Simple Metal Leg Beam Bench | Video + Plans

*This post is sponsored by The Home Depot. I have been compensated for my time and provided with product or payment in exchange. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. 

I love the look of metal and wood together, and I know I'm not alone. Not only does steel allow you to create shapes and profiles that aren't always possible with wood, I dig the clean and simple lines. I've done a couple steel projects in the past, like Faux-Brass Leg Media Console and my Hairpin Kitchen Table.  

Plywood Dresser with Dowel Legs | Video + Building Plans

*This post is sponsored by DAP Products and The Home Depot. I have been compensated for my time and provided with product or payment in exchange. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. 

I thought I was pretty much done building furniture for my house and then the other day I went to put away some of my twin boys' laundry. I built them their modern dresser/bookshelf combo a couple years ago and it's still going strong! (one of my favorite builds to date btw). But, I had totally forgotten that we placed a crappy little particle board 3-drawer unit in the closet for a little extra storage. It was an inexpensive hand-me-down and as you can imagine, after 9 years of abuse from two very active little boys, that little piece of junk was on it's last legs. 

How to Make an Outdoor Folding Table - Video Tutorial

*This post is sponsored by The Home Depot. I have been compensated for my time and provided with product or payment in exchange. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. 

PVC pipe is some pretty cool stuff.  I know you're thinking of sprinklers and dryer vents right now, but I've been stalking Pinterest and came across the most amazing stuff built from PVC and ABS pipe! 

The weather up north is getting nice and it's almost time to start camping again. We LOVE to forget our cell phones from time to time and venture into the woods (I even wrote a blog post about my favorite tools to take camping). I've been wanting to build a folding table for a little while I'm in the throws of my PVC obsession, I decided this would be the perfect opportunity to incorporate some off-the-shelf pipe into a build. 

Stair Tread Arm Chair - Building Plans

*This post is sponsored by Kreg Tool. I have been compensated for my time and provided with product or payment in exchange. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. 

So building chairs is scary. There are so many factors you have to keep in mind, like angles and balance, which don't come to play with straight forward builds like tables and even beds. If a chair isn't the right height it doesn't function and if the back isn't angled properly, it becomes uncomfortable to use. 

I actually built a wood and leather sling chair like 5 years ago (which has been sitting in my back yard and is miraculously still holding together), but sling chairs don't have to take into account all those tricky factors. The seat I normally use to put my shoes on everyday broke recently, so I decided it was time to woman-up and tackle a modern arm chair build. 

WOOD Speaker Screen | How to Build Record Console Pt. 2

*This post is sponsored by DAP Products. I have been compensated for my time and provided with product or payment in exchange. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. 

Like most of my DIY furniture builder friends, I started out building things we needed. Before long, I had friends and family members asking for custom pieces. Before long I was building full time, advertising on Craigslist and taking custom orders from strangers. Custom work it hard guys! My hat goes off to all of you guys who work with customers. I'm so glad there are talented people who love designing and building for clients.  Luckily, I never had any nightmare experiences, but constantly worrying and second guessing myself was super stressful. 

Another thing I discovered when I was taking orders was how hard it was to build the same thing twice. I love the learning and creativity of putting a piece of furniture together, but trying to duplicate the exact same thing is huge challenge. So admittedly, I've avoided going back to old projects, even just to update them. But, I want to be a better builder and that includes fixing my mistakes (or less than ideal design choices). For example...

How Many Teeth to Cut Plywood - Circular Saw Showdown

*This post is sponsored by The Home Depot. I have been compensated for my time and provided with product or payment in exchange. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. 

Plywood is tricky stuff. I would say I get more questions about plywood than any other material I use, many of them about cutting. Knowing the right saw blade to use seems to be one of the biggest pain points. What do those numbers mean? What's the difference between a "framing" blade and one for trim? I figured I'd do a very unscientific test and show multiple 6-1/2" circular saw blades with different tooth counts and the cuts they make. 

*I tested all the 6-1/2" circular saw blades currently available through The Home Depot*

We're Building a Custom House + Champion Generator Review

 

*This post is sponsored by Champion Power Equipment. I have been compensated for my time and provided with product or payment in exchange. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. 

I want to tell you guys about a dream come true. Are you ready for a story?

First I should tell you I was a weird kid. My mom worked full time so my brother and I spent most of the summer wandering around the neighborhood, fighting each other, and watching basic cable. As anyone who has had a sick day knows, daytime TV is the worst. Especially back in the early 90's, choices were limited. My daily routine would consist of waking up, catch the end of The Price Is Right, then I would click over to PBS and settle in. I was raised on  Bob Ross, This Old House, and New Yankee Workshop. I'm not exaggerating when I say, I have dreamed of building a custom house since I was probably 8 or 9 years old.

DIY Modern Master Bath Remodel: Part 6: The REVEAL!

*This post is sponsored by The Home Depot, Schluter Systems, and The Builder Depot. I have been compensated for my time and provided with product or payment in exchange. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. 

Better late than never, right? I didn't realize until I looked back today, but I first told you guys about our DIY master bathroom remodel back in October 2017! I published the "Before and Inspiration" 15 months ago! 

If you haven't been following along this whole time, basically we remodeled most of our house when we moved in three years ago (my favorite room is the kitchen) but our master bathroom was the last space left untouched. Picture a sea of off-white cultured marble and honey oak. In order to get everything we wanted within a pretty modest budget, my husband and I committed to do almost all of the work ourselves. 

Check out the full series: 

• Before and Inspiration
• Part 1: Demo and Building New Walls
• Part 2: Modern Double Bathroom Vanity
• Part 3: Custom Tiled Shower
• Part 4: Barn Door Medicine Cabinet
• Part 5: Built-In Linen Closet

Murphy Bed Convertible Coffee Table

*This post is sponsored by Kreg Tool and The Home Depot. I have been compensated for my time and provided with product or payment in exchange. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. 

How many half-baked ideas do you have swimming around in your head? Even if we don't claim to be "creative", we all have little thoughts and potential ideas that motivate us. Ever since remodeling my master bathroom, my shower door is constantly filled with doodles and measurements written in steam. I finally got to build a project which incorporates TWO design ideas I've been brainstorming for a while. 

How to Make a Magnetic Desk Toy

 *This post is sponsored by DAP Products and The Home Depot. I have been compensated for my time and provided with product or payment in exchange. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. 

Christmas is 4 days away. Are you ready? I thought I was, but then when I made a list of everything I need to take care of, I was dead wrong. I'm slightly freaking out. I have a feeling I'm not alone though. I will be avoiding the Target parking lot like the plague this weekend.

This week, I did manage to knock out some teacher's gifts (probably because they only took about 10 minutes to make). I used an inexpensive glass ornament and iron filings to make a fun little desktop magnet game. Bonus: I was able to use some leftover walnut scraps from my DIY Candy Dispenser.

Turn Steel into Brass & Build a Modern Media Console

*This post is sponsored by Diablo Tools and The Home Depot. I have been compensated for my time and provided with product or payment in exchange. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. 

I've been waiting to tackle this project for a long time! Last April, I was in New York for The Home Depot ProSpective tool event. My friend Tamar from 3x3 Custom lives in the area and showed a few of us around to some of the local furniture stores. I spotted a cool leg design which got my brain going. I sketched out a simplified version and have been dying to use it on a project ever since. 

Since I knew I was going to be incorporating steel into this compact media console, a technique called brass brushing came to mind. I had seen it done a couple times on jewelry and sword making. It's a simple way to apply real brass plating to regular ole plain steel. And I'm happy to say, I figured out how to brass brush at home with simple tools! 

Christmas Gift Ideas for the Tool Lover | 2018

*This post is sponsored by The Home Depot. I have been compensated for my time and provided with product or payment in exchange. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. 

I am making a vow right here and now. This will be the year when I finally stop procrastinating and buy/make all my holiday gifts early. No last minute shopping for me!

I already have my boys and siblings crossed off the list, now I'm moving on to my husband. Luckily, he loves tools as much as I do, so he's never hard to shop for. If you happen to have a tool lover on your list, I put together an updated gift guide for you. It's got some of my all time favorite gadgets, plus a few I plan on asking Santa for.

How to Make a Wood Candy Machine | DIY Dispenser

*This post is sponsored by Kreg Tool. I have been compensated for my time and provided with product or payment in exchange. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. 

I know we bloggers get a little carried away with the whole holiday planning thing, but we are solidly in November now and if you plan on building gifts, that takes a little while. It's time to get started. Last year I made easy Mancala game boards for my siblings, but I think my idea for this year is even better and I partnered with BuildSomething.com to make it happen.

Two words: Candy Dispenser.

DIY Super Simple Christmas Advent Calendar

*This post is sponsored by Kreg Tool. I have been compensated for my time and provided with product or payment in exchange. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. 

Holy cow, it's November!!! This year is going way too fast. I can't believe we need to start thinking about Christmas stuff. I'll be honest, I'm not the best at decorating for the holidays. I put out a few things, but I just don't have time to go all out. I love small and simple holiday decorations that can be stored and set-up easily. 

Even though we're only 4 weeks away from December, I've got a SUPER simple project for you. You can make an adorable house shaped advent calendar in just a couple hours! I'm sharing the whole build over at BuildSomething.com. 

How to Make Easy Outfeed Rollers - Video Tutorial

*This post contains affiliate links.  

About a month ago I published a video for my Double Ended flip-top workbench and you guys have been AMAZING! Thank you! The response has been really great. Apparently, you guys love shop builds. 

In the video, I mentioned I'd be releasing the follow-up video for the outfeed rollers that I paired with my new Ridgid 13" Thickness planer. Well, life got crazy and I ended up going to Japan for 8 days! (yes, it was unbelievable). So, I'm finally sharing the whole build, including free plans for you to build your own outfeed roller system. 

Water-Tight Screw and Nail Storage

*This post is sponsored by The Home Depot. I have been compensated for my time and provided with product or payment in exchange. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.  

I've told you guys before about the mess I call a shop. It's bad. Organization is not my strong suit, that's for sure. 

I'm working on it guys.

Since I've participated in The Home Depot ProSpective tool review program for a little while, I'm starting to grow a pretty healthy collection of tools. I've done a couple of projects to help provide storage, like my garage storage wall. That helps with tools and bigger things, but I really needed somewhere to stash little things like nuts, screws, dowels and nails. 

How to Make a Light-Up Halloween Gravestone

 

*This post is sponsored by DAP Products and The Home Depot. I have been compensated for my time and provided with product or payment in exchange. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. 

I love Halloween. I was one of those weird kids who had their costume picked out in June. Halloween was always my favorite holiday. A couple years ago we went nuts decorating our front porch in a graveyard theme, and we've kinda stuck with it every year since then. 

Double Ended Flip-Top Workbench Plans - Video Tutorial

*This post is sponsored by Ridgid Power Tools and The Home Depot. I have been compensated for my time and provided with product or payment in exchange. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. 

I have been so blessed lately! Last month I finally got the Kreg Foreman I'd been lusting after for years, and just a couple months ago I partnered with Ridgid Power Tools and received their 13" Thickness Planer (model # R4331). After making my brass and walnut cutting board a while back, a fire was lit inside me and I've been dying to start working with hardwood a bit more. 

How to Make Floating Concrete Front Steps

*This post is sponsored by The Home Depot. I have been compensated for my time and provided with product or payment in exchange. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.  

We've been working on boosting the curb appeal of our 15 year old tract home. It's a nice little house, but the exterior had been neglected and needed a little face lift. Earlier this week I  showed you guys what a difference paint and new hardware did to make-over the front porch. 

Outdoor Accents Porch Make-Over

*This post is sponsored by Simpson Strong-Tie ® . All opinions are my own and are uninfluenced. 

If you guys have been following along for any length of time, you know the inside of our house looks very different than when we bought it (my kitchen, master bath, and hall bath are examples of that). But I have to admit, I have almost entirely ignored the exterior. Other than adding a pair of wood and metal planter boxes, my front porch has remained in the same, faded state it was when we moved in 3 years ago.

How to Build a Round Mirror Wall Cabinet

*This post is sponsored by Kreg Tool. I have been compensated for my time and provided with product or payment in exchange. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. 

I've got bathrooms on the mind friends. A few months ago I showed you guys a down-to-the-studs remodel of our master bathroom and last week I shared how to make a weighted towel holder. I strongly believe, even a well designed room can never have too much storage. So that's what I got for you all today. 

I've been dying to try a rolling round cabinet mirror design for a long time. I decided I should build an over the toilet storage cabinet to hide ugly stuff like toilet paper and tampons. 

Faux Transom Window HACK

 *This post is sponsored by DAP Products and The Home Depot. I have been compensated for my time and provided with product or payment in exchange. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. 

I was reading an article a couple weeks ago and apparently Phoenix is going through a housing shortage. Tract home builders have been  going gangbusters here for decades and I, like many other Arizonans live in an inexpensive, builder-grade home. We've made several upgrades (like our kitchen and bathroom remodel) but there are some frustrating design issues that are more difficult to change.

My living room area has several large windows, which I love, and a pair of sliding glass doors, which I don't love. My ceilings are 9 ft tall. My front door is 8 ft tall, and all of the windows are set at 8 ft. Unfortunately, like all my interior doors, the sliding glass doors are only 70" tall.

How to Make a Wood Weighted Towel Holder

*This post is sponsored by The Home Depot. I have been compensated for my time and provided with product or payment in exchange. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.  

Remember my master bathroom remodel that I was working on forever? After installing the double vanity, I realized I had no where to mount a hand towel ring. I don't want to drill into the tiled walls, so that left me with a countertop option. 

After searching, I found a stainless steel towel holder a few months back. Honestly, it's was total garbage. It was expensive (like $27), not tall enough for a standard towel, and fell over easily. I decided I could make a weighted hand towel holder from wood, cheaper and with good design. 

DIY Simple Closet Shelving Organization

*This post is sponsored by DAP Products and The Home Depot. I have been compensated for my time and provided with product or payment in exchange. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. 

When we bought our house a couple years ago, it had one of those "dens" that could have been a bedroom if the original owner had requested it from the builder. It had a doorway with no doors, and a closet recess with no closet. Since 4 bedroom homes usually sell for more money, we figured it would be worth the effort to turn the den into an official bedroom.

The first thing we did was to install french doors with a diy transom. Then, we finished the closet wall, and framed in the bi-pass doors. But, then I got lazy, shoved all of our junk inside and forgot about it for over a year. If you slid one of the closet doors open, this is what you would have found.