I'm a wife, stay-at-home mom, crafter, and blogger living in rural New England. As seen in Martha Stewart Living, Food Network Magazine, and more! | Tutorials, DIY, crafts, parenting tips, recipes, money saving tips, product reviews, local product features, New England living, intentional living, and more! |
Our little one may be happily playing independently but the second I go to make dinner she demands to be held and refuses to be put down, making cooking impossible. To help keep her occupied but still involved I've been eyeing a learning tower / kitchen helper on Amazon for months now, but at $200 it just wasn't in our budget. My sister-in-law had made a learning tower from a plan by Ana White and suggested I try to make one too. I was unsure at first, I've never made anything more complicated than a birdhouse, but I decided to give it a go! Read on for my lessons learned and know that you can totally make one too. | This post contains affiliate links |
{ Note: the plans that I worked from were from Ana White and can be found HERE }
The first step to making the learning tower was buying the lumber.. which is easier said than done when you just have a little car! Nevertheless, Miss M and I made the nearly hour-long trek out to Lowe's to pick up lumber, paint, and screws. One thing I really liked about the Ana White plan was that it had both a shopping list and a "cut list" so you knew exactly how much of each kind of wood to buy and then how to cut it up. I made a mistake at Lowe's though and ended up buying 6-foot boards instead of 8-foot.. I don't know if I read the sign too quickly or what, but it made me come up short for the project. Thankfully we had some extra wood in the garage and I was able to fudge it.
For our learning tower, I made some modifications - some were planned and some kind of happened as the project went on (partly due to the wood shortage). For example, I decided against doing the arches on the top - as lovely as they were, we don't have a jigsaw so I had to nix it. I also did the base of the tower a little differently and I didn't do the tip resistors (at least not yet), my sister-in-law omitted the tip resistors and has had no problems. Our little one is pretty good with the tower (knock on wood), but for peace of mind I think we will do something to help prevent it ever tipping - most likely adding some scrap wood to make a lip that will fit under the edge of our counter. Another thing I did differently was make the front and back top railing wider, the reasoning for this was two-fold - for one thing, it gave me more room to screw in the the top railings without the screws running into each other. Another was that the wider wood makes it impossible for our little one to open the kitchen drawers in front of her (so key).
One criticism of Ana White's plan is that while it gives you a great outline of what to make and how to go about it, it definitely doesn't spell everything out - and for this detail-oriented person that drove me nuts! For example, it doesn't detail how many screws you should use when attaching each piece or how to position the screws when you join sides together (this was a huge issue so they didn't run into each other). Another big problem was that the plan had quite a few typos and some of the steps would stop mid-sentence missing the full explanation of what to do.
I highly suggest cutting all the wood, labeling it, laying it out and really thinking through how it's going together. My biggest challenge by far was figuring out a good way to hold the pieces together while I pre-drilled and screwed them together. The wood the plan calls for is pretty thin (another downside of the plan), so that limited the ways I felt I could hold it without damaging it. I tried using vices and clamps to help hold everything together but they always seemed to be in the way so I ended up holding it in place anyway I could, even with my foot if necessary (awkward).
I also had to improvise on how to center the front and back side pieces against the wider side of the legs. It turned out that a picture book we had was the perfect thickness and became a great spacer.
To space the boards for the platform I placed some extra screws between them as spacers. Once it was all attached together, I just pulled the screw spacers out.
For paint, I used a high-gloss black enamel paint by Val-Spar and gave it two coats (though I probably should have done 1-2 more). I really recommend using high-gloss paint or stain so it can be wiped down easily after every use.
I wanted to add some personalization or decoration to the learning tower, but also wanted to keep it simple so that it would blend into the kitchen better. I decided against personalizing the tower since we're hoping to have more kids and I wanted to keep it "neutral" - so I settled for stenciling "ABC" on one of sides for a little decoration, using the Martha Stewart Monogram Serif Stencil Set.
Our little one loves her new learning tower and now feels like she can "help" when I'm making dinner. This tower also makes arts and crafts a lot easier (here she's playing with some homemade playdough).
Safety Notice: It goes without saying, but always supervise your little one while they're using the learning tower and make sure there is nothing dangerous within reach (hot plates, knives/other sharp objects, stove, off-limit foods, etc). Use at your own risk.
My parents-in-law gave us an awesome old milk can and it took me a little while to decide what I could do with it. After some thought I decided to use it as a country-inspired house number display. | This post contains affiliate links |
The milk can had already been re-painted at one point and while the green paint and the rust spots definitely gave it a nice patina, I decided to clean it up and repaint it to make it a little cleaner and kid-friendly.
First step was to clean up all the loose paint. I used a wire brush, metal scraper, and rough-grit sandpaper to clean it up and make a good base for the new paint.
Once it was ready I used Rust-Oleum Professional High Performance Protective Enamel in matte black and gave it two coats, letting dry about 24 hours between coats. For the stencil I made a point to choose a font and size that looked like it belonged there - that maybe the farmer numbered all his milk cans and this was just one in the lineup. The stencils I used were from the Martha Stewart Monogram Serif Stencil Set, trimming the letters down and taping them together with painters tape. I had used the "o" previously for another project.. hence why it's brown.
I used white acrylic paint to stencil it and filled the gaps in the stencil with a small brush after. I think the milk can came out pretty cute and adds the perfect country touch!
I had to share this picture, I just love the sun that comes in the craft room in the morning. It makes you want to get started on some projects.. now if only a little one would let me get some work done ;)
This post will show you a simple technique to lay out gallery wall so everything is spaced the way you want, without the trial and error of putting a lot of nail holes in your wall. My example is very small-scale (only two photos), but this technique would work well for any size gallery wall.
Materials:
picture frames
paper
painter's tape
scotch tape
pen or marker
nails
hammer Also useful:
tape measure
level
How-to:
Cut paper to size of frames. I used computer paper since it was handy, taped together in order to make it large enough.
Next, lay your paper template over the back of the frame and feel where the hanger is. Mark were the nail would be with a pen or marker.
Now's the fun part - start laying out your gallery wall by hanging up the paper templates with painter's tape and moving them around until you're happy with the height, spacing, etc. Here is where a tape measure and level might be useful if you have large pieces to hang or want to get the spacing absolutely perfect.
Next nail right through your paper templates, where the marking for the hanger is. Then take down the templates, ripping the paper off around the nail.
Now hang up your photos, and they'll be spaced just the way you wanted them!
This tiny gallery wall is in our family bathroom - it will have black and white photos of our little one taking a bath and brushing her teeth. I can't wait for the photos to come in so I put them in the frames!
I've started to tackle one of my resolutions: going through my clothes and cleaning out the closets. I've already gone through my bureau and started on the walk-in closet, and it's refreshing to see the pile of stuff to go get bigger.
What may be more refreshing? Trying on the shorts and jeans I had tried on at the beginning of summer and wrote off as a loss to my post-baby body but they fit again - yes!
I may have a t-shirt problem though.. t-shirts from college, concerts, races, volunteering. I hardly wear them but I can't seem to bring myself to get rid of most of them either. I've seen ideas on Pinterest on turning t-shirts into a quilt and maybe that will be a future project.
I still have a long way to go to finish the great clean out of 2015 but the little one has been napping and sleeping horribly lately, not leaving me much time to get things done.
My Great-Aunt (who is now 97!), gave me this handmade card when I graduated high school. Though she hadn't made it herself, even then I thought the stamped Emerson quote was just beautiful.
Just about 10 years later I still had the card, and this summer I finally framed it with her signature safe on the back. It sits on my desk now, reminding me that success comes in many forms.
Success
To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, a garden patch or redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.
This week I was hoping to bring you a post on making pickles. I've never made them before and wanted to give them a try with all the cucumbers we've been getting out of our garden. Unfortunately I let the cucumbers get too big and they were all seeds - no good for pickles. Such a bummer, but I've learned my lesson. So, without the pickle post I decided to share the easy brick upgrade we did on our concrete walkway after we moved in our home.
When we first moved into our home there was nothing in front of it.. no bushes or anything substantial, just a plain white concrete walkway and a bark mulch bed with a few sad daffodils that had already gone by. It was so boring and even the walkway looked really unfinished.
The obvious solution to dressing up the existing "flower" (I use that term loosely here) bed was to get plants and bushes in there - but what about the concrete walkway? Luckily for us the previous homeowners had left behind a lot of bricks... A LOT. Some were stacked under the back deck, but there was also a small random brick patio that we had plans to disassemble anyways. There were sooo many bricks.. it was actually becoming a problem on where to store them and what to do with them.
While trying to figure out what to do I came up with the idea of inlaying them along the walkway to dress it up a bit - and though it was a little time-consuming, the whole process was actually really easy!
Materials:
lots of bricks (enough to line both sides of the walkway, plus a few extra)
edger
wheelbarrow
spade
rubber mallet
How to:
First I started hauling all the bricks to the front yard and laying them along the walkway to make sure I had enough (though we had so many I probably could have done this project twice!). I started laying them out at the front steps and put them end-to-end along the whole length of the walkway, along both sides. This way I was able to get a sense of how they fit and where I would need to do cuts (we were very lucky to have a pretty straight walkway, so the cuts needed were minimal). If you're thinking of starting this project from scratch, I would recommend measuring the length along both sides of the walkway, then head to your local home improvement center to see what they have for bricks, their sizes, and how much they cost. Once you decide on a brick you like, you can calculate how many bricks you will need.
Laying out all the bricks. You can also see our first additions to the flower bed - some tiny boxwoods and hydrangea bushes. It's amazing how much they've grown!
After everything was all laid out, I started by using the edger along the side of the bricks to cut the edge of the "trench" they would be set in. I made sure not to get carried away and would only prep about two feet ahead of where I was. I would cut as I went along to compensate for how the bricks were sitting against the walkway.
Once the outside edge was cut, I would use the spade to dig out enough soil for a brick. Then I'd set the brick in and pound on it with the rubber mallet until it was even with the grass. Sometimes I would need to take the brick out and add or remove soil until it sat where I wanted it too.
I continued this process along the line, brick-by-brick until I got to corners or areas where the bricks needed to be cut. After tracing on the bricks where cuts would need to be and a quick trip to a local mason, they were cut and ready to be inlaid as well.
We have a really long walkway and I worked on this project at my leisure over the course of a week or two but probably could have gotten it done over a weekend if I had really set my mind to it. It's definitely made a huge difference to the curb appeal of our home.
The now-full flower beds look great next to the brick lined walkway.
I'd heard that you can make your own stain using just steel wool and regular vinegar. I was intrigued and had to give it a try myself.
Materials:
glass jar
ball of fine steel wool
white vinegar
rubber gloves
sponge brush or rag
wood
How to:
Put a ball of fine steel wool in a glass jar and fill with white vinegar to about 1-2 inches from the top. Replace the lid and let sit for a few days until the steel wool has dissolved or nearly dissolved, giving the jar a shake once or twice a day.
Yep, that's it.* It's just that easy.
*I'd recommend leaving the jar on a paper towel and carefully opening and closing the jar before shaking it. We noticed that our jar built up quite a bit of pressure from the chemical reaction of the steel wool dissolving in vinegar and the pressure needed to be released a few times a day.
Two days later, after having been shaken up. Gross, huh?
Once the steel wool has dissolved, put on some rubber gloves, give the jar one last shake and start staining!
The stain is very deceiving at first.. when you initially put it on it just looks like you're putting dirty water on the wood - it doesn't look significantly changed. However, as it's exposed to the air and dries it rusts and gives the wood a beautifully rustic, warm color. Once it's completely dry, take a rag to rub the loose rust off - you're done!
After drying.
If you're using this process for a sign or something that won't be touched when finished I'd leave the wood raw like this. If you're thinking of using it for a table or something you will come in contact with, I'd strongly suggest sealing the wood to keep you from getting rust stains.
I didn't have a project in mind for this process, but I love how rich the color turned out! I think I'll be staining the edges of this board and turning it into something.
