Home Improvement

How to Build Pull-Out Drawers & Custom Handles

June 1, 2017 by Ash 30 Comments

With my garage getting a little disorganized again, I’ve been working on building rolling worktables. As I was working on the custom-built drawers, and thought I would share my process. At some point as a DIYer, you might come across the need to make some drawers yourself – and it’s really rather simple.

If you are wondering how to make DIY drawers, there are many ways you can do it. In the end, it’s just a rectangular box with a floor and a handle. Among the many techniques out there to accomplish this, the three top methods that come to mind are dovetail joints, pocket holes and construction adhesive with nails.

How to Make DIY Drawers – Adhesive and Nail Method

The glue and nail technique has come to be my favorite. It’s super simple and very strong.

Basically, I cut the four box sides (usually ¾” boards), apply construction adhesive to the ends, and secure in place with finishing nails.

Then I use more glue and nails for a ¼” plywood bottom. I have actually built a number of generic boxes in the past with this method, but hung them on the wall with French cleats (see my project about finding hidden storage in your garage).

Turning one of these basic boxes into a drawer just requires a handle, and possibly some sliding hardware, depending on how you are going to use the drawer.

Some drawer designs also benefit from a decorative faceplate. The faceplate will additionally hide any visible joints made from the box design.

How to Make DIY Drawers – Video Walkthrough

I outline all of the steps that I took in this tutorial on how to make DIY drawers, but if you would like to see a video walkthrough, here is one which shows the whole DIY drawer-making process.

Speed Things Up with a Nail Gun

I happen to own a 16 gauge finishing nail gun, so drawer construction with glue and nails is extremely fast for me.

However, I started off with just nails and a hammer and got the job done just as well (albeit a little more time taken).

If you have the budget for a finishing nail gun though, you should seriously consider getting one for your DIY projects. Target the 16 gauge ones though. I think they are the most versatile.

Higher gauge ones are really only practical for applying trim. Lower gauge ones similarly also limit the scope of projects you can work on.

I find that 16 gauge strikes a fine balance between the two ends of the gauge spectrum. I use it to install most types of trim, while being able to quickly prototype ideas and fabricate projects.

So unless you’re a professional contractor who needs all the different gauge guns, as a DIYer you can compromise with a single 16 gauge gun.

Here’s a picture of my nail gun (with the 1.5″ finishing nails used for the drawers):

Materials for DIY Drawers

The current garage storage project requires me to make a lot of drawers. The key to getting it all done is efficiency. On my workspace, I just have the minimum amount of tools necessary to get the job completed. With my setup, I can bang out a drawer in under 10 minutes.

Here’s the list if item needed:

4 pieces of ¾” boards (for the drawer sides)
1 piece of ¼” plywood (for the drawer bottom)
1 drawer handle with screws
C clamp for installing handle
Long bar clamp for holding boards in place
Caulk gun loaded with construction adhesive
Square edge (for 90 degree joints)
Finishing nail gun (or a hammer and finishing nails)

Here’s a picture of my workspace, ready to build a drawer:

Assembling and Squaring the Sides

To explain how to make DIY drawers, I first placed the drawer boards roughly in position for speedy assembly. The next step is to apply construction adhesive to the board edges, as seen below:

The wood is then pressed together to form the box design. I use the square edge on the inside of the corners to make sure the angles are 90 degrees. Then I use the bar clamp to hold everything firmly in place.

It’s useful to keep some paper towels handy as the wood glue with squeeze out the sides of the joints and get messy. I also like wearing plastic disposable gloves so my hands don’t get covered in glue.

Here is the box clamped together and squared, ready for nailing:

Nailing the Boards Together

Here I am using the finishing nail gun to secure the pieces together:

My drawer height is about 3” for this particular project, so 3 nails at each joint would suffice. Deeper drawers will require more nails spaced out evenly.

You don’t need to go crazy with the nails though. Contrary to what you may think, a majority of this drawer strength comes from the construction adhesive and not the nails.

The nails do add some strength, but are mostly there to hold the drawer pieces tightly in place while the adhesive dries.

Here is the glued and nailed box design (with just the 16 gauge nails and construction adhesive, it’s already pretty sturdy):

Practice with your Nail Gun First

Here’s a word of caution if using the nail gun. If you’re relatively new to them, you may want to practice on some scrap wood first before shooting some nails into your drawers.

With ¾” drawer sides, you don’t have too much room for error and will need to fire the nails as straight as possible. This may just come with experience, so practice makes perfect.

Even I still fire some nails accidentally at a slight angle and the nail ends up protruding out the side. When this happens, it’s annoying because you will have to either break off the protruding end or pull it out completely. Then decide if you need to fire a replacement nail.

Note that if your wood is too hard, or if you’re firing into knots, your nails can still poke out the sides, regardless of how perfectly straight you fired it.

If this is the case, you can just use a hammer and nails (or reconsider the gauge of your nail gun).

Attaching the Drawer Floor

So the next step is to apply more glue in preparation for the drawer floor:

Be careful what side of the drawer you decide to install the floor on.

You want to use the side that’s perfectly flat so the floor is flush against the drawer. If your ¾” boards aren’t all exactly the same heights, then one side of the drawer will not be all flat.

Ensure you’re using the flattest side my flipping the drawer over and using the side that was resting against your flat workspace.

Once the glue is applied, press the plywood floor firmly against the box and use your fingers to align the edges. Then fire some nails to finish it off. I usually nail the corners first, and then put in some evenly spaced ones along the box perimeter.

If your nail gun has a depth setting, you will want to use a fairly low setting for the drawer floor. Since it’s only ¼” plywood, you risk firing the nail all the way through if using too deep of a nail depth.

Finally, try your best again to fire the nails as straight as possible (or else you’ll be pulling out those nails that poke out the sides).

Here I am nailing the floor on:

Save Money with Custom-Made Handles

Now for the handles. If you aren’t going to make that many drawers, you can just purchase them at the store. However, if you’re working on a large project requiring lots of drawers, you can pocket some nice savings by making your own handles.

There is a lot of handle design inspiration out there on the internet.

Personally, I prefer a super simple L shaped handle cut from 2x4s with my table saw. A single 8ft piece of 2×4 will yield around 30 six inch handles.

With the garage storage project I’m working on, I need 48 handles. My homemade handle costed around 15 cent to make. Considering handles in the store cost a couple dollars, that’s some significant savings!

Here’s a picture of one of my custom made handles:

How to Make DIY Drawer Handles

To make the handles, I rip a piece of 2×4 down the middle with the table saw, dividing it into roughly 2x2s. Then I set the cut length and depth to ¾” and again rip the 2x2s lengthwise. This cut a slot halfway into the wood.

Rotating the wood 90 degrees and ripping again made a perpendicular cut to the first slot.

The notched wood fell out leaving an L shaped piece. Then I just used a miter saw to quickly cut the 8ft piece into smaller 6 inch pieces.

The best part of using 2x4s for the handle is that the edges are already bevelled for you. No need for sanding or special routing to create smooth edges.

Attaching the DIY Drawer Handle

With the drawer box completed, you have some options as what to do next.

You could just leave the box as is and call it a day. After all, it’s a nice sturdy box with limitless potential. Depending on your project, you may want to install a faceplate on the front, and possibly some sliding hardware.

Then comes the final task of attaching a handle. For my current project, I didn’t need a fancy faceplate or even sliding hardware. So I jumped straight ahead to attaching the handle.

For handle installation, I measured and marked an offset so the handle would be perfectly centered. Then I used a C clamp to hold the handle firmly in place while I pre-drilled some holes and inserted two screws.

Here’s a picture showing handle installation:

I didn’t use wood glue for the handle. I definitely could have, but the screws already make a very sturdy connection.

Plus, I like to leave handles flexible in case I want to replace them in the future. Glue would make this difficult.

The Finished DIY Drawer with Homemade Handles

The drawer is now completed! Here is the final product:

Here’s a close-up showcasing the handle:

Finally, here’s a sneak peak of my awesome garage storage project (to be posted in the near future), showing the DIY drawers in action:

Time & Cost of Making DIY Drawers and Handles

With a nail gun, these drawers should take under 1o minutes to make. If you’re using nails and a hammer, then add on a few extra minutes.

These drawers are also very cheap to make. If you have some scrap wood, then they are free! If not, then I estimate around $2 per drawer (assuming you buy some wood in bulk to make a batch of drawers).

Also, if purchasing wood, I recommend maximizing the yield of drawer cuts as much as possible. This will give you be lowest prices per drawer. For example, I purchased some 4×8 sheets of 1/4″ plywood from Home Depot (to make the drawer bottoms).

To keep costs as low as possible, I calculated ahead of time how many drawer bottoms I could possibly fit on the 4×8 sheet. Then I factored in how I can get the 4×8 sheet cut at Home Depot to fit in my SUV (it was too large to transport whole sheet intact).

In the end, I was able to provide Home Depot with some simple cutting measurements and still maximize the yield of drawer bottoms from the 4×8 sheets.

If you have been thinking about how to make DIY drawers, just follow these easy tutorial and you’ll have your homemade drawers ready to go in no time.

I’m so pleased with the way the DIY drawers turned out. I also love how much money I saved on craftily creating my own handles. Check back soon for my garage storage project – which will show these DIY drawers in action.

5 Proven Tips for Woodworking Like a Pro

May 11, 2017 by Paul (Guest Post) 50 Comments

Whether you are an avid DIYer or have always wanted to get into woodworking, learning how to work with wood is not as challenging as you would think. With these five proven tips, shared by Paul from Woodwork Boss, you can start learning how to woodwork like as a professional, even as a beginner. You don’t need all the fancy tools, just a willingness to learn. And, these tried and true tricks will definitely put you on the fast track to some awesome wood creations.

Woodworking is a wonderful skill to acquire. Even an amateur woodworker can accomplish many practical things, such as making a bench for the garden, framing an odd-sized painting, or fixing a broken drawer.

For centuries, wooden items were created with only hand tools. Nowadays, power tools make the work go quicker with less elbow grease. A lot of projects these days are accomplished with a combination of hand tools and power tools.

Choosing the right project is very important to achieving early success. As with any learning experience, simple skills should be mastered before moving on to more complicated ones. Otherwise, both the final product and your satisfaction in the work will be less than what it could be.

Let’s look at five proven woodworking tips that will help you become an accomplished woodworker in the best possible way.

Work Safely

First, you only have so many eyes, ears and fingers. Taking good care of them should take priority over any woodworking endeavor.

Even if you’re only using hand tools, wood shavings and splinters can fly around and end up in an eye. Without your sight, it would be difficult to become a talented woodworker so the first thing to focus on is eye protection.

Regular eyeglasses are not good eye protection. Wood dust can easily fly inside the frames and lenses.

Instead, get eye protection goggles from a hardware store. The goggles should fit snuggly to the sides of your face. The elastic band that keeps them on your head should be adjustable.

As you work on your projects, keep the goggles free of scratches, smudges, sap, dust, and any other obstruction that will prevent you from seeing clearly.

Every power tool makes noise. There are several types of ear protection you can get. Some people prefer the earmuff style while others like earplugs. Either one will do – as long as you use them.

Loud noises, such as the ones produced by power tools, have been proven to cause hearing loss. Hearing aids are expensive so protect your hearing now while you still have it.

Also, bystanders need eye and ear protection, too. If someone is looking on while you work, have an extra pair of safety glasses and earplugs. And, insist that they where them.

Nearly every woodworking tool has the potential of damaging or cutting fingers. You only have 10 and they don’t grow back. So, protect your fingers with a good well-fitting pair of leather gloves.

If you have a helper that is handling the wood, he or she needs good gloves, too. Remember safety comes first, above all other woodworking tips.

Start with Simple Joints

Choosing the correct first project can make or break you as a woodworker. If you take on a project that is too ambitious, you can become bogged down in the details and the end result may not look as good as you hoped it would.

Being proud of the finished project is very important if you plan to be a good woodworker. Like any skill worth learning, it is best to start with basics and get proficient in them. Then, gradually add skills that are more difficult.

The basic butt joint is the simplest method of joinery. You can build a bench, shelf or box with just this joint.

Also, the mitered butt joint requires getting the perfect angle on the cut. When you’re ready to try it, a picture frame or shallow box are good projects.

Nobody gets these joints perfect the first time (or the first five times) so plan to practice this joint many times before you feel proficient at it.

When purchasing the wood for your project, buy a few extra boards for practicing. You can also use your practice pieces to test stains and paints before applying them to the real thing.

Next, learn the half lap joint. This joint is useful for box dividers. For example, create a shallow 4-inch deep box using the basic butt joint or the mitered butt joint in the corners.

Then, divide the box into four sections by adding two slats, using the half lap joint where they cross in the center.

With these three joints, you can create a lot of different woodworking projects!

Use a Few Basic Hand Tools

Old timers did all their woodworking with hand tools. They built entire houses and barns with them. They filled them with furniture and cabinets. Mentioning this is not recommending you plan to build a house with hand tools. However, it is good to know it can be done.

If you are not already proficient with power tools, you might want to make a project or two with hand tools. Take your time to get a feel for the wood and how it responds to saws, nails, screws, sanding, painting and staining.

Most beginner projects can be done with just these hand tools:

hand saw
hammer
screwdriver
ruler
simple miter box
miter square
pencil

Take a look at the cross-cut hand saw. It is designed to cut wood across that grain and leave a smooth finish. You can purchase a cross-cut hand saw at any large hardware store and it will work well for these projects.

The screw driver should match the screws you will use. If you are not sure which screws will work best, ask the hardware store clerk to help you choose the right ones.

Since most screws need Phillips-head screwdrivers, get a screwdriver that fits well into the heads of the screws you will be using. Phillips-head screwdrivers have the cross pattern, not the straight-line pattern.

Additionally, the best ruler for a beginner who is making some beginner woodworking projects is a metal 36″ yardstick.

A simple miter box is very handy for making mitered corners of boxes or picture frames. You can purchase an inexpensive plastic miter box wherever the cross-cut saw is sold.

Recognize that Fine Wood Gives a Professional Look

For first projects, you might decide to use inexpensive wood. However, be aware that specialty wood can make the project look really stunning.

Some fancy wood is veneer. That is, there is just a thin layer of specialty wood covering the front surface of the sheet.

Most lumberyards carry 1/8-inch birch panels in their plywood section. This is not expensive and can look beautiful if the correct finish is applied.

Below are two pieces of pine boards – the one on the left is the better quality (compared to the knottier one on the right):

Making a Simple Box – Woodworking Tips

Start by building the sides of a shallow box. You can use either the basic butt joint or mitered joint for this. The sides can be made out of a 3-1/5-inch or 4-inch wide pine board.
Cut a piece of birch panel for the bottom of the box. Use tack nails and glue to create the bottom of the box. Make sure the corners are at a perfect 90-degree angle so that the box is perfectly square.
Create a picture frame that fits on top of this box.
Cut and insert a piece of birch paneling into the picture frame. Glue it into the picture frame.
Sand any rough edges down with very fine sandpaper. Wipe every bit of dust and grease off the box and cover.
Coat every part of the box with sanding sealer. This ensures that the final finish looks even and not blotchy.
When the sanding sealer is dry, apply a nice light stain or clear polyurethane finish to your box. Test the finish on scraps of the different types of wood you used for the box to see if you like it.

Congratulate yourself on making a very nice, custom project. Use the box to hold your small hand tools, watches or give it as a gift.

Fine-tuning a Few Basic Skills

Once you have made a few projects with hand tools, you should have a good feel for how the wood responds to you and your tools.

Your confidence has improved. You are now ready to learn the skills needed to use some basic power tools for your woodworking projects.

Start with the power drill. First, you will also need a tiny drill bit that you can use to make pilot holes before screwing boards together. Pilot holes help prevent the wood from splitting and allows the screws to go into the wood straighter and with less effort.

Then, you can put the screws into the pilot holes with your handheld screwdriver or you can put a screwdriver bit into your electric drill and zip the screws into the wood in the blink of an eye.

Two power saws that are relatively safe for beginners are handheld jigsaws and scroll saws. These are much safer than circular saws, chop saws or table saws.

Start with a handheld jigsaw. Buy a small variety of blades designed for wood (not metal). Read the instructions that come with the saw and practice putting the different blades into the saw. Get a feel for how tight the set screw should be to hold the blade securely.

Woodworking is a great way to forget the troubled outside world, and enjoy the work of your own hands. Always use your safety equipment – sight protection, hearing protection and gloves. These God-given tools are irreplaceable.

Choose simple projects in the beginning. Feel free to make several of the same item, getting better each time. Practice the basic skills and add new ones when the first ones are mastered.

Woodworking is a time-honored tradition that brings challenges and victories. If you have decided to take up woodworking, you have chosen wisely.

Paul is an avid woodworker and the editor-in-chief of the website Woodworkboss.com. Via his site, he hopes to inspire fellow woodworking enthusiasts while sharing tips and ideas for woodworkers who are starting their crafting journey.

How to Make a Useful Scrap Wood Storage Bin

April 19, 2017 by Ash 23 Comments

During one of my recent garage cleaning sessions, I stared at a pile of scrap wood and wondered what I could do about it. The pile of wood scraps was a real eye sore. Yet, I frequently dug through the pile looking for wood scraps for various projects.

Eventually I came up with a solution for my pile of wood scraps. I would make a scrap wood storage bin in the corner of the garage.

Here is a picture of one of the scrap wood piles (yes, there were multiple piles) and it’s lack of a good storage spot:

Planning the Scrap Wood Storage Bin

I didn’t put too much extra thinking into the wood bin design since I had a general idea of what I wanted of storage pen to look like. And, I had enough extra scrap wood lying around to make it.

I always like to keep an inventory of 8ft 2x4s on hand, stashed away somewhere in the garage. They are very useful for all sorts of woodworking projects.

Even among random cutoffs, I almost always lean towards the 2×4 ones. The cutoffs are especially useful for building impromptu shelving mounts in the garage.

So for the scrap wood pen, I had an idea of erecting an L-shaped fence in the corner of the garage, and I would only use only 2x4s for the fence.

Constructing the Scrap Wood Storage Bin

Working within my available space of about 36” x 18”, I first attached some 2x4s to the wall studs for this scrap wood storage bin. These were going to serve as the wall mounts for the fence.

Then branching out from those mounts, I just kept cutting and attaching more 2x4s (via deck screws) until I had a basic fence frame, with upper and lower railings.

Next I connected the railings with vertical 2x4s, approximately every 3 inches. This created a sort of picket-fence look, which would be perfect for the scrap wood storage bin.

Here’s a picture close-up showing how the 2x4s were coming together for the wood scrap bin.

Adding Scrap Wood Storage Bin Sections

To get the most functional use out of the scrap wood storage pen, I decided to divide the wood bin into 3 sections. The different sections of the scrap wood bin could be used for organizing various lengths of wood into small, medium and large.

At first, I thought I could get away with just running 2 pieces of wire at the top to make simple dividers. However, it turned out to be very ugly. Also the wood scraps started to mix together below the wire, rendering the wire useless.

So I looked around the garage for more scrap wood storage ideas for dividers.

My eyes settled upon some scrap wood ¼” paneling sheets. They would be perfect for the storage bin. I quickly obtained some inside measurements of the wood bin and cut 2 rectangular panels using my table saw.

The panels fit perfectly into the scrap wood pen to create 3 sections. To secure one end of the panel to the wall, I attached some scrap wood to some wall studs. Then, I screwed the panels onto these mounts. I did the same to attach the other end to the fence.

Here’s a picture showing the 3 compartments in the wooden storage bin:

The divided sections via the scrap paneling really added a nice touch, and would prevent smaller wood pieces from getting mixed up with larger sizes in the wooden bin.

Last, I have a folding table (soon to be replaced with a custom built organizing work bench) next to the scrap wood pen where I tend to work on smaller projects.

The last thing I would want is pieces of wood leaning over too far and getting in my way. So to better accommodate the larger lengths of wood towards the rear, I extended the height of the wood scrap storage bin at the back.

After a few hours of work, here is where the day led me. Not bad for scrap wood storage, right?

Extra Scrap Wood Storage Shelving

All my scrap wood was now beautifully organized and in storage. I even got creative and added some shelving above. This would store the extra small scraps that would easily get lost in a wood pen:

The storage shelf was a last minute addition to the project. Looking at all the organized scrap wood had my mind racing with ideas, and so I freestyled a shelf.

I made the storage shelf mounts with two L-shaped shelving brackets, reinforced with 2×4 scraps. I then attached them to wall studs using some lag bolts. The storage shelf platform was just some particle board I had lying around.

To maximize the storage shelf potential, I even made a sub-shelf right below the main shelf. It would be great for containers of wood putty, stain, etc.

Garage Ceiling Storage

My scrap wood storage bin accommodated 90% of the scrap wood in my garage. The remaining 10% of wood was placed on two storage U bars attached to the ceiling, as shown in the picture below:

As you can see, the U bolts hold my valuable 8ft 2x4s, and other large wood pieces that either don’t fit in the scrap wood storage bin or would be too awkward to store.

I’ve even got two doors up there – maybe I’ll turn them into a workbench!

Time & Cost

This scrap wood storage bin project was very cheap to build – it cost me nothing. I used all scrap or surplus wood left over from previous projects. Even if I didn’t have any wood scraps, I estimate about $20 worth of 2x4s was used to make the scrap wood storage bin.

You can make your own scrap wood storage box too using scraps in your garage. It doesn’t have to be a picket-fence style like mine either.

Depending on what you have lying around, maybe just erect a simple fence frame, and wrap it in paneling, or even chain link fence. The possibilities are endless for storage bins, especially when you have scrap wood and other scrap materials.

How to Install an Exhaust Fan in Your Workspace

January 11, 2017 by Ash 24 Comments

I’ve had garage ventilation on my mind for some time now. Between Eileen and I always doing projects in the garage, we produce a lot of fumes from painting and staining.

Cutting wood in there also throws a lot of sawdust into the air. Even when I work on the mower and other small engines in there, the smell of gasoline lingers.

On nice days when it’s not raining, we leave the garage door open and sometimes even put a fan to help exhaust the air.

However, this was not the ideal solution.

Many painting and staining projects would sit in the garage overnight filling the air with fumes, just to be aired out when the sun came up and when we can open the garage doors.

Aside from the noxious odors sitting in the garage the next morning, it would also delay the completion of these projects.

A better solution had to be devised for garage ventilation.

To add to the pressure, I recently acquired a snow blower for the upcoming winter snow storms, and that was bound to leave the garage filled with gasoline odors after usage. Even more reason to look into garage ventilation systems.

So I put my thinking cap on and wandered around the garage looking for ventilation ideas.

I knew I wanted to set up some type of fan that would exhaust the air, so I was looking for areas in the garage that would be an ideal location.

In my previous home, I used to run a lot of computer equipment in the garage that would produce a lot of heat. I had researched garage venting options back then and settled on a small fan and vent that could be installed directly in the garage door (via a small hole that you cut).

This solved my problem of exhausting the heat, but had an unfortunate side effect. During the winter, the garage door vent would let all the cold air in and drop the garage temperature below the freezing point, wreaking havoc on my paints and other liquids that were not meant to be frozen.

The garage door vents and exhaust option left a bad taste in my mouth ever since, and I was determined not to pursue that direction again. Also, to properly exhaust the size of my current garage, I would need a much larger fan and hole to make the job worthwhile.

Making a Plan for Ventilating the Garage

I finally settled on a way of venting the garage. I would find an ideal venting location in the garage, and cut a large square hole in the wall (roughly 14”x14” in between the wall studs).

Then I would install self-closing shutter vents on both the interior and exterior of the wall. Finally, on the inside, I would install a powerful exhaust fan to ventilate the garage. The double shutter vents were going to be key in helping to keep the cold air outside during the winter.

I did a lot of research on exhaust fans and decided on one with built-in shutters. I purchased a 14” diameter fan capable of 800 CFM.

No wiring was needed with this particular model because it just plugs into an outlet. I already had a wireless switch ready for it too, so I could activate it from the other side of the garage. For the exterior wall, I went a 14” aluminum shutter vent.

With the hardware identified, I looked for an ideal location for the vent. The best location would have been above one of the garage doors, but for aesthetics, I didn’t want the vent to be visible from the street.

So I went with a wall that faced the rear of the house. It would be practically invisible but still serve its purpose.

Here’s the location I chose inside for the garage exhaust fan:

Here’s where the vent would exhaust outside:

Preparing to Install the Garage Exhaust Vent

Above, you’ll see the first layer I went through was the drywall. Then I had 2 layers of insulating foam.

Next was the white vinyl siding. I left this intact for now while I awaited shipment of the exterior vent.

The cutout got a little rough at some of the edges, but it was not a big deal. The fan would cover all the edges, and hide any irregularities in my cut.

Next, I had to seal the top and bottom edges of the hole.

This was a necessary step to prevent the fan from venting air into the wall. I simply cut two pieces of 2x4s, inserted them in the top and bottom, and attached to the wall studs using some pocket hole screws (with the help of my Kreg Pocket Hole jig).

I put temporary hooks into the 2x4s to make it easier to maneuver them.

Here’s one of the 2x4s ready to be inserted:

Here’s a picture of the bottom of the hole, sealed in with the 2×4:

Next I inserted the exhaust fan to make sure it fit properly:

A few days later, the exterior shutter vent arrived and I resumed work on the project.

Constructing a J Channel Frame

Cutting a hole through the wall meant that I had to be careful to make the exterior side water proof. I couldn’t just cut a hole in the siding, insert the vent, and call it a day.

To keep water from penetrating the siding, I needed to use J channel. This would allow me to create a frame around the vent that would overlap the siding and shield the rough cut edges from water.

Here is a picture showing 4 pieces of J channel cut to make the vent frame:

This was actually my first time working with J channel, so I had to do some research online to see how to make the cuts on the ends (important to prevent water from seeping in).

I followed some great instructions on FamilyHandyMan.com (under the section “Install J-channel around the window”).

Here’s a picture showing the assembled J channel pieces wrapping around the vent:

Preparing the Siding for the Exhaust Fan

Now came the fun task of working with the siding.

To properly install the exterior vent, I needed access to the wall underneath the siding, which meant removing several pieces of siding. This was a learning process as I went along (I did all my research, so I was confident in the task at hand).

With the help of a siding removal tool, I was able to easily detach some siding, and pull it away from the wall.

With enough of the siding out of the way, I was able to continue work on the hole.

To help with the waterproofing, I used some flashing tape (left over from my shed project) to seal in the edges of the hole.

Here’s a picture showing the flashing tape in action:

In the event that water did make its way through the siding, the flashing tape would ensure that the water couldn’t seep behind the exposed edges of the foam insulation.

Installing the Vent

Next, I inserted the shutter vent and nailed it in the wall studs. Here’s a picture showing some progress:

With the vent in place, I attached the J channel frame, overlapping the rough cut edges of the vinyl siding.

Here’s a close-up showing the finished outside wall with J channel:

Looks very professional, doesn’t it? It should be very water tight too.

Here’s a picture showing the vent from the inside:

Installing the Exhaust Fan

I was nearing the end of the project of putting vents in the garage. I inserted the exhaust fan in the hole and was getting ready to screw it into the studs.

Then, I decided to check the vents on the fan to make sure they opened and closed properly.

They opened fine. Unfortunately, they had trouble closing.

They would stick on the way down and not close all the way. This was bothersome because a partially open vent meant cold drafts coming in.

After some fiddling, I discovered that the hole I cut was too snug of a fit for the fan frame.

It was distorting the frame ever so slightly to cause the shutters to not close properly. If I pulled the fan about 2 inches out from the wall, the shutters worked fine.

So the solution was simple.

Making a Framed Wooden Spacer for the Garage Wall Exhaust Fan

I would built a 2×4 wooden frame between the wall and the fan, to give the exhaust fan enough distance from the hole for the shutters to operate properly.

I literally spent only 10 minutes on this task – I chopped some 2x4s to length with the miter saw.

Then I attached them to each other with pocket hole screws to form a frame.

Finally, I used some lag bolts (countersunk with a forstner bit) to attach the frame to the wall studs.

Here’s a picture of the garage wall exhaust fan frame (the pocket holes are hidden on the other side):

At last, the exhaust fan could be bolted to the wall.

I pressed the fan against the 2×4 frame and made sure the shutters opened and closed freely. Then I attached the fan to the 2x4s with some heavy duty screws.

My garage vent was now completed. I stood back, admired my handiwork and then fired up the exhaust fan with my wireless switch.

As the fan speed increased to full, both the inside and outside shutters opened to exhaust the garage. The fan was not that loud either (it was barely audible outside the garage).

Here’s a picture of the mounted garage wall exhaust fan (powered on) from the inside:

Here’s a picture of the outside of the garage wall exhaust fan, showing the vents open with the fan on:

I’m very excited about our new garage exhaust fan. I already used it this past weekend with great success.

We had a mild snow shower (about 4 inches), and so I broke out the snowblower to try it out.

As predicted, when I finished clearing out the snow from the driveway, and put away the snowblower in the garage, the still warm engine started to stink up the garage.

I engaged the new exhaust fan for a few hours, and the garage was back to normal.

I can’t wait to see what the fan does when the garage is full of sawdust in the air.

Total cost of putting the exhaust fan in the garage was around $150 and was collectively about a day’s worth of work.

If you are in need of exhaust fans in the garage, this tutorial will have your new garage wall exhaust fan up and running in no time!

Learn how to properly ventilate your garage by installing a simple exhaust fan.

Most Popular DIY Projects of 2016

December 31, 2016 by Eileen 54 Comments

The end of year is always so bittersweet – reflecting on all of the amazing memories, but grateful to move on from some others.

One of the best things this year was our blog. We have always loved sharing our home projects with others, but documenting them as been amazing!

We even started including some of our more crafty endeavors.

Creativity definitely inspires more creativity.

My love for organization inspired a few of Ash’s garage projects this year. While, Ash’s constant repurposing “junk” has rubbed off on me.

I love that we continue to inspire each other.

Here are our best DIY projects from 2016. In true New Years Eve style, here’s the countdown:

#10 – CD Tower to Pantry Shelf

This CD tower was ready to be kicked to the curb, until Ash had the brilliant idea of using it for built-in pantry storage.

He cut a hole into a pantry wall, used a cool little gadget to search inside, knocked more of the wall, and inserted the tower.

#9 – Ice Cream Sundae Gift Box

Wrapped in a pretty little box and adorned with ribbon, this Sundae Gift Box was a hit!

Much cheaper (and cuter) than ordering from the store, it has everything you need to make a sundae.

It’s a perfect gift for those who need a little happiness 🙂

#8 – Built-In Bookshelf with a Window Seat

Hands down, this is my absolute favorite of our DIY projects. In just a few weeks, Ash turned a boring old wall into a complete dream.

Not only does this built-in beautifully store all of the books I have collected, but it’s bright, airy, and gorgeous.

Not to mention the window seat, which is aesthetically pleasing and the cabinets below are awesome storage.

#7 – Chalk Paint Makeover

The before and after on this one is shocking! My dad’s jaw dropped, and he is usually only impressed with Ash’s projects.

This was my first experience with chalk paint, and I am sold. 2017 will definitely be bringing more chalk paint makeovers. This was one of our DIY projects with the biggest transformation.

#6 Picnic Table

Ash blew me away with this one too – as he built this in ONE day!

The table top and bench seats are made of composite decking – a durable, safe material that’s easy to clean, and is easy on the eyes.

We’ve had it in the yard for about five months now, and it looks just as great as it did on the first day. If you are looking for DIY projects that are cost-effective and simply, build a DIY picnic table.

#5 – Kitchen Cabinet Makeover

Our kitchen got a major makeover this year, as we gel stained the cabinets, painted the walls, and installed tile backsplash.

Yet as far as cost goes, you can’t beat it.

I was hesitant to take on such a big project, but I started small (with the bathroom vanity) – and went on to completely change our kitchen’s look.

#4 – Building a Shed

When Ash told me that he was going to build a shed, I laughed – I thought he was joking! He only had a few DIY projects under his belt, and building a shed is like building a house!

However, his motivation, attention to detail, dedication, and love of learning resulted in this beautifully built shed.

I am still in awe.

#3 – Wedding Wine Basket for First Year Milestones

This sweet wedding milestone wine basket has been on the trend this year!

It’s a creative, personal gift, and I’ve done all the work for you – as I’ve included all of the printables I used for free!

It’s so much fun to make that I’ve been waiting for more friends and family to marry, so I can make more 🙂

#2 – Green Rain Barrel

After watching me lug gallons of water down the backyard to water my plants, Ash created an eco-friendly rain barrel.

Using a trash can, he made a system that collects rain water to reuse. Thus, eliminating my trips back and forth and saving good water!

# 1 – Folding Workbench

Tired of working on the floor, Ash finally had a chance to build a workbench of his own – which was a dream of his.

Always thinking of how to save space, he came up with a floating design that doesn’t compromise any structural integrity.

Through being featured on sites such as Life Hacker and Make, it brought tons of visitors this year, thus earning our number one spot.

Well, that’s all, my friends.

Wishing you a very happy new year!

How to Fix Up Your Old Snowblower

December 17, 2016 by Ash 2 Comments

Having spent most of my life in warmer climates, I was 15 years old when I first saw snow.

I was captivated by it. I loved being out in the snow, playing snow sports, and even shoveling. To this day, I still love snow.

I’ve always wanted a snowblower, but we’ve never had a strong need.

After moving into our new house with a massive driveway, the snow last winter was too much. After a major storm, my neighbor lent me his snowblower, and I was enthralled.

It was so much fun to use, and even though I enjoy a good shoveling workout, it freed up a lot of time to play with my son in the snow.

So I was determined to get my own snowblower for next winter.

Purchasing an Old Snowblower

I started my snowblower search early fall. My goal was to find a good machine without spending a lot – even if it meant fixing an old snowblower.

I already had a lot of experience maintaining my mower – a 20-year old Craftsman riding lawn mower.

From simple engine oil changes to fuel pump replacements to carburetor rebuilds, I have the old riding lawn mower running like new.

So, I decided to look for a used snowblower.

Due to my experience with the Craftsman brand, I know that their replacement parts are plentiful and cheap online.

They also provide manuals and parts diagrams for almost every model equipment they make (just enter the model number on SearsPartsDirect.com).

I found an amazing deal – $125 for a Craftsman 5HP two stage snowblower with an electric start. Comparable ones were selling used for around $275.

For such a low price, I knew the old craftsman snowblower wasn’t going to be in perfect condition, so I kept my expectations low.

Inspecting the Used Snowblower

Upon my inspection, the snowblower was missing the pull cord for manual startup, and the carburetor would leak fuel every now and then.

It was also missing the control knob for the choke.

The guy selling it said the old craftsman snowblower would start making surging sounds after some time, until you fiddled with the carburetor fuel release screws.

He started it up though and it ran great.

I checked out all the forward/reverse gears. I inspected the impeller to make sure it was in good shape. The auger had no structural damage.

I was excited. For around $40 more in parts, I could get this old snowblower in top shape.

I happily accepted the offer of $125 and loaded the used craftsman into my SUV, with plans on fixing up the old snowblower.

I had brought along a pair of ramps I made a few weeks ago with two 2×8 wood planks and ramp supports.

This helped me load the used snowblower in the back of the car.

I did have to take out a few screws to fold the push handle in half to fit properly though.

I also wrapped the carburetor in a plastic bag to catch any fuel that was leaking (didn’t need the car smelling like gas for days).

Here’s a picture of my used snowblower before fixing it up:

Ordering Snowblower Replacement Parts

When I got home, I grabbed the snowblower model number off the back and went online to order some parts:

Based on my assessment of the machine, I put through an order for the following parts:

Carburetor
Pull starter rope and handle
Knob for choke
Spark plug

The price for the snowblower parts came up around $40 as I predicted. I considered rebuilding the carburetor (the leaking was probably from a deteriorated rubber seal), but new carburetors for this model were so cheap (around $15).

I actually just replaced my neighbor’s snowblower carburetor with the exact same one a few weeks ago too.

Fixing an Old Snow Blower

All my parts for the craftsman snowblower came about a week later and I went to work restoring the machine to tip-top shape. Below is a walk-through of what I did. Hopefully these craftsman snowblower maintenance tips can help you too.

Disconnecting the Craftsman Carburetor

I located the craftsman snowblower carburetor housing:

Then, I removed the housing to expose the snowblower carburetor:

I disconnected the yellow priming hose seen above (used to pump air from the priming bulb into the carburetor to force fuel out for a cold start), followed by the main fuel hose below:

It was important to clamp off the main fuel hose or fuel would immediately pour out once disconnected.

I used a vice grip, taking care not to squeeze so tightly that the hose would get damaged.

Fuel hoses are sometimes tough to disconnect, so I used special curved nose pliers to grip the hose and twist:

I had a plastic cup underneath the hose while disconnecting it, in case my vice grip clamp didn’t do a good job.

A word to the wise however – don’t use cheap plastic cups to hold gasoline. I didn’t think it was a big deal because I used a plastic cup the other day to catch some excess gas from my neighbor’s snowblower carburetor.

However, this time, a few minutes after collecting some gas, I noticed a small puddle on the garage floor.

Apparently the gasoline had eaten through my plastic cup!

I looked it up online, and discovered that some plastic cups are not friendly to gasoline. Most likely my plastic cup this time was made from a corn based product, which would be dissolved by the gasoline.

Next, I unhooked a metal link wire connecting the throttle control lever to the carburetor, and attempted to remove two bolts holding the carburetor to the engine block.

Removing the Snowblower Carburetor

The bolts were on extremely tight and I could not remove with a screw driver. The screw heads actually started stripping.

So, I brought out my impact drill and it did the job with ease:

Here’s a picture of the removed craftsman carburetor:

The removed piece actually consisted of more than just the core carburetor, so I had to strip it down to extract the carburetor (seen in the center of the picture below):

The piece on the right is called the intake pipe and connects the carburetor to the engine block.

Unfortunately, when I pulled it off the snowblower engine, a gasket in between the two ripped from old age.

My new carburetor didn’t come with this gasket (since it’s not technically part of the carburetor), so I had to order a replacement.

This meant I had to wait a few days to actually fire up the machine with the new carburetor. I could still proceed with the installation though, and just insert the gasket when it arrived.

Here’s a picture showing where the gasket would go on the snowblower:

To install the new carburetor, I just reversed the steps above with the new piece. I loosely connected it back to the engine block, awaiting the gasket for completion.

Spark Plug and Starter Cord

Next I replaced the snowblower spark plug:

After, I proceeded to fix the snowblower pull cord for starting it up. The original rope most likely broke from old age.

Here’s where the fix was to be done:

Here’s a picture showing the new pull starter rope and handle to be installed:

And, here’s the snowblower pull cord housing removed showing the old frayed rope:

I simply removed old pull cord and threaded in the new pull started cord, coiling it around the starter. Here’s a picture showing the repaired starter rope:

The snowblower pull cord remained secured to the starter and handle with knots on both ends.

To keep the knots from undoing, I used a lighter to melt the end of the polyester rope slightly (also a necessary step when cutting polyester rope to keep the ends from fraying):

When the intake pipe gasket arrived in the mail a few days later, I resumed work on the snow blower. I installed the gasket and secured the carburetor tightly to the engine block.

The craftsman snowblower was ready to be fired up. I rolled it outside and hooked up an extension cord for the electric start.The engine started up right away with the new carburetor and there were no more leaks. I also tested the snowblower’s pull starter with the new rope. The engine started up just as easily as the electric start.

Snowblower Engine Oil

Next I was going to change the snowblower engine oil. I let the engine run for a few minutes to warm up the engine oil (warm oil flows more freely when draining it).

Then I shut it off and proceeded with the oil change.

After remove the oil dip stick, I used a small funnel with a hose and an oil storage reservoir and drained the warm oil:

After all the snowblower’s engine oil was drained, I closed back the drain port and began filling 5W-30 motor oil into the dipstick hole:

While filling the engine oil, I took breaks regularly to check the level with the dipstick.

I learned the hard way that when you overfill the snowblower engine with oil that it’s going to come out of the engine one way or another, and not in a nice way.

Final Craftsman Snowblower Maintenance Tips

The craftsman snowblower revamp was nearly done. I replaced the missing choke knob. Also, the carburetor housing was vibrating excessively due so some missing screws, producing a lot of noise with the engine running. I dug through my garage screw collection until I found a fit.

Finally, as my final step in fixing up the old craftsman snow blower, I applied some non-stick ice and snow coating to the auger blades and impeller chute. This prepared the snow blower for the upcoming winter season.

This would greatly help prevent the snowblower chute from clogging up during use, and allow the augers to cut through the snow like butter.

Here’s the snowblower non stick spray:

In total, I spent around $165 on purchasing and fixing an old snow blower ($125 to purchase and $40 in parts) and put in less than 3 hours of work to get it in prime condition.

I’m eagerly looking forward to this upcoming winter and the next major snowstorm so I can use my new but used craftsman snowblower that’s running great.

Transforming a Kitchen Desk into Cabinet Space

November 30, 2016 by Ash 62 Comments

Over the course of living in our new home for a couple of years, we remedied our dated kitchen by refinishing our kitchen cabinets with gel stain, installing a natural stone backsplash, and purchasing stainless steel appliances (via some Black Friday discounts).

There still remained though, an odd looking corner next to the fridge. It was a desk area, with a floating cabinet drawer to allow space for a chair – and no cabinet storage underneath.

The previous owners of our house had used it as a kitchen desk with a chair.

Not only was it an inefficient use of space (the kitchen already had limited cabinet storage), but the protruding corner edge posed a risk to our young toddler, who was just about the same height.

Granted we could have put bumpers on it, but why not kill two birds with one stone and box in the empty space below the drawer, converting it into a normal cabinet for storage.

This would eliminate the dangerous corner edge and also turn the wasteful space into something usable.

It was settled – we would convert our awkward kitchen desk into cabinet space.

Here’s a picture taken from further away, showing the floating drawer to the right of the fridge. This picture was taken prior to the gel stain, backsplash, and new appliances.

Planning the New Cabinet

With our idea to convert the kitchen desk into cabinet space, I gathered the dimensions of the empty space and went to work in TinkerCad. Here is the design I came up with:

While playing around with the design, I originally omitted the toe kick (the recessed part at the front bottom). I didn’t think it was necessary and would have simplified the build a bit.

However, after Eileen and I discussed it more (and researched online about it), I decided to add it in. I never thought about it before, but that toe kick area is actually an ergonomic feature.

Without an area to insert your feet, getting up close to the cabinet (especially to reach the taller shelves) would put a lot of extra strain on your back to lean forward. The toe kick allows you to get up really close without leaning forward too much more.

Ordering & Preparing the Cabinet Doors

I planned on purchasing pre-made cabinet doors to match the rest of the kitchen. I lacked the tools necessary to create professionally routed cabinet doors from scratch, so ordering them online was the best option.

There were many styles available online, but they all seemed to fall into roughly the same categories across different vendors. The style that matched our other cabinet doors the most was a Cathedral style, with routed arch in the middle top of the door.

The doors were small (around 10” x 30”), so it was pretty cheap to order just two of them. I spent around $70 and they arrived in about 2 weeks (I got the best deal from Fast Cabinet Doors but there are lots of other sites to get custom doors from).

The doors came unfinished, so I had to stain and polyurethane them myself. I also got the same cabinet handles used in the rest of the kitchen for the new doors.

Here is a picture of the finished cabinet door with handle:

Constructing the Cabinet Box

The actual construction of the cabinet box was fairly straight forward. I just followed the design and measurements in the TinkerCAD drawing.

I used mostly ¾” sanded plywood for the surfaces. For the door openings, I used my compact circular saw with a clamped down piece of scrap wood for a guide. I used my jigsaw at the corners to make flush cuts.

The back left corner of the cabinet box has a piece of 4×4 serving as a leg to help support the bottom shelf.

I attached the plywood pieces to each other with small wood screws and construction adhesive. The outside facing screws were countersunk and were to be covered up with wood putty later and sanded to a smooth finish.

Finally, I used several small L brackets in strategic places to help provide additional structural support (like underneath the bottom shelf, and above the right door opening).

Once the cabinet box was complete, I placed it underneath the kitchen drawer for a fitting.

Staining the Cabinet Box to Match the Kitchen

After a successful trial fit, back into the garage it went for a final sanding before the stain went on. I used the General Finishes Gel Stain in Antique Walnut stain to match the rest of the kitchen cabinets.

We had recently just re-stained the whole kitchen, so had plenty left over to finish this new kitchen desk into cabinet project.

It took about 3 coats of the gel stain, and then 2 coats of polyurethane to get the box ready for the kitchen.

Eileen was worried about the color of this new cabinet matching the rest of the kitchen, as the gel stain was going directly on bare wood – versus the gel stain going on top of already stained wood.

The match was almost perfect.

If you look very closely, you will notice that the cabinet looks a little shinier than the rest of the kitchen; however, it’s an almost perfect match.

Attaching the New Kitchen Cabinet

Once ready, I put it back in place under the kitchen drawer and prepared the area for a permanent addition.

I first used my oscillating multi tool to remove a portion of the baseboard so the cabinet box could sit flush with the wall.

Then I attached two pieces of 2 x 4 to some wall studs directly beneath the kitchen drawer. I used these to secure the back right edge of the new cabinet box.

Using some L brackets, the front left edge of the cabinet box was screwed directly into an existing piece of wood (being used to help support the shelf).

The cabinet box was now firmly attached to the kitchen.

Final Touches

There were a few gaps and a slightly noticeable line where the new cabinet box met the existing kitchen drawer. So I sanded the wood down slightly at the gap (to remove the polyurethane) and filled with wood putty.

Once dried, I sanded down the putty to a smooth finish, stained it and re-applied the polyurethane. The line disappeared and the cabinet box transitioned into the drawer very nicely now

Here is a picture of the final product:

Additional Interior Shelving

After installation, I added a second shelf inside the cabinet to accommodate even more kitchen storage.

Here is what the inside of the kitchen cabinet looks like:

For under $100, this kitchen desk into cabinet project was well worth the effort. Although it take several days to complete due to the drying times for the stain and polyurethane, it was really only a few hours of work collectively.

The cabinet box blends in so well with the kitchen that we forgot it used to be a desk. The kitchen cabinet is huge and was such a great bonus in our small kitchen. We couldn’t be happier than we transformed that awkward kitchen desk into cabinet space.

4 Simple Steps for Magical Results with Chalk Paint

November 27, 2016 by Eileen 50 Comments

I finally decided to try my hand at using chalk paint. I love using a good wood stain, but I had been hearing so much about chalk paint lately that I decided to give it a try with a “practice piece.”

Using a decades old nightstand with many stains and uneven surfaces, the chalk paint exceeded my expectations, totally transforming the desolate nightstand into a modern piece, without any sanding or priming.

I was sold on chalk paint, and I’m sure you will be too after reading through this chalk paint tutorial.

Before I give you the step-by-step instructions on using chalk paint, here are a few pictures of the piece before the chalk paint. You can see the uneven surfaces and scratches, especially on the lower part of the shelf.

Using chalk paint on furniture - You won't believe the "After!"

And this is a close-up of the top of the nightstand before using chalk paint. It wasn’t in good shape at all – but the chalk paint covered it all perfectly without any sanding.

Choosing a Chalk Paint

The first step in the chalk paint process was deciding what brand chalk paint to use. I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. I went back and forth deciding whether to use Annie Sloan or another brand. Since I was split down the middle, I ultimately decided to use Annie Sloan because of the chemical warning I saw written on the wax container of the other brand of chalk paint – in comparison to the natural ingredients used in the Annie Sloan wax (like beeswax).

That, coupled with the fact that it was my first chalk paint project, sold me on the Annie Sloan brand.

For the top of the nightstand, I used primarily French Linen chalk paint from Annie Sloan (keep reading for how I made it look like distressed wood).

For the rest of the piece, I used Pure White chalk paint from Annie Sloan on the rest of the piece. Just as a side note about, the Pure White chalk paint – it is very white.

Chalk Paint Materials

You can go a little overboard on chalk paint materials, so I wanted to keep it as simple as possible.

French Linen (Annie Sloan) Chalk Paint – for the top of the nightstand
Pure White (Annie Sloan) Chalk Paint – for the majority of the piece, and a little for blending the top
Annie Sloan Clear Wax – to cover the whole piece as a protective coating
Annie Sloan Dark Wax – to help create the look of distressed wood on the top
Brushes – I liked using a round brush like this one and I used a 1-inch and 2-inch angular one too
White lint-free rags – to rub the wax on
Gloves, mask (if desired), newspaper/brown paper for floor, and baby wipes to wipe down piece prior to painting.

Now, it seems like a lot of materials for chalk painting, but there is a lot of leftover paint, and the paintbrushes can be reused on any painting project.

The other thing you might be worried about is using wax. I read about a lot of others having trouble with waxing after the chalk paint. However, do not worry – the wax was the simplest part of the chalk paint process!!

Wax is way better to use than polyurethane, and it went by way quicker than the painting.

How to Refinish Furniture with Chalk Paint

With these simple four steps, you will be able to beautifully chalk paint a piece of old furniture.

Here I am ready to give this old nightstand a fresh new look with the following chalk paint steps.

Step 1 – Clean Your Piece

When getting started with the chalk paint process, first clean your piece really good so the chalk paint will stick. I like using baby wipes to clean off furniture.
Then remove any hardware – like drawer knobs – unless you plan to paint these.

Step 2 – Work on the Top

First, tape the edges of the piece. Then you can you can uninhibitedly chalk paint the top.
Then, start brushing on the French Linen chalk paint. Chalk paint goes on just like any other paint, so I gave it a good, thick coat of paint going with the grain. You can go against or in any direction, if you want your whole piece to have an uneven, distressed look. As for brushes, I used the round brush – but any of the brushes would have been fine.
As you are chalk painting, watch for edges and any dripping. The paint is thick, so it doesn’t drip too much; however, because the chalk paint dries fast, you’ll want to catch any potential mistakes quickly.
Let the first coat of chalk paint dry. It took about 30-45 minutes for me. Chalk paint dries super fast!
If you want the top to have a uniform color, then apply another coat.

Technically, the top will now be done, and you can move on to Step 3. Yet, if you want to give it a distressed wood look, follow the below steps for distressed chalk paint:

Distressing the Wood (optional)

Paint a second coat of French Linen, adding a little water in. This coat is different because you are going to add a little water into the gray. Because chalk paint is thick and fast-drying, it’s hard to brush other colors into it. Adding a small amount of water will make the paint a little easier to work with – keeping the paint wet longer, which allows you to brush in the white chalk paint. As for an amount, you can just lightly dip your brush into a cup of water or you could use a plastic cup to put some chalk paint and water into. Again, just a little dip into the water will go a long way with the chalk paint.
After you give the top a second coat of watered down French Linen, while it’s still wet, it’s time to put some white streaks onto the gray chalk paint. Use the Pure White chalk paint and dab your brush in – just a small dab. You can run the brush along a piece of paper to get rid of any excess. The goal is to create streaky white brush strokes on your gray. The round brush is perfect for this. You can make subtle white streaks like I did – or you can make them more frequent and apparent. If you have too much white, then use the gray again – keep layering it until you are happy with how it looks. Remember it’s not supposed to look uniform. The strokes of white are creating character and dimension.

Let the chalk paint dry again – 30 min to 45 should be good.
Last, use the dark wax on your chalk paint. Similarly to how you just used the white, you are going to lightly (very lightly) dip your round brush into the dark wax. Only the very ends of your brush should have wax. Just as you brushed on the white paint, brush on the wax here and there, giving the piece more dimension. If you put on too much of the dark wax, then layer again with the gray chalk paint until you are happy with the results. I used a very small amount of the dark wax because I wanted more of an even look.

As far as creating this look, I found this part of the chalk paint process so much fun, and I am not even an artist.

Rather than just painting brush stroke after brush stroke to cover area, it was something different – and was quite fun and relaxing to create this dimensional look with chalk paint. It was definitely one of my favorite steps of the chalk paint process.

Also, as mentioned before, if you make mistakes or aren’t happy with the way it looks, it is easy to fix by touching up the chalk paint.

Step 3 – Paint, Paint, Paint

Now it is time to chalk paint the rest of your piece, leaving the top that you just painted as is. I used the Pure White chalk paint and used the angular brushes to put it on. Don’t forget to also do your drawers.
The first coat of chalk paint will look streaky (pictured below), but a good, thick coat helps.

After the first coat of chalk paint dries, give the piece a second coat of chalk paint. My piece was still pretty streaky after two coats of paint (pictured below).

I did one more coat of chalk paint, which made for a total of 3. For the chalk paint to go on smoother, you can water it down a little. I did this for my third coat because I felt I didn’t need a full thick coat again.

When working with chalk paint, or any kind of paint, I suggest working in the brightest light possible. If you can, bring more light into your work space so your space is as bright as possible. This will accentuate any dripping or streaking which will help if your piece will be in a room with lots of light.

Step 4 – Waxing In Circles

Waxing is actually a piece of cake. If you are good at cleaning, then you’ll be great at wiping on this wax.

Use two rags – you can split your old t-shirt into pieces, and put one rag in each hand. With one rag you are going to wipe the wax on, and with the other, you are going to polish.
Start with a small amount of wax (half of the size of a dime) – less is more. Start rubbing it on in circles, like the way you rub lotion into your skin. Work your way across the furniture rubbing in circles.
Immediately after, using the second rag, work your way across the piece also rubbing in circles. As you buff, you will start to notice the surface becoming very shiny. This is the look you want! You want to polish in circular motions until it is nice and shiny. Once it’s shiny, move to the next area.

Quick Tip: I would use different rags for the top than the rest of the piece in case there is any bleeding from the paint onto the rags.

Also, you could wax the gray chalk painted top after the top dries in Step 2, instead of waiting until the piece is done. I did this, so I got used to the whole chalk paint process from start to finish, before doing the whole piece.

Chalk Paint Finishing Touches

Last, I replaced the knob on the chalk painted nightstand. Home Depot, Lowes, and Hobby Lobby are all good choices for knobs. This knob I had on my telephone table, but I didn’t love it there – but it looks great on this chalk painted nightstand!

I finished this nightstand within 24 hours I believe – as I kept moving as soon as each coat dried.

It was definitely my best turnaround time on refinishing furniture. When you take away the sanding, priming, and all that dry time, it really speeds up a project.

I loved working with chalk paint, and the results are just amazing. It simply doesn’t look like the same piece. And, the chalk paint process is really easy.

Even my dad’s jaw dropped when I showed him the before and after! He usually only gets impressed with Ash’s projects 🙂

Also, I have a ton of leftover paint. I went through about 1/8 of the quart of white and barely touched the gray chalk paint.

Our old piano is going to be my next chalk paint project – I can’t wait to see how it will look.

Stayed tuned (ha ha pun intended!).

How to Build Floor-To-Ceiling Bookshelves (With a Window Seat)

November 22, 2016 by Ash 72 Comments

Ever since building my first bookshelf in our first home, I’ve had a hankering ever since to do another one but on a much more grand scale.

My wish came true when Eileen came to me one day with some ideas for her office in our new home. An exciting project was brewing!

Since we didn’t have any large bookshelves in our present home, most of the books we packed up during our move were still in boxes. I’m talking cartons and cartons of books.

They were taking up a lot of valuable space in various locations around the house. So bookshelves were sorely needed.

Initially we were leaning towards a large L-shaped bookshelf in the office. Then Eileen had a great idea of placing the bookshelf against the window wall and incorporating a window seat.

The office window wall was very bland and not very exciting to look at. It was almost begging for a renovation.

Although it would provide a little less shelf storage than our initial L-shaped shelf idea, it would still be more than enough for all our books.

Also, the window seat would provide a little extra underneath cabinet storage, which is a pretty cool feature.

Planning the Built-In Bookshelves with a Window Seat

The project was essentially going to be two separate built-in bookshelves (on each side of the window) with a seat connecting the two in the middle. The seat would be sitting atop some wide kitchen cabinets for extra storage.

Above the window was just enough space for a single small shelf to store decorative items or horizontal books. Finally, some baseboard would run along the bottom, and some crown molding at the top.

Some designs I saw online used a standard shelf depth (around 12”) with the seat extending out further.

Eileen didn’t want a protruding edge, and she has the eye for design. So to prevent this, the depth of the seat had to be the same as the bookshelves.

Due to a closet opening on a perpendicular wall, I was restricted to a maximum depth of 15”. I was a little worried that this would not be enough depth to sit comfortably on, but a few trial sittings on 15” planks of wood proved to be acceptable.

This also meant deeper than normal shelves, but I wasn’t too concerned. I’m sure any extra space behind some books could be put to good use.

As with most of my projects, I started off in TinkerCad to sketch out a 3D design of what was floating around in my head. I came up with the following:

Determining Materials

With the design for built-in bookshelves flushed out, I was ready to begin.

I strongly considered using melamine covered particle board for the shelves, but instead opted for some good quality birch plywood.

Although the birch was a little more expensive, I wasn’t comfortable embarking on a project this size using melamine – a material I have never really worked with before.

Also I wanted to use a stronger material than melamine covered particleboard.

Next, I used a drawing program on my computer (Photoshop) to calculate the minimum number of 4 x 8 sheets of plywood needed to cut out all the required bookshelf pieces.

I then placed a Home Depot delivery order for all the bookshelf lumber (including some 2 x 4s and 2 x 6s for various segments in the design, baseboard, and crown molding for the trim and some miscellaneous hardware).

Here is the diagram I made in Photoshop to calculate the number of 4 x 8 plywood sheets needed:

Constructing the Built-In Bookshelves

When the bookshelf wood arrived, I quickly cut the plywood sheets into 15” wide strips using my circular saw and stored them for use shortly.

With all the materials on hand, I started the project.

Removing Carpeting

The first step was to remove the carpeting where the bookshelf would rest.

For a flat platform to build on, it needed to sit directly on the floor plywood sheathing. I accomplished this with the help of my utility knife and a metal ruler to help guide the cuts.

Then I removed some existing baseboard trim so the bookshelf could sit flush against the wall. The use of my oscillating multi tool helped out here to remove just enough baseboard, leaving the rest intact, so that the bookshelf would seamlessly blend in.

Here’s a picture showing me making progress on prepping the floor. I had to be extra careful removing the carpet tacking strips at the edges, as they were riddled with rusty looking nails:

Building the Foundation

Once all the bare plywood flooring was exposed and baseboard removed, I started work on the foundation for the two end bookshelf segments.

They would rest directly on the bare floor. I assembled the frames from 2 x 6 wood.

Here’s a picture of the completed frames:

While constructing the frames in the garage, the corners needed to be very square.

I didn’t have a 90 degree clamp at the time to assist, so using a scrap piece of 2 x 4 and two handy bar clamps, I got creative.

As seen in the picture below, I was able to lock in place two perpendicular pieces of wood allowing me to fasten them accurately with screws:

Here’s a picture of one of the frames in position resting on the bare floor (notice how I carved some grooves underneath to allow a coaxial cable to run through):

Relocating the Air Vent

I left the middle foundation frame (that the seat would rest on) for last as it would be a little trickier than the others.

There was a central air vent on the floor where this middle frame was going to sit, and so I had to redirect the airflow. After brainstorming various ideas on accomplishing this task,

I settled on a very simple yet effective method. I was just going to build a wooden duct into the foundation frame, and seal the inside edges with caulk to make it air tight.

Here is a picture of the end result (a louvred vent would be inserted into the front hole, which I cut out with my trusty jigsaw):

Here’s a picture after I caulked the wooden duct:

Securing the Foundation Frames to the Wall

Once the foundation frames were complete, I secured them in place. I used some lag bolts to attach the rear of the frames to some wall studs.

Then I used some L brackets to secure the front to the plywood flooring.

Here is a picture showing some L brackets in action:

You might have noticed a number of pocket holes in my construction. They are very convenient for attaching wood perpendicular to another one, especially in tight or not easily accessible areas.

With the help of a jig (I use the Kreg Pocket Hole Jig), they are very easy to make.

Here is a picture of one of the pocket holes up close:

Above the middle foundation frame, I also started building up the seat supports and cabinet housing, as seen in the picture below:

Helpful Tip: Here’s a useful trick I used while making the foundation frames. I had made a few alignment errors on the first frame, and so had to unscrew a few pieces and adjust.

Some wooden toothpicks came in very handy to plug the existing screw holes so that I could re-screw very near to those holes.

I simply stuck the toothpicks in the holes and broke off the protruding pieces. Here’s a picture of me ‘toothpicking’ the holes (all we had were party toothpicks, hence the bright colors):

Constructing the Shelves

With the foundation frames in place, I decided to start work on the shelves.

Making Dado Grooves

I was going to use the same technique as my first bookshelf I built in our old home – dado grooves to support the shelves, cut with a standard plunge router.

To start, I placed 2 of the bookshelf vertical end supports side by side, clamped them together tightly, and marked with a pencil where all the dados were to be cut.

Then using some scrap wood, I built a simple jig for my router to speed up the cutting and make all the dados identical.

Here are some pictures showing the the jig and the router in action.

With the help of the jig, cutting the dados was pretty effortless. Eileen even lent me a hand and cut some of them for me, while I did some other tasks.

Here are what the dados look like after routing:

Attaching the Individual Shelves

After the dados were all cut, I started attaching the individual shelves. To do this, I first applied some construction adhesive to the side of a shelf. Then I inserted it into one of the dado grooves.

Then while using some right angled clamps to hold the shelf in place (I decided to buy some to assist with this project), I fastened 3 deck screws from the other side to complete the task.

Here is a picture showing a shelf being attached:

Only the inner shelves used dado grooves. The top and bottom shelves were attached with just adhesive and screws.

Here is what it looked like with all the inner shelves attached:

Next, I applied more adhesive to the attached shelves, and dropped on the remaining dadoed vertical support.

Each shelf had to be adjusted so they fit perfectly into the dado grooves. Screws were also inserted to secure the connections.

Finally, I ran a 2×4 wood by the top shelf to serve as a mounting point for securing the bookshelf to the wall.

Priming and Painting the Bookshelves

To complete this bookshelf, I put on 2 coats of primer, and then 2 coats of a special urethane acrylic cabinet paint. I was worried about regular paint sticking to the books after sitting for some time, so I opted for this hard protective cabinet paint.

Then, with the help of Eileen, we carried the bookshelf upstairs and set it in place. Getting the shelf upstairs was no easy task, by the way.

I knew ahead of time that it was going to be a tight fit, but not impossible.

Here’s a picture of the shelf leaning, while we figured out just how to get it through the doorway.

The other bookshelf on the opposite side is actually slightly longer than this first one (due to the window not being perfectly centered on the wall). So we knew ahead of time that the second bookshelf would definitely not fit in our stairway and would have to be constructed upstairs in the bedroom.

Attaching the Shelf to the Foundation Frame

Using some deck screws, I attached the bottom shelf directly to the foundation frame. The left side of the shelf (touching the wall) was secured directly to some wall studs.

Finally, I secured the 2×4 cross piece at the top to some wall studs using some lag bolts.

Aside from the 2×4, I had used a countersinking drill bit to make the screw holes in the shelf. This made a clean hole for the screw to be countersunk without damaging the expensive birch plywood. I planned on filling in these holes with wood putty later to hide the screw head completely.

Here’s a picture showing the shelf secured in place:

Building the Second Bookshelf

Now it was time to start work on the second bookshelf that would sit on the right hand side.

As mentioned earlier, it was a few inches longer than the first one and would have to be constructed in the bedroom, rather than in the garage.

I did as much as I could in the garage though. First, I cut all the wood to the required sizes, and routed the dados using my jig. I also painted the individual pieces in the garage as well.

Also, I had to be careful not to get too close to the edges of the shelves with the paint though.

The edges would slide in the dado grooves, and any paint (particularly the urethane acrylic paint) would increase the thickness of the shelves and make this step difficult.

Working between the garage and the upstairs bedroom meant frequent trips up and down the stairs. Many times I would have a handful of tools to juggle.

Then during one of my frequent google search sessions for tool organizing ideas, I came across bucket organizers for tools. I didn’t even know they existed.

What a great way to repurpose the standard bucket. So I purchased one and made my garage/bedroom commute a lot easier.

Here’s a picture of mine:

Next, I transported all the individual shelf pieces upstairs, and started assembly with the help of some saw horses. It was a little more difficult to work in the bedroom due to the limited space, but it was manageable.

After the pieces were put together to assemble the bookshelf, I set it in place using the same steps I went through for the first bookshelf (securing to the wall and to the foundation frame).

Here is a picture of the right bookshelf partially assembled in the bedroom:

Here is a close-up showing the other vertical shelf support prepped with construction adhesive in the dados, ready to be attached to the rest of the shelf:

Both the left and right bookshelves were up at the point, and they were looking great.

Making the Window Seat

So next I started working on the middle portion – the seat and cabinets.

The cabinets were pre-fabricated ones I purchased online from Lowes. I got two of them to mount side-by-side. I just had to assemble them when they arrived.

Here is a picture of one of the cabinets after I assembled it:

To get the cabinets ready for installation, I built a framed housing for each. The I slid the cabinets into the housing, and screwed them in.

The top of the housing would also serve as the supports for the seat.

Here is a picture showing the cabinet housing completed:

Here is a picture showing the installed cabinets, as well as the seat attached with some countersunk screws:

Building the Top Shelf

With the seat and cabinets in place, it was time to install the final shelf above the window and get ready for the trim work.

To start, I ran three 2 x 4’s across the top of the bookshelves (in between the top front of the bookshelves and the ceiling).

Their primary purpose was to provide a nailing surface for the crown molding.

In addition, the middle 2 x 4 (that bridged the two bookshelves at the top) was going to help support the middle shelf that ran above the window.

I didn’t use dado grooves for this window shelf. I just used construction adhesive and screws to attach two plywood shelf pieces in between the two end bookshelves.

The top shelf piece also attached to the bridging 2 x 4 above. This window shelf was really long though (the same length as the seat), so to prevent it from drooping in the middle, I added a divider in the center to hold up the bottom shelf to the firmer top shelf.

Installing Crown Molding and Baseboard

Now it was time to install the crown molding and baseboard.

This was a relatively straight forward step. I had installed crown molding in the kitchen of our previous home, so was familiar with the procedure.

This time around though, I had a table saw, so the install went even easier.

For an easy crown molding install, having an angled surface to nail the trim into place is key.

So I measured the angle of the crown molding (the angle it would make with the wall), and ripped some 2 x 4s with my table saw to match this angle.

I attached them directly to the 2 x 4s already mounted on top of the bookshelves. Then, I used my finishing nail gun to attach the crown molding.

Here is a close-up of the crown molding:

The baseboard installed even easier. I just cut the pieces to length and secured them in with the nailgun.

The vent opening on the floor just needed a small top and bottom piece of the baseboard to blend in.

Here is what the baseboard looked like:

Attaching Trim

With the crown molding and baseboard installed, it was time to attach trim to cover the exposed edges of the plywood.

I couldn’t leave the bookshelves as they were because the plywood edges were very rough to the touch (easily leaving splinters) and were not very nice looking.

To save on costs, I decided to cut my own ¼” thick trim from 2 x 4s using my table saw.

I collected all the measurements I needed to cover all the exposed areas and got to work in the garage cutting the trim.

It worked out fairly well – although there were a number of knots in the wood causing several of the trim to break because they were so thin.

Also, other imperfections in the wood caused a few gouges in the cut trim.

So it definitely wasn’t perfect trim, but considering how cheap it was to make from 2 x 4s, it was worth it.

Besides, after the trim gets installed, I planned on patching up any flaws with wood putty. Then, once painted, the trim would look flawless.

Here is a picture showing the installed trim (I use construction adhesive and my finishing nailer to attach them):

Finishing Touches on Construction

Construction of the window bookshelf was pretty much complete at this point. I did attach some beadboard paneling above the seat with construction adhesive and the finishing nailer.

All that remained now was to fill all the countersunk holes with wood putty, patch and smooth any imperfections in the trim, caulk any small gaps (mostly with the crown molding and baseboard) and then apply paint where necessary.

Painting the Built-In Bookshelves & Wall

Eileen hopped in at this point to take over the painting. She painted all remaining wood – going over the edges, getting the trim, and touching up areas here and here.

She also painted the areas to the right and left of the window (which were currently still the color of the walls). That really made the bookshelf pop.

Here is Eileen hard at work finishing off the project:

Using our New Floor-To-Ceiling Bookshelf with a Window Seat

The project was now finished. Eileen immediately filled up the shelves with all the books we had, freeing up much needed space around the house. She even made a really nice cushion for the seat from scratch.

Here’s a picture of the cushion Eileen made for the window seat:

Here are a few more of the completed built-in bookshelves with a window seat.

The total cost of the built-in bookshelves project was around $600 and took me a few weeks to complete. It was a lot of fun to work on, and the payoff was huge.

It’s such a great addition to our home, and Eileen has a place that she loves for all of her books – it’s definitely her dream room now. Who wouldn’t want an entire wall of with floor-to-ceiling built-in bookshelves?!

To complete Eileen’s office, which is a sitting room off our bedroom, it needs some kind of doors. We are thinking about French doors or barn doors. What do you think?!

Make These Picture Ledges for Under $10

October 29, 2016 by Ash 59 Comments

Do you have a bunch of picture frames lying around and a couple hours of time on your hands? Make a DIY picture frame ledge. It’s simple to make, easy to arrange, and looks quite elegant.

Since our move, we still have boxes of pictures frames taking up way too much of our closet space. However, we are one ample box lighter, due to the awesome picture ledge that Ash made.

As I was digging through the box that held the white, cream, and grayish frames, I thought about a gallery. However, I already had one on a neighboring wall, so I wanted something different for this collection of pictures.

That being said, one of Ash’s least favorite chores is hanging pictures up on our walls. You should hear how he tries to procrastinate the task, let alone see his expression when he languidly follows me around the house with a hammer and nails.

And, he definitely does not enjoy when I ask him to hold the picture up to the wall, as I direct from across the room saying, “A little bit left, nope too much….” With my indecisiveness, that goes on for a little too long before I usually end up putting the picture somewhere else.

For these reasons, I knew Ash would love the idea of not having to hang any of the picture frames in this hefty box and instead have the pictures rest on a DIY picture frame ledge.

Would you know he had both photo ledges built in a couple hours?

He used all scrap wood, and then I painted with furniture paint for a nice finish.

The best part?

You can make them too for under $10!

How to Make DIY Picture Frame Ledges

Here are Ash’s instructions on how he built these simple photo ledges.

I came up with a very simple design for the DIY picture frame ledge. Here is an exploded 3D diagram that I created in TinkerCAD to show how the pieces came together:

I was able to use all scrap wood left over from previous projects. I cut the long pieces to the appropriate length. Eileen used the length of the love seat as a basis for how long she wanted the shelves.

Then, I formed the triangle support ends with my miter saw (this is one of my favorite tools – check out my other favorites).

After that, using some wood glue, clamps, and finishing nails, I attached the pieces to each other. Once the wood glue dried, I used the orbital sander to smooth down all the surfaces to make the different wood segments blend into each other seamlessly.

Since it was scrap wood, there were a few gouges here and there that I patched with wood filler and sanded down to a smooth surface.

Finally, my painter, aka Eileen, gave the shelves two coats of paint, and then it was ready to be mounted to the wall.

In mounting, I secured the shelves to the wall using two lag bolts, directly into two wall studs. The heads of the bolts stood out slightly, so to help blend them in, I covered them with some white paint to match the shelves.

Looking back, if I had some Forstner bits at the time, I would have countersunk the lag bolt heads to make them flush with the wood surface.

The cost of the project was free, as we had all of the material in our garage; however, I estimate the project costing $10 for the wood plus a quart of paint.

Our New DIY Picture Frame Ledge

I loved the way the picture shelves turned out. Ash built them so quickly, and without any trips to the store for additional materials, which is always a plus!

I think it took me longer to arrange the pictures than it did for Ash to construct them. (I’m super slow at arranging things…)

Everyone who visits has been commenting on how much they like them. A few people have said, “Have these always been here?” That is one of my favorite comments because it goes to show how great they look where they are.

Not to mention, Ash was so pleased that we didn’t have to hang all those frames. I haven’t told him we still have two more boxes of pictures in the closet. I’m not quite sure where they are going either. Maybe another picture ledge will be forthcoming.

Here’s another angle of our new DIY picture frame ledge. The more I look at it, the more I love it – and it was a lot easier than creating a gallery, and unlike the gallery, I can easily rearrange the picture frames too.

Shelving projects are one of my favorites – I just love different ways you can display pictures, books, and other items. I’m sure we will have more shelving projects coming soon.