diy wood projects

DIY Rustic Tables for Your Garden

Posted on August 11, 2020 by Garden

The great thing about DIY rustic tables is that they can be made out of just about anything. The other good thing about them is that they are always unique and interesting, and it doesn’t cost you a fortune to make them.

What Can You Use?

DIY rustic tables can be created from reclaimed wood or even pallets. The surface of the table can be polished or stained, and if it is an old architectural piece, even better. An old door or some reclaimed flooring wood can look fantastic as a table top. If you are lucky enough to have a table sized piece of wood, you can just use this. Alternatively, you can fit separate planks together and use these.

Of course a table is more than a table top, even DIY rustic tables, so you will need to consider the support. You can find a wide range of plans online or alternatively come up with your own design. However, the important thing to remember about making a table is that it needs to be stable and strong enough to support the table top. So as long as you cut the wood for the table legs accurately and can fit them to the table top, you don’t have to worry too much.

Why DIY?

The whole point about DIY rustic tables is that they look homemade and quirky. This is part of their charm so you don’t have to worry about your woodworking skills as long as you can carry out basic skills such as measuring accurately, sawing, and fitting together with screws.

For easy to make DIY rustic tables, try fitting cross bars as support rather than legs. These can be made simply and even bought from the hardware store. Fit cross bars at each end of the table top and in the middle if it is big, and the result can look spectacular. In addition, this type of rustic DIY table is high enough to suit chairs and to be used for alfresco dining.

Alternatively, you can use pallets to make the entire table. A low level coffee table can be fantastic in the garden and only requires one pallet and some wheels for added height and mobility. To make DIY rustic tables like this, just fit some industrial wheels to each corner of the pallet and rub down and stain the wood. You could also use blocks or other pallet pieces in order to reach the desired height.

Creating DIY rustic tables for your garden adds interest to your outside space. These tables are fun to make and are very inexpensive. A rustic table can transform an area of your garden or your patio into a place for entertaining and eating outside.

To take this further, DIY rustic seating is equally easy. Try finding or making benches, seat sized wood logs, or any other reclaimed wood that you can find. Once you get the bug for upcycling, you are only restricted by your imagination, and with so many great ideas online you can soon be creating your own style of DIY rustic tables and chairs for your garden.

How to Make and Use DIY Farmhouse Shelf Brackets

Posted on July 14, 2020 by Home

Storage space is always important, so putting up shelves is a great way to keep your home tidy, as well as display your ornaments and treasured objects. Although a shelf is generally only there as a support to other things, making your own DIY farmhouse shelf brackets can also look stylish and effective. In addition making your own shelves is a cost effective way of improving your home.

Steps to Making DIY Farmhouse Shelf Brackets

First up you will need wood for the body of the shelves. You can use just about anything for this, but if you don’t have any spare pieces of wood lying around, try using pine or alternatively white wood. You can get this from any DIY store, and it is not expensive. You can get this cut to size in the store, which makes life easier.

You will also need to get in the brackets. You can make these from wood, but an easier option is to buy ready-made shelf brackets in metal. Check that the brackets are the right size for your wood. The bracket will need to be able to fit around the wood to keep it in place so this is important.

Stain your wood with wood stain. Even though you may be using pine, you can stain it with an oak finish for example which looks great.

The next step is to fix your shelves to the walls. You need to mark out where they will go and make sure they are straight. Mark where the fixing holes for the brackets will go. Then drill the holes and fix the brackets in place. For most DIY farmhouse shelf brackets, 3 inch screws will probably be enough. Depending upon the length of your shelves you will probably need 2 or 3 brackets for each one.

Once the brackets are fixed to the wall, you can just position the wooden shelves on the supports and the job is completed; a fantastically rustic and functional DIY shelving unit that will suit any room in the house.

You don’t have to just stick with using metal shelving brackets, although these are certainly the easiest option.

You could also make your own DIY farmhouse shelf brackets out of wood if your woodworking skills are up to it. You will need a mitre saw for cutting the wood at right angles and need screws or wood glue to hold them in place. These types of brackets do have a wonderfully rustic appeal and can be designed to fit any size.

When making wooden shelving brackets, it is important to ensure that all are exactly the same size with the same angle.

You should fix a wooden bracket at a distance of around 12 inches per shelf in order to ensure that it is stable and strong. In most cases, 4 brackets should be enough for an averagely long shelf. You can use 2- 1″ x 2″ x 6′ boards- or scrap pieces that are no less than 9″ long fitting them together with screws and wood glue once they are in the gallows position.

Tips for Redoing Hard Wood Floors

Posted on May 11, 2020 by Home

If you like DIY wood projects, you’ll love our six tips for redoing hard wood floors by yourself. Wooden flooring can look fantastic, but can become worn out and scruffy if it is not maintained. Redoing hard wood floors is not always a difficult job. You may find that you can improve the look of your flooring without carrying out resanding. Alternatively, this may be the best option. Check out our tips to find out more!

6 Tips for Redoing Hard Wood Floors

Tip 1

Try deep cleaning your hard wood floor. To do this, sweep thoroughly with a soft bristle broom, which won’t damage the wood.  Get out the vacuum cleaner to get in between floor boards and into corners. Finally, use a concentrated cleaning product especially designed for hard wood floors. Clean, with a clean microfiber mop and bucket and allow drying naturally.

Tip 2

Once your wood floor is as clean as possible, you may be able to revive the appearance of the wood with a specialist product such as a laminate floor renewal kit, which you can get from your hardware store.  This is quite messy and time consuming as you have to apply it and then leave it for at least 24 hours to dry and around a week to fully harden. This type of product is not compatible with waxed floors, so make sure you read the directions fully before you buy.

Other products are suitable for waxed flooring or polyurethane finishes and may be enough to revive a tired looking wood floor.

Tip 3

If the damage is too bad you may need to think about redoing your hard wood floor. This is not a difficult job in terms of required skills, but it is going to be messy and time consuming. The good news is that once you have done it, you have what looks like a brand new floor. If DIY wood projects are your thing, then going straight to this option may be your best bet.

Tip 4

First you may need to repair damage such as nicks and gouges. Use wood putty and a flat bladed knife to apply, and make sure you leave it to dry. Follow the directions on the wood putty container. It can take around a week for wood putty to fully harden so you may need to be patient.

Tip 5

Hiring a sander is much easier than carrying out this work by hand with sandpaper. It will save you a lot of time and will result in a more even finish. Make sure that the floor is evenly sanded and that any residue from the filler is cleaned away. Ideally, you will want to seal the wood on the same day to prevent the floor from absorbing moisture.

Tip 6

Choose the type of finish that best suits your needs. This is a crucial step when redoing hard wood floors so you need to think about this in advance. There are three basic types of finish for hardwood floors:

Polyurethane Finish: This type of finish is hard wearing and perfect for busy areas in your house and high moisture areas.

Varnish: This can be either in a gloss or matte finish. Gloss is more durable and it creates a wonderful fresh effect.

Penetrating Sealer: This is the most natural option as it creates a natural finish that brings out the grain in the wood. Once the sealer is applied you can wax the floor for added protection. 

What tips for redoing hard wood floors do you have for our readers?

Try These Seasonal DIY Wood Projects

Posted on November 26, 2019 by Home

Once the weather starts getting colder and the nights start drawing in, it is a good time to start thinking about DIY wood projects. The type of DIY projects you pursue will largely depend upon your skills, your tools, and your confidence levels, but it is important to remember that all these things can be learned over time. So what are you waiting for?

4 Ideas for DIY Wood Projects

Small seasonal projects can be satisfying. Here are a few easy ideas to get started.

Christmas Table Centerpiece

A wooden rustic display stand that you can use as a table centerpiece for your Christmas candles, flowers, or decorative leaves, is a great way to liven up your room.

Candle Holders

What about some rustic candle holders? You can make these in an afternoon out of an old piece of fence post. Just cut the posts to the required sizes and paint them with a candy stripe decoration. Once the paint has dried, drill a small hole in the top of each one and insert a tea light. The result is a festive light stack which will look great indoors or outside in the garden.

Advent Calendar

Another great festive idea is to create your own advent calendar. Again, it is so simple that you will be amazed you haven’t thought of it before. Cut a triangular piece of wood and paint it. Then hammer in some nails as hooks for small galvanized tins, available in any hobby store. Fill the tins with seasonal treats and presto, you have your own homemade advent calendar.

Christmas Card Holder

Every year, the Christmas cards seem to increase in number. Keep them tidy and display them all in their full beauty by making a simple wooden tree holder. Get some lightweight boards and cut them into lengths – reflecting the conical shape of the Christmas tree. Paint the board in seasonal colors and fix them to a central board – the trunk of the tree. Now glue on pins for the cards and there you have it – the perfect seasonal support for your Christmas cards.

Your DIY wood projects don’t have to be big to be satisfying, and starting out on small decorative pieces gives you a way to build up your confidence and get used to using the tools.

You can find hints and tips online via Pinterest. If you are new to woodworking, following YouTube videos can show you how and suggest lots of great seasonal ideas to decorate your home.

One thing is for sure. Once you have the DIY home decorating bug, you may find that your ideas for DIY wood projects will grow ever more ambitious and complicated. This time next year you may even be considering making some more permanent pieces for your home. Happy holidays!