How To: Kill Tree Roots

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Mod Podge Thrift Store Tray Makeover

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Plaid®. All opinions are my own. As a member of the Plaid Creators team this year, I’ve had so many fun opportunities to step out of my comfort zone and explore a variety of new craft and DIY techniques and products. I’m having so much fun! This month’s challenge involved finding a thrift store item to transform using my favorite trend as inspiration. I had a few ideas in mind, but ultimately what I came up with was this Feather Mod Podge Thrift Store Tray Makeover.

It’s no secret that I love feathers, and I love that they are a trend in home decor. Take a look at my blog header and you’ll see that I am seriously a fan. So when our challenge involved incorporating a trend, I thought about feathers, and specifically remembered this gold feather tray from Wayfair (affiliate link) that I’ve always loved. While I didn’t try to duplicate it, it served as a source of inspiration for this project. The most difficult thing for me was heading blindly into the thrift store with no idea what my “canvas” would end up being, but I knew I wanted to find something I could use as a tray. Luckily, I knew as soon as I saw this cute wooden tray/bread basket thingamajig (I’m calling it a tray but I’m really not sure what it’s intended purpose is), it would be perfect. And bonus, it was only $3!

Here are the supplies I used for this project:

• Mod Podge Gloss Formula
• Mod Podge Brush Set
• FolkArt® Home Decor™ Chalk Ultra Matte Paint in White Adirondack
• Plaid Paint Brush
• Wood Filler
• Putty Knife
• Sanding Block
• Feather Gift Wrap (found at HomeGoods)
• Craft Knife
• Scissors

Of course you could use this technique with any paper you choose if feathers aren’t your thing. If you’re not familiar with Mod Podge, let me just tell you about this crafting must-have. (Seriously, it’s a staple in any craft room.) It’s an all-in-one glue, sealer, and finish for decoupage projects and everyday crafting. Decoupage is the art of cut and paste, and you can cover virtually any surface with paper or fabric cut-outs. Mod Podge comes in a bazillion different formulas (ok I’m just rounding up, but there are many), so there’s definitely a formula specifically designed for pretty much any application you want to use it for. Wondering which formula to use? Here’s a helpful guide. I opted to use the Gloss formula for this project because it’s one of my favorites.

Mod Podge Thrift Store Tray Makeover Tutorial

Step 1

My first order of business was smoothing out the carving on the surface of the tray, because I wanted an even surface to work with when I adhered my feather paper. I used wood filler and a putty knife to fill in all of the carvings.

Step 2

After the wood filler had dried, I sanded it smooth.

Step 3

Next, I made sure the entire tray was clean and free of dust and debris, and I painted it with FolkArt Home Decor Chalk Ultra Matte Paint in White Adirondack. I ended up applying three coats, lightly sanding in between.

Step 4

Next, I measured and cut my feather gift wrap to fit the bottom portion of my tray. (A craft/utility knife might come in handy for this part. I started with scissors though.)

Step 5

Then, I applied a coat of Mod Podge on the part of my tray where I wanted the feather paper to be applied, and also to the back of my paper. I tried to work quickly as it does dry relatively fast.

I absolutely love this decoupage brush set, and the furniture brushes will come in handy for future projects as well.

I mainly used the 1 1/4″ brush.

Step 6

I carefully adhered my feather paper onto the layer of Mod Podge, and used a rubber scraper to smooth out any bumps or bubbles. I allowed 20 minutes drying time.

Step 7

Next, I applied a layer of Mod Podge on top of my feather paper to seal it.

With Mod Podge, the possibilities are seriously endless. Now, I have a cute decorative tray to hold odds and ends. It’s currently in my “mom cave” hanging out on my great-grandmother’s old coffee table. This tray makes such a fun addition to the room.

 

And here’s a final look at the before and after.

For more ideas and inspiration, be sure to follow Plaid on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

You can also connect with me here:

Thanks for visiting!

-Erin

The post Mod Podge Thrift Store Tray Makeover appeared first on Erin Spain.

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10 Simple Mistakes That Could Cost You Your Dream Home

In almost every city in the United States, certain neighborhoods are in hot demand, and real estate dealings in those areas can become alarmingly cutthroat. Don’t let a competitive market scare you away from nabbing the perfect home on the ideal street. Before you enter the fray, arm yourself with smart strategies that will help you avoid these 10 common mistakes that trip up less-savvy house shoppers.

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Locking Rabbet Drawer Joint

Today I’m showing you how to build a drawer with a Locking Rabbet Drawer Joint.  This method requires a table saw or router table.  If you don’t have access to one of those, you can build drawers with pocket hole screws or loose tenons using pre-finished drawer material.

I’ve been building a lot of drawers lately.  I just built 28 drawers that were only 2 1/4″ tall.  That seamed like a LOT of pocket hole screws or loose tenons if I were to use my Festool Domino.  A biscuit joiner might be a good option for drawers that small but I got rid of mine years ago and didn’t want to go buy another one.  I just wanted an easy way to put these little drawers together without running in to town to buy anything.  Using a dado stack in my table saw, I cut 1/4″ wide grooves, 1/4″ deep, 1/4″ from the material edge.  These grooves and a little wood glue is all you need to build drawers with a locking rabbet drawer joint.  No fasteners required.

How to Build a Drawer with a Locking Rabbet Drawer Joint

I use a dado stack in my table saw to cut the 1/4″ grooves required for this method.  Alternately, you could use a 1/4″ slot cutting bit in a router table.  I’ll be referring to a table saw, rip fence and dado stack in this tutorial.

We are making 2 assumptions in this tutorial:

1. You will be applying false drawer fronts
2. You will be using 1/2″ drawer material

Sizing drawers

The grooves used to make up the locking rabbet drawer joint are 1/4″ deep.  The grooves will be exposed and we want those to be hidden by the false drawer front.  The front and back pieces are the “captive” pieces (locked into the sides).

With 1/2″ drawer material, you simply subtract 1/2″ from the desired drawer width.  Depending on your drawer hardware, it may be important to know if your drawer material is truly 1/2″ or if it is undersized.  If using the Blum Tandem drawer glides it won’t matter if your drawers end up slightly smaller than you planned. Regular, side mount hardware is not as forgiving.

Once you determine the sizes you need for your drawer sides and front/back pieces, cut all four pieces.

Set up your 1/4″ Dado Stack

You should be using a 1/4″ dado stack raised to cut exactly 1/4″ deep groove.  A digital height gauge here can be really handy.

 

Set your rip fence 1/4″ away from the dado stack.  Run all four drawer pieces through, lengthwise to cut the groove for the drawer bottom.

I use my Micro Jig push blocks to hold down and push these small pieces through the cuts.

Drawer Sides

Next, with the fence in the same position, cut your drawer sides next.  Cut grooves on the ends of the drawer sides with the drawer bottom dado facing down.  So all the grooves are cut on the same side of the drawer sides.

I create a little jig with my miter gauge to safely and securely push these pieces through the cut.  

Drawer Fronts and Backs

Next it’s time to cut the rabbet on the drawer fronts and backs.  The drawer bottom dado will be facing away from the sawblade.  So the side grooves and bottom groove are on opposite sides of the drawer piece.

These can be cut two ways.

1.  Cut with the drawer pieces standing on end.

It’s safest to build a little jig to hold these pieces securely and keep your hands away from the blades if using this method.

2.  Attach a sacrificial piece of 1/4″ wood to the rip fence, taking up the space that had currently been between the blade and the fence. Now you can run the drawer fronts and backs flat on the table saw.  Make sure the drawer bottom dado is facing up if using this method.

*Use the miter gauge and sacrificial wood scrap to make sure the material stays square to the fence as you push it through the cut.

Assemble

The rabbets on the drawer fronts and backs now slide into the dados on the drawer sides.   Make sure your drawer bottom dado is facing IN while attaching all your drawer parts.

Spread wood glue on the joints before assembling.  Attach the drawer front and back pieces to one drawer side

I use a little 23 gauge nail gun to hole things together while I continue assembling the rest of the drawer.

Slide the drawer bottom into place.

Then attach the second drawer side.  

I secure the second side with more nails to hold the pieces together while the glue dries.

If you don’t want any nail holes, use clamps to secure your drawers while the glue dries.  Or you can use nails and clamps.  Whatever you want to do!

A note about my drawers:  they have additional grooves cut into them for drawer dividers.  Also, they are odd sizes because they are for a shallow, angled cabinet.

I hope that all made sense.  The locking rabbet drawer joint is a pretty easy method for drawer building if you have a table saw (or two).  I seriously am considering buying a small, second table saw.  It would be nice to have one dedicated for a dado stack so I don’t have to switch blades constantly.  I don’t cut the drawer bottoms until I’m assembling the drawer because those pieces never fit based on paper figures and tape measure and eyeball measurements.  Drawer bottoms are always a “cut/test fit, cut again/test fit again, and maybe one or two more times until I get it right” kind of activity.  For me.  Not saying it will be for you but it almost always is for me.  I just embrace the journey.

That’s it for today! See you next time.

The post Locking Rabbet Drawer Joint appeared first on Sawdust Girl®.

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10 Ways to Buy Better Curb Appeal for Under $50

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