Pallet for Home

This has to be one of my top favorite projects to date!

It all started when…..

During my trip to NY, my MIL gave me a plant she had setting on her porch after I mentioned  that I liked it.  Funny thing is that she received it as a gift when she mentioned to her friend that she liked it!  Whoever said New Yorkers aren’t nice?!?!

Here is my new plant, a Sago Palm.

Last Friday, the Hubs and I had a date night and one of the things that we both love to do is visit the book store.  We’re not nerds, we just like to kill time at the book store between eating dinner and waiting for the movie to start.  Well, I just had to have this magazine even if it was over-priced!  As you can see from my stickies, I am getting a lot of ideas and inspiration…. like this project! 

I saw not one but three plants potted in the most gorgeous crates.

Low and behold, my father had this pile sitting on one of his work benches the very same weekend.  What luck!!!  He had ordered a new piece of equipment and it was shipped in a crate!  Yes, this project was meant to be!  Wouldn’t you agree?

Okay- so my father opens crates like a two year old opening their presents on Christmas!  But that’s okay because I wanted to customize it and make it the perfect size for my new plant.

I started by cutting all the sides and 4 small pieces that will be used to anchor the corners.  Check to make sure everything lines up.

I wanted to cut out handles on the sides.  With a pencil, I outlined where the handles will be, drilled a hole big enough so that I could get the zig-saw blade in, and cut out the handles.

Next, I routered over the edges of the handle (to take off the hard edge) and sand to a smooth finish.

Glue and nail all the sides together and then lightly sand all over with a fine sand paper.  I used a light touch, trying to leave the rough wood on the crate face.

Applied a light golden color stain all over the crate.

I wasn’t sure what I wanted to stencil on the front but I did know that I wanted it to mean something and not just random words that I didn’t know.  I found a site that would translate English words in to Italian and I was able to come up with this design.   It spells out our last name, our city, and  our state in Italian.  With the three kids and their friends, sometimes I do feel like I’m running a hotel or B&B.

Using my Cricut machine to cut the design out on vinyl, I stuck the vinyl down on the crate and used it as a stencil.  The vinyl didn’t stick very well to the rough wood but using a very dry stencil brush it turned out great.  Actually better than what I expected.  I also applied the dark color over the corners, along the edges, and then lightly sanded over the stencil to age the finish.

The crate was made a tad bigger than the potted plant to give it room to grow.  Wouldn’t small cube like crates, filled with herbs, be fantastic?!?!

Have a great holiday weekend!

Linking up to these fun parties – go and check out all the projects!

Yep, today you don’t get one but TWO patriotic crafts!  They’re both very simple and took me less than the a few hours to complete both. 

First up…..

A very simple Patriotic Wreath.   I actually had an inspiration photo in my files for along time.  Since blogging I try to save the website with the photo so that I can give credit to the source but because I have had this in my files for so long I not sure where to give credit.  Sorry

The wreath is so simple I think that’s why I love it so much.  Plus, my house sits about 800 feet from the road so most wreaths that I hang on my front door just look like dark blobs but not this one!  It just pops out and screams

“I’m Proud to be an American!”

I started with a blank wreath-form bought many years ago, I believe, from the Dollar Store.  About 6 years ago, a Dollar Store opened up in my town.  Less than two years later it closed.  Have you ever know a Dollar Store to close it’s door?  Needless to say, I have not been to a Dollar Store in years.

Next, I cut up one floral foam into several pieces and held it to the frame with floral wire.

I guess I got a little excited working on this project because I forgot to take some photographs.  Here is what I did- I cut 3”x3” squares out of red felt and used hot glue and a crochet hook to poke the center of the felt square into the floral foam.

Added a blue ribbon and white star and called it finished!

The blue ribbon came off a fleece blanket that I purchased years ago!  It had Velcro on the ends making it so easy to make a loop!  Can you tell I try to not let anything go to waste?

I love this wreath!  It didn’t dawn on me until I was actually hanging the wreath that I could use this over again for Christmas and Valentine’s Day! 

Next up…..

Patriotic Vinyl Wooden Blocks

I cut up some left over 1x4 boards into three blocks, routered the edges with a round-over bit, painted the blocks, distressed the edges, and cut some vinyl on the Cricut machine.  I found this font by Googling “Patriotic Fonts”.

I  just love quick and an easy projects!

Linking up to these fun parties – go and check out all the projects!