Hanging around the garage.

 

Hello all! Been a while, but I have been a busy bee lately. Had to do some house renos and what-not, but I wanted to share this project with you.

I was scrolling through Pinterest, as usual, and came across this pin. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/492581277965603837/

I am always looking for better storage solutions, so I had to make it! And since my husband has a lot of fishing rods, I knew that I would need to adjust for size.

I just happen to have two 8 foot 1x4 that was scrapped from a shed project that I found from a Craigslist ad. I love it when people give away instead of throwing away. This of course meant that I had to do some prep work prior to starting this project. It is always a good idea if you reclaim wood to take the time to remove all the nails and screws and any sharp splinters, if you have the time, so that when you start a new project, you can just grab and go. These boards had lots of finishing nails and had been stained (which was peeling off). Might have been good if I hadn't planned on painting them. So Sanding was a must.

I also needed to buy the hooks. I needed about 40, and the cheapest place that I found them (that were the right size) was at Dollar General. They are called bike hooks $1, and found on the automotive isle. The problem is that most of the stores only stock 8 each, so you have to travel around the city, in search of them at different stores, or you can just wait and order them online.

Once that was finished, then I could start. Using my sawhorses, I laid out the boards and gave them two good coats of interior/exterior paint in dark grey. Allow to dry thoroughly.

Then I  measured out the spots where I would need to drill the holes. You will need to measure the width of the hook and make sure to leave at least that much space in between.
HLT: If you put them too close together, you will not be able to turn then around and be able to screw them into the boards. So measure and then use a scrap piece of wood (or the hooks themselves) as a spacer when you are marking the holes. Leave space at the end for the screws for the ceiling attachment.

You will need to use a drill bit that is slightly smaller than your hook's screw to drill your holes. I used a 1/4 bit. Drill all the way through the board. This will make some mess with saw dust, but clean and touch up paint as needed.

Next, screw in all your hooks. Turn them all the same direction (or different if you prefer). Make sure they have a tight grip, but do not go all the way through the board, or you will not be able to put board to wall.

Next, use a stud-finder and mark all of the available studs in your desired area. This can be difficult on a ladder on the ceiling, and especially if you have popcorn ceilings. WEAR EYE SAFETY!!!! You will need to leave enough space between the boards to correctly hold the weight of the rods, but also, not too much space that your shorter poles will not reach between. I left 4 feet between mine, and it was perfect! Measure and mark the stud distance with a pencil on your boards and pre-drill holes. This step will save you a lot of headache. Then use 2 1/2" construction or general purpose screws to attach. Bring extra hands for this step, because holding a drill, screws and trying to hold up the board is almost impossible. Screw your boards into as many studs as possible for extra support.

Load your rods on your hooks! And give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done!!!!

Pencil me this.....

End of the school year is here again! And all the children shout "YAY!!!!!". So of course that means it is time to thank our hard-working teachers for another completed school year. Here is just one of the many options for treating your educators.

Personalized Wooden Pencils

Start by taking your reclaimed (or new if you prefer) 1" x 4" (ish, doesn't have to be exact) wood. My plank was about 20" long, but you can make yours any length you choose.

Cut one side into a pointed angle for the pencil lead. I used my miter saw for this. A jig saw will work as well, just remember to draw out your lines first.

Next - SAND IT. We do not want our favorite people getting splinters, they already have enough paper cuts. So get it sanded really well. Then clean.

Favorite Part: Paint!

Primer white first because you want your colors to show up well. (Excuse the mess, but this is how I paint). Then draw out your lines for the eraser, metal banding, shavings mark, and lead.

I used pink for the eraser, a bright (but not neon) yellow for the pencil body, light grey for the metal banding, a light brown for the pencil shaving, and black for the lead. You can make your pencils any color you want! Try mixing it up and putting designs on it! The more creative you are, the more they will love it!

Once dry, add their name using a paint marker. I free handed this part but you could also use vinyl letters if you wanted.

CLEAR COAT your piece!!!!!!!

Next, drill your ribbon holes. Add ribbon!

 

HLT: wrap the end of your ribbon with clear tape (so that it looks like a shoe lace) to make it easier to thread through your board.

Then just tie your knots on each side and you are finished. Don't forget to sharpie in who it's from and the date, so that your teacher can remember later!

Happy Crafting!
Deborah