Completed and Sold

After a couple of hours in front of our house (and on a busy road), the chest of drawers sold.

It really DID turn out "handsomely" (as my wife says).

Mid-May Projects

I've put a few hours into this curbside treasure.  

There were holes to fill and drawers to repair/remake...

It's now primed and ready to be painted.

 In between rains and lawn-mowing, 

I also got this "tree-bed" (as my wife has dubbed it) finished.

Bug Box

My grandson loves looking at and learning about bugs.  The last time we were together I told him I would make him a bug cage.  I had not remembered until he came for Easter.  He reminded me that the next time I saw him I would have a bug cage.  Part of Saturday we made this bug cage.  I used some scrap wood I had.  Got some aluminum screen from the hardware store.  This was scrap they just gave me.  I stapled the screen to some plywood.  I covered the staples with small pieced of wood.  Made a circular door and fixed a square piece of thin plywood that hinges on a screw.  Then I took an old scrap strap that I took off the old high chair we found on our trip south and used it for the handle.  I forgot to take a picture so I had my daughter send me one after they returned home.  I noticed my grandson has written on it already.  He helped me do the hammering of the nails.  Not bad for a five year old.

A Little Modification....

I painted the top of this table a few months ago.  We moved it into our dining room while I was repairing a drop leaf table.  THIS table was quite large for our space.  When it came time to move it out, my wife suggested taking it apart and making a desk (or half-table) out of it.

This is the result.  I used the set of legs from the center of the original table in the back of this "half-table".  It serves our purposes well!  I may make a second "desk", paint a chair white, and see if we can sell the pair at a garage sale in a few weeks.

Look What Came in from the Rain!

I found this on a curbside today.
Warped & wet from the rain, it needs some work,
but it's a good, sturdy chest of drawers.

 The pulls are quite large & would have been worth stopping for (if nothing else)!

 It's not real clear, but there is an eagle in the center of the pull with 3 stars over it.

Watch for the finished project!

Finishing Touches

Yes!  I think this will work just fine.

Vacation-Induced Projects

This chair was lying in pieces along the road as we were heading south for our vacation.  

I've begun gluing it. 

My wife found the little footstool in a thrift store for $1.
I've taken it apart.

She'll select some fabric
and we'll decide what to do with the wooden sides...

A Vacation Project

 The slope required some unique maneuvers to apply stain to all surfaces of the trellis!

 Above:  Kiwi vine beginning to leaf out...

Vacation project.  North Carolina.

Old Paint

"I ride an old paint; I lead an old Dan
I'm off to Montan' for to throw the hooley ann
They feed in the coulees they water in the draw
Their tails're all matted their backs're all raw..."

(I have NO idea what the hooley ann is!)

She DID it again!  You can read the details HERE. 

The main thing I'm learning is that old paint has its issues...

and how to live with a few imperfections.

Another Completion!

 

Finished and beautiful!

I painted the table's  "apron" at my wife's suggestion.  It made a positive difference, I think.

 After another 4"-5" of snowfall yesterday, I spent a few minutes shoveling snow off the flat portion of our roof!  That was a "project", too!

Blizzard Aftermath

 Larry and Steve came in with their big equipment and made short work of cleaning our driveway.

#1 Snow Emergency means no traffic can be on the roads, so

in between shoveling sidewalks and sermon preparation...

 I've painted the first coat of white on the table top and chairs.

I'm pleased with the way the wood fill and paint combine to cover the grooves that had contained the rattan work in the center of the chair backs.  You'd never know the groove had been there!

Blizzard and Projects

 The rattan removed, I filled the grooves with wood fill.

 Below:  The chairs with seats removed, grooves filled, sanded and ready for primer!

Meanwhile, the predicted snow has begun (again).  3"-4" fell last night; there was a lull; and now around 4:00 p.m. it's snowing lightly.  Sounds like I'll have plenty of time for my February projects!

My Almost-February Projects

 I've filled in a couple of spots with wood filler. 

I'll sand it off and (if the plan doesn't change) paint the top only. 

 The legs will be cleaned up and the wood finish preserved.

Rather than replace the wicker in the back of this chair,

I plan to remove it, fill in the groove,  repaint the wood and reupholster the seat.

Wrapping/Wall Paper Caddy

 

5 minutes was all it took to find a board and cut it to fit the bottom of the cart.  My wife is happy to have a caddy for all the wrapping paper and wall paper that she uses to wrap presents, line drawers, wallpaper dollhouses, etc.

Finishing Touches

Busy days during the week of Christmas!  Charles (father-in-law) and I applied the quarter round and kick plates under the kitchen cabinets.  I had painted them the night before.  They look great and trim off our new floors wonderfully!  Last night I painted the mirror above the mantel.  (It had been light oak.  A bit of it can be seen in the top picture.)  It is a great finishing touch to our "new" kitchen/dining area.  Merry Christmas to us!

Below are some pictures of the floor installation process.  There was quite a bit of leveling to be done...

A Wiry Wreath

Earlier this past fall, friends donated some old bed springs they wanted to get rid of...

 I cut several individual springs out of the frame,
and we spent some time arranging them in a
wreath shape - finally wiring the entire thing together.

 

Another friend graciously welded the wreath,

and this morning I painted it white per my wife's request.

Ta-DAH!

Duncan Phyfe Restored

 Read more about this project - HERE.