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DIY Library Book Box

Hello Pretty Handy Girl readers! Sarah here from The Created Home to share with you a fun solution for housing library books: A Library Book Box!

Recently I had to cough up $10 to our local public library for a missing book — which sort of kills me since I have turned our home upside down looking for it. I mean, it’s Curious George, and those things are bright yellow! Has this ever happened to you? Even if it hasn’t, it is helpful to have a designated spot for library books. After all, we want to encourage reading, not get frustrated about trying to find them. Right?!

We love books around here. In fact, I built two reading nooks to support my own little readers. This elevated version in our playroom features bookshelves that double as a secret stairway. And this one is built right into my kids’ closet. Not ready for a full reading nook? This book box is a simple way to bring some reading fun into your home!

Materials:

Wood for box frame (We will talk about lengths in a bit)
Wood inserts for books
Wood glue
Finish nails
Brad nailer
2 books
Acrylic paint (optional)
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Instructions:

Step 1

You’ll need a couple of books that you don’t mind deconstructing. Check your local thrift store to pick up some great vintage looking hardbacks or get creative with whatever look you like! The books will need to be the same dimensions for this project. Remove all of the pages from the books, leaving only the hard covers.

Trace two pieces of wood to fit inside the books. 3/4″ scraps worked perfect for this purpose.

Glue the wood into the book covers, leaving the outside cover free on both. This is for when you put them against the box you can open the cover and nail into the box sides through the wood. I didn’t do this with mine because I realized it would be a good idea too late.

Step 2

Make the box. This is an excellent scrap wood project! You can make the book box as long as you like, though 18″ seems to work well for us. My pieces are scrap flooring from a friend’s business, so they are approximately 4″ tall (1×6 would work just as well). The width of the box is determined by the width of your books, since they are the box sides. Your bottom piece of wood will need to be the width between the front and back pieces.

You can choose to simply glue and nail the pieces of wood together with a finish gun, or you can get fancy and use your router to dado a groove in the wood for the bottom to sit in. Either way works fine!

Step 3

Attach the book sides. As with the other parts of this book box, you’ll want to use both glue and nails to ensure stability. Nail right through the inner part of the “books” into the box sides. Be careful to line the nails up correctly so they don’t go through the box and out the side. Then glue the book cover closed to hide the nail holes.

Step 4

Add decorative touches and finish. Stain the wood if you like, or simply add varnish. You can choose to add lettering as well – a name or simply “READ” works well. I painted them fun colors because it is for my kids.

Step 5

Load it up! A box about this size holds somewhere around 20 children’s books. If I did it again I might go a bit larger. Another option is to put this on wheels, which would look great. (But, my kids have a tendency to turn everything into skateboards, so I left it grounded!)

That’s it! Hopefully this simple solution will keep your library books corralled and your account happily fine-free. If you make one be sure to share a photo, and happy reading!

~See More Projects by Sarah~

Like this idea? Be sure to check out this awesome closet library Brittany built.

or the reading nook she built in her son’s bedroom:

November 15, 2017/4 Comments/by Sarah Home

Build It, Tool Tutorials, Toolbox

Table Saw Stand and Collapsible Out Feed Work Table

DIY Table Saw Stand and Collapsible Off Feed Table

DIY Table Saw Stand and Collapsible Out Feed Work Table

Today I want to share with you my new workshop configuration that has a DIY Table Saw Stand and a collapsible out feed (or work) table. I’ve struggled for years to find a workbench that meets my need to spread out while building and assembling projects. And I wanted this table to act as an out feed table for my table saw. I’ve looked at many options, but ultimately I needed something that could collapse and store away quickly in case we needed to park our car in the garage (for ice storms, hurricanes, tornados, or blizzards.)

At first I was impressed with Ron Paulk’s plans for a portable workbench that could be disassembled. But, I didn’t have the time to take on another build project. I wanted the instant gratification of having a work table immediately. Around the same time I purchased an investment house and started looking at folding work stands that could transport back and forth to the job site. That’s when I realized I could have my cake and eat it too. I could use a collapsible work stand both in my garage and at the job site.

Best of all, there was no building required for the out feed table, and minimal building for the table saw stand. If you are looking for a similar set up, stick around and I’ll show you how to make your own table saw stand and out feed table in an hour or less!

DIY Table Saw Stand

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.)

4′ x 8′ sheet PVC panel
4′ x 8′ sheet of rigid foam insulation (optional)
1 – 2″ x 4″ x 8′ lumber
1 – 2″ x 2″ x 8′ lumber
8 – 2″ wood screws
12 – 2 ½” wood screws
8 – 2 ½” pocket hole screws
Kreg Jig
Miter Saw
Drill
1/8″ drill bit
Wood shims
Ear plugs
Safety glasses
Tape measure
Pencil

Cut List:

2 shelves – 3/4″ plywood cut to 20″ x 24″
2 leg supports – 2″ x 4″ x 17″
2 shelf supports – 2″ x 2″ x 24″
2 top supports – 2″ x 2″ x 21″
4 legs – 2″ x 4″ x _?*

* The height of your saw stand legs will be determined by your saw and table heights. I recommend doing a little math and check it with a ruler. (Take the height of your out feed table subtract the height of your table saw. Now subtract 3/4″ for your plywood thickness from this measurement. This is the height your table saw stand legs need to be cut. If you want to be precise, you can subtract an additional 1/8″ and use shims under the table saw to get the perfect height.)

Instructions:

Start by drilling two pocket holes into the ends of the 4″ face of your 2″ x 4″ x 17″ leg supports.

Connect two table legs by driving 2½” pocket hole screws into the 17″ leg supports as shown below. Repeat for the other side.

Pre-drill one hole into each end of the 2″ x 2″ x 21″ top supports.

Connect the two leg assemblies with the 2″ x 2″ x 21″ top supports using two 2 ½” wood screws as shown below:

Repeat for the other side. Your table base should look like this:

Trace the legs on each corner of one of the 3/4″ plywood shelves.

Cut out the corner leg shapes you traced.

Place the shelf in between the leg assemblies. (I made the mistake of trying to add the shelf after adding the shelf supports.)

Pre-drill holes at the ends of the 2″ x 2″x 24″ lower shelf supports.

Secure the lower shelf support 1 ½” up from the base of the table saw stand with two 2 ½” wood screws per leg.

Place the bottom shelf on top of the lower shelf supports. Then center the top shelf on top of the base and pre-drill holes around the perimeter. Place one screw at each corner and four in between the corners.

Drive 2″ wood screws into the plywood top.

Set your table saw on your new stand. Use shims to raise the table saw and level if needed.

Slide your table saw stand up to the out feed table and start making some sawdust!

Collapsible Out Feed Table:

As I mentioned earlier, I was looking for a set up that could collapse easily should I need to pull my car into the garage. That’s how I discovered the Centipede collapsible work table. The Centipede is lightweight but strong, especially when you lay a sheet of plywood on top to distribute the weight.

It’s incredibly easy to set up as you can see from my Facebook Live video I took when I set up the Centipede for the first time:

After setting up the Centipede (which took less than a minute), I laid a 4′ x 8′ x 3/8″ PVC sheet on top of the Centipede for a work surface. The choice to go with the PVC sheet was two-fold. 1) I wanted something that was lighter weight than a piece of plywood (to keep things simple when I’m working on my own). 2) And the second reason I chose the PVC sheet over plywood was to have a nice smooth and clean surface for photography. So far the PVC works great. It has a few scratches on it now, but still works well as a back drop.

After using this set up all summer, I only found one drawback. The 3/8″ PVC sheet is stable but has some flex in it, so I can’t necessarily hammer on it without some bounce. But, I also purchased a large sheet of rigid foam insulation to use for cutting into when using a circular or track saw. I may try to put the rigid foam insulation sheet under the PVC sheet and see if that helps. Of course, I’ll have to raise my table saw a little, but it would be worth it to have a more stable surface.

Table Saw Review:

If you have an eagle eye, you may have noticed that there are not power cords coming from that table saw! That’s because, it’s a DeWalt FlexVolt Cordless Table Saw. DeWalt sent the tool to me to review and I honestly didn’t expect to like the saw as much as I do. I have been using the saw for over a year now and I LOVE IT! It’s completely portable so I can bring it with me on job sites. There are no cords, which frees up valuable electrical outlets in my shop.

The saw is definitely quieter than my old table saw. I love that the blade stops very quickly when the red stop button is pushed. (This could potentially reduce the severity of an injury, but not prevent it all together.)

The cuts it makes are very precise and smooth. Although it is battery powered, I haven’t noticed a difference in power between the FlexVolt and my corded table saw. I’ve used it to cut through plywood, pressure treated lumber and masonite. The only difference I have noticed is the blade will spin a little slower when the battery is almost drained. It won’t continue to decrease speed, instead when the saw senses the low battery it won’t allow you to continue making cuts without charging the battery.

You can keep an eye on the charge on the FlexVolt batteries by pressing the button on the charge indicator. I do recommend purchasing two FlexVolt batteries so you can always keep one charged. The length of time this saw will run on one battery is unbelievable. I expected much less out of the battery life, but I cut an entire pantry’s worth of plywood and still had plenty of juice left for another project.

This little set up is working out perfectly for my small shop. The DIY Table Saw Stand has storage underneath for extra blades, batteries and for the GRR-RIPPER 3D Push blocks (that I highly recommend for use with any table saw. They have changed the way I work with my table saw for the better.)

Let me know if you have any questions in the comment field. I’m happy to answer them.

Disclosure: The Dewalt FlexVolt Table Saw was sent to me for product review. I was not told what to write or paid for my review.

November 13, 2017/2 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

arts and craft, Build It, Holiday decorating, Home Decor, shutters, Upcycling

13 Creative Ways to Repurpose Old Shutters

Do you have a collection of old shutters filling up your storage space? Or do you want some ideas using old shutters in case you come across a set? If so, this post is for you! I’ve put together 13 creative ideas on how you can repurpose old shutters and turn them into something amazing.

Creative Ways to Repurpose Old Shutters:

Give an old dresser a gorgeous makeover using old shutters like Savvy Apron!

Keep your pets out of trouble by building a doggie gate from old plantation shutters like 11 Magnolia Lane.

Make a holiday card display with some old, tall shutters this December.

Use old shutters as a backdrop for your mantel to add a gorgeous farmhouse feel.

Stay organized with a Shutter To-Do Board like Hunt and Host made.

Use an old shutter to display your family photos or postcards!

Gain some privacy in your backyard by building a fence out of old shutters like DIY Bungalow did!

Use old shutters to dress up a plain dormer window on the inside of your home.

Shoppe No. 5 shows us how to make some amazing word art using old shutters.

Get some inspiration for using shutters to brighten up a dark fireplace at Shabby FuFu Blog.

Use old louvered bi-fold doors like Design Dreams by Anne to hide the clutter and make the space more beautiful.

Shutters can go indoors too, adding texture and contrast to a room like Chatfield Court.

Keep your jewelry in sight and mess-free, with this beautiful old shutter jewelry organizer by Design Dreams by Anne.

If you liked this collection of ideas, pin this image to share it with others!

If you liked this post, you must see these upcycled ideas:

12 Great Upcycled Ideas for Holiday Decor

November 10, 2017/6 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

Build It, Upcycling

6 of the Easiest Ways to Remove Pallet Wood

Last week I shared with you the cold hard facts about harvesting pallet wood. But, like you, I still like to use pallet wood from time to time. Just make sure you’ve weighed the risks and the work involved to harvest the pallet wood before you get started. Today I’m going to show you 6 of the Easiest Ways to Remove Pallet Wood. If you’re up for the challenge, let’s get started.

Pallet upcycling is all the rage today. But, if you’ve ever tried to remove the planks from a pallet, you know it’s not an easy task. Pallet nails are typically spiral nails and are designed to grip that wood with fierce strength. If that’s not enough, there can be 4-5 nails per joint. Sheesh, you’d think pallets were built to hold a 10 ton elephant. Well, actually, it is made to hold tons of product as it is lifted by a fork lift. Which explains why harvesting pallet wood can be labor intensive.

To save you time, sweat, and a backache; here are the quickest and easiest ways I’ve found to salvage beautiful rustic pallet wood. Read more

November 3, 2017/9 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

Build It

The Real Facts About Using Pallet Wood

The Real Facts about Using Pallet Wood

Pallet wood is EVERYWHERE! It’s hard to browse Pinterest without stumbling on a pallet wood project. Everyone and their cousin’s best friend have experimented with and built amazing things using pallet wood. Admit it, you’ve seen those beautiful projects and began driving behind your local shopping centers looking for those wooden freebies. Sadly, most pallet project creators won’t tell you the Real Facts about Using Pallet Wood. Put your mind at ease knowing that I’ll tell you the bare wood truths about using pallet wood. Then the next time you find yourself in a back alley attempting to haul that pallet into your trunk, you can weigh the facts.

A few weeks ago I slaved for over an hour trying to get those free pallets to relinquish their prized slats. As I bent over one pallet, sweating and swearing, I asked myself, “Wouldn’t it have been easier to spend $2-3 per board at Lowe’s?”

As I was building this porch swing with pallet wood, I began to create a list of the pros and cons of using pallet wood. By the time the paint had dried on the swing, I knew I had to be honest and share with you these facts so you could determine if using pallet wood is worth the effort and risks.

Benefits of Using Pallet Wood:

1. First and foremost, pallet wood is usually FREE!

2. Environmentally speaking, you are keeping pallets out of the landfill. Yay for being eco-friendly.

3. Pallet boards often have a beautiful rustic patina (pallet board on the left, new pine board on the right.)

4. The wood is usually strong.

5. It’s stylish and popular because the rustic industrial look is in style right now.

6. Everyone’s doing it—wait a minute! Just because everyone is doing it doesn’t mean you should jump on the bandwagon!

Why You Might NOT want to use Pallet Wood:

1. Actually removing pallet wood planks is difficult. Pallet wood is held on with spiral nails that are hard to remove without breaking or damaging the pallet wood. (Not to mention breaking your spirit!) Using a hammer and/or a regular pry bar is tedious and not super effective. You would be better off using a deck wrecking tool like this one. (affiliate link)

2. Harvesting pallet wood often damages the planks or causes them to split. You can salvage pallet wood using a circular saw and this technique, but your boards will end up being shorter.

3. Yes, you can use a reciprocating saw and/or multi-tool with a metal cutting blade, but getting a clean cut is difficult (usually you cut into some of the wood). And you are left with cut off nails that need to be removed, filed down, or avoided.

4. Pallet wood may be treated with chemicals to prevent deterioration. If you can find markings on the pallet, you might identify if the pallet was treated by looking for these codes.

5. You can never truly be sure what has spilled on the pallet and has absorbed into the wood. I’ll let your imagination wander. You should consider how you’d feel if you found out the pallet had a chemical spilled on it, animal urine, feces, or raw food. (For this reason, it’s a good idea to seal the wood with a polyurethane or polycrylic if you decide to use pallet wood.)

6. Pallet wood is not perfect. It usually is low grade wood and has dings, cracks, splits, or large splinters.

7. Pallet wood may have staples and tacks that will need removal.

8. Pallet wood isn’t normally smooth and may need extra sanding to get a usable plank.

9. Pallet wood is rarely straight.

10. The planks aren’t usually a uniform thickness. To achieve uniform thickness, they’ll need to be planed. But, make sure you have removed all nails and staples or you risk damaging your planer blades.

11. When you’re done harvesting pallet wood you’ll need to find somewhere to dispose of the pieces you don’t use. Most waste companies won’t take pallets because they label them as construction waste.

Now that you know the pros and cons of pallet wood, you can weigh them and decide if you want to use that free pallet wood or buy new boards from your local home improvement store.

After all, pine framing lumber is cheap! And luckily, you can fake the age of new wood using this tutorial:

Lest you think I’m scaring you away from using pallet wood, here are a few cool projects you can make with it.

Clad walls with pallet wood to create a beautiful feature wall:

Use pallet wood to create a bread crate display shelf:

Or make a serving tray out of pallet wood (be sure that your pallet wood is clean, chemical free and always use a plate under the food.)

What are your thoughts and experiences with using pallet wood? Have you made anything using pallet wood? Would you do it again? Let’s open up the conversation in the comments below!

October 27, 2017/28 Comments/by Brittany Bailey