Headboard sign...

Hi Everyone!  I hope you are having a great week!  Things are finally getting back to normal since all the visitors this summer.  And boy do I have work to do.  With the unbearable heat wave, I'm not as far along in my building of craft fair items as I would like to be.   

Do you remember me showing this headboard to you that my dear aunt Barb found and gave to me for free? Well, it's really too small and really light weight to become a headboard bench.  So I had an idea to make a sign out of it instead.

So I cut the legs off and painted it with ASCP in Old White and distressed it some.

But now my dilemma is what to do with it?  I could make a sign or I could turn it on it's side and do some sort of Subway sign.  But this is what I did....

I hand painted the sign and then added pegs to the bottom for hanging coats or bags.  I'm envisioning it in someone's entry way.  The pegs at the bottom are the bottom 3 1/2" of the legs of a chair that was broken.  I cut them off, drilled a hole with a spade bit to recess the pegs into the board, added glue, then screwed them in from behind.  When the glue was dry I painted the pegs to match the sign and there you have it.  I'm really happy with how it turned out.  Well, I've got to get back out to the shop and paint and sand some benches, not in that order.  Thanks for stopping by.

Modified headboard bench...

Hi Everyone!  Happy Monday!  I used to have Monday's off and my workweek started on Tuesday, but now I start on Monday, have Tuesday off and then back to work Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  So things feel a little strange to me.  A week ago last Saturday night, I got a call from a client whose daughters had ordered this bench for her, telling me how much she loved it and that she wanted to order one for her sister-in-law.  YEAH!

I loved it when people are truly happy and excited about the things I make and I hardly ever get to hear from those that receive it as a gift.  So I was thrilled that she not only liked it, but that she liked it enough to order one as gift for someone else!

So I got started on it right away Sunday.  My parents asked me if I ever thought of telling her it would be a while since I was in the middle of getting ready for two craft fairs...uh no...it never even crossed my mind.  She's a paying customer now and I can squeeze those in anytime!  So this is the headboard/footboard that I found in my stash.  I got it at the local used furniture store for a very reasonable price, I just can't remember what it was.  But the footboard is very short and I don't like the top of the posts with the wing look.  So I cut the tops off and I added feet to the footboard.

I'm using the two larger ones for the feet and the more rounded ones for the top of the back posts.  I know they don't match, but since they won't be side by side, I think it will work.  Especially since you'd expect the feet to be wider at the base and less rounded.

So after cutting the footboard in half and cutting the wing part off the top of the posts and adding the feet to the footboard/arms, I started putting it together.  I always begin by determining the height and the adding the support for the seat to the arm at the right height.  Then attaching the front support between the two arms.

Then from there, I stand the arms up and clamp it to the headboard and make any adjustments that I need to.  I have tried several ways to do this but this seems to work best for me since I don't have anyone helping me.  Any other way and I've found I'd need an extra set of hands.

I drill a recessed hole in the back of the headboard to attach the arms at both the top of the arm and the bottom support.  There are all sorts of ways to do this, but I find it's faster and easier for me.  Then I remove the clamps and attach the back seat support.  And that was the end of shop time that day because it was just getting too hot in there.  But unfortunately for me, the next day that I came out to finish the bench with the cross supports and adding the seat, I forgot to bring along my camera and didn't think about it until I was done.  Maybe next time if I can remember the camera!  DUH Holly!

So here is the bench after the seat has been completed.  I still have to fill the nail and screw holes and then sand the seat at this point.  My client wants it painted black and wants Jensen painted on it.  At first I was thinking of putting that on the front face of the seat, but now I'm thinking of adding it to the top rail on the headboard.  So now I just need to get this painted on my day off Tuesday.  I took the fabric and the foam, cut to size to Mom's this weekend so she can make the cushion for me.  She's such a great help!  And then I can get this crossed off my to do list.  I'll show it to you when I'm done.  Well, off to work I go, have a great week!  Thanks for stopping by.

Twin Headboard Bench with Storage....

Hi Everyone!  Happy Sunday!  I hope you are enjoying your weekend.  I've been busy working out in the shop, trying to get the last few things built on the benches that are taking over the space so that I can move onto painting.  I have one that a customer ordered and the rest are for two upcoming Craft Fairs.  I thought I'd show you one of the storage benches.  Do you remember the twin headboards that my aunt Barb hauled back from AZ that she found curbside?  Well, here's a picture of them when I got them from my aunt.

I like the detail on them, I think they look very feminine.

So, I cut one of them apart for the arms and cut the legs down so that the arms would be shorter than the back.

Since it was too hot to work out in the shop, I cut all my lumber for this project and hauled everything into my living room so I could work in a little comfort.  My dogs didn't like it, but I sure did.  And I decided that this needed to be a storage bench.

And here it is, almost finished.  The only thing left is the seat/top of the storage.  I've been trying to decide if I'm going to make the seat out of 1x6's like I did on the other storage bench or if I'm going to use plywood.  I think I'll be making this one out of 1x6's and using plywood on the other benches.

I'm really happy with the way this is turning out.  And I can't wait to paint it.  I'm thinking this one needs to be white or cream as I can see this in a girl's room.

I thought about painting it a nice red, but it's calling out to me to be cream. What do you think?  I'll show you how it turns out once I'm done making the seat and painting it.  Enjoy the rest of your weekend.  Thanks for stopping by!

Coffee table, storage bench...

Hi Everyone!  Happy Saturday!  I wanted to share with you one of the things I've been working on.  I made this storage bench/padded coffee table last year for the Clarinda Craft Fair in October and it sold before my benches did.  The top opens up and there's lots of storage inside.  So this year I thought I'd make a square one similar to this.

So I started working on my idea for a square, padded coffee table, made with the same look as the one from last year.  I cut the lumber and took it all inside into my living room since it was too hot to work in the shop and got all the sides made.  Each side is a panel that fit snugly together with the panel on either side and then the panels get glued and screwed together. 

So I had each panel made and I set it up in my living room and it was just too big.  Each side measures 36".  Which didn't seem too large to me when I laid out yardsticks when I was trying to determine my dimensions.  Boy was I wrong!  IT WAS HUGE!  I lived with it in my living room for two days and couldn't image anyone having room for that large of a box. 

I talked to my mom about it and she didn't think it sounded too big.  I talked with a co-worker of mine and the same thing, didn't sound too big.  I looked in Pottery Barn and their padded coffee tables were 48" square, but didn't have storage, just legs with an open area below........that's the problem!  It was the solidness of the box that made it seem so outrageous big.  I couldn't cut the panels down so instead, I'm making two rectangles instead of a square.  I'll try again on the square later.

So I made two more panels (I've only made one of the two so far) and put it together in my living room.

I haven't made the top yet.  Hopefully this weekend.

But I did move it out to the shop so I can sand it and get it ready for painting.

Since I will have two of them, I thought I'd paint one Graphite and the other Old White (using my Annie Sloan Chalk Paint) and then wax and age them.  The only thing I haven't decided on is if I'm going to upholster the top like the one I did last year, or have a wooden top.  Or maybe one of each?  What do you think?  The nice thing about these storage pieces, it can be a coffee table or storage bench in your entry way or kids room or at the end of the bed, or at your dining room table.  They are very versatile.  I'll let you know what I decide.  Thanks for stopping by.

Shop time...finally...

Hi Everyone!  Happy Friday!  I hope you had a good week.  I know I had a productive one.  I wanted to share with you a little of what's been going on in my shop.  The weather finally turned around making it bearable to work out in the shop this last weekend and this week.  And since I'm behind because of the heat wave we had, I've spent most nights after work out in the shop until 9 or 10 pm, trying to get caught up.  I have two craft fairs coming up and I'm not as ready as I would have liked to have been by this point.  The first is the Essex Labor Day Market on Monday, September 5th and the second one is the Red Oak Craft Fair on Saturday, September 17th.  I haven't been to the second one before and normally I like to have at least a couple of weekends in between shows, but this year I only have one weekend in between which doesn't leave much time to replace inventory.  So that's why I'm building and building and haven't stopped to paint anything, yet.

So this is what the shop looked liked this morning before I left for work.  I have three completely built benches and two that are almost done.  And then that box (top right hand corner) is a storage coffee table/storage bench that is built except for the top.  I will post about each of these soon.

This bench I started Tuesday afternoon and finished everything except the seat/top of the storage, last night.

This one I started on Sunday afternoon.  I had cut almost all the wood when the sun came out and heated up the shop (it has a metal roof and gets pretty warm).  So I packed up all the pieces and moved the building party into my living room so I could keep building.  The dogs weren't too happy, but I sure was more comfortable!  Then I moved it back out on Tuesday and finished it up in the shop.  I still have to make the seat/storage top.  And I can't decide if I'm going to make it or buy a sheet of plywood for all three of the storage benches that still need a top.  I'm going to need to inventory my lumber and see if I have enough to make them or if I need to spend a little money to get some plywood. 

Hopefully this weekend is just as productive as last weekend now that our summer visitors have gone home and my mom is finally feeling better.  One of the benches in the first photo is for a client that called me last Saturday and ordered it.  I of course didn't tell her I was in the middle of making things for two craft fairs, so I slipped it into the workday on Sunday and Monday evening and I'll be painting it this weekend.  So more to come.  Well, take care and have a great weekend!

Ethan Allen bench...

Hi Everyone!  Happy Monday!  I hope you had a great weekend.  I wanted to show you my latest build.  This bench is made from a full size Ethan Allen bed.  My favorite supplier of used headboards had this one for sale in his shop and gave me a great deal on it because of all the headboards I've purchased from him.  I almost hated cutting this one in half, but I'm sure glad that I did.

I love this detail on the leg.  I'm going to have to tape that off really well before I paint.

Now my only question is, what color should I paint it?  And what saying should I put on it?  What would you like to see?  What would you want to buy?  I'm taking this to the Essex Labor Day Market.  It's a mix of antique, flea market, craft fair all rolled into one.  Last  year I took a bench to this, sold it 15 minutes after the "doors" opened and took orders for 7 more benches.  So let's hope the selling god's are with me again this year.  Thanks for stopping by.

Upholstered headboard...

Hi Everyone!  Happy Sunday!  I wanted to show you the headboard I upholstered for my niece.  She is started High School this year (WOW!) and has a kids bunkbed in her room that has the futon on the bottom and I've slept on it and it's not comfortable!  My parents are giving her the matress set from their guest room and getting a new one.  The only problem, no headboard or frame. 

That's where I come in.  Before I moved to the farm,  my grandfather had moved a bed into the large master bedroom that didn't have a headboard because he had to move their bedroom to the 1st floor after my grandmother fell down the stairs (I gave that set to my brother for his son's room).  So to correct the no headboard situation, he made one out of plywood.  When I moved in, I didn't have a headboard, so I took that headboard and upholstered it for my bed.  But I have since changed rooms and headboards.  But I didn't throw out that headboard, thinking I could recycle the plywood.  And I have a frame that I saved out in the grain bin.

So when I took my niece back-to-school shopping we picked up some chenelle fabric in lilac and I upholstered the headboard for her.

 The unfinished back side of the headboard.  I could have made it pretty on this side too, but didn't because the fabric cost 12.99/yard and it will be up next to the wall.  I think that's the most I've ever spent on fabric, but it coordinated with the fabric I used on her toy box/hope chest, just a shade darker.

She is a purple gal!  She loves purple!

So now my brother just has to haul it home and either attach it to the frame or hang it on the wall.  It's been fun having Vickie here, too bad it was not as much fun as last year since my mom was sick most of the time.  But I think Vickie won the jackpot by coming home with new bed and headboard!  Well, thanks for stopping by!