Divide and Conquer!

Ever tired of having to rummage through the "JUNK" drawer? Sure you could go out and buy the drawer dividers that cost a fortune and may(or may not) fit in the drawers, and which more than likely, still slide around anyways.

Simple solution! Make your own.

Because I work for a company that has a warehouse, I come across a plethora of boxes so they are easy to find. But even if I didn't, there are plenty of boxes that you probably don't even realize you use an a daily basis. Cereal boxes, pasta dinner boxes, Snack Pack boxes, Capri-sun boxes, etc.... Just look around. With a little imagination, you can turn these things into unique, and useful organizers.

 
All you need is some scissors and duct tape (or Modge Podge and scrapbook paper) (or fabric if you really want to be bold) Really the possibilities are endless.

Cut your box to the height of the drawer. On my box I had to do some trimming to get the lid to fold down into the box for more strength. Once that was done, I simply used my Zebra Striped Duct Tape to cover it.

Then your JUNK drawer becomes something that you aren't afraid to stick your hand into. YAY for intact fingers!

Also Cereal Boxes make great storage racks or Magazine Holders (if you have a hefty box). Simply cut the front side and fold down the edges inward at an angle.

 Cover with your choice and there you have it!

Great Stuff Organizers!

Now go raid your pantry and shred those cereal boxes. Better yet, go pull some boxes out of your recycling bin! (Since I know you guys are great at recycling)

Coffee on your Pallete... Table

Need a coffee table that says "I love to be outdoors!"? Well, here is my version.

Say Hello to my recovered pallets! I rescued these bad boys from my warehouse dumpster. They are super heavy because of what they were made to carry, so they are perfect for furniture!

Note that there are many different sizes, shapes and weights of pallets, so you should decide what you are looking for if your are pairing some up. Since this project was going to be outdoors, I wanted something that the Oklahoma winds wouldn't take off with.

So the first step was to remove the boards that I didn't want. I wanted a flush top, so I had to remove some boards in order to relocate them next to each other, otherwise I would have been cutting tiny boards to fit. And..... Nope. So I stole some from the other pallet to add to this one.

Using a hammer and crowbar I jimmied the boards off one by one. This can take some finesse.

Because Pallets are made, usually of scrap lumber, they are easy to break. So you end up with splintered pieces (see pic). Therefore it is always a good idea to have a spare.








One of the most irritating part of the whole process, is removing the nails/ screws. See Pallets are put together with the intention of staying together and use these nasty little half-nail/half-screw combos: called Shank Steel nail/screws, that has a small piece of steel or copper wire that juts out from the side. Once they are screwed in it is meant to be permanent.

They are usually placed in the center and side supports. You will splinter many a board trying to pry these out. Your best bet is to try to work around them, or if you have heavy tools for this job: have at it. The other boards are mainly attached with standard nails.

Picture with all boards re-aligned. With, of course, a photo bomb by my pup Henry. I used 1 1/4th wood screws to attach the boards. Different lengths will need to be used to prevent the screws from poking through.

To add height, I placed the facelifted pallet on top of the other mauled one and attached with 2 1/2 inch outdoor wood screws. Decking screws are really good, as well. I screwed through the middle of the top pallets through the supports on the bottom one. I did this about 20 times to ensure that it was NOT going to come apart.

Next, I wanted my pallet to be functional and moveable. When it weighs about 80lbs, you really need to have it on casters. I found these casters at Harbor Freight for relatively cheap. I went with locking casters so that it could be stationary when needed.
 You need to first place your casters and doodle where your holes need to be. These will need to be drilled before installing to prevent splitting. TRUST ME. You do not want to get this far and have the bottom of your pallet fall apart. I used 1 3/4 inch Lag bolts. You will need a good drill and some arm muscle mixed with your body weight to get these installed.

Next step is to make it safe. Well, to do that you are going to need to sand the heck out of it. There are many, many spots on a pallet that have been splintered or are missing and you need to get all of those smooth before someone runs their hand across it and gets a painful surprise.

For the tops and sides I used my mouse with 60 grit sand paper. This gets most of everything. But For the spots that had chunks missing and also between the boards were the edges are rough(and the sander can't get to) I used my Dremmel with a course sanding bit to carve out those smooth edges.
Be prepared to spend some time on this step. I was super picky about not having any splinters, so it took me a long time.

I filled in the screw holes and some spots with wood filler and let it dry. Then I sanded those down. No splinters here, no sir, no ma'am.

Then wipe down your pallet to remove all saw dust (and there will be LOTS). Let dry.

Painting! YAY! Get an exterior paint to make sure it weathers well. I used Glidden Home and Exterior paint. In a medium grey (the name escapes me at this second). I bought a quart and almost ran out.

HLT: Pallet wood will soak up your paint so be sure to get enough of your color to do the whole thing and have extra (for your next project, of course. *wink*).

I painted the underside and all so it really used up the paint.
The rough wood will also do a number on your brushes, so I suggest a chip brush that can stand up to it.







Remember to clean your brushes well. And Reduce, Reuse and Recycle while you are at it. :)

Two coats of paint later......

Now for the Prettiness:
Played around with some fonts and sizes using Word after scouring www.Pinterest.com for a quote that I wanted to use. This was for my Sis-in-Law who LOVES Mickey Mouse so I figured Walt Disney would be appropriate. And Walt Disney had a lot of great things to say. Printed them out onto regular printer paper.

This fabulous person had a great tutorial about transferring images with a charcoal pencil on Pinterest. Here is the tutorial: http://homespunhappenings-tammy.blogspot.com/2012/04/i-made-sign.html she is a Blogger too!

Using a charcoal Pencil, color over the back side of your image. Then flip over and trace your image outline using a pencil or pen lid. Push down hard enough to transfer charcoal but not bust through your paper. You can see a bit of the outline in the photo below.

Once you have all of it transferred, then it is ready to paint! I used external paint on everything to maximize the life of the table.
But just for good measure, I used an exterior clear coat (really three) over the dry surface.

Finished Product! Not only is it a coffee table but since you worked all of those splinters out -it can also double as a bench.

Hope this helps with your pallet creations!

Chair's more where that came from!

Every once and a while you will find a piece that you will take one look at and immediately say "Yes! I need that!" Then your brain will automatically start thinking of all the wonderful possibilities that can be produced. This happens to me all the time. I blame my lack of impulse control. Fortunately, my logical side kicks in and analyzes the worth and expense. 

HLT: Always consider the cost of renovation of said item before you purchase. Even if you have no idea what it will cost, overestimate your materials cost and then add that to the price of the item. You do not want to buy a $100 chair and then have to spend another $100 in materials. Buy low so that you will not feel bad about buying that $40.00/yd fabric later. This also helps you stay within your budget.

Here is a pair of chairs that I picked up for 25.00/pr. That's 12.50 a piece. ALWAYS NEGOTIATE. The worst that can happen is that the seller says no. If you are shy about asking just keep this in mind. Most sellers EXPECT to negotiate, so you will not offend them just for asking. If they are firm on the price, then they will tell you so.

 I love the Metal and Wood matchup when it comes to furniture. While most metal pieces usually require specific tools to work with, wood can usually be changed with a wide variety of tools. So you want to look for pieces that have good bones. I.E. Look for seats that are easy to remove, legs that are intact and sturdy (although sometimes this can be remedied with proper hardware.)

 First disassemble. Take off all screws and remove all wood pieces. Then give the piece a good sanding. I used 60 grit paper to get the rust spots that happen on most metal pieces naturally, over time. You could also use a wire brush on a drill but I usually reserve this for large areas of rust.

Once sanded wipe clean, getting all particles off your piece, and let dry.

 Then Spray Paint! Love this step. I used Krylon Fusion Hammered Finish Black. It gives an amazing finish. I didn't get a picture so I will give you a link to Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Krylon-K02531000-Plastic-Hammered-12-Ounce/dp/B0015WCTMO/ref=sr_1_1_m?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1417547518&sr=1-1&keywords=krylon+fusion+hammered

1/2 inch plywood is used for the seat base. I chose not to use the original base because 1 was broken and they were super thick, so putting staples into it would have been a giant pain. So once I made a template using the metal base of the chair, all that was needed was to get my earplugs and use my circular saw to cut them out. You could use a jigsaw

Make sure that you sand the edges of your form to avoid, both, splinters and sharp points that would snag your fabric.

Here is my secret to stuffing: RECYCLE. It is perfectly fine to use foam and batting to make your cushions, but it can get pricey. So consider this: pillows are both preformed and stuffed, taking most of the work out of it already. I found these two pillows at the thrift store for 3 dollars, took them home and cleaned them up and I have a ready made form to use over my board.

Rummage through the scrap and clearance sections of your local fabric store for great prices on smaller bits. No shortage of Fabulous colors and prints. Geometric patterns just speak to me.

Iron first! Then lay your fabric out and get to stapling! Sides first, moving from middle to outsides and do the corners last. Then reattach to base using the screws that came with it. Pre-drill your holes!

HLT: If you change the width of your base, as I did, be sure to measure the width of the new base and frame so that your screws are not too long. Unless you prefer to use your new seat as a torture device, I recommend using screws that will not poke through.

Now it was time to paint the top! Sanding, cleaning, drying as per usual, then spray paint two coats of paint. Again, I chose Krylon Fusion but in a deep satin blue. Of course, Clear Coat.

Reassemble! And enjoy! See how cushiony using the pillows made them? They are not thin at all.