Smile And Wave

How I Built My Own Table All By Myself

Our last dining room table was a charming little white number that we'd found on Craigslist in MO for $30. It served us well and made living in a home without a dining room (last rental) doable because of it's smaller size. One of the most exciting parts of our new home was finally having a designated dining room, and a large one at that! 

Our old table felt a bit swallowed up by all of the space and Brett and I found ourselves fighting for elbow room on our side of the table so about a week after we moved in I started searching Craigslist again for something bigger. I was hoping for something mid-century but the only ones I found were either part of a dining room suite (hello, big bucks) or not quite what I was looking for. I found one that was going for $250 and set up an appointment to see it thinking I'd probably be bringing it home but when I got to the location I couldn't find a house. It was then that I realized the seller wasn't in the Springs but in Denver and without much free time to drive up there by myself I decided to hold out a bit longer. It sold a few days later.

I'm so glad it did because it gave me the chance to try something new and carry out an idea from start to finish with it actually ending up better than I imagined.

I have had these hairpin legs for about a year after thrifting a kitchenette in MO. We used it as our kitchen table and workspace in our last place and it served as a pile collector up until this week. After deciding the only way to build a table myself was by using these legs I started looking up table DIY's to see if it was possible.

Around that time my friend, Sarah, of Arrow and Apple thrifted a table similar to the one I'd been dreaming about! It was then that I was able to firm up that I wanted it to look more mid-century with a smooth surface and clean lines and less farmhouse-industrial although those tables are beautiful.

I stumbled upon this DIY and decided it was my best chance with my skill level as far as woodwork was concerned. I firmed up my supply list and headed to Lowe's. As soon as I walked in a male employee greeted me asking if I needed any help - which I always appreciate because so often as soon as you do there is no one to be found. I vaguely told him my plans which I'm assuming he took for inexperience because he then started telling me how complex this project might be and that I might be spending more money than it was worth and that there was this great place down the road that could build it for me. He was trying to be helpful and maybe I misrepresented myself but instead of filling in the gaps he was discouraging my idea.

After wrapping that up I went over to source some clamps and then ran into another employee who solved all of those problems I was running into without much conversation at all. He gets a gold star. I left feeling like this project was going to be a toss up. I'd either end up with a table I was proud of or have some expensive wood to paint with chalkboard paint and add to the kids' room. Ha! 

Here's the basic rundown of what I used and how I made it. I started it after the kids went to bed thinking I'd get it done in time for dinner guests the next night but that was just silliness. I also wasn't really confident turning this into a tutorial so I only have iPhone photos and the first half were taken after dark. 

SUPPLIES:

3 - 3/4" 15" x 72" aspen panels. You could use pine but I wanted a harder wood without lots of knots showing. I wanted it to look like one seamless top but had to fit the wood in my Volvo so I went with three panels. 

2 - 1" x 4" x 8' aspen boards. I used the same wood for consistency but since it doesn't show you could downgrade to pine to save a little. 

4 - Metal hairpin legs with screws from previous table. Find your own on eBay, Etsy, or directly from here. They aren't cheap but I think they're worth saving up for. You could substitute these for something else from IKEA. 

1 - small tub of Briwax in Golden Oak as recommended by Veronika who made a table with her husband and used it rather than stain. I give it two thumbs up as well.

1 - Box of #8 screws measuring 1 1/4" similar to these.

1 - Wood glue 

1 - Small tub of wood filler.

2 - Terry cloths for waxing and wiping up glue.

8 - Table clamps. I had four already and bought four more.

1 - Power sander and sanding pads (you could use a sanding brick instead). I used a 120 and an 80 to get a nice, smooth surface.

I used my original kitchenette as my work surface but it wasn't ideal. The second employee at Lowe's told me to clamp one panel to the edge of my work table and then glue the second panel on and then glue the third panel on before squeezing them tightly against each other and clamping the third piece to the work table as well. This saved me money since I didn't want to spend $40 per long pipe clamp and it worked exactly like he said. 

After gluing and clamping the three panels together, I wiped off the excess glue from the top with a damp cloth and clamped the panels together at the seams to keep them from being uneven. NOTE: When purchasing wood, I suggest double checking that your sides are mostly straight so that they'll fit together nicely without needing to be planed. I, for one, don't have that kind of set up at home. Thankfully, these aspen panels were straight.

I let the glue set for about 20 minutes while I cut my boards into 30" lengths. I used four cuts of wood for cross boards and centered them about 12" in from each short edge and again about 25" in. I covered each with wood glue before carefully setting it down and wiggling it around a bit to help the glue spread. Then I pre-drilled and screwed in my first screw to secure it before pre-drilling the rest of the holes and screwing the whole cut down. Be sure your glue is pressed down because it will set quickly and if it's not flush your cross- board might end up wonky. I drilled about 10 screws per cross board making sure all three top planks had enough support. Repeat with the other three boards.

Next, I wiped off excess glue and flipped my table top over. I left the seam clamps on overnight just in case. The next morning I removed the clamps and used a little bit of wood filler in between two seams that had about a 1/8" gap between them. After it was set I sanded the table down to remove the glue drips between the seams and to get a nice smooth surface. After wiping the excess sawdust off I sanded it again with a finer sandpaper. 

Then I unscrewed the legs off the old table and added them to the new one with the help of my tiny assistant. Once my Briwax arrived in the mail I wiped down my table top and added two thin coats of wax and then buffed it. I let it sit outside overnight to help with the smell of the finish before bringing it inside. 

Project total: $152

Cost breakdown: $110 for the lumber, $15 for my legs thrifted from another table, $4 screws, $8 wood fill, $15 clamps. I already had more clamps, wood glue, a sander, sandpaper, and terry cloths. 

Skill level: Beginner

Time: Broken up over a week but easily a weekend project.

I'm really proud of this table and the fact that I spent less than half of what it would've cost to buy the other table off of craigslist. How about this one that I found on eBay for $695 plus S/H! 

Check out how Casey used hairpin legs to build a desk for their new home. I really like her idea of using reclaimed wood (next time) and that frequent movers like us can always unscrew the legs and find or make another tabletop to fit the parameters of a new space. 

Check out the shine on that table top! I'm so happy with the wax as opposed to a stain or lacquer. It's warmer, adds depth, and feels great to the touch. 

It was a bit rainy the day that I had the table flipped over to screw the legs on so you can see where Sunday walked across it. Ruby also got ahold of my pen and added some doodles. 

So, I didn't exactly build this table all by myself. I had the advice of others to fill in the gaps, the encouragement from my husband to take the project on, and the company of both kids through various stages of construction. I still feel like going back to Lowe's to find the employee that tried to talk me out of such a 'complicated' project that might leave me feeling 'pretty discouraged' to show him how it turned out.

Thinking about making your own table? I'm happy to answer any more questions about my process or just reassure you that you can, in fact, do it yourself. Feel free to leave them in the comment section below. Thanks for sharing in my excitement over this project!

-Rachel

Hanging Map DIY

I ordered this gorgeous map from Austin Modern on Etsy in January after having had it in my favorites for months. I love the pink and yellow combo - basically the only reason I chose this one. It came from an old school map that had more than one pull down chart so it was a bit wrinkled. I knew I didn't want to just thumb tack it to the wall like in college days and I couldn't afford to get it custom framed so I started brainstorming ways to display it. 

I've recently hung another map in the kids' room that had a wooden dowel across the bottom and someone on Instagram asked if I was going to be doing a DIY on how to add rods and suddenly I realized my other map problem was solved! I'm not sure why I hadn't thought of it before! So, here's how I turned my paper map into a more aesthetic wall hanging.

Supplies: Paper map (or other print/image), 2 - wooden dowel rods measuring at least the width of your map and between 1/2" - 1" thick depending on the size of your map/print. Mine were 1" x 48". You'll also need Elmer's glue (or substitute that dries clear), a staple gun, staples, twine, 2 - eye screws, a drill. One: Drill a pilot hole into each end of one rod. This will be the top one. Two: Screw in your eye screws. Three: Glue across the top 1/2" of your map/print and carefully center your rod so thatyou fold the paper over it. Hold in the center and staple every 2" out to each end. This will keep your paper from getting crooked. Wipe off excess glue. Four: Repeat with your other rod. Be sure your top rod is the one with screws in it! Five: Attach twine and hang it on your wall. 

I found my dowel rods at Lowe's but I'm sure other hardware stores carry them. Smaller sizes can be found at craft stores depending on what you need.

The staples reinforce the glue and help the edges from curling off the rod. If your print or map is made of thin paper, use a smaller/lightweight rod. If your map is thick like mine, a larger rod will weigh it down so that it hangs nicely. 

Our dining room is coming together nicely! I'm waiting on my Briwax to come in the mail (thanks, Veronika!) before I can finish my table and then the white wardrobe will need a little attention. It's been repurposed from Ruby's wardrobe into our office. I've drilled a hole in the back to stick our printer cord through and have a small filing cabinet in the bottom. It's a work in progress if there ever was one.

When hanging your map be sure to use the 57" rule! Make sure to measure the distance from the top of the twine to the bottom so it's completely accurate. Paper maps are usually less expensive than their pull down brethren so adding your own dowels is a great way to get more for your money.

Here are some pretty maps on Etsy: One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.

Also some fun charts that you could add these to: One, two, three.

Who knew dowel rods could be so fancy!

-Rachel

March DIY's for A Beautiful Mess

I've returned as a contributor to A Beautiful Mess now that we're done moving and it feels so good to be tackling house projects again!

Below are the links to the three main DIY's involved in my basement to closet makeover as well as a garment restyle. Thank your for all the sweet comments left on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, etc. as I've shared progress and posted them. It means a lot that you all take the time to write! 

DIY Garment Rack

DIY Polka-Dot Rug

DIY Jewelry Display

DIY Wool Poncho to Catch All

As always I'd love to see any projects inspired by these tutorials. I've already seen a finished garment rack and Katie's darling polka-dotted rug. Aren't they great!

-Rachel

 

Two Rules of Thumb for Hanging Things on Your Walls

Getting art up on the walls in a new place - or even a freshly painted room - can feel like a daunting task but there is an easy way to get it right the first time. I recently took the plunge in our new home and wanted to share two techniques I always use when hanging anything.

Martha, Marth, Martha

I'm pretty sure the first place I saw this trick was in Martha Stewart Living or possibly on her website. In order to make light of what could be a tedious job filled with accidental holes in the wall, Martha suggests placing butcher paper (or similarly large paper) on the floor and then deciding on an arrangement. Once you're happy with how things look you trace around the edges of each frame with a pencil (in case you change your mind).

I bought a large sketch pad from Staples years ago and use it for projects like this. I just overlapped and taped together four sheets of paper to make it tall enough and wide enough for my art grouping.

Once you've traced around each frame, go back and measure down from the top of each frame edge to where your alligator hook, wire, etc. is so that you know how far down from the edge to mark your screw hole. If the hook on my frame is 1" below the top edge of the frame I center a mark 1" down from the top of my pencil silhouette. Repeat with each frame.

I suggest taking a photo of your final arrangement before you remove your frames from the paper in case you forget where things were supposed to go. 

Once your frames are removed, you'll need to tape your paper to the wall. In order to get this part right I suggest the next trick.

The 57" Rule

I first learned the 57" rule on Apartment Therapy three years ago and it's helped take the guess work out of how high to hang anything in any space. 57" is the average person's eye level so galleries tend to hang art work at this height. It's usually spot on unless there's an odd construction reason you can't hang something at that height such as a large piece that would overlap a radiator, etc.

The main thing is to be consistent in how you hang everything in a room so that it keeps your eye flowing. It will help create cohesiveness and balance rather than making things feels scattered. 

Whether you're hanging a single piece or a group of framed art the technique is the same. 

First, measure the height of your piece (or group). Let's say a single framed piece is 18" tall.

Second, divide that number in half. In this instance I would get 9". 

Third, add that number to 57". This adds half the amount of frame height to the average eye level so that your piece will be centered at eye level. 57 + 9 = 66. 

Fourth, flip your piece over to see where the hook, wire, etc. is and measure how far down it is from the top of the frame. Make sure to pull your wire up as high as it will go to simulate how it will hang before measuring. Let's say the distance from the top of my frame to the hook is 2". 

Five, subtract that amount (2" in my case) from the number in the third step (66"). 66 - 2 =64. 

Six, measure that high from the floor on your wall and mark. This is where you will want to drill your hole or attach your 3m hook, etc (64" high in my case). Once hung, your piece will be centered at eye level.

When you're working with a group of art, the concept is basically the same. Instead of measuring a single framed piece you'll measure from the top edge of the highest piece to the bottom edge of the lowest piece. In my case it was about 39" from top to bottom. I divided that number in half to get 19.5" and then added it to 57" to get 76.5". This is where it's different.

When I was marking my silhouettes for each frame I made sure to line up the top of my top frame with the top edge of my paper as seen above. I made sure the top of my paper was taped 76.5" from the ground in order to have my grouping centered. Before I hung my paper on the wall, however, I measured down from the top edge of each frame to the hook or wire as shared before and marked on my paper where the screws would go. 

I taped my paper up at the correct height and made sure it was straight by measuring down from the ceiling to the top of my paper at each end and in the middle. If your house is old and your ceiling is slanted do your best. Yes, that was us two houses ago. Seeing the silhouettes of your grouping on the wall gives you a great visual in case you decide you want to adjust the arrangement or move it over a few inches. 

Once you're happy with where it will be, carefully drill pilot holes (or hammer in your nails if you have sheetrock walls) through your screw hole marks. Insert your screws. Depending on the weight of your pieces and the kind of walls you have you may need to insert some kind of anchor. After inserting all of your screws you can tear down your paper and start hanging your art.

I'm waiting on two more pieces to come in the mail to finish off the rest of my 'floral arrangement' on Ruby's side of the room. She loves her flowers.

Decisions, Decisions

The trickiest part may be deciding what to hang. My first personal rule is to only hang things that I love. There is a lot of great art work out there and I may be drawn to a good 20% of things I see on Pinterest or Etsy but I only want to hang the 5% that I love. That ensures I'll probably like it next year and the year after that, etc. I also think our environments have a strong effect on how we feel and what we think about so I want to make sure they make me feel a certain way. 

For this grouping I knew I wanted pieces that were whimsical, of a certain style, and simple in their color story. Lots of white with pink and yellow accents and black lines to reflect the colors in my rug that's in the same room. I only noticed once I'd purchased them that many of them feature girls. I think I gravitate to people more than animals or abstract shapes in art work and tend to enjoy this color combination of pink and yellow so it came together easily because I know what I like.

I purchased frames from IKEA and used a few I had on hand to frame all of the prints and left large amounts of white and off-white to give them all space to breathe in such a tight grouping. The color story, theme, and use of almost all black frames creates a cohesive group that is pleasing to the eye. 

As far as the layout goes, I like to stagger frames and create balance in my composition by using three different sizes that repeat at least once. I have two large frames, five medium frames, and four smaller ones. I found a great resource for finding compositions that work for you here via Lovely Chaos recently. 

Art featured above: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven.

I've collected most of these prints over the last four months but I've had a couple for years. One was gifted, one was a DIY, one was supporting a good cause. There are great sites where you can purchase affordable art such as 20 x 200 and sites where you can print art off for free because the artists have offered it as such. Here's a chance to support a great cause and choose an art piece upon donation. 

Each of the vintage floral crewel pieces in Ruby's room were thrifted locally in Missouri but I've got two on the way from Etsy. Here are some similar items: one, two, three, four, five, six. Some are cheap while others are exceptional and thus priced higher. Be sure to check that you are buying a finished piece instead of a kit unless you'd like to make it yourself. 

If you've made it to the end of this long post I commend you! I hope either of these two techniques give you the confidence to commit to some holes in the wall knowing you'll be happy with the end result. Also, feel free to share your own tricks for hanging things on the wall in the comments below.

-Rachel

 

Weekend Projects

The huge roll-up map that I found on the way out here from Missouri-the one that I magically fit in to our packed to the seat tops car-was hung with care in the kids' room. I found it leaning in the corner of a fantastically stocked antique shop somewhere in North Texas and the owner of the store had hardly unrolled it when I gasped and said, "I'll take it!" Thankfully I was able to slide it in and still shut the car door but I would've driven with the windows rolled down the rest of the way if I'd had to! 

This one waited patiently as long as she could while I built her her very own clothes rack to add to the basement closet. She thought it was a swing and then a tent but was still happy with a clothes rack. I think she just loves when I make something and it turns out to be hers.

I had originally intended to build my larger clothes rack in this design but it just wasn't sturdy enough to be that size or hold much weight. It's just right for little clothes, though! It's very similar to some of the pup tent DIY's that have been making the rounds and someone even pointed out on Instagram that I could still throw a vintage sheet over it and have a fort. I'll have a tutorial up next week sharing how I made it as well as a few pup tent links for good measure.

There was also some egg boiling, lots of coffee drinking, another trip to Lowe's, new book reading, and some Netflix. And some chocolate.

Any weekend projects or just Easter festivities?

-Rachel

Special Memories into Easy Art

I've long wanted to place extra value on a special strip of photos from an old fashioned photo booth but we've not been near one for years. These are from our St. Louis trip two weekends ago. We stopped in before the crowds hit Blueberry Hill on the Loop and got through two strips before the natives got restless.

It was around that time I saw an image on Elise's Instagram feed of a photobooth strip that looked like it had been framed and I decided I needed to do the same with mine.

Photos with our whole family present are extra special these days. They totally deserve a special place on our temporary wall.

-Rachel

Frame: Michael's Hobby Store

Art Journal All Year E-Course is Here!

 

 We're so, so excited to release our newest e-course, Art Journal All Year! It's the most personal course we've written. It's filled with beautiful textures, photographs, colors and words. It's perfect for anyone wanting to get into the practice of making art journals! 

The course is broken up into 52 Challenges! It's a 'work at your own pace' course, so you choose whether you'd like to take on one challenge each week or they can be done one each day and completed in about two months! It's the perfect course to take with a friend! 

Each session has an Art Challenge and a Journal Challenge. You'll get inspired to dig deeper in your writing as well as the collage art aspect of art journaling. Some of the themes that we focused on throughout the course were vulnerability, self exploration, goals and reflection. 

I've loved collaborating with Elsie Larson on this course. We taught our first art journaling class together nearly ten years ago and we make a good team. I'm always excited about the kind of pages she creates and her use of color and texture in her work. She regularly finds new ways to use product and ephemera to create something fresh and her journaling prompts and shared stories always remind me to dream and give me a fresh perspective.

We hope you enjoy the course. You can begin at any time, but this first week of the new year would be especially perfect, don't you think? Welcome to your new favorite e-course!

Get more info here + sign up here!

xo,

Rachel + Elsie

Advent Activity Calendar DIY

I made Sebastian this Advent Activity Calendar two years ago in hopes of creating extra special memories throughout the month of December. It's a way to help us be more intentional with our time and our thoughts as we move through such a frenzied, hectic, exciting time of year and a way to teach them about the anticipation of Christmas!

I wrote about it on my old blog but wanted to repost the basic instructions again here:

I started with some gray wool that I found in a bargain bin last year and cut it to measure about 16" x 24". I hemmed the edges and made a pocket hem for the top edge in order to hang it on a rod (or stand in ruler). I found my cream felt and cut five rows so that they would fit my allotted space and pinned them down. I then sewed down all three outer edges of each felt panel.

After measuring the distance needed for five spaces each, I stitched lines to create pockets. I then carefully hand cut felt numbers and glued them on with tacky glue. Finally, I cut an old ruler down to size using a serrated kitchen knife because I never have any dowel rods on hand, and added a pom-pom hanger.

Next, I cut down 25 individual cards from scrapbook paper I've saved, rounded off the corners, and arranged them so that they looked mixed up. Then I made a list of all of the activities I could do with Sebastian (and now Ruby) or that we could do as a family to make each day this month a little more special. I thought about which days lent themselves to simple activities like making brownies and which days we could do something more specific such as enjoying the bounce house at the YMCA this Friday. Most of the activities will cost nothing or very little but will surely keep us focused on enjoying each other during the holidays.

This year's Advent Activity list:

Bake Christmas cookies, watch a movie at Grandma Cheryl's house, make brownies, pick out a board game to play, an extra 20 minutes of screen time, hang paper chains, visit the North Pole at Bass Pro and see Santa Claus, paint ornaments, make pizza at home, build a gingerbread house, build a fort on mama's bed & read books all evening, make a ton of paper snowflakes, buy new snow boots just in case, drive around looking at Christmas lights, read two or three Christmas stories, make hot chocolate and marshmallows, make a present for someone, find a Salvation Army bell ringer and drop off $5 in dimes, mail out post cards to people we love, surprise friends with sweet treats, watch Home Alone I, watch Home Alone II, get Daddy at the airport, pancakes for breakfast!

I've organized activities according to our schedule so that weekends get more time intensive activities and the busiest weeknights get the simplest activities. I've learned from the past two years not to get too ambitious lest I miss the point and create the busyness I'm trying to avoid. We've sent a chocolate advent calendar to Brett to help him enjoy the countdown to coming home two days before Christmas!

Do you do an advent calendar?

xo,

Rachel

Other Holiday DIYS from Smile and Wave

*Flower Bauble Wreath

* Holiday Door Mat

* Scalloped Felt Wreath

Flower Bauble Wreath DIY

If you like sparkly, vintage Christmas decor as much as the next girl you're going to want one of these in every room of your house! Like most of my favorite ideas, this one came from a desire for something new on my wall so I looked through my supplies on hand and suddenly I had something pretty to hang!
Here's what you'll need to make your own: Straw or foam wreath (standard sized is easiest), one pack of tinsel in your favorite color (mine was thrifted but was originally from Wal-Mart), vintage bulbs (6 per flower=30 bulbs total), white or green floral wire, ribbon to hang your wreath.

Wrap your tinsel around your wreath by starting in one spot and wrapping over the beginning of your strand twice before moving around the rest of your wreath. As you wrap to the right, fold the tinsel to the left to get your tinsel string close to the last loop of tinsel string. A tighter wrap will give you a wreath that looks less handmade. Once you get to the end, either hot glue it or pull some tinsel off your string and carefully knot it.
Decide what colors of baubles you want. I've collected a fair amount of Shiny Brites over the years but you can use new baubles as well. For added security, glue the metal toppers onto the baubles. I skipped that step for lack of patience (and a short nap time to get it done in) and one fell off and broke. Lesson learned. You'll need six baubles per flower. String them onto your floral wire in alternating colors.

Gather your baubles in the center of your floral wire and twist the wire to bring your baubles as close together as possible without forcing things. Twist it three times. You've made your flower! Repeat for as many flowers as you'd like.

Next, place your flower on your wreath where you want it, wrap the floral wire around the wreath, and twist again three times. Trim the ends and press into the tinsel. I do suggest playing around with your flower placement before securing to the wreath too tightly in order to get them evenly spaced. Again, I learned the hard way.

Loop a ribbon around your wreath so that it's disguised by your baubles and find a place to hang it. It looks like you spent big money on it but that can be your little secret. It's a fun take on traditional elements that's sure to brighten the holidays. If you make your own floral bauble wreath I'd love to see it! Feel free to link back and share with everyone.

xo,
Rachel

DIY Holiday Doormat for A Beautiful Mess

Need something to keep you busy while your family is out shopping on Black Friday? Give your old doormat a makeover with a few cans of spray paint for a simple, holiday themed look that you can live with. Go with a simple triangle theme that plays off of the Christmas tree shape or come up with your own custom design.

Head over to A Beautiful Mess for the full tutorial.  Be sure to link up to share your own doormat DIY!

xo,

Rachel