arts and craft, Decorating, Trash to Treasure, Upcycling

A Quick Cutting Board Makeover for Meal Planning

A Quick Cutting Board Makeover for Meal Planning

Hello, it’s Anika here from Anika’s DIY Life. I hope you had a great start to your new year!

One of my New Year’s resolutions is to get better with planning meals. I’ve really struggle with planning meals ahead of time. In the past, I have tried many systems (from worksheets to online applications) but most seem to fall through after a few days or weeks.

After a lot of brainstorming, I realized it was because I was making the entire process much more complicated than it needed to be. I set out with a simple plan: create a menu for the week in the kitchen where I can see it at all times.

An old Ikea cutting board ended up working out perfect for the job of meal planner!

Materials:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Old cutting board (a new one would be fine too)
Painter’s tape
Chalkboard paint in the color of your choice
Chalk pen

Instructions:

Step 1 – Clean the cutting board to remove any food or dirt. Let the board dry completely before proceeding.

Step 2 – Measure ½” from the edge of the cutting board and tape on all 4 sides.

Step 3 – Paint the middle of the cutting board using chalkboard paint.

Did you know you can make your own chalkboard paint using Plaster of Paris by following this recipe? Or use Brittany’s recipe that uses unsanded tile grout instead:

Step 4 – Remove the tape while the paint is still wet. Once the paint dries, rub a piece of chalk on its side over the entire painted area to season the chalkboard before using.

This simple project has made a big difference in my productiveness around cooking. We sit down as a family every Sunday and plan out the menu, grocery shop accordingly, and take care of any meal prep.

I think one of the biggest changes this menu board has made is in helping manage the kids’ expectations. The board sits next to the kitchen in my little command center. The kids know what’s for dinner and there is no more “I didn’t feel like eating that” at the dinner table. Mom win!

How do you tackle meal planning? Until next time!

~See more of Anika’s tutorials~

Did you like this tutorial? You might also like Brittany’s Free Weekly Menu Planner printable:

January 10, 2018/2 Comments/by Anika Gandhi

arts and craft, Best of Posts, Build It

Best of 2017

2017 was another busy year that flew by. For those of you that may have missed some of the best tutorials and DIY posts of 2017, I’ve collected them all together for you in one place. Without further delay, here is the Best of 2017!

It only took me four years, but I finally finished my built-in pantry with a coffee bar, hidden wine storage, and soft closing pull out shelves. Here are all the pictures and details for my finished kitchen pantry.

My growing boys have found a real love in reading. This closet that used to be a jumbled toy storage, is now a comfy and cozy library reading nook. You’ll want to check out the secret passage inside this Children’s Library Closet.

My husband has been playing guitar for the past few years. In an effort to keep his guitar close at hand (and store away the guitar case), I built him this DIY Folding Guitar Stand. You’ll never believe what trash item I used to build it.

One of my most popular posts this year was actually a video tutorial sharing the Perfect Rustic Paint Technique I use on most of my wood projects. You too can learn how to make anything look old and aged by following this tutorial.

For Mother’s Day I made these reversible recipe placemats for my mother-in-law. I scanned recipe cards her recently departed mother created for our wedding present. The placemats turned out to be a great way to commemorate a wonderful woman.

One of my favorite projects this year was building this Striped Porch Swing using Scrap Wood. It was a good way to use up scraps from the shop and build a fun swing for next to nothing.

Speaking of building something with scraps, this tutorial is another build using leftover wood in the shop. The best part of this project is it’s a wonderful way to give back to a school! Learn how to Build this Lost & Found Center in a few hours.

For the aspiring artists, this tutorial for Painting Abstract Water Lilies was very popular. Plus, I showed how to cover up those ugly eyesores in your home.

Pallet projects reached a height in popularity this year. I finally decided to come clean on the Real Facts about Using Pallet Wood so you can decide for yourself whether that free wood is really worth it.

I saved the best for last. This year I purchased a house built in 1900 and I’m trying to save her. The Saving Etta Chapters are my way of chronicling the process. The Saving Etta chapters have been extremely popular and well received by my readers. Thank you for allowing me to deviate from tutorials and journal about my adventures saving this historic property. Read all twelve short chapters here.

Want to see more of my Best of the Year posts? Here are the Best of: 2010 | 2011 | 2014 | 2015

December 29, 2017/4 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

art, arts and craft, Build It

DIY Barn Wood Picture Frame

Hey all, it’s Shara here again from Woodshop Diaries! Today, I’m excited to show you how to make a simple barn wood picture frame!

A friend of mine tore down his family’s tobacco barn recently and he asked me to make a few things out of the wood for him. I recently finished a dining table and bench. I also made a few barn wood frames and they turned out beautifully!

In fact, they came out so great, I knew I wanted to show you how to make your own!

Materials:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Barn wood (if you don’t have any, some 1x boards will work, too)
Glass pane the size you want your picture (I did 16″x20″)
¼” plywood
5/8″ wood screws
Picture hanger hardware
Corner clamp
Wood Glue
Gorilla Clear Glue
Staple Gun and 3/8″ staples
Table Saw
Miter Saw
Router and 3/8″ rabbet bit
Drill
Chisel
Hammer

Cut List for 16×20 frame:

(2) ¾” x 4″ x 27 3/8″ (both ends mitered 45 degrees NOT parallel)
(2) ¾” x 4″ x 23 3/8″ (both ends mitered 45 degrees NOT parallel)
¼” x 18″ x 22″ backing

Instructions:

Step 1: Cut frame boards to size per cut list above.

For this project, I used barn wood. It was old, dirty, and rough. None of it was cut to the same size, so the first thing I did was rip all my boards the same width. If you are using old barn wood, or pallets, you’ll want to rip all your lumber to the same width. If you are using new boards from the lumber store, you can skip this step.

To achieve the same width as my barn wood frame, rip all boards to 4 inches wide. (Remember, if you buy new boards, 1x4s are only 3 ½” wide and 1x6s are 5 ½” wide, so your measurements will be slightly different than mine since I used 4″ wide boards.)

Miter the ends of each board 45 degrees.

Step 2: Glue frame together

Dry fit the frame pieces together and make sure they fit and everything is square.

Use wood glue to join all the corners and press together.

Use either bar clamps, or a corner clamp to hold the frame together while the glue dries. Reinforce the joints by stapling the back side of the corners. Alternatively, you can use metal L brackets, just make sure the screws don’t go all the way through your frame.

Step 3: Route out back side for glass panel

Using a router and a 3/8″ rabbet bit, route out the inside opening of the back of the frame like shown. Set your cutting depth the same or slightly more than the thickness of the 16×20 glass panel for the frame.

Clean up and square off the corners using a chisel.

Set your glass panel in place to make sure it fits. If it doesn’t, chisel out any material keeping it from fitting in place.

Step 4: Glue glass in place

Using Clear Gorilla Glue (which, by the way, is awesome stuff), run a bead of glue in the groove you cut in step 3 and place glass panel in place.

Set something heavy (but not too heavy) on the glass to hold in place until the glue dries.

Step 5: Add backing

Once the glue is dry, place your picture in the frame, then attach the backing and hanging hardware. Use 5/8″ wood screws to attach the ¼” plywood backing like shown. Attach the hanging hardware in your frame.

And that’s it! Your DIY Barn Wood Frame is ready to hang!

The detail on this old wood is so pretty!

This would also be a great project for pallet wood or any old reclaimed wood if you don’t have actual barn wood available!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and give it a try for yourself! Happy building!

~See more of Shara’s tutorials~

December 27, 2017/8 Comments/by Shara M

arts and craft

Free Winter Chalkboard Art Printable

Free Winter Chalkboard Art Printable

Happy Holidays! I’m enjoying decorating my home for Christmas. How about you? One thing I particularly like doing is updating my chalkboard sign in the dining room. You might remember I created a free fall chalkboard word art printable for you. I got so many kind comments and thank yous on the printable, so I figured you might want one for winter.

The chalkboard was one of the items I received in my Sand Dollar Lane Box (affiliate link) in September. Leen sends me the cutest decor packages once a month and I always get excited when I see another Sand Dollar Lane Box at my doorstep.

Want to download your free Winter Chalkboard Word Art? Go ahead and click on the image below to be taken to the higher resolution file you can download.

If you’re feeling crafty (and want to build your own frame out of scrap wood), follow this tutorial for building a chalkboard (simply downsize to your printable size.)

I can’t wait to show you the other decorating I’ve been working on. See you soon!

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to you all!

December 11, 2017/8 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

arts and craft, Decorating, Holiday decorating, Home Decor, wreath

Make an Elegant Holiday Wreath for Less than $20

Have you ever been in a home decor store and fell head over heels in love with a wreath only to gag at the $50 or more price tag? Put your wallet away, because today I want to show you how you can turn an inexpensive wreath into an Elegant Holiday Wreath for Less than $20! Who knows, you might already have one of these cheap wreaths and some of the supplies in storage — making your cost almost FREE!

Materials:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Instructions:

Remove anything you don’t want to keep from your store bought wreath. Fluff out the wreath by bending the branches to make it look larger and more full.

Grab your tree picks and decide where you want to place them on the wreath. Use strong wire cutters to cut off some of the length from the stems.

Curve the main branch of the tree pick so it mimics the curve of the wreath. Push the end of the stem under some of the wreath branches then back up so there is tension to hold the pick in place. Wrap some wreath branches around the entire pick to hold it firmly and disguise the stem. (If you are using heavier tree picks, you can secure them using floral wire.)

Repeat the process for the other tree picks. Leave a blank space at the top for the ribbon.

Time to add some color! Make a u-shape with some floral wire and push it through the top of an ornament. Place the ornament on the wreath. Wrap the floral wire around the wreath, twist the wire to secure from the backside of the wreath.

Evenly space the remaining ornaments, then attach with florist wire.

To complete the wreath, take a length of ribbon and loop it around the top of the wreath. You can tie a bow if that is your preference, but I prefer the simple look this year.