Pallets as decks

I have a tiny yard!  It is nice as far as minimizing the need to mow but difficult when it comes to landscaping. Or hosting a party.  We live in an area where the soil is mostly sand and the temperature is in the upper 80's to mid 90's the majority of the year.  Needless to say, my yard needs some creative solutions if I have any hope of having something cute or pretty or, at minimum, not bedraggled looking.  Here is an example of my poor little side yard.  It is approximately 5 feet wide and receives the full force of our beautiful Florida sunshine.

This is an example of the best it has looked in the 3 years I have lived in this house.  'Tis sad, but true. Admittedly, I have not spent a great deal of time in the back side yards primarily because they are usually really hot.  However, my boy wanted me to host his birthday party at home.  I was thrilled to oblige my 15 year old baby!  After all, when my teen thinks I can do something well, I start singing a happy tune!!   Once again, it was time for some thinking "outside of the box".

We decided that the birthday party would be a typical teen guy type of affair.  And I do have a reputation for hosting some ridiculously messy kid parties.  I didn't want to let my boy down but I needed some room to work my party magic.  ;)

The party theme was "mock paintball" where the teens would be separated into two teams.  Each team needed a home base to keep their paintball materials and various party game supplies.  I decided that decks would fulfill the needs of the party but did not have the money to buy the materials from the big box stores. Unfortunately, my go to source for building materials (Craigslist) did not have anything available.  However, my man was able to get some pallets and fence panels from his boss!  I was thrilled!!

I began by placing the pallets on some landscaping cloth I had saved from a failed gardening project.  

The pallets had seen better days and required some reinforcement.  I decided to add  2x4's down either side and fence panels slats in between the 2x4's.  The fence was originally 6 feet long which was far too wide for my needs.  I cut each panel in half and placed them perpendicular to the pallets.  I splurged and purchased some deck screws and secured the pieces together.

The project went together rather quickly and was a wonderful addition to the paintball party.  I even added a cute little bench, just for fun.  Best of all, my boy was happy which makes me happy.  Life is good!!

Thought for the day

I am working on those endless opportunities today!  Can you hear me humming a happy tune while I work?  :)

Positive thought for the day!

Well, that sums it up nicely!  Have a great day!!!

Scrap Wood Art?!

Hot dog! I finally found a way to put some of my wood scraps to good use. And here I was, worrying that I would have to build another storage bin just for my little wood bits and bobs. Danged if they aren't just like Legos; they're everywhere and hurt like heck when you step on them!

It all began with this pile of scrap wood.  I loved the shapes but had no idea what to do with them.

I also had this frame which was rescued from a trash bin.

And this chunk of plywood we salvaged from a Craigslist freebie.

I painted both the plywood sheet and frame and let my imagination run free. Daydreaming is one of my favorite things to do!!!

After pondering (while waiting for the paint to dry) I played with the placement of my scrap wood pieces.  I liked the "pinwheel" appearance I found with this configuration and decided to enhance the look by painting the pieces with a variety of colors.  I am a color girl; I LOVE having a rainbow of colors all around me.  The final step was to affix my pinwheels to the white background with a little wood glue.  Not only did I put my scraps to use, I also ended up with a fun little wall hanging for my lanai.  I just love it when a "plan" comes together!!!

Chest of drawers upcycle

One of today's projects in the works; a chest of drawers upcycle.  As I said, it is in the works so the pictures do not depict a completed project.

My man brought this home for me a few weeks ago and I have been itching to get started!  It came to me as a Plain Jane 5 drawer chest of drawers in need of attention. Two drawers need new bottoms while the other three have already been replaced.

There was nothing wrong with this baby that couldn't be repaired; she's just a little plain looking.  Thus far, I have tried a purple paint job but did not care for that.  Next, I considered working a card stock mosaic across the top, down the sides and over the drawer fronts.  However, that would be somewhat time consuming and I am on a time budget for the next two weeks.  My boy's birthday party rapidly approaches so I need to be careful about the projects I become involved with.  Nothing like inviting a houseful of guests to get me moving! 

This is the progress made thus far.  I have wiped down all surfaces and applied spray adhesive to the top, sides, drawer fronts and back support piece.  Next, I affixed two different patterns of paintable wallpaper we picked up last year on clearance at Lowes.  I believe each roll cost $2.00.  The next step will be to install another support bracket and shelf.  I am not quite certain how I will use this baby once I complete her but am excited to see what happens next!

Scrap lumber stemware rack

This one has been on my wish list for quite some time!  I have wanted to add a little pizazz to my bland white and beige kitchen as well as find a convenient spot for my stemware.  Lo and behold, I could not find a stemware rack I liked, so I made one of my own.  

I began with some scrap lumber my man picked up at work, measured the underside of the cabinet, and went to town with the saw.  

Once the pieces were cut to length, I cut the end of each support piece with a 50 degree angle. The next step was to use the router to make slots for the base of the glasses to hang upside down.  After a little mishap with the router, namely letting my thumb get too close the the spinning bit, I drilled two pilot holes in each bracket with my handy dandy counter sink bit.  The final step, and most time consuming, was to spend my afternoon laying on the counter while I measured each type of glass base.  

Wouldn't you know, my eclectic assortment of stemware includes multiple diameters.

There are still a few little tweaks left to correct. One bracket is off by the tinniest bit so the glasses can only come out on one side.  After that,  I need to decide whether to paint, stain or simply seal the brackets.  Then again, I could just leave them as they are and move on to my next project. Time will tell.

  

Stemware rack install time!

My date for the next few hours: 2 drills, a box of screws and the kitchen counter.  It is time to install my stemware runners.  This project has been on my wish list for quite some time.  My coffee cup is filled and music is blasting; consider me excited!!!