screws

Attaching the Screen Door

Battery Charging Station

Hidden Workbench Storage

Rolling Tables with Storage

Folding Workbench

Wall-Mounted Computer

Shelves Galore

Extra Plywood Hack

Scrap Wood Bin

Mini Shelves

Sliding Shelf Tower

Sub-Shelves

French Cleat Shelves

Repurposed Shelves

Various Storage Bins

Folding Stands for Bulky Tools

Easy Access to Power Tools

Overhead Storage

Magnetic Tool Holders

Blowing Off Some Steam

How to Shorten a Tall Dresser