WHERE DO U GET UR LEGS nightstand

 

One question I get asked a lot is "where do you get the legs you add to furniture?"

 

 

The answer is everywhere.

Most of my legs are salvaged from other vintage pieces but sometimes

I can find new legs at Hardware stores. Legs can be cut from bed posts,

pillars, table legs, and chairs.

 

NOTE

I only take legs from pieces that are not worth keeping together.

 

 

I bought this chair just before I got sick and planned to show you how to take it apart for all the

 useful parts. That plan went out the window with the oncoming fever I was sporting a few hours later.

 

I knew I wanted it just for parts, and look at the stained underside of the

chair who wants to work closely reupholstering that.

Eeekkkk!!!

 

 

I was able to use both the front and back legs from the chair for this nightstand.

 

 

Categories: do, get, legs, nightstand, u, ur, where

COTTAGE SIGN lady pamela

Lady Pamela emailed me after stumbling upon my last show in South Surrey,

she also happens to be a fellow blogger that I follow.

Here is some of the email she sent me:

Hi ,

I have been wanting a sign for my home that says "Lady Pamelas Cottage" for many years now,

but could never decide on what style exactly. I really loved the signs you had at the sale.

The only thing that I know for sure is that it has to say "Lady Pamelas Cottage" on it.

Other than that, perhaps my favorite white roses.

I enjoy working on signs and even more when there is a direction as clear as Pamelas.

Her sign is made from a vintage foot board cut to 35" wide to fit her space and an old rose mirror frame.

 Yes Mother if the roses look familiar it is your old mirror from the bathroom.

Dont give me any grief you gave it to me years ago.

The new owner has only seen photos so far but here is some of what she wrote me:

! My mouth dropped open.

It is soooooo beautiful and perfect.

I cant believe you caught the essence of my decorating soul.

I am giddy with happiness.

Lady Pamela

And now I need a favor from you.

Over the weekend I received a very nice email with this attachment.

Look familiar ??   Look again ...

Katie, a local graphic designer played with my header logo and came up with this.

I think this is so very cool that she did this and now I want you to weigh in on which one you

would like to see when you come to my page.

The new crisp professionally designed one

or

The old familiar one I made

Categories: cottage, lady, pamela, sign

SHEET MUSIC WREATH tutorial

Over the weekend a friend and I spend some time building her a

sheet music wreath to hang over her mantle.

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

glue gun and glue

scissors

hole punch

box cutter knife

string

sheet music (minimum 32 pages)

square of heavy box cardboard (min. 6 x 6)

We made an extra large one using full pages on the outer ring

and half pages for the inner ring.

Start by wrapping your first page into a cone and secure with hot glue.

It may take a few tries but you will get the hang of making the cones

fairly quick. For the outer ring Lisa got in the groove quicker then I did,

so we let her hands finish all the outer ring.

While I ran beads of hot glue down the sides of each finished cone to attach the next.

Normally I use 21 cones for the outer ring,

 regardless of the size.

Lisa just kept making them so we ended with 24 cones.

21 cones so far

Rather than attached them to a backer to start,

I like attaching them to each other so I can stretch them

into a circle and they flatten out a bit.

PHOTO EXAMPLE BELOW

The second layer of cones we used 23 half sheets.

I got into the groove of making these ones while Lisa was cutting the sheets for me.

Each were glued over the bottom layer seams.

Once the second layer is in place gently turn your wreath over.

You will quickly see or feel how flexible the wreath is right now.

Here is where we attached the cardboard to stiffen up the wreath and create your hanger.

Cut your cardboard into a square and hot glue into place.

Punch a hole for your hanging string in a corner of the cardboard backer.

This step is easy to do with a paper hole punch just before you attached it to the wreath.

Measure and cut your hanging string extra long (you can always shorten it later)

Thread it threw your cardboard and secure it with some glue.

We picked one of the extra pin wheels left over from the Christmas sale

to glue in the center.

Here she is proudly displayed over Lisas mantle.

 

 *****************************************

 

 

Categories: music, sheet, tutorial, wreath

PILLARS PANSIES PENDANTS and PATIENCE reclaimed decor items

Ive been working magic to transform unwanted furniture bits

into fabulous home decor items.

Plaster Molding Wall Hooks

Reclaimed Cabinet Doors with French Graphics

Pillar Candle Holders made from Discarded Furniture Pieces.

I have to be short on words today because I have to get back to creating.

Categories: and, decor, items, pansies, patience, pendants, pillars, reclaimed

Top 5 Ways To Make Woodworking Easier For Beginners

Woodworking is not as daunting as it may seem and it is not necessary to spend a fortune on tools. The important thing is to find your own unique selling point to differentiate yourself from the competition. Here are some useful tips to help make woodworking easier for beginners and professionals as well.

• RESEARCH
Research the market thoroughly by going online to see what other people are selling and what they are charging for it. To get an idea of how people run their businesses, you can go to local craft fairs and trade shows. If people pay for them, thats a good indicator that there might be a market for them.

• GET THE RIGHT TOOLS
Woodworking can be done by all with the proper tools and training, acquiring the proper tools allows you to work efficiently. Using a wide variety of materials you can create works of art, elegant or practical furniture and gifts or crafts. Initially you will have to make a considerable investment to purchase the equipment and materials you’ll need but in the long run it will pay for itself.
A Basic Tool Chest will consist of the following:
1. CHISEL
2. CLAMPS
3. COMBINATION SQUARE
4. DRILL BITS
5. ELECTRIC DRILL
6. HAMMER
7. HACKSAW
8. PLIERS
9. SCREWDRIVERS
10. TAPE MEASURE


• HAVE A NICHE
As a beginner, it will do you a lot of good if you would limit yourself to what you know best. If you are good in building small items, then become an expert in that, and only that. You shouldnt be making a kitchen cabinet one month, and then desk the next, and then building a deck the next month. Find your niche, and stick with it.

• KEEP RECORDS
It is vital for you to keep excellent records. You can keep a file on every piece you ever make. It doesnt necessarily have to be something fancy but just information about each piece, like a material list with prices, and a small sketch of it.


• ORGANIZED WORKSPACE
You should try to organize your workspace, whether it is a shop, garage or cleared space in the basement. It should be clean and tidy as possible and safety should be the number one priority. A clean shop is a safe shop and you need to be professional if you really want to make money woodworking.

Here’s a quick run down of the major points.... do your research, get the right tools, become an expert in whatever niche you choose, keep good records, and organize your workspace. Don’t forget to enjoy what you do and make some money.

Categories: 5, beginners, easier, for, Make, to, top, ways, Woodworking

Wood Working Making Wood Working Plans Work for You

Wood Working: Making Wood Working Plans Work for You: "Making wood working plans work for you is easy but it requires proper planning and thought put into it. Woodworking plans can be used by ei..."

Categories: for, making, plans, Wood, work, working, you

Wooden Spoons

Hi Everyone,
Im having some technical difficulties with the coffee scoop at the moment so Im going to work on a different project today--wooden spoons.

Ive been asked by a buddy of mine to make her some wooden spoons for her kitchen. She and her husband cook a lot and shes asked me to make some tasting spoons. Ive never heard of this type of spoon (being the big peasant that I basically am, I just use what ever spoon happens to be laying around when Im cooking) so I looked on the Internet and found that these are spoons with a very long handle and a small bowl on the end. The ones that I saw appear to be flat and as most spoons are contoured somewhat (and rather elegant looking if done well) I suspect that these spoons are simply cut from a straight piece of lumber. I checked with my friend and this is what she wants so away we go...

My friend would like 3 spoons so Ive gathered up some of my usable scrap lumber and Ive sawed out three blanks: mahogany, maple, and cherry wood and Im going to put these on the lathe and turn out the handles and then cut the bowls by hand:

I drew a line down the center and sketched out a spoon on each of them and then placed the cherry blank on the lathe between centers:

And turned on the lathe. You can see a dark line towards the left. I drew that there to keep me from cutting into the bowl section:

Here is a photo after the handle has been turned down:

Ive shaped the handle even more and added a little detail:

Heres a closeup of the handle:

I finished this by sanding it with 100 and 150 grit sandpaper. As these are going to be used and washed, the grain will eventually raise and the spoons will have a rough surface so theres no point in sanding it to a high finish.

Ive done the same thing with the other two spoons:

The handles look a little too wide for the width of the bowl so esthetically speaking, theyre not going to be winning any awards. But they are very strong and will last a very long time. And I like the mahogany one.

The bowls have to be hand carved. The top will be scooped out and the bottom will be rounded. And Ill admit--I had to have a dental biopsy today and the novacaine is wearing off so it will be nice to go upstairs  and get off my feet and carve for a while. So go sit down and Ill get a cup of coffee and go and get some ibuprofen and Ill be right back...

Ok, Im back.

There is a company called FlexCut and they make terrific carving knives. Im going to be using there large, roughing knife for the outside of the bowl:

Ill work on the mahogany one first. Mahogany is one of the softer hardwoods and a joy to work with in any capacity-carving, turning, or general wood working. Here is the back of the spoon:

Here is a photo after about 10 minutes of gentle carving:

ARRRGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

And here is the last photo for the time being:

Ive rounded off the back and the sides and Im going to stop for now. My eye-hand coordination is a little off today and I dont want to cut off a finger. And I need to leave enough wood for tomorrows hollowing out.

Im going to go and finish my coffee and tomorrow Ill finish the spoons and work on the coffee scoop some more. Also the walnut bowls and the black ash-Brazilian cherry bowls are in their final finishing stages so Ill have photos of those tomorrow too.

See you then,
VW

Categories: spoons, wooden

Router Tables Key to Beautiful Finished Work

Router tables have become increasingly popular in recent years, as more people become interested in improving the appearance of the home and furnishings. With a bit of education and some patience most people can learn to carefully guide a fine piece of wood through a router, to create shapes and designs anyone can be proud of. This wonderful piece of workshop equipment has become a common site in the professionals shop.

One of the first facts the uninitiated should learn is that routers and the work that comes from routers are defined by the various bits used and the quality of those bits. Rather plain pieces of lumber can be given a completely different appearance with beautiful shaping and design with commercial router tables or homemade router tables.

Even those who are willing to cut their own finish pieces sometimes avoid using a router, because they believe it is just too difficult. But with some practice and patience, nearly anyone can learn to produce fine bevelled edges, shaped pieces and so on, using a good router. In fact, some people who have experience with routers state that if a person can guide a piece of finish lumber through a stationary power saw or table saw, then they can also make good use of a router.

Companies that produce woodworking equipment such as routers also offer a range of educational material and design plans specifically for mastering the router. Plans and designs clearly show the shapes and designs that can be produced with different angles, different bits and different motions. Some of the plans and designs are free of charge and easily found on Web sites.

As mentioned earlier, the various bits used with routers are really at the core of what this marvelous item can do. For example, notching and edging in different patterns is possible with certain types of bits. Edge bits create bevel edges for a mantle piece, as another example. Straight bits and other specialty bits can be used to create deep grooves and notches, even with perpendicular sides. If a craftsman wants to create a tight fit for a high-quality cabinet drawer, he or she may use a dovetail bit. There are also slot cutters and finger-joint bits, often used to hold cabinet fronts snugly in place.

Those with some expertise in the use of commercial routers, such as Wolfcraft router tables, might use a "stile" bit for such special tasks as post caps and fence work. Experienced craftsmen sometimes use the same bit and make two or more passes through the router to create a certain look. Miniature bits can be used with some routers to create toys and doll houses, as well as to detail fine furniture.

If workshop space is limited, several companies can supply bench top routers, some with height adjustment to make the work more comfortable. With router work and other finishing tasks, it is essential that the equipment be placed so that it is comfortable to use.

For finishing a one-of-a-kind fireplace mantle, creating crown molding unlike any other or for more practical tasks such as capping fence uprights, the router can be an ideal piece of equipment. In some cases, only a router will provide the detail and beauty required by a home improvement project.

Categories: beautiful, finished, key, router, tables, to, work

Completed Project Sushi platter and plates

Hi Again,

You know, when I was working on the coffee coasters earlier today, I kept thinking that they looked rather familier and then it dawned on me-I had made a sushi set earlier this summer, sanded and got it ready to finish, and promptly forgot to put the finish on.

Oh dear, here is a photo:

I dont recall blogging about this so thats probably why I forgot about it. But here it is with salad bowl varnish on it. This will get several coats and then its ready to be sold.

Im going to go and sit down and think about anything else that needs finishing....

More later,

VW

Categories: and, completed, plates, platter, project, sushi

Garden Ideas Decorations

Rustic Garden Decor Ideas Photograph | ... THIS! I love the
Garden Decor Ideas -> .

Garden Idea Pictures: Garden Party Decorations Ideas
Garden Tea Party Decorations

Categories: decorations, garden, ideas

Project Updates what to do next

Hi Everyone,

Here are some project updates from the past several weeks:

The hickory-walnut bowl that Ive been working on didnt work out-it developed a crack along the bottom and another crack along the rim which I tried to repair. The patching didnt work out and so the bowl cant be sold. Here are photos:

So instead of sawing it in half and discarding it, I am going to give it to someone who is learning how to knit and could use a yarn bowl. The bowl is perfectly good for that. Ive given it a preliminary coat of mineral oil and Ill oil it through out the weekend and send it off next week.

The large hickory bowl and the red elm bowl are coming out great and go into the drying bag this weekend for 6 weeks of drying out. Well return to those at a later date.

The wooden tray I made out of Phillipine Mahogany is going to be kept and used as pattern for subsequent trays and platters. The design is perfect and so it get replicated again.

The red kempas wood bowl has not yet been glued up into a block. Im going to add more red colored wood to it and make it really big. More on that in a future posting.

Im going to make a tea tray out of a large piece of white oak with plumbing pipe handles. The method for that will be displayed on my other blog Piperooo. Ill let you know when that happens.

And Ive swept up all the wood shavings in the shop--3 large trash bags worth! I still need to take some time and sharpen up the turning tools and I also need to make another wood working bench. I need a large one so I can lay out tools and wood. That will be the same type of table as the one I made at the beginning of the year, only longer. Ill post a finish photo on that when its done.

Im not quite sure what Im going to do next. I have some Douglas fir that Im thinking of ripping into pieces and laminating into a large block for a serving tray and I may do that on Friday. Well see.

We are well into spring here in the mid west. Yesterday there were a number of bad tornadoes in Texas in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. I hope everyone there is ok and that everyone affected is able to recover from this. God Bless Texas.

Well, Easter will be here this weekend. If I dont post in the meantime, I hope everyone has a lovely weekend.

Thanks for stopping by and see you soon,
VW

Categories: do, next, project, to, updates, what