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Build It, Gift Ideas, Trash to Treasure, Tutorial, Upcycling

Got Scrap Wood? DIY Gift Caddies using Scrap Molding

DIY gift caddies made from scrap trim is a great way to create an inexpensive gift basket AND use up all those little pieces of scrap trim in your wood pile.

DIY Gift Caddies using Scrap Molding

Christmas is a few weeks away and I don’t feel like going shopping in the mall. I’m not really sure what to get everybody. But, after mulling over all the scrap trim in my scrap wood pile, I came up with a genius plan. Gift baskets are always a winning idea for anyone on your list because they can be filled with a variety of gifts in a theme. Fill these caddies with anything you like, but be sure to leave me a comment letting me know what you included in your gift caddies!

Ready to get started? Let’s turn this scrap wood pile into…

… beautiful DIY gift caddies!

Gather these materials and tools and then we can get building!

Materials & Tools:

(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.)

Protective Equipment:

Materials:

3/4″ plywood
Copper pipe (or dowel rod or a thick branch)
Chalk Paint
Construction Adhesive
Wood putty

Tools:

Cut List:

1 – 3/4″ x 8″ x 18″ plywood
2 – 3/4″ x 8″ x 11″ plywood
4 – pieces of 18″ trim molding (egg & dart, colonial trim)
1 – 3/4″ pipe or rod cut to 17 ½”

If you need tips for cutting metal pipe, click here to see how easy it is to cut metal pipes by hand or watch my video:

Scrap Trim Ideas:

You can use any scrap trim molding you have on hand. For a simple caddy, use flat door casing or door stop. For a more decorative look, use trim with more details. No scrap trim? No problem! At Home Depot, you can purchase trim by the linear foot, so feel free to head over there and purchase a 3 foot section of decorative trim for your 18″ long caddy.

You’ll probably want to steer clear of polystyrene trim since it’s not as strong, nails will go right through it, and wood glue generally won’t hold it firmly.

Instructions:

To start this project, cut your wood from the cut list above. Definitely watch my video to learn how to make these simple DIY Gift Caddies using Scrap Molding!

The base of my gift caddy is 8” x 18”, but feel free to make your caddy a custom size based on your scraps or your gifts.

Cutting the top of the sides:

You can curve the top of your caddy by tracing the perimeter of a paint can or another round object.

Alternatively, you can cut straight angles off the top corners as shown in the diagram below. Simply mark off two inches at the top of the sides. Then make an angled line down to the location where your trim starts on the sides.

Cut the top profiles using a band saw or jigsaw. If you don’t have either, you can use a coping saw.

Sand off any rough edges from your plywood pieces using a sander.

Adding Scrap Trim:

Now it’s time to use all your fabulous scrap trim. You can use whatever trim you have laying around, there are no rules. I chose a piece of door trim and some decorative egg and dart trim for this caddy.

Cut your molding to 18” (the same length as the base).

Caddy Handles:

For the caddy handle, I happened to have some copper pipe in my scrap pile, but you can use a dowel, old closet rod, or even a branch like I used on this caddy.

Use a forstner bit the same width as your handle to drill halfway into the caddy sides. (For the branch, you might want to drill completely through the sides.) The 3/4″ copper pipe is equal to a 7/8″ forstner bit.

Dry fit the handle into the sides. You’ll need to measure to make sure the width of your caddy is the same at the top and bottom. You might have to drill a little deeper into the sides until the top is equal to the bottom when the handle is fitted into the holes.

Assemble the Caddy:

Run a bead of glue along each end of your base. Then set the sides on top of the base.

To secure the handle, add a bunch of construction adhesive into the holes you drilled into the sides.

Assemble the caddy. Clean up any glue squeeze-out. Flip your caddy onto its side and secure the base into the sides with several brad nails.

To secure the scrap trim sides. Use more wood glue along the edges of the side pieces. Then set the trim in place and secure it with a few more nails. Wipe off any glue squeeze-out.

This next step is truly optional. I like to add a divider in larger caddies. If you want to do the same, cut a piece of one-by to fit inside the caddy. Add some wood glue onto the bottom and sides of the divider, then set it in place.

Finish off the caddy build by adding trim to the other side. Secure the trim and divider with nails.

Finishing the Caddy:

Use a wood putty to fill in the gaps and nail holes. After the wood putty dries, sand it smooth.

Paint or stain the caddy in the color of your choice. Finish the caddy with polyurethane or wax to protect it.

Fill Your Gift Caddy:

You can fill these caddies with just about anything! Create a snack basket:

Or a fill it with a candle, eye mask, cozy blanket, and a magazine for a relaxation basket.

I would honestly love to hear your suggestions for things to add to these gift caddies in the comments below! Until next time, hope you have a very Happy Holiday season!

Like this gift idea? Then you’ll love these additional gift basket ideas:

November 28, 2020/0 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

arts and craft, Crafts, decor, Decorating, DIY, Gift Ideas, gifts, Home Decor, Tutorial

DIY Fabric Tile Coasters

Hello! How are we all doing?

The holidays may look a lot different this year, but the same sentiments and traditions are still here. If you have a tradition of making handmade holiday gifts, I have the perfect craft for you today! These DIY fabric tile coasters are a cinch to put together and you can customize them with any fabric you like.

This project is not only easy, it’s inexpensive too. Pick up square tiles from a home improvement store for as little as 15 cents. Then grab some fabric scraps to make these coasters come together.

I’m sharing the full tutorial plus some tips on making your coasters waterproof! So, let’s get started.

How to Make DIY Fabric Tile Coasters

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:

Step 1: Cut Fabric to Size

The first thing you need to do is cut your fabric to size. I tried this many different ways and by far the best looking option is to cut them slightly smaller than the tile. This will leave a small white border around the top of the coaster but it will look neater. Plus, it is much easier to apply this way.

Use a rotary cutter to get the neatest cuts, but if you don’t have one, use a pair of very sharp scissors or fabric scissors.

Step 2: Apply Fabric to Tile

Take your foam brush and paint a layer of Mod Podge onto the top of your tile. Then, apply your fabric square to the tile, Smooth out bubbles as you apply.

Once your fabric is aligned properly and smooth, apply another layer of Mod Podge on top of the fabric.

Set aside your tile coasters to dry.

Step 3: Waterproof and Seal your Coaster

Once your Fabric and Mod Podge fully dries, you will notice it feels a little stiff and tacky. Eventually, this will go away but if you don’t have time on your hands and you really want to waterproof them, you’ll need to seal them.

With any of these sealers, you want to spray outdoors or in an area with really good ventilation – as the fumes are pretty strong.

One way to seal them is to use an acrylic sealer spray from Mod Podge. You can buy this in gloss or matte. I only had matte on hand but I do think gloss is the way to go here.

Another sealer (which I haven’t personally tried yet) is called Engine Enamel. This is made by Rustoleum and is actually for cars! But I’ve heard it works here too. It will give a glossy finish to your coasters and protect them from water and heat.

Finally, a third option is to use resin. Resins can be more expensive than the first two options, so keep this in mind. EnviroTex Lite is a resin sold at Michael’s and other craft stores and gives your finished coaster a very high gloss, polished look. It’s really beautiful so if you are serious about your coaster making, this is definitely the winner here.

Step 4: Apply Cork to Bottom of Tile

After your coasters are dried and sealed, let’s finish the bottom. Tile squares can be a bit rough on the bottom, so we need to cover them.

I found these cork squares on Amazon and they fit perfectly! They are also sticky on one side, so you just need to peel off the back and apply.

Another option is to use felt squares and hot glue them to the bottom.

These coasters are easy to create and make wonderful handmade gifts – even for a hostess!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial! Enjoy this holiday season, even if it does look a bit different. 🙂

~ See More of Karen’s Tutorials ~

Hello! I’m Karen, the creator of the Home Decor and DIY Blog: Decor Hint. I’m a Native of the East Coast, but I currently live in beautiful Seattle with my hubby, our two wonderful children, and our spunky wheaten terrier.

You can usually find me with some sort of craft in one hand and a coffee in the other. And I’m always rearranging furniture or moving lamps from room to room. I have a passion (read: obsession) for decorating, DIY, and gardening. In short, I love making my house into a home.

Like many, I’m inspired by what I see in home decor magazines, but I’m not so inspired by the price tags. Consequently, I love finding and creating beautiful budget-friendly home decor items. In a head to head competition, I bet you’d never know the difference between the designer items and my DIY creations! Many of my DIY projects focus on sewing, crafting, upcycling, and organizing. Some of my favorite projects have been making pretty wreaths, sewing my own tassel hand towels, and crafting these trendy wood bead garlands. I can’t wait to inspire you and spark your creativity through my DIY projects.

You can always connect with me on Pinterest, Twitter or Instagram.

November 25, 2020/0 Comments/by Karen Decor Hint

arts and craft, autumn fall decor, Crafts, DIY, Holiday decorating, Paintbrushes, painting, tablescape, Thanksgiving, Tutorial, Uncategorized

DIY Leaf Place Cards for the Holidays

view of napkins tied with jute twine and a clay leaf place card

DIY Leaf Place Cards for the Holidays

I hope your fall has been lovely so far. The weather is just starting to turn here in NC. I have to say, I love the weather here compared to Seattle. We never experienced so much sun day after day! Today, with Fall weather on my mind, I’m making you these DIY leaf place cards for the upcoming holidays. These place cards are little clay leaves inspired by nature (hello, fall!) and painted in a beautiful gold color to elevate them for elegant dinners and parties.

You’ll love my secret for getting those fancy leaf edges from your clay too – read on to find out how I do it.

These place cards can be used time and time again, just change out the name tag for each new guest.

I hope you enjoy this craft!

Materials:

Gold Paint
PaintBrush
Air Dry Clay
Flat Screwdriver
Rolling Pin
Toothpick
Leaves from Outside
Jute Twine
Wax Paper
Cardstock
Pen for Writing

Instructions:

Step 1: Roll our your Air Dry Clay

Grab a ball of air-dry clay and with slightly wet hands, roll it out using your rolling pin. You want it to be about ¼ inch thick. If you make it too thin, it will be too fragile and crack.

Step 2: Make a Leaf Imprint

Take your leaf, and lay it on top of your clay. Using your rolling pin, roll carefully over the leaf several times, creating an imprint of the leaf onto the leaf.

Step 3: Cut your Leaf Out

Here’s where the magic happens! You should see a beautiful leaf imprint in your clay. Take a flat screwdriver and make little divots on the side of your clay leaf, where the leaf would naturally have edges.

Do this all the way around, and then carefully remove your leaf. Using a toothpick, make a hole in the top of your leaf. This will be for tying your jute twine later.

I take the leaf in my hands and slightly bend it to give it a more natural leaf shape, but you are welcome to keep it flat too. Place your leaf on wax paper and allow it to air dry naturally for a couple of days.

Step 4: Paint your Clay Leaves

After your leaves dry, take a paintbrush and gold paint and lightly brush a few coats on the top and sides of your clay leaf. Set them aside to dry.

Step 5: Tie on a Nametag

Our leaves are looking beautiful! Now, all we need to do is cut a small tag of cardstock and write the guest’s name on it. Use a hole punch to cut a hole in the cardstock. Tie this to your leaf by threading your jute twine through the hole we created in the leaf in Step 3.

Simply beautiful!

I like to tie my cloth napkins with jute twine, and then tie the clay leaf name tag to it.

How pretty and unique are these!? I’m sure you will get some comments from your guests. And they will feel so special sitting at this elegant dinner with you.

As I said earlier, you can reuse these DIY leaf place cards. Once you get the hang of making one leaf, the rest don’t take long. You can also try this project with different shaped leaves, such as maple leaves.

My daughter and I foraged for some leaves together. She happened to find the pretty ones I ended up using. Thanks, Hannah!

Grab the kids and make this a family project. It’s a great craft to do around the holidays.

~ See More of Karen’s Tutorials ~

Hello! I’m Karen, the creator of the Home Decor and DIY Blog: Decor Hint. I’m a Native of the East Coast, but I currently live in beautiful Seattle with my hubby, our two wonderful children, and our spunky wheaten terrier.

You can usually find me with some sort of craft in one hand and a coffee in the other. And I’m always rearranging furniture or moving lamps from room to room. I have a passion (read: obsession) for decorating, DIY, and gardening. In short, I love making my house into a home.

Like many, I’m inspired by what I see in home decor magazines, but I’m not so inspired by the price tags. Consequently, I love finding and creating beautiful budget-friendly home decor items. In a head to head competition, I bet you’d never know the difference between the designer items and my DIY creations! Many of my DIY projects focus on sewing, crafting, upcycling and organizing. Some of my favorite projects have been making pretty wreaths, sewing my own tassel hand towels, and crafting these trendy wood bead garlands. I can’t wait to inspire you and spark your creativity through my DIY projects.

You can always connect with me on Pinterest, Twitter or Instagram.

If you liked this tutorial, you’ll love these fall tablescape ideas:

October 28, 2020/1 Comment/by Karen Decor Hint

bedroom, Build It, circular saw, DIY, DIYCourage, DIYLikeaBoss, Do It Yourself, Furniture, Guest room, Home Decor, Tutorial

DIY Modern Boho Side Table

I built this side table as part of the bedroom furniture set for my daughter’s new room. It may look a little complicated, but can be built with a circular saw or a table saw. Let’s make this DIY Modern Boho Side Table!

DIY Modern Boho Side Table

Hello again! This is Kristen from In Her Garage and I am going to show you how I built this simple DIY side table (or nightstand). I built this as part of the bedroom furniture set for my daughter’s new room. We decided that we liked the Boho furniture trend and think it complements the bedding she picked out.

This side table is small but can be customized to your desires. It measures 24″w x 24″h x 17″d and is made from birch plywood. The side table incorporates beveled edges (which I think gives it a crisp and clean look). It may look a little complicated, but these corners can be achieved using a circular saw or a table saw. Let’s get making!

How to Build a Side Table

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.)

1- 3/4″ x 4′ x 8′
1 roll birch iron-on edge banding
1- 16″ bottom mount drawer slide
Wood glue
Wood putty
Painter’s tape
Paint/stain

Tools:

Circular saw or table saw
Kreg jig
Brad nailer
Self-centering drill bit (optional but super helpful)
Drill

Cut list:

2- 3/4″ x 24″ x 17″ – with a 45° bevel along one short edge (sides)
1- 3/4″ x 24″ x 17″ – with two 45° bevels along both short edges (top)
1- 3/4″ x 22 ½” x 17″ (bottom shelf)
1- 3/4″ x 22 ¼ ” x 5″ (drawer face)

Instructions:

Step 1: Cut the bevel into the top and side panels of the side table.

Using either your table saw or your circular saw, adjust the blade to cut at a 45° bevel. To get this measurement exact I use a Wixey Digital Angle Finder which is helpful but if you don’t have this tool then feel free to use a speed square or protractor.
Each side panel should have one bevel cut along the top edge
The top panel should have a bevel cut along each side as pictured below

Step 2: Add pocket holes to the shelf panel

Using your Kreg Jig, set to 3/4″ depth, drill three pocket holes into each side on the bottom of the shelf panel. This is how your shelf will attach to the sides of the side table.

Step 3: Edge banding

I won’t go over all of the steps for applying iron-on edge banding in this tutorial because the Pretty Handy Girl has already done this for me! If you are new to edge banding check out Brittany’s Edge Banding Tutorial.

You will need to edge band the front edge of each panel (side panels, top panel, and shelf panel). This will finish the visible sides.
You can also edge band all edges of the drawer face if you wish. This piece will be inset into the side table, so the edges won’t be visible when the drawer is closed but you’ll see them when open.
Another option would be to use a solid piece of 1×6 for the drawer face to avoid needing to band the edges all together. (I used a scrap piece of 1×6 so it didn’t need edge banding.)

Step 4: Install drawer slides to table carcass

Install the drawer slides (meant to attach to the cabinet) on the inside of each side panel measuring down 4 ½” from the top of the bevel and 3/4″ in from the front edge as shown. This is the step where the self-centering drill bit is really helpful to have!

Step 5: Assemble the sides and top panels. The table will be upside down during assembly

Add two pieces of painter’s tape to each of the two outside edges of the top panel, perpendicular to both beveled edges.
Set the top panel down on your work surface upside down, sticky side of the tape facing up, and place the two side panels with the beveled edges touching the top panel’s beveled edge, also being sure to align the front and back of the panels. Press down firmly so the tape sticks to all three panels.

Add an even bead of glue to both beveled surfaces and then lift one side panel as if closing a book. The two beveled edges will meet, and the tape will hold it in place (see photos below). Repeat this step for the other side panel.

The photo below is from another project, but shows how to use painter’s tape for holding the bevel joint in place.

You can add a few 1 ¼” brad nails to the joint to help hold it in place. Use wood putty to fill in the brad holes and sand smooth.

Step 6: Install shelf panel

Install the shelf 4″ from the bottom of each side panel using wood glue and 1 ¼” pocket holes.
This step is easier to accomplish with wood clamps or by carefully laying the table on one side.

Step 7: Build the drawer

There are several different ways to build drawer boxes. The dimensions for this drawer are 3 ½” tall and 18″ deep. The width of your drawer depends on the specific drawer slides that you’ve chosen to use. I have provided a diagram for a simple method of building drawer boxes. (Or you can follow this tutorial for building drawers.)

Step 8: Paint or Stain and Finish

Once the side table carcass is assembled and the drawer face has been edge-banded (if that is what you chose to do) then you can paint or stain your DIY side table. I chose to paint the carcass and apply a gloss top coat to give it a pretty shine. I left the drawer face a natural wood color because this is what looked best in my daughter’s room.

Step 9: Install the drawer face

Once the carcass and drawer face are finished to your liking then you can slide the drawer box into place.
Attach the drawer face using super glue and simply eye-balling the top and side gaps. Hold the drawer face firmly against the drawer box until they adhere together. Then gently pull the drawer out and drive two 1 ¼” wood screws from inside the drawer into the back of the drawer face.

Feel free to add a pretty drawer pull or knob if you want. My daughter liked it without, so we decided to leave it as is.

Check out the entire furniture collection that I created for my youngest daughter’s bedroom.

DIY Platform Bed and DIY Quote Sign

Stay tuned for the DIY Hanging Bookshelf that I will be teaching you how to make next month!

Hi! I’m Kristen, from In Her Garage, and I am a self-taught woodworker and DIY fanatic from Minnesota where I live with my husband and our two daughters. Between being a wife, mom and, registered nurse, I try to make as much time for DIY as possible. My love for building came after our family built our current home in 2015. After we moved in, we needed furniture and instead of spending massive amounts of money to order the pieces we wanted I decided that I would build them myself. I started with a buffet table plan from the fabulous Ana-white and quickly set out to remodel my entire home office.

Since then I have started a side business building furniture for the people in my community. I love hearing my clients talk about the pieces they wish they had whether it be a rustic buffet table, a one drawer side table, or a toy box and then making it a reality for them. While starting my small business it made perfect sense that I would document my building journey so I simultaneously launched the In Her Garage blog and I love sharing my plans, tips and tricks.

Making something beautiful with your own two hands through a little preparation and determination is an amazing feeling and I hope to bring inspiration and know-how to those looking to tackle a big or small project.
I am so glad that you found me here and please feel free to connect with me on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube to see what I am working on right now.

October 21, 2020/0 Comments/by In Her Garage

art, arts and craft, kids art, Paintbrushes, painting, Summer, Tutorial

Easy to Paint Watercolor Daisies

Learn how to paint these watercolor daisies with this easy tutorial!

Easy to Paint Watercolor Daisies

Hello, Pretty Handy Girl Readers! Guess what? I found my box of watercolors. If you remember, last month I moved from Seattle to NC and things were a bit crazy there (still are, actually.) I’m back with another watercolor tutorial and this one is easy. Well, actually, they’ve all been pretty easy so far, right?

As a reminder, we’ve learned how to paint pink peonies:

Then I taught you how to paint lavender in watercolor:

Now let’s learn how to paint these daisies. Call them coreopsis. They are the cutest little flowers and so easy to create.

Let’s get started!

How to Paint Watercolor Daisies

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:

Step 1: Create a basic star flower shape

Using a medium-sized brush, dip your brush in the water and then the color, and paint a few runny lines in a star shape. This is going to serve as the base for our flower. Don’t worry if the petals don’t look perfect right now. We are going to define them a little more at the end. Remember, watercolor is supposed to be kind of runny and imperfect.

Step 2: Create more petals deeper in color

Working with the same brush we used in Step 1, grab some of the same watercolor paint. We want a richer, deeper color here so don’t use as much water. Paint a smaller star shape on top of the star shape you painted in Step 1. Try to go in between the petals previous petals. We are creating dimension and depth of the flower.

Step 3: Create the center of the flower

Now we need to define that center part of the flower. Take a smaller brush and add a bit of yellow/orange color to it. Dot it in the center of your flower, using kind of a stippling motion. You can do this several times to create a deeper, darker center. Don’t fret, it should look somewhat messy and imperfect.

Step 4: Define your petals

Finally, let’s take some of the petal color and define our petals a little more. You will want to use a smaller round brush for this. Dip a bit of water on the end of your brush, then dip it in the petal color. Define the ends of a few petals by outlining them. I don’t think you need to outline all of them. Use your artist’s eye here and determine what looks good.

That’s it!

Put on some music and just let your brushes carry you away for a little bit. Forget about the world for a moment. We could all use a little escape.

Thoughts on Paper:

Watercolor paper really does make a difference in how your final art looks, but you can still just use regular paper until you find the time and budget to buy some. In other words, don’t let not having the right materials hold you back. Watercolor painting is very relaxing and therapeutic.

If you make a page of these little flowers, you have yourself a little piece of frameable art for your walls. I hope you are enjoying these tutorials. Let me know if you are enjoying these watercolor tutorials in the comments below.

Stay safe out there, my friends! I’ll see you next month!

~ See More of Karen’s Tutorials ~

Hello! I’m Karen, the creator of the Home Decor and DIY Blog: Decor Hint. I’m a Native of the East Coast, but I currently live in beautiful Seattle with my hubby, our two wonderful children, and our spunky wheaten terrier.

You can usually find me with some sort of craft in one hand and a coffee in the other. And I’m always rearranging furniture or moving lamps from room to room. I have a passion (read: obsession) for decorating, DIY, and gardening. In short, I love making my house into a home.

Like many, I’m inspired by what I see in home decor magazines, but I’m not so inspired by the price tags. Consequently, I love finding and creating beautiful budget-friendly home decor items. In a head to head competition, I bet you’d never know the difference between the designer items and my DIY creations! Many of my DIY projects focus on sewing, crafting, upcycling and organizing. Some of my favorite projects have been making pretty wreaths, sewing my own tassel hand towels, and crafting these trendy wood bead garlands. I can’t wait to inspire you and spark your creativity through my DIY projects.

You can always connect with me on Pinterest, Twitter or Instagram.

September 23, 2020/0 Comments/by Karen Decor Hint