Have you ever been scrolling through Pinterest looking for party ideas and notice those cute short wood picnic tables? Well I have done this plenty of times and always loved the look of them! After checking online, I found those tables sell for upwards of $200 each on Etsy. With an upcoming birthday party and baby shower, I decided to try building my own DIY short wood picnic tables.
Buying Supplies
After building a game plan in my head, I ordered 12” metal table legs from Amazon. I ordered two sets of 4 legs at $17 each because I intended to build 2 tables.
Next, I headed to Home Depot to purchase supplies. Here is what I purchased:
(1) 8FT X 4FT Wood Plywood Sheet
(6) 8FT Common Wood Boards
Wood Glue
Finishing Nails
Wood Stain
Sand Paper
After I bought all the supplies, I headed home to start building!
Building The Short Wood Picnic Table
First, you have to cut the 8FT X 4FT Plywood Sheet down the middle (making two 8FT X 2FT pieces) to make the two tables. While in the store, I asked if a Home Depot employee could do it and he tried but couldn’t get the cut right. Luckily, I own a Kreg Rip Cut Tool which allows you to cut large pieces of wood down easily with a circular saw.
Kreg Jig Rip Cut Saw Attachment
Once the plywood was cut down, I glued and nailed the two 8FT common boards to each side of the plywood. Then, I measured and cut down another piece of 8 FT Common Board into two pieces for the ends of the table. Those two pieces of common board were glued and nailed to each end of the plywood. I repeated the same steps for the second table.
After everything was dry, I gave it a solid day, I sanded each table down lightly. Then, I stained each table with Walnut Wood Stain.
Table Shell
Once again I allowed the tables to dry overnight. After everything was set, I attached the table legs to the 4 corners of the table using the screws provided.
One Completed Short Leg Picnic Table
Putting the Short Leg Picnic Tables To Use
Originally, I made these for a spa baby shower I was hosting; however, I decided to give the tables a test run at my son’s birthday party.
The tables were sturdy, adorable, and affordable! Total cost for each table was $50. We will be using the tables for years to come! Can’t wait for the warm weather to get here so we can enjoy them outside!
Kids Gaming Party!Spa Baby ShowerSpa Baby ShowerShort Leg Picnic TablesShort Leg Picnic TablesBaby Shower in Progress!
Our Master Bathroom was built with a generic plain builder grade large mirror. While I love that the mirror is large, I hate how boring and unfinished the mirror is. If I were to replace the current mirror with new mirrors it would cost hundreds of dollars. Before I spent too much money, I decided to try to see if I could frame the mirror out myself. Follow me as I construct and design a DIY Bathroom Mirror Frame!
Lights above Bathroom Mirror!
The bathroom is the entryway to our amazing closet. If you missed my closet makeover, check it out here, Custom IKEA Closet. The current bathroom is boring and lacks character. For the first phase of the bathroom makeover we decided to start with the vanity area.
Bathroom Mirror Before
I found some amazing modern lights for above the mirror from Amazon! Lights are generally easy to install, however I ran into a little bit of a problem installing these lights. In true new build fashion, my builders left a huge hole behind the former lights which meant I had to patch a giant hole in the drywall.
Giant Hole in Drywall
The best part of patching this drywall was I got to try a new technique. After I patched the drywall with spackling and allowed it to dry, instead of sanding it smooth I used a technique called wet sanding. Take a damp cloth and rub the dried wall spackling until you get your desired look. Not only does this wet sanding technique save you time it also eliminates the mess! Definitely a win win and I would highly recommend it for your next project.
New Lights with Patched Drywall!
The Frame
Trying to find inspiration photographs for the mirror frame idea I had in my head was nearly impossible. When people think framed mirrors, the frames are usually big and bulky. However, I wanted something sleek modern and sexy for my mirror!
First, I went to the hardware store and picked out a thin light weight Polystyrene Baseboard Molding. The molding was 1/2-in x 0.75-in x 8-ft and I purchased two to complete my mirror, total cost for both was $9.96!
While at the store, I grabbed some black paint (I used Tricorn Black) and some clear construction adhesive. In total I spent $50.90.
Once home, I measured and cut the molding. Next, I painted all sides of the molding pieces and allowed them to dry for a day. After the molding was completely dry, I used the clear construction adhesive to glue the molding to the edge of my mirror.
After a little touch up paint the project was complete. This was a super simple inexpensive project and it turned out fabulous!!!!
Built in closets look amazing and create so much storage but that generally comes with a hefty price tag. I was looking for a way to make our master closet fabulous without hiring a company that would charge me upwards of $8,000. IKEA happened to be the best bang for our buck. Here is the guide to our custom IKEA closet using both the PAX System and the Boaxel System.
Our Space
We moved into a builder grade house with a typical generic Master Bedroom Closet. The closet was large but not functional, it didn’t even have shelves. I attempted a mini closet revamp without modifying the shelving already in place. Check out our original mini renovation when we first moved in, DIY Built-In Closet Organizer. It’s amazing to see how my renovation skills have grown over the years!
First attempt at Adding Storage
The amount of wasted storage space in my closet was driving me nuts. Despite my fear of the unknown outcome, I began planning my Custom IKEA Closet.
Getting Started/Ordering
First, I measured the space and determined the size of the closet. Next, I designed the PAX section of the closet revamp on the IKEA website. IKEA is constantly out of stock for the PAX closet systems. If you plan to order check back frequently because everything eventually comes back into stock.
Pax Closet System
Finally, I placed my PAX Closet Organizer order. Unfortunately I did have to compromise on some things due to items being out of stock. For instance, I had to upgrade to the glass shelving which was more expensive because the regular PAX shelving was sold out.
Demo
BeforeBeforeBefore
Once the order was placed, I got to work on demoing the existing closet. Everything in the closet was removed, including the baseboards.
Assembly
The PAX Closet System is essentially a set of mini closets with backs. Therefore, I did not have to patch any of the holes on the walls where the PAX system was being installed.
The most laborious part of the entire closet was assembling all of the PAX Wardrobe boxes. Once the assembly of the shells were complete, I placed them in the closet and secured them to the back wall.
Assembly and installation of the PAX Wardrobe boxes took an entire day. When it was all said and done, I assembled and installed 6 total boxes.
Once the boxes were in, I added primed wood trim to the top and bottom of all of the boxes. Because the wardrobe boxes were so long all stacked together, I had to connect multiple pieces of primed wood for the trim. In order to ensure a seamless appearance I connected all of the trim with a 22.5 degree angle cut.
All of the Pax Systems in Place with top Trim
To eliminate the seam between the boxes, I added 1×2 primed boards.
Before with the Visible SeamAfter with 1×2 Covering the Seam
Making this closet look custom built was a big thing for me. In order for the closet to look complete, I cut and attached wood to the drawer fronts. The added wood fits seamlessly with all of the trim I installed. After the drawer fronts were installed, I installed black hardware.
Adding Wood Drawer FrontsWood FrontsWood Fronts Complete with Black Hardware
There are no windows in the closet, therefore I wanted to keep everything light and bright. I painted all of the trim and cabinet fronts white.
Adding Boaxel Storage
On the opposite wall of the PAX Wardrobes, I desperately needed storage for shoes and purses. I went back and forth over whether I should build the shelving myself or purchase it. One day, I stumbled upon the Boaxel organization on IKEA and decided to give it a try.
Boaxel Closet System
I ordered two complete Boaxel systems for the closet. Once the Boaxel system arrived, I got down to business installing. The Boaxel system was by far the easiest to install! Less than an hour of work to install each system.
Finishing Touches
After the Boaxel system was in, I began immediately organizing my shoes and purses. Just like that the closet was complete! Not to be dramatic but this closet literally changed my life for the better. I am already planning on adding the Boaxel system to the older boys closets in the near future.
If you have been following the blog, then you know we are expecting our 3rd child! After an exhausting back and forth we ultimately decided to create a Board and Batten accent wall in the nursery.
Recently, we decided to make over all of the kids bedrooms. For my oldest son’s room we created an amazing Wooden Slat Wall.
Wooden Slat Wall
For my other son, we created a Shiplap Wall while keeping his Americana themed room decor.
Americana Shiplap Room
For the babies room, I wanted to do an accent wall as well. I decided on Board and Batten after exhausting several other options. Originally, I thought I would do a wall of symmetrical squares but soon realized it would be lost with the daybed I was planning on putting in the room. Board and Batten was the perfect fit to add a nice accent wall without compromising on style and design.
Materials:
(5) Primed 1x4x12 MDF boards
(1) Primed 1x2x8 MDF Board (Window Trim)
1.5″ brad finishing nails
Nail Gun
Caulk
Wood Filler
Paint
Miter Saw
This entire project cost less than $100 which is amazingly awesome for my budget! I used primed MDF as opposed to real wood because it is cheaper and since we are painting and not staining it, nobody will know the difference!
Creating the Board and Batten Wall
I measured the wall to determined where I would place all of the vertical boards to ensure there was even spacing between them. Once determining the vertical board placement, I cut down 3 of the 12 foot MDF boards to create the edger. I did 45 degree angle cuts on all 3 of the boards so they would line up seamlessly. I attached the boards to the wall using my nail gun and 1.5″ brad nails.
Once, the edger was in place, I cut down 2 of the 12 foot MDF boards and attached them to the wall vertically.
Around the window, I created a small trim piece so it would connect with the board and batten seamlessly. To create the trim, I cut down the 1x2x8 MDF board using a 45 degree angle cut and attached them around the window with the nail gun.
Window Trim with Vertical Boards in Place
Using scrap pieces from the project, I added my last vertical board pieces that bisected the window.
Once all of the vertical board pieces were in place, I determined where I wanted to run my horizontal board. Using scrap pieces from my previous cuts, I added a horizontal board towards the top of the wall in line with the top of the window.
Horizontal and Vertical Boards in Place
After all of the boards were in place, I caulked all of the board edges. I wood filled all of the holes and seams where the vertical and horizontal boards met. Once everything was dry, I lightly sanded down the wood filler.
To make my life easier, I decided to paint the board and batten wall the same color as the existing wall. This not only saved me on cost it also saved me a lot of time!
While we are still awaiting the arrival of the crib for the nursery, we have been decorating the remainder of the room in preparation!
Room Decor
I purchased the Taylor and Olive Contemporary Fabric Daybed with Trundle in Beige from Overstock on sale for $285.77. A daybed was placed in the nursery for functionality. The master bedroom is downstairs in our house, so if I need to be near the baby’s room for an extended period of time I wanted a place to rest! It doubles as a bed for the baby as he gets older, so its a win win!
The mattress was purchased from Home Depot! I found a great deal on the Zinus Green Tea 8 inch Memory Foam Mattress through Home Depot for $146.24 with free delivery. I only purchased one mattress, we will be using the trundle section of the bed as extra storage for now.
The bedding was a set from Target and it included the blanket and accent pillows.
The accent/storage table is a Hearth and Hand Bookcase I purchased on sale from Target for $109.99. Oddly enough, the art work we used was already in the bedroom from when it was our guest bedroom. We received the art work for free from one of our neighbors!
Always keep your eyes open for great deals through Target. Target often has discounts on some of my favorite brands such as Hearth and Hand, Studio McGee and Opal House.
Finally, I located an adorable wicker accent table with removable top at Goodwill! I will find a lamp that fits in with the room to place on top of it. Always check Goodwill for cute, cheap, vintage finds!
I hope you love the baby’s room as much as we do. We will continue to fill his room as we anxiously await his arrival!
With the new baby just around the corner it was time to update our oldest son’s bedroom. I wanted to do a single wall treatment behind his bed since we did an accent wall in his brother’s Shiplap Bedroom Makeover. Wood prices have sky rocketed lately, so I needed to find a project that fit our style without breaking the budget. I fell in love with the Wooden Slat Wall look. I wanted to create a wooden slat wall that looked great but did not cost an arm and a leg. Follow me on my oldest son’s bedroom makeover journey!
Wooden Slat Wall Supplies
We updated the bed in the room from a double to a queen. Since the wood was running behind the bed frame, I measured the width of the bed to calculate how many wood pieces I would need to complete the project.
The walls in our house are very tall! They are approximately twelve feet tall but since we have a baseboard in place the wall distance we needed to cover was just over 11 feet. 12 foot pine wood 1×2 boards are super expensive. There is no way I could afford to complete this project with 12 foot boards. I decided to purchase 6 foot 1×2 Select Pine boards to complete the wood slat wall. In order to make the boards work in the space, I ran 6 foot boards vertically. I cut down the remainder of the 6 foot boards I purchased and ran them horizontally until I reached the baseboard. Not only did this save me money, it added a lovely design element to the space.
I ended up purchasing 50, 1″x2″x6′ Select Pine Boards from Home Depot for a total price of $250. The other items I needed to complete the project was 1.5 inch brad nails, pine wood filler, a brad nail gun, a level, sand paper, and a spacer; all of which I had on hand at home.
Constructing the Slat Wall
Using a level, I placed the first 6 foot wood board vertically on the wall by nailing it into the wall studs with a brad nailer. After the first board was up, I used a piece of scrap wood as a spacer and hung the remaining vertical wood boards.
Wooden Slat Wall being hung with wood spacer
The space between the boards is a personal preference. I chose to make the space smaller because that is the look I was trying to achieve. A larger space would cut down on the amount of wood used in the project. Ultimately the decision on spacing comes down to budget and design.
Vertical Wooden Slats Installed
Once all of the vertical wood slats were installed, I cut down the remaining boards to the correct size. The remaining boards were attached to the wall horizontally using the same spacing and technique.
Horizontal and Vertical Boards in Place
After the boards were in place, I filled all of the nail holes with pine wood filler. Once the wood filler was dried, I lightly sanded it down.
The best part of this project is there is no painting or staining! I chose to leave the pine natural because I loved the way it looked as is. This was a super simple one day wall transformation!
Finishing Touches and Accessories
Along with the new queen bed, I purchased natural wood nightstands for the room. I purchased the nightstands from Hobby Lobby for $89.59 each.
Since the nightstands were small, I wanted to add lighting without having to take up space on the bed tables. Wireless sconces seemed like the best choice to dress up the space. I purchased a two pack of sconces from Amazon for $39.99.
Sconces
I added a wireless sconce above each nightstand. Check back later for my next blog post where I will cover creating and installing wireless sconces!
Sconce
Completed Look
I found the perfect picture from Target to add to this space. The black and white photo of a Highland Cow was not only adorable but the frame matched the wood tones in our room.
New Picture for this New Room!
This room turned out better than any of us could have imagined. The Wooden Slat Wall project was super simple to create and made a huge impact on our space. Check back later for our next bedroom makeover, the new babies room!
Vertical Shiplap is an easy way to update your space and make it comfortable and homey. I decided to shiplap our entire upstairs living room and hallway areas.
The upstairs area in our house is the kids area, which means the walls take a beating. We had two options: shiplap or repaint. DIY vertical shiplap tied in the farmhouse feel we have throughout our house and was less expensive than hiring a painter to come in and repaint our space. The decision was made and I set out on my journey to DIY vertical shiplap the entire upstairs by myself during a quarantine with kids. Here is my journey!
GETTING STARTED DIY VERTICAL SHIPLAP
While I did not want to make extra work for myself, I quickly decided I needed to frame out all of the windows in the upstairs living room. The upstairs windows needed a frame to tie the vertical shiplap together and make it look cohesive. I decided to purchase the same boards I would be using as a top edger for the shiplap to frame out the windows.
First, I measured the space I was working in and got a rough idea on how much shiplap I would need to complete the project. Let me tell you, my original measuring was incorrect due to varying baseboard heights. Just be prepared because nothing is ever level and the walls are never even!
Next, I determined how much edging I would need for the top of the shiplap. I did not need to purchase edging for the bottom of the shiplap because there is an existing thick baseboard that would act as an edger.
I did not buy finishing cap pieces for corners until the end of my project.
The first thing you need to do is decide on the height of your vertical shiplap. Since I was working with 8 Foot boards, I decided the easiest and most economical approach would be to cut the boards directly in half. Due to the fact that the boards would be resting on top of my existing baseboards, the 4 foot boards would be perfect.
My biggest mistake during this project was precutting the shiplap boards for the first wall. Turns out my baseboards are not level! I know, I know; measure twice cut once. Honestly, It just wasn’t something I thought about prior to cutting those boards. You live and you learn!
Another mistake I quickly figured out was, the top edger must be installed prior to adding the shiplap because it will save you a lot of time further into the project! Since I was doing vertical shiplap on all of the upstairs walls, the top edger needed to connect at the same height throughout the entire space. Placing the top edger up first throughout the space just makes your life easier when it is time to add the shiplap to avoid boards not lining up (been there done that and got the badge!).
I attached all of the top edger to the wall using 1 1/4 Brad Nails and my Nail Gun and level. After the top edger us up, I framed out my windows with the same wood I used for the top edger.
Top Edger is on before Shiplap Installation
INSTALLATION OF VERTICAL SHIPLAP:
After the windows were framed out, I attached the shiplap pieces to the wall using the same brad nails and nail gun. While it is ideal to shoot the nails into a stud, if you cannot find a stud in the area you are hanging you can alternate shooting brad nails at an angle into the board.
All of the walls I installed vertical shiplap on had power outlets and/or light switches. When you encounter an outlet or light switch you must first mark the location of the outlet/switch onto your shiplap board piece. I marked the outlet locations by flipping the outlet cover and reattaching it to the outlet backwards. I applied paint to the edge of the backwards outlet cover and then placed my shiplap boards against the wall to get the exact location of the outlet.
Using a jigsaw, I cut the outlet locations out of the shiplap boards. Because the cut you need to make to the shiplap may be in the middle of your board, you may need to use a power drill to pre drill holes in the corners before cutting with the jigsaw.
Top Edger, Framed Window, and Shiplap with cutout for Outlet!
INSTALLING REMAINING TRIM PIECES:
Depending on your space, you may need trim pieces to finish off the walls. I added outside corner molding to all of the outside edges and quarter round molding to the interior edges.
Quarter Round Pictured on this Wall
INSTALLING OUTLET EXTENDERS:
Once the shiplap is up, the outlets and light switches will need to be extended. The outlets and switches should sit flush to the shiplap.
First, turn the power off to the area you are working. I used a lamp to ensure the power was indeed turned off. Next, I detached the outlets from the wall. Finally, I added the plastic outlet extenders and reattached the outlets to the wall.
FINISHING TOUCHES:
First, I used wood filler to fill all of the nail holes. Next, I added paintable caulk to all of the vertical shiplap and trim edges. Finally, I sanded down all of the wood filler and painted the shiplap and edger with white paint I had on hand.
Finished Space for Relaxation and Play!
The windows are perfection and really really change the space!
I was able to add a work space for the kids and I
This project transformed my upstairs area into a beautiful living room/office/kids area. I could not be any happier with our new functional space!
The modern Farmhouse look is all around us but often those looks can be expensive! I refuse to spends hundreds of dollars on children’s furniture that the kids will quickly outgrow. I also don’t want to buy those clunky and ugly made for kids furniture items because they are such an eye sore! Since we are spending a lot of time at home and will even be attending school from home, I needed to create a kids workspace before the school year started. I decided to make the kids a DIY Farmhouse Table and Chairs so the kids had a fun and cute space to learn and play. Follow my step by step guide below to achieve an adorable DIY Kids Farmhouse Table and Chairs!
Finding The Perfect Table
Finding the perfect table for your DIY kids farmhouse table and chairs at a good price is the first step. I found my table and chairs for FREE on Facebook. Facebook is usually the first place I head to find items but you can also try Criagslist, Letgo, or Goodwill. You can also purchase a brand new cheap table and chairs if you can find a good deal online. I found this white Delta Table and Chairs from a Facebook group in my area that offers up items for free.
Free White Table and Chairs
The table and chairs I received for free was hardly in perfect condition. The top of the table had several paint blemishes and dents. But for a free table and chairs this set was in pretty good condition!
Designing the Perfect DIY Kids Farmhouse Table
Originally when I picked up the table, I thought I would just paint the table and chairs. However, when I got the table home I was inspired by my living room coffee table. I received a free coffee table and remodeled the table to better fit our farmhouse vibe and I love how it turned out! I painted the bottom half white and stained the top with a grey wood stain.
Refinished Coffee Table-Inspiration for DIY Kids Farmhouse Table
Prepping
I sanded the top of the kids table to get rid of the paint blemishes that had bubbled up. After the top of the table was sanded, I discovered the table was made of particle board. While I was not surprised the kids table was not made out of real wood, it made me take a step back and re-evaluate my plan.
Painting
I knew I wanted the table to be navy blue, so I decided to go forward and paint the table completely. I used two cans of navy blue spray paint I already had in the garage from a previous project. Using paints and materials I already have on hand saves me time and money. I sprayed the table once and let it dry completely. After the table was dry, I applied a second coat of paint to ensure it was completely covered. I left the table outside to dry.
Shiplap
For many of my home renovation projects in the past, I have used a thin shiplap material I purchased from Home Depot. I used the same shiplap material to complete my project Faux Built in Fireplace with Shiplap.
Faux Built in Fireplace with Shiplap
I had several pieces of the thin shiplap material in my garage. I thought Shiplap would make the perfect top for the DIY Kids Farmhouse Table.
Constructing the Shiplap Table Top
I took the thin shiplap pieces and cut each piece down to size to make the tabletop. After each piece was cut, I applied a gray wood stain I already had in my garage to each piece of shiplap. I used the Varathane Weathered Gray stain. When applied, the stain has an almost paint like appearance. As the stain dries, the wood grain pops through and gives it a great antique look.
After the stain dried, I arranged the wood on top of the table to ensure the proper placement. I applied wood glue to the bottom of the wood pieces and attached them to the top of the table. Using my nail gun, I attached each piece of wood directly to the table top with 4 nails in each slat. Wood Glue ensures each portion of the wood securely adheres to the tabletop.
The sides of the table were slightly uneven, so I decided to sand down the edges of the table.
Table Top with Unfinished Sides
Using my handheld electric sander, I gently sanded the tabletop edges down until they were even. I reapplied stain to the areas that had been sanded and left the table outside to dry.
Chairs!
The table I received for free included two chairs. The chairs were white and I decided to leave them white. Some paint touch up was needed, so I applied some generic white paint I had around the house to the chairs.
If the table you get doesn’t have chairs, there are several great farmhouse kids chairs online for a reasonable price. Here are a few of my favorites:
Once the table and chairs were dry, I placed them in the house for the kids to enjoy. This was a much needed addition to assist with our at home learning!
Decorating is something I enjoy doing, and I love the challenge of decorating on a budget. I wanted to add two chairs to our living room to make the area more functional but I did not want to break the bank. There were several chairs I fell in love with online but they fell within the 300-500 dollar range. Ideally for this project I wanted to spend no more than $100 a chair. Join me on my journey for Updating Discounted Chairs on a Budget!
Living Room Space
The above picture is my living room space after completing my DIY Barn Door Shutters project. While the space is functional, we needed more seating for entertaining. I recently purchased blue velvet curtains for my home office and wanted to continue with the same material in the living room. My online hunt for the perfect blue velvet chair began.
Purchasingthe Perfect Chair
While I found several chairs that would fit the space perfectly, they were all sadly outside my budget. I found a blue velvet chair on Wayfair that fit within my budget called the Alivia Armchair.
Alivia Armchair-Wayfair
The chair was listed on sale for $150 a chair. While this seems outside of my budget it wasn’t because I had a credit at Wayfair for $128. I obtained the Wayfair credit because I ordered an electric fireplace for my Faux Built-in Fireplace with Shiplap home renovation project from Wayfair and it came with some marks on it. Wayfair will offer to completely replace your item or provide a credit for the damage. Generally, I take the credit if it is something I can easily fix.
Initially I thought I was paying $172 for both chairs however, when the chairs arrived they both had paint damage to the black portion of the chair. Wayfair gave me $60 off my purchase price because of the paint damage. This discount brought the price of both chairs down to $112, that is $56 per chair! For this project, the paint damage was not an issue because I already had plans to repaint the chairs. The moral of this story is don’t be afraid to ask for a discount if a product arrives in a less than perfect condition.
Updating the Chairs
Rust-Oleum Metalic Gold Spray Paint
The chair base color needed to be redone in order for the chair to have more character and fit into my design style. I picked out a Metallic Gold spray paint made by Rust-Oleum.
I removed the chair base from the chair seat. The chair seat was easily removable and was only connected by a few screws.
Painted Chair Bases
Each chair base was coated with two coats of Metallic Gold Rust-Oleum paint. It took 3 cans of Metallic Gold paint for both chairs.
After the final Metallic Gold paint coat dried, I sprayed each chair base with Rust-Oleum Matte Finish Clear Protective Finish. The Clear Protective Finish helps prevent the gold paint from being scratched off.
Once everything was completely dry, I reattached the chair seats to the chair bases.
Completed Chair
New Chair Set Up!
Extra Seating added to the Living Room!
Completed Chair
Velvet Chair with Gold Accents for less than $70 a Chair!
I played with the placement of my new fabulous chairs and finally came up with the perfect layout.
These chairs are comfortable, stylish, and best of all they did not break the bank. The total cost of BOTH chairs and all of the spray paint was $135. Think outside of the box and have fun revamping inexpensive furniture to fit your design style and needs. I can’t wait to see what you create!
Let’s face it window coverings can be expensive! We bought a new build and had to cover every window in the entire house (eeek!). I wanted a unique design element to set off our pretty bland living room. After several hours scouring Pinterest for ideas, I decided to build and install DIY barn door shutters on our living room windows.
We prioritized our spending and paid to have blackout shades put in all of our bedrooms. The remainder of our windows we left without shades for an entire year. I desperately wanted wooden shutters in our living room kitchen area but knew it was outside of the budget; which is why we ended up going the DIY barn door route. Follow my project and let me walk you through the steps I took to achieve this amazing look!
Materials:
Barn Door Rails
1″x4″x8′ Pine Boards–Mounting Boards and shutter design (8 for the entire project)
Paint
Cordless Drill
Miter Saw
Nail Gun
1×6–6foot Common Wood Boards–for shutters (I used 21 for this project)
Screws
Caulk
Before Picture-DIY Barndoor Shutters
Getting Started with Supplies:
The first thing I did was buy the rails for the windows.
There are three large windows in my living room; two windows on one wall and one window on the opposing wall. I needed three rails, one for each window. After checking online for the best price for a Barn Door Rail Systems, I found great rails for a great price on Amazon!
I bought three 6.6 foot barn door rails from U-Max for $39.99 each through Amazon. Similar rails sell at home improvement stores for around $150 each. The only downside to the U-Max rail systems is they are manufactured in another country so you will have to use a mounting board above each window to ensure the barn door is supported by wall studs.
After I ordered the barn door rails, I made a trip to Home Depot to buy wood for the mounting boards. Since I was building the barn door shutter from scratch, I wanted to install the rail systems prior to making the doors to ensure each window was fully covered.
I purchased three 1″x4″x8′ Pine boards from Home Depot. I already had white paint from my last project, Faux Built-In Fireplace with Shiplap, so I decided to use it on this project as well!
Attaching the Mounting Boards and Rails:
The first thing I did was cut the mounting boards down to 6 feet 8 inches using my miter saw. I cut the mounting boards down because I did not want there to be too much overhang on my mounting board for aesthetic purposes. Next, I painted each rail with my existing paint. Painting the mounting boards before you attach them to the wall just makes your life easier!
We found and marked all the studs on the wall above our windows with a stud finder. We held our mounting boards up on the wall and marked all of the stud locations onto the mounting boards. My husband pre drilled holes into the mounting board at the designated stud locations using his cordless drill. We used mounting screws and attached the mounting boards above each window with the screws. We used 4-5 screws per mounting board to ensure the rails were stable. Honestly, this was the hardest part of the project for my husband and I because we had never done this before. It was harder to find a stud above the windows because of the window framing. Nevertheless we prevailed and got them all up!
Mounting Boards-DIY Barn Door Shutters
After we got all of the mounting boards up, we followed the directions for the rail systems and attached them to the mounting boards.
Rails Attached to Mounting Board-DIY Barn Door Shutters
Building The Doors:
I chose to use 1×6-6 Foot Common Boards for this project because I wanted to save on cost. The cost of a 1×6-6 Foot Common Board is $4.33 per board. I used 21 1×6-6 Foot Common Boards to complete all three doors (7 boards per barn door shutter). Obviously the amount of boards you use will depend on the size of your window.
Common Board at Home Depot
I went back and forth on whether I wanted to do an “X” or a “Z” for the design element on the front of the doors. Ultimately, I ended up going with a “Z” because it seemed like an easier design to execute.
I measured each window and determined the length of each barn door. Using my miter saw, I cut all 21 of my 6 feet Common Boards down to size.
I placed 7 common boards side by side on a flat surface making sure all the ends were in line.
I measured the width of each proposed barn door. Using my miter saw, I cut three of the 1″x4″x8′ Pine boards into two pieces to fit across the top and bottom of each barn door. I held a piece of the 1″x4″x8′ barn door in between the top and bottom pine boards on the barn door and marked my cut lines. Using the miter saw, I made 45 degree cuts on the top and bottom of each pine boards to form the “Z.”
After everything was lined up, I used the nail gun and attached the “Z” shape to each barn door.
“Z” shape on barn doors-DIY Barn Door Shutters
Making the Doors Stable and Strong:
I flipped the barn doors over and attached a wood brace on the top and bottom of each barn door with the nail gun. Just to make sure the back braces were in place I attached two screws to each brace on each barn door. I used scrap wood I had left over for this because it is the back and will not be seen.
Caulked Seams-DIY Barn Door Shutters
After the doors were built, I caulked the back seems where each wood piece met to help keep the light out. I also caulked the seams on the “Z” design.
Painted Front-DIY Barn Door Shutters
After everything was dry, I painted both sides of the doors.
Painted Back-DIY Barn Door Shutters
Hanging the Doors:
We held the finished doors up to the track and marked the location the rails needed to be attached to the barn doors.
Due to the fact we didn’t make the barn doors as thick as the rail system suggests, we added washers to the back of the rails when we attached them to the doors.
We simply lifted the door onto the tracks and it was ready to go.
This project had its ups and downs and ultimately took me longer than expected because I have two toddlers. However, this is one of the best additions we have done to the house by far. It gives our living room character and provides shade for a fraction of the cost of traditional window coverings.
My husband was a trooper through this project and I could not have done it without him. This is definitely a two person endeavor should you wish to build your own DIY barn door shutters.
We are already planning on building barn door shutters for our office window.
Complete Barn Door Shutters-DIY Barn Door Shutters
When we purchased our house it did not come with a fireplace. Honestly, I never really noticed the missing fireplace until our first Christmas. I desperately wanted a fireplace for our next winter; however, I did not have the budget for a built in fireplace. I decided to tackle a faux built in fireplace with shiplap surround.
Living Room Wall Before
Our living room was kind of bland and boring. I reused the furniture from our previous house and it no longer matched the aesthetic of our new modern farmhouse. After convincing my husband we needed a change, I went in search of the perfect faux fireplace.
Fireplace
I went back and forth on whether I should purchase an electric fireplace or buy a vintage fireplace mantel and attach it to the wall. In the end, my husband really wanted something that provided a heat source, as minimal as it may be.
I did extensive online searches for electric fireplaces. The problem I ran into a lot when searching for electric fireplaces online is they were all too short and looked like fake electric fireplaces.
After several hours of online research I located the perfect faux fireplace. The Juri Electric Fireplace by Darby Home Co from Wayfair. This fireplace ticked all of the boxes; it was white, it was tall, and it put out heat. When I first found and fell in love with this fireplace it was being offered at $1,369.99. Sadly at that time it was out of my budget so I waited. I kept checking Wayfair for sales and discounts because I was not about to pay $1,369.99 for an electric fireplace. A few months ago the day finally came; Wayfair was having a huge sale on electric fireplaces. I purchased The Juri Electric Fireplace by Darby Home Co from Wayfair for $783.52.
Juri Electric Fireplace from www.wayfair.com
Wayfair provides great customer service. I received an email with my expected date of delivery for the fireplace. I wanted to make the fireplace look as built in as possible so I decided to create a shiplap wall behind the fireplace running all the way to the ceiling.
Shiplap on a Budget
The price of real shiplap at the box stores is astronomical. I found a great product at Home Depot for a fraction of the cost called 1/4″ x 8′ Knotty Pine Edge V Plank.
Knotty Pine Edge V Plank
This product comes with 6 thin interlocking boards 8 feet in length. For my fireplace area I purchased 4 packs. It is important to measure your space and calculate the square footage you will need to cover prior to heading to Home Depot to purchase your boards.
I highly recommend this product because it is easy to work with and is inexpensive. If your budget allows you to go with a higher end shiplap or peel and stick shiplap go with whatever makes you comfortable.
Because I was framing the fireplace in shiplap and not coving the entire wall I bought a 1/4″ trim for the sides and top of my shiplap(the existing baseboards if you have them can act as the trim for the bottom). Once I had all of my materials it was time to get started on my shiplap wall before my fireplace arrived.
Materials
Tape
Nail Gun
Level
Measuring Tape
Pencil
Miter Saw
Shiplap Material
Edging Material
Ladder
Paint
Paintbrushes
Paintable Caulk
Preparing Materials:
I placed tape on the wall to mark the width of the fireplace. I attached one side of my 1/4′ trim to the outer edge of my tape using my nail gun and level. Once I had one of my trim pieces in place I started on the shiplap. It is important not to attach both trim pieces to the wall at the same time because you need space to interlock the shiplap.
I cut all of my shiplap wood down to my desired length using a miter saw. When installing shiplap I generally start at the top and work my way down to the bottom. However, for this project there was a wall bump out from the stairs in the middle of my desired shiplap location. I started applying shiplap from the bottom of the stair bump out down.
Applying my Shiplap from the stair bump out down
It is important to have help when you attach your first piece of shiplap to ensure the wood is being hung level.
Project helper for the Faux Fireplace (just kidding my husband helped!)
Applying the Shiplap Planks
Place the first piece of shiplap flush against the wall. Use your level to ensure the shiplap is being hung on an even plane. Attach the shiplap to the wall using your nail gun. Once the first piece of shiplap is hung the project should move smoothly. Continue applying the shiplap down the length of your wall (after the first board is hung a level is no longer necessary).
I encountered an outlet plug during the installation of the shiplap. I simply cut the boards down to size to fit around the outlet plug using the miter saw.
Once all of the shiplap has been attached to the wall attach the remaining side trim and top trim to the wall using the nail gun. If there are small gaps in between your trim and your shiplap do not panic. Use paintable caulk to fill in the gaps and edges in the shiplap and trim.
Shiplap Wall with trim
Once the caulk has dried it is time to add paint. I used the same white washable paint I used in my Board and Batten or Bust project. I applied three coats of paint to the shiplap and trim.
Shiplap wall painted white
Mounting the TV
There are some things I leave to the professionals. Mounting a television with hidden cords is outside of my comfort zone. I used Puls to mount my 70 inch television. Puls is great! They connect you with a professional in your area that will come out same day with a mount and hang your television. The total cost to have my television mounted with hidden cords was $300 and that included the mount. Well worth the money in my opinion!
Installing the Fireplace
After the fireplace came we assembled it and placed it in front of our completed shiplap wall. This is by far the best addition I have done to the house hands down. The fireplace completely changed our space and we could not be any happier. My husband loved it so much he wants to do the same thing in our bedroom!
Completed Faux built in Fireplace with Shiplap
Although this project was a little pricey it was worth every penny. I am loving every inch of our faux built in fireplace with shiplap.
