Archives for May 2013

50 Plus Top Patriotic Projects to Make

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The 50+ best Patriotic Crafts in the world @savedbyloves

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Today I am excited to share 50+ of the best patriotic projects on the web.  It is time to get the red, white and blue going.  Summer is here, fourth of July is right around the corner.  This round-up has home decor, jewelry, upcycled projects and more, all with an American flare.  Enjoy!


Shipping Pallet to Coffee Table and Finishing Tips

[pinit]Repurposed Wood Pallet Furniture; DIY Coffee Table @savedbyloves[pinit]

Today’s project is a fun, quick DIY coffee table from wood pallets.  My building partner in crime and I whipped it up in an afternoon.  The plan we used is this Factory Cart Coffee Table from Ana White.  See how we adjusted the plan to fit the pallet scraps on hand, and how we finished the table to a lovely, united weathered gray look.

Repurposed Wood Pallet Furniture; DIY Coffee Table @savedbyloves

TUTORIAL:

Constructing the table

We followed Ana’s plan linked above with the following adjustments:  Instead of 1×6 boards we used thinner pallet slats across the top and the wider pallet slats for the sides.  We just laid out the top slats until the table was the width we wanted, and measured that width.  It was 42 3/4 instead of Ana’s 44 inches, so we adjusted the rest of the cuts accordingly.  The long side boards we cut to 44 1/4 (42 3/4 + 1.5 inches for the thickness of the short side boards ).  The short side boards  and bottom boards were cut to 23 1/2, per Ana’s plan – the same length as the pallet slats making the top of the table.

We used 5 inch diameter casters that we picked up just for this project at Menards.  Casters are more expensive than I had hoped, but considering the wood for the project was free, we still created this awesome table for less than $50!Repurposed Wood Pallet Furniture; DIY Coffee Table @savedbyloves

Finishing the table

I applied Minwax wood conditioner per instructions on the can.  It went on super easy.  I let it sit for 15 minutes, wiped away the excess then stained with Minwax Classic Grey Wood Finish.  This was my first time using wood conditioner, and it made the stain take beautifully.  I will probably use it every time I stain from now on.  It is quick to apply and makes a huge difference, for me anyway.  I usually have blotchy, uneven outcomes when I stain.

To seal I used Minwax Finishing Wax.

Repurposed Wood Pallet Furniture; DIY Coffee Table @savedbyloves

Not bad for a pallet on it’s way to a landfill!

Check out our Wood Pallet 50+ Roundup for more inspiration:

Build Custom Craft Supply Storage Cubbies

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Build a custom storage cubby unit for your craft supplies @savedbyloves

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After building my first woodworking project, I knew I wanted to tackle a storage unit of some sort.  I found this 25 Cubby unit plan by Ana White, and tweaked it to make myself a custom Sizzix die storage unit.  I am so very in love with it.  It was easy to make, the only frustrating part being that I had to assemble one shelf at a time and wait for it to dry since I don’t have 4,000 corner clamps!

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Instead of using 1×6 boards, I used 1x8s to fit my dies.  I also added an extra column so the unit would be wide enough to fit exactly on top of a mail sorter unit I already had.  Also, what Ana has as the top in her plan, I have as the bottom.  I didn’t shape the extended sides like Ana did.  Instead, I flipped it over and used them as legs.  That way I can store the longer dies and cut plates/platforms in the larger space created underneath the shelf.

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Here it is all assembled except for one side.

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Here is the assembled piece before finishing.

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I sanded and painted with homemade chalky finish paint I talked about here.  I used white as the base coat and reddish-pink as the top layer.  I sanded to distress, and went over the whole piece with valspar antiquing glaze.

DIY Easy Barnwood Frame and Free Printables

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DIY Barnwood Frames from Ana White Plan + free inspirational printables by @savedbyloves

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 I have always wanted to make my own frames.  It was time for some new printables so I finally gave it a go, using this Barnwood Frame plan from Ana White as my starting point.  You can read on to see how I tweaked Ana’s plan to get 11×17 inch frames and to download your free Wayne Dyer and fruit of the spirit printables.


Free Printable Wayne Dyer Quote



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This project is fantastic because the frames look awesome, and are super cheap.  I found 1×2 in 8′ strips for $0.75 at Lowes.

Follow Ana’s Plan linked above, but change your cut list as follows to get 11×17 frame openings:

2– 1x2s @ 14, 1 1/2″ flat side mitered so the shortest length is 11″

2– 1x2s @ 20, 1 1/2″ flat side mitered so the shortest length is 17″

2 – 1x2s @ 15 1/2″, edge side mitered so the shortest length is 14″

2 – 1x2s @ 21 1/2″, edge side mitered so the shortest length is 20″

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Corner clamps are super helpful!

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Here is an Albert Einstein Printable in a different color scheme that you can also download below…

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I made a smaller frame for print in 8×10.  I finished with homemade chalk finish paint I made from this chalk finish paint DIY.

Download and print:

Wayne Dyer Heaven Quote

Fruit of the Spirit Printable

Wayne Dyer Change Quote

Albert Einstein Quote

I printed my 11×17 prints on regular copy paper and mounted them to white foam board with spray mount.  I cut the foam to fit the frame opening and secured the mounted image to the frame with thumbtacks.

I hope you enjoy the printables, and give making your own frames a go.  It is super rewarding!

Sizzix Rose Charm Bracelet

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Sizzix Charm Bracelet Tutorial using washi tape @savedbyloves

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Today I am sharing how to make this washi tape rose charm bracelet at the Sizzix Blog.  There are so many ways to use these adorable charms, from bracelets like this one, to earrings, paper craft embellishments and more.  Come on over and make your own!

Easy Workbench DIY

[pinit]How to Make a Workbench @savedbyloves #woodworking #DIY

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After my first woodworking project, it became obvious that this was going to be a thing for me.  Since I was already knee deep in woodworking project #2 (which you previewed if you follow Saved By Love Creations on Instagram), dear sweet husband stepped up and built me a workbench using this woodworking plan from Ana White.

How to Make a Workbench @savedbyloves #woodworking #DIY

 One thing he notices was that he only needed 7 of the 9 2×4 pieces called for in the plan’s materials list.   He even used extra on the shelf down below to increase storage space.  We couldn’t see anything we were missing.  I will let you know how it holds up!  So far so good.  I love having the mitre saw on the left and the table saw on the right, all flush with the workbench top.

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We cut 4×4 scraps to elevate the table on the left so that the mitre saw would be flush (see on the bottom left of the pic).  The table came from Habitat Restore and was $8!  The total cost of the work area was under $50 (not including the saws; table saw was given to us and mitre saw I snagged from a garage sale for $25).  You don’t need to invest a ton of money to begin building your own awesomeness!

50+ Creative DIY Jewelry Organizers

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Over 50+ Creative DIY Jewelry Storage, Organization, Display @savedbyloves

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If you are like me, the organization of your jewelry is… well, not good. It is a problem. Think outside of the jewelry box with these creative organizers you can make yourself in a jiffy. You probably have materials on hand for several of these. My personal favorite is the old rake. How about you? Have you conjured up a way to make your own display? Do share! We would love to include yours.

Ana White Chalkboard Crates DIY

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Easy Chalkboard Crates from Ana White
Make easy, cheap, fast chalkboard crates; Free plan from Ana White @savedbyloves

 

I am way excited about this project.  It is my first build!  Ana White was at SNAP! 2013, and attending her talk inspired me to jump in and get busy with my power tools.  I tackled her Chalkboard Produce Crate.  All in all the project took way longer than I expected, but obviously I loved the process as you can see by the fact that I made three of them.  They are on my front porch acting as planters at the moment.  You could use them for centerpieces, table numbers, storage and more.

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I have worked four of her plans so far.  It hasn’t been too expensive to get into as I have gradually acquired things here and there.  My husband’s father gave us a table saw.  I picked up an amazing Mikata Miter saw for $25 at a garage sale early this month.  A shop vac, I nabbed from Habitat Restore for $20.  I think the most expensive part has been clamps, and the more you can get the better.

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Ana has plans for absolutely everything under the sun.  If you are at all inspired to give building a try, I hope you go for it.  You can make the coolest things.

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I joined my pieces with the Kreg Jig I won from Pretty Handy Girl in November.  It was amazing and now I want to run around joining everything to everything.

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To finish my crates, used acrylic glaze and burnt umber paint as the base layer.  I dry brushed Titan Buff as the top coat and sealed with CeCe Caldwell Aging Wax.

 

Make Outdoor Mason Jar Lights

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Recycled Craft - Make Mason Jar Lights for the Outdoors on This Old House, featured @savedbyloves

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It is finally consistently warm outside, and I am ready for the days of summer!  That is why I am so excited about this mason jar outdoor light tutorial found at This Old House.  You can make your own set of 3 for less than $30.  These would be great for outdoor parties, weddings and everyday outdoor decor.

The 50 Plus Best DIY Summer Centerpiece Ideas

50 plus Gorgeous DIY Centerpieces FB

UPDATED!! A great centerpiece is really all you need for your decor to look fabulous. Whether for your wedding, summer parties, or other special occasion, having gorgeous centerpieces doesn’t have to break the bank.  Getting creative with recycled cans, bottles jars and crates can keep the budget low.  Making your own flowers from paper saves cost and lends to a piece that lasts forever!

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This stack planter centerpiece adorned the tables at SNAP! 2013.  It makes me think of other objects to stack for an interesting, upcycled centerpiece.  You will find a tutorial in the roundup below if you want to take a crack at making your own.

 

Here are the best DIY centerpieces on the planet! Enjoy.

50 plus Gorgeous DIY Centerpieces

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