A step by step DIY tutorial on how to make a super-sized pixel Mario. Display this wall art in your game room and enjoy the 8-bit nostalgia.

I love it when I can combine woodworking and geeky things. Today I’m sharing how to build a giant Mario pixel wall art. This was a really fun (and really tedious) project that I created for the Modern Makers Podcast’s Two 2×4 Challenge. The objective of the challenge was to create something using 70% of two 2×4 boards. The classic Super Mario Bros was my introduction to video games, and thus 8-bit Mario will always have a special place in heart. <3

CLICK HERE to view more geeky and nerdy DIY projects.

Related Posts:

• 8-bit Blooper (Super Mario Bros.)
• 8-bit Goomba (Super Mario Bros.)
• 8-bit End Grain Goomba (Super Mario Bros.)
• 8-bit Link (The Legend of Zelda)
• 8-bit Cheep Cheep (Super Mario Bros.)
• 8-bit Lakitu and Koopa Troopa (Super Mario Bros)
• 8-bit Mario (Super Mario Bros.)

(For sneak peeks on upcoming projects follow me on Facebook and Instagram!)

DIY Pixel Mario | Me holding the giant pixel Mario! He’s huge!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.  That means if you purchase an item via one of these links, I’ll receive a small commission at no added cost to you.  This helps keep the content on the site free and I appreciate the support! :o)

Tools and Supplies

I used the following tools and supplies to create the giant pixel Mario:

Tools

• Table Saw
• 14″ Bandsaw equipped with the Wood Slicer Resaw blade
• Planer
• Jointer
• Router with a 45 degree chamfer
• Bench cookies
• Sander
• Brad Nailer
• FeatherDuo (This is a handy tool)
• Microjig Grr-Ripper (This is also a really handy tool)

Supplies

• 2×4 – 8′ (2) or 1×4 – 8′ (4)
• Red food coloring
• Rubbing Alcohol
• Light brown wood stain (Watco Danish Oil – Medium Walnut)
• Dark brown wood stain (ECOS Paints Woodshield – Special Walnut)
• CA Glue (I used DAP Rapid Fuse Wood Adhesive. This stuff is legit.)
• Wood glue

WATCH THE VIDEO TUTORIAL

Click play and watch the video tutorial below. For more woodworking videos, CLICK HERE to subscribe to my YouTube channel.

Continue reading for the written tutorial.

How To Build A Giant Pixel Mario in 10 Easy Steps

1. Resaw the 2x4s
2. Square the boards
3. Rips boards to 2″ wide strips
4. Route the edges of the strips
5. Cut the strips into 2″ squares
6. Route each edge of each square
7. Sand
8. Stain, paint or dye the squares
9. Assemble Mario
10. Add Additional Support

Before starting the project, I took a look at several pictures of 8-bit Mario.  Once I selected the version I liked the most, I counted the number of pixels per color.

8 bit Mario

For Mario in resting position, you’ll need the following number of pixels:

• 45 red
• 54 dark brown
• 44 tan

Step 1: Resaw the 2x4s

Cut each 2×4 in half and resaw boards on the bandsaw. The goal here is to stretch the 2x4s by turning them into 1x4s. (Or you can skip this step and just buy 1×4 boards.)

I used the FeatherDuo to keep steady pressure as I resawed the 2x4s. It’s a really handy tool.  I can’t recommend it enough.  Watch it in action below:

I’m making a mess instead of cleaning the garage but I thought of an idea for the @modernmakerpodcast #two2x4challenge. Resawing two 2x4s! . #resaw #resawing #bandsaw #grizzlybandsaw #featherduo #featherpro #bowproducts #woodslicer #2×4 #scrapwood #woodworking #dowoodworking #woodwork #diy #huntsville #makersgonnamake #buildersgonnabuild #maker #alabama #garage #garageshop #ishouldbecleaning @thefeatherpro

A post shared by Ashley Grenon (@handmadewithashley) on May 13, 2017 at 10:02am PDT

Step 2: Square the boards

Alignment is critical. You want to ensure the boards are square on each side.  Start with a jointer and flatten one face, followed by an edge. Move to the planer to flatten another face and mill all the boards down to the same thickness.

Step 3: Rip boards to 2″ wide

On the table saw rip the boards down to 2″ strips. Save the leftovers. You will need them later.

1x4s ripped into 2″ wide strips

Step 4: Route the edges of the 2″ strips

Equip a router with a 45 degree chamfer bit. Route the along the edges of the strips.  (I waited until after I cut the strips into individual squares to begin routing. I don’t recommend that.)

Step 5: Cut the strips into 2″ squares

Cut each strip into 2″ squares.

Lots of 2″ squares

Step 6: Route each edge of each square

Equip a router with a 45 degree chamfer bit. Route along the remaining two sides of each square.  I placed each square on top of a bench cookie as I was routing.  This eliminated the need to clamp each square in place.

Rockler bench cookie

Routing the edges with a 45 degree chamfer router bit

Step 7: Sand

Sand each square to prep it for a finish.

Step 8: Stain, paint or dye the squares

I used a mixture of dyes and stains to color the squares. For the red squares, I created a dye from red food color and rubbing alcohol. The tan squares were stained with Watco Danish Oil in Medium Walnut. The dark brown squares were stained with ECOS Paints WoodShield stain in Special Walnut.

Step 9: Assemble Mario

Glue each square together to form Mario.  Use a straight edge to ensure proper alignment. I used DAP Rapid Fuse Wood Adhesive (and when I ran out of that I used the All Purpose version).

Step 10: Add additional support

For added support and durability, strengthen the backside of Mario with the leftover strips from ripping the 1×4 boards. Cut the strips to size and install with wood glue and nails.

Step 11: Enjoy!

Install hanging hardware or lean it against a wall and enjoy the fruits of your hard labor.

I’m done! Whew! Mario is a little larger than I thought he’d be. This is my entry for @modernmakerpodcast #two2x4challenge. Here’s a rough outline of my steps for the project (in the near future I’ll write a tutorial and maybe upload a video): 1. Resaw 2x4s in half 2. Make the boards square on a jointer and planer 3. Rip board into 2″ strips 4. Cut strips into 2″ squares 5. Add a 45 degree chamfer to each square 6. Stain the wood (I used @ecospaints Woodshield in Special Walnut for the dark brown, Watco Medium Walnut for the light brown and a made a red stain from food coloring and rubbing alcohol.) 7. Glue up the pixels with @dapproducts rapid fuse adhesive 8. Used remaining strips of wood for added support on the back side. It was a long and tedious process, but I’m really happy with how it turned out! . #pixel #pixelart #supermario #supermariobros #mario #2×4 #makersgonnamake #makeallthethings #diyhalloffame #woodworker #wood #woodcraft #dowoodworking #diy #challenge #woodworking #alldone #geek #geekcraft #nes #retro #retrogames #retrogamer #gamer #videogames @modernbuilds @foureyesfurniture @benjaminuyeda

A post shared by Ashley Grenon (@handmadewithashley) on May 31, 2017 at 5:48pm PDT

DIY Giant Mario Pixel Wall Art

If you build pixel Mario, please leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @handmadewithashley or Twitter @handmadewithash.   I’d love to see your pictures!

DIY Supersize Pixel Mario | 8-bit Retro Home Decor

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DIY Supersize Pixel Mario | 8-bit Retro Home Decor

I’m linking up to:

• HerToolBelt
• Remodelaholic
• Abbotts at Home

The post DIY Giant Pixel Mario Wall Art appeared first on Handmade with Ashley.

DIY Bailey Console (The Instagram Builders Challenge)

On Monday, I finished building a Bailey console for the Instagram Builders Challenge.  Raechal from Desert Woodworks organized the challenge.  Ana White and David Sheinkopf were judges for the challenge.  Ana created plans for the console, and contestants had 3 weeks to build the console.

The challenge’s sponsors are:

Have you signed up yet?!? Registration closes on June 20th so go register now at @desertwoodwrks #diyfurniturenation #makersgonnamake #builderschallenge

A photo posted by Ana White (@anawhitediy) on Jun 15, 2016 at 11:49am PDT

I really enjoyed participating in the challenge. I had so much fun following along with everyone’s progress via the #igbuilderschallenge hashtag.

Today, I want to share with you the steps I took to build my console for the challenge.

Disclosure:  This post contains some affiliate links.

Tools and Supplies

The following items are some of the tools and supplies I gathered to build the console.  For a complete listing of what is required, check out Ana White’s plans for the console. (Which at the time of me writing this is not available, but I think she will release them soon!)  Plans are available here!

Tools

• Circular Saw
• Kreg Jig
• Kreg Right Angle clamps (I adore these clamps, a must if you use pocket hole joints)
• Orbital Sander
• Brad Nailer

Supplies

• ECOS Paints WoodShield (Special Walnut)
• ECOS Paints WoodShield Satin Varnish
• Behr Mint Parfait
• Bi-fold door hinges
• Cabinet door hinges
• Wood glue

Building the Console

Step 1: Cut the lumber

For this build I was able to avoid a lumber trip.  All of the boards came from my lumber rack.  I ripped a sheet of plywood with my VersaCut and made all of the other cuts with my Japanese handsaws.

Ripping plywood with the Rockwell VersaCut

Boards cut with a Japanese handsaw and saw guide

Step 2: Create pocket holes

Next, I used the Kreg Jig pocket hole system and drilled pocket holes on the boards.

Pocket holes created with a Kreg Jig K5

Step 3: Assemble the console

First up, I assembled the console’s frames.  Instead of creating a console with drawers, I opted for a console with a shelf and bi-fold doors.

Console’s frame

Console shelf attached

Cuts for the console’s doors

Step 4:  Fill in the pocket holes and sand

Once the console was assembled, I filled in the pocket holes with wood filler.  I then cycled through several grits of sand paper to prep the surface for painting and staining.

Step 5: Stain, paint and seal

I stained the top of the console with ECOS Paints Woodshield in Special Walnut.  The base of the console was painted with Behr’s Mint Parfait.  I stained the console top prior to attaching it to the base.

Priming the console

Staining the console’s top

Behr’s Mint Parfait

Painting the console’s base

Step 6: Install the doors

This was the trickiest of all the steps, because this is the first project where I had to install door hardware.  I purchased 4 door knobs from Anthropologie.

Glass melon knobs from Anthropologie

I made a little progress during my lunch break. Just gotta install the doors #diy #woodworking #diyfurniture #kregjig #buildersgonnabuild #buildallthethings #anawhite #console #woodworker #diyblogger #buildlikeagirl #igbuilderschallenge #itscrunchtime #procrastinationprobs

A photo posted by Ashley Grenon (@handmadewithashley) on Jul 11, 2016 at 10:49am PDT

DIY Bailey Console

DIY Bailey Console (The Instagram Builders Challenge)

DIY Bailey Console (The Instagram Builders Challenge)

The post DIY Bailey Console (The Instagram Builders Challenge) appeared first on Handmade with Ashley.

DIY Apothecary Console

Hello everyone, today I want to share with you my latest creation: a media console!  Several months ago, my sister approached me with the request of helping her build a media console for her home.  She found plans by Ana White for the Apothecary Cabinet Console.  We left off the doors and drawers in favor of having open shelves.  We worked on this project over the course of several weekends and my sister is very happy with the final result!

My TV Stand! #anawhiteplans #kregjig #minwaxstain #jacobean #coffeeglaze

A photo posted by LifeStyleW/Brit (@lifestylewithbrit) on Jun 16, 2016 at 6:50am PDT

Disclosure: This post contains some affiliate links.

Tools and Supplies

The following items are some of the tools and supplies we gathered to build the Apothecary Console.  For a complete listing of what is required, check out Ana White’s plans for the console.

Tools

• Circular Saw
• Kreg Jig
• Kreg Right Angle clamps (I adore these clamps, a must if you use pocket hole joints)
• Orbital Sander
• Brad Nailer

Supplies

• Minwax Wood Stain (Jacobean)  (This is the same color we used to stain her rustic coffee table.)
• ECOS Paints WoodShield Satin Varnish

The top of the console is pine and the base is built from MDF.
 

Building the Console

Step 1: Cut the lumber

First up, we cut down all the lumber with my mini circular saw.

The lumber is cut

Step 2:  Create pocket holes

Next up, we used the Kreg Jig pocket hole system and drilled pocket holes on the boards.

Kreg Jig pocket holes

Step 3: Assemble the console

Next we began to assemble the console piece by piece.  The Kreg right angle clamps were incredibly useful at this step.

Attaching the first pieces

Adding one more board

Adding two more boards

Getting closer

Step 4:  Fill in the pocket holes and sand

Once the console was assembled, we filled in the pocket holes with wood filler.  We then cycled through several grits of sand paper to prep the surface for painting and staining.

Catching up on the queue of projects. Once I’m caught up I hope I never start a new project without finishing an old one! #diy #woodworking

A photo posted by Ashley Grenon (@handmadewithashley) on Feb 13, 2016 at 2:06pm PST

Step 5: Stain, paint, and seal

We stained the top of the console with Minwax Wood Stain in Jacobean.  The base of the console was painted white.  We stained the console top prior to attaching it to the base.

Console base painted white

Attaching the top of the console

The apothecary console was sealed with a few coats of ECOS Paints WoodShield Satin varnish.

DIY Apothecary Console

DIY media console

DIY media console

Pin it to Pinterest!

FOLLOW ME on Pinterest.

DIY TV Console

The post DIY Apothecary Console (Plans by Ana White) appeared first on Handmade with Ashley.

DIY Rustic Console Tutorial

Hello, everyone! Today I want to share with you my latest creation: a rustic console!  This is a pretty easy build that you could knock out in couple weekends.  Follow along for steps on how to build one of your own!

Rustic Console model

(For sneak peeks on upcoming projects follow me on Facebook and Instagram!)

DIY Rustic Console

Disclosure:  This post contains some affiliate links.

Tools and Supplies

The following items are some of the tools and supplies I gathered to build the rustic console:

Tools

• Handsaw (or any saw of your choice)
• Jigsaw
• Kreg Jig
• Drill
• Driver
• Orbital sander
• Belt sander
• Various clamps

Supplies

• ECOS Paints Woodshield Stain (Pine Needles)
• ECOS Paints Woodshield Varnish (Satin)
• Various grits of sandpaper
• Foam brushes

Lumber

• 1x6x10 (3)
• 1x4x10 (3)
• 1x8x6 (1)
• 1x2x8 (1)

My current passenger. #diy #woodworking

A photo posted by Ashley Grenon (@handmadewithashley) on Mar 11, 2016 at 8:43am PST

The estimated price of all the supplies and lumber is roughly $150.

Cut List

• A) 1×2 – 14 1/2″ (4)
• B) 1×4 – 43 1/4″ (2)
• C) 1×4 – 43″ (2)
• D) 1×4 – 28 3/4″ (4)
• E) 1×4 – 14 1/4″ (2)
• F) 1×6 – 48″ (2)
• G) 1×6 – 43 1/4″ (4)
• H) 1×8 – 48″ (1)

Lumber cut into the appropriate sizes

How to build a Rustic Console

For this project, I finally sat down and learned how to create models in SketchUp!  You can download the PDF woodworking plans for the console here.

If you’re interested in learning SketchUp, I highly recommend the video tutorials by Matthias at Woodworking for Engineers.

Step 1:  Taper the table legs (optional)

If you would like to add a little flair to your console, taper the ends of each table leg (board D) with a jigsaw.

Tapering the table legs with a jigsaw

Step 2:  Create pocket holes

I used a Kreg Jig pocket hole system for a majority of the joints in this project.  Drill pocket holes in the locations indicated on the diagrams.

Drilling pocket holes

Step 3:  Assemble the console legs.

Assemble the table legs

To form a pair of table legs, sandwich board E between boards D.  Offset board E 1″ from the edge of board D.  Repeat.

Assembling the table legs

Step 4: Connect the pair of legs with an apron

Attach the aprons

Connect the pair of legs together with boards C.  This will form the frame of the console.

Rustic console frame

Step 5: Attach shelf supports

Attach the shelf supports

Attach the shelf supports (boards A) to each pair of legs.  Attach the shelf supports adjacent to the inside edge of the table leg pairs.  The first set of shelf supports are placed 13 3/4″ from the top of the leg.  The second set of shelf supports are placed 25 1//2″ from the top of the leg.

Attaching the shelf supports

Step 6: Edge join the console shelves

Create the top shelf by edge joining boards F and H together.  Board H should be in the middle.

Create the two lower shelves by joining boards G and B together.  Board B should be in the middle.

Gluing up the shelves

If neccessary, use a belt sander to smooth down the  joints.

Step 7:  Attach the console frame to the top shelf

Attach the top shelf

Attach the top shelf to the console frame.

Attaching the top shelf

Step 8:  Attach the lower shelves to the console frame

Attach the lower shelves

Attaching the lower shelves

I made some great progress on the console. Up next: sanding! Has anyone used a scraper? I think I may try one in the future. #woodworking #diy #warpedwood #kregjig #buildallthethings #buildsomething #wood #furniture #diyblogger #diyfurniture

A photo posted by Ashley Grenon (@handmadewithashley) on Mar 15, 2016 at 9:42am PDT

Step 9: Sand, stain and seal!

Thoroughly sand the console.  Use your favorite stain and sealer to finish the console.

Staining the rustic console

I used ECOS Paints Woodshield stain (Pine Needles) and satin sealer.

DIY Rustic Console

If you build a rustic console, please leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @handmadewithashley or Twitter @handmadewithash.   I’d love to see your pictures!

DIY Rustic Console

DIY Rustic Console

DIY Rustic Console

DIY Rustic Console

The post DIY Rustic Console Tutorial (FREE Plans) appeared first on Handmade with Ashley.

DIY Star Wars Marquee Wall Art Sign

I love Star Wars, and I love making things.  Combine the two and we have this homemade Star Wars Marquee sign!  Follow along for steps on how to make one for yourself, or the Star Wars fan in your life!

Star Wars Marquee Sign with lights off

(For sneak peeks on upcoming projects follow me on Facebook and Instagram!)

If you like this DIY, check out my tutorial on how to make a Star Wars TIE Fighter bookshelf!

Build a Star Wars TIE Fighter Bookshelf

Or this tutorial on how to make a BB-8 push toy!

BB-8 Push Toy in action!

Inspiration for this DIY comes from Pottery Barn Kids.  I was browsing their catalog and spotted this beauty!

Pottery Barn Kids Star Wars Marquee Sign | Source

Unfortunately, the price tag on the sign is $300 and thus way out of my price range.

I made my version of the sign over the course of a weekend, and  I was able to make my version for a tenth of the price!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.  If you purchase an item via one of these links, I’ll receive a small commission at no added cost to you.  This helps keep the content on the site free and I appreciate the support!  

What You Will Need

The following items are some of the tools and supplies I gathered to create the Star Wars marquee:

Tools

• Circular Saw
• Brad Nailer
• Silhouette (for creating the Star Wars stencil)
• Drill (equipped with a 3/4 inch wood spade bit)
• Staple Gun
• Parallel clamps
• Sander
• Ruler
• Pencil

Supplies

• String Globe Lights (I purchased them here!)
• 2 – 6″ long cedar fence picket* (~ $2.50 each)
• 2 – 8″ long 1×2 furring strips (~ $1.25 each)
• Black Spray paint
• ECOS Paints Woodshield Stain (Golden Oak)
• ECOS Paints Woodshield Varnish (Satin)
• Contact Paper (for Silhouette stencil)
• Wood glue

*Version 2 of the sign I made use of some scrap 1×6 whitewood boards.  The first version of the marquee sign, I used cedar fence pickets that have been sitting in my garage for a few months.  They were nice and dry.  Unfortunately, while I was in the home stretch for finishing this project my son managed to destroy the sign.  I visited my local hardware store to purchase some more cedar fence pickets, but the boards in their stock were very damp.

*You could save a few steps and use a piece of plywood or MDF (33″ x 22″).  I glued up boards to create a wood panel because I wanted to make use of lumber from my scrap wood pile.

How to Make a Star Wars Marquee

Step 1:  Cut the fence pickets in half and create a panel from the four boards.

If you are not using cedar picket fences, cut 4 – 36 inches long 1×6 pieces.

Cedar pickets cut in half

Otherwise, cut each cedar fence picket in half.  Edge glue the boards together.  Wait for the glue to dry before moving onto the next step.

Edge glue joints with the Damstom 38″ panel clamp

Gluing up the boards for version two

Step 2:  Trim the edges of the wood panel.

Panel with uneven ends

Trim about an inch off the ends of the panel to create a straight edge. The length of the panel should be about 33″ inches long.

Using the Rockwell Versa Cut saw (with track guide) to trim up the boards

Step 3:  Cut the furring strips and attach strips to each side of the wood panel.

Make 4 cuts from the 1×2 furring strips.  Each piece will cover a side of the wood panel.  Attach the pieces to the panel with a brad nailer and wood glue.

I recommend that you cut the trim to size.  My measurements were:

• 33 inches (2x)
• 23.5 inches (2x)

The trim measured and cut

Trim attached to the four sides of the panel

Step 4:  Sand the surface of the panel.

I recently witness the ill effects of not wearing a mask while sanding (it wasn’t pretty).   Wear a dust mask and sand the panel until the surface is smooth.  Clear the panel of sawdust before starting the next step.

I used my belt sander for the rough sanding and followed up with my orbital sander.

Sanding the surface of the panel with a Ryobi Belt Sander

Step 5:  Stain the surface of the wood  panel.

Stain the top surface of the wood panel.  I used ECOS Paints Woodshield in Golden Oak.  You will want to pick a color that contrasts well with your second color.

Staining wood with ECOS Paints Woodshield – Golden Oak

Step 6:  Create a Star Wars stencil.

Creating the Star Wars stencil with the Silhouette Studio Editor

I created a Star Wars stencil with my Silhouette.  I imported an image of the Star Wars logo into Silhouette Studio editor and used the trace tool to capture the outline. I used Contact paper to create the stencil.  I followed the Shanty sister’s tutorial on creating a stencil with contact paper to get the perfect cut setting on my Silhouette.

You can download the Silhouette cut file I created here!

Star Wars logo stencil from Contact paper

Step 7:  Attach the Star Wars logo stencil and spray paint the sign.

I carefully transferred each letter to the board, and applied a couple of coats of black spray paint.

Spray painting the sign black

Step 8:  Seal the Star Wars sign with varnish.

Next, I applied two coats of ECOS Paints Woodshield Satin Varnish.

The sign is pretty large and a little heavy.

Varnish applied and dried

Step 9:  Drill holes for the globe light sockets.

Before drilling holes for the globe light sockets, take care and plan where to position each hole.  The lights I purchased came with 25 sockets.  I planned for each letter to have  3 bulbs.

I equipped my drill with a 3/4″ wood spade drill bit and drilled 24 holes.  (Heh, I missed one.)

Drilling 3/4″ holes

Step 10:  Install the string globe lights.

Push each socket into the holes and secure the wire with a staple gun.  Take great care during this step and avoid stapling the wire.

Secured the lights with a staple gun

Flip over the sign and install the light bulbs.

Screwed in the globe lights

Attach hardware to hang the sign or lean on a wall.

DIY Star Wars Marquee Wall Art

I am really happy with how the sign turned out.  The lights give off a really nice, warm glow. If you build the this Star Wars Marquee sign, please leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @handmadewithashley or Twitter @handmadewithash.   I’d love to see your pictures!

Marquee lights off

Star Wars Marquee Wall Art Sign

Check out my other Star Wars projects here!

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DIY Star Wars Marquee Sign Tutorial

I’m linking up to:

• The Kim Six Fix
• DIY Show Off
• Remodelaholic
• Silver Pennies
• Home Stories A to Z

Reader Projects <3

Vintage style Star Wars Marquee sign by @crouch17

The post DIY Star Wars Marquee Wall Art Tutorial appeared first on Handmade with Ashley.

DIY Stuffed Animal Storage

What’s a DIY blogger’s worst fear? Losing all her in progress photos! I recently wrapped up building a wooden stuffed animal zoo (and unfortunately, I suffered from a bit of memory loss).  I built the toy storage following free plans by Ana White!  I also followed Jamie at That’s My Letter’s blog post on her build of the toy storage.  This is a really easy project, and you should be able to knock it out in one weekend.

(For sneak peeks on upcoming projects follow me on Facebook and Instagram!)

Stuffed Animals

Empty Stuffed Animal Zoo

How to Build A Wooden Stuffed Animal Zoo

As I mentioned earlier, I lost most of my in progress photos.  *insert sad face* Once you have the frame of the toy zoo built, sanded, stained (or painted) and sealed it’s time to add the hardware and rope!  This was actually the hardest part of the entire project for me.

For the finish, I used ECOS Paints Woodshield Stain (Special Walnut) and Varnish (Satin).

Install the Eye Screws

You will want to have a pair of pliers on hand for screwing in the eye screws.  By the time I reached the last eye screw, my hands were pretty sore.

Screw eyes for supporting the rope

Eye screws inserted from a far

String and secure the rope

I cut four pieces of rope (one for each side), looped it through the eyes of the screws, and secured each end with a rope clamp.  Closing the clamps was a bit of a tedious process.  In hindsight, I think I would have used one long piece of rope so I would only need to secure two ends.

Rope and rope clamps

My son thinks the toy zoo could double as a jungle gym

Rope installed and secured

DIY Wooden Stuffed Animal Zoo Storage

This wooden zoo is a really nice way to store your little one’s stuffed animals!

My stuffed Domo-kun collection

An empty zoo

DIY Stuffed Animal Storage

DIY Stuffed Animal Zoo Toy Storage

The post DIY Stuffed Animal Storage (Plans by Ana White) appeared first on Handmade with Ashley.

Ashley Makes: DIY Industrial Factory Cart Coffee Table

I am so excited to share with you my latest project, an industrial factory cart coffee table!  The Shanty 2 Chic sisters teamed up with the Rogue Engineer to put together plans for this table.  When I came across their post it was love at first sight!  The project is pretty easy to build, and in this post I will go over the steps I took to create the coffee table.

Disclosure:  This post contains affiliate links.

Tools and Supplies

The following items are some of the tools and supplies I gathered to create the industrial factory cart coffee table.  Check out the Rogue Engineer’s plan for a more detailed listing.

• Kreg Jig (for joining boards)
• Kreg Right Angle Clamps
• Japanese Hand saw and Guide
• Rockwell JawHorse
• 8 in. Swivel Steel Caster (4)
• Charles Neil Pre-Color Conditioner – To prevent blotching
• ECOS Paints Woodshield Stain (British Chesnut) – There is seriously no smell with this stuff.
• ECOS Paints WoodShield Varnish (Satin)

Building the Coffee Table

Step 1:  Cut the boards to the appropriate length.

My husband and I cut all the boards with our Japanese handsaw.  Cutting through the 2×8 boards was quite the workout!

Japanese handsaw and saw guide

Boards cut the appropriate lengths

Step 2:  Drill pocket holes.

Next up, we used our Kreg Jig and created a ton of pocket holes.

Kreg Jig K5

Step 3:  Assemble the top.

We screwed the 2×8 boards together to create the top of coffee table.  We made sure the wood rings alternated directions to prevent the table top from bowing.

Alternating wood ring direction

Step 4:  Attach the sides.

We framed the coffee table top with 2×6 boards.  The Kreg right angle clamp was really useful at this step.

Adding the coffee table’s frame

Step 5:  Install supports

Next, we installed the coffee table supports!  For this step, the mallet was our best friend.   We had to squeeze our 2×4 supports inside of the coffee table’s frame.

Our little helper

Table supports are installed

This table is heavy and ready for sanding!

Step 6: Lots of sanding

We spent a good part of the day sanding the table.  We cycled through grits 40, 60, 80, 100, 150 and 220.

It’s sanding day

Finishing the Coffee Table

Step 1:  Apply pre-stain conditioner.

Before applying the stain, I coated the table with Charles Neil Pre-Color Conditioner to prevent blotching.

Charles Neil Pre-Color Conditioner

Step 2:  Apply the stain

Next up, I applied one coat of ECOS Paint Woodshield Stain in British Chesnut.  I love the results with Woodshield.   This is my fourth project using the stain. (Check out my homemade growth chart, vintage step stool, and dining room bench to see the stain in different colors.)

Table stained with ECOS Paints WoodShield in British Chesnut

Unfortunately, my quart of Spiced Pecan was a casualty in the project.  I had planned on using this color for the project. Just as I was about to get started staining,  I tripped and spilled the entired quart onto my patio.  Oh the horror!  I didn’t have a chance to use that color on a project.  We were able to clean up the mess with the pressure washer and little bit of Simple Green cleaner.

My precious Spiced Pecan wasted

Step 3:  Seal the table

I sealed the coffee table with a few layers of ECOS Paint WoodShield Satin Varnish.

Step 4:  Spray paint the hardware black

I spray painted the brackets, screws and caster wheels with Rust-Oleum Universal Flat Black spray paint.

The hardware’s original appearance

Hardware spray painted black

Step 5:  Install the hardware

Finally, I installed the corner brackets and the caster wheels.  I did need to purchase special driver bits to screw in the hex screws.

Dewalt Magnetic Nut Bits

Attaching the corner brackets

Attaching the caster wheels

The Finished Coffee Table

I am so in love with my new coffee table. It the perfect addition to my living room.  My only regret is that I did not purchase a pair of caster wheels with brakes. The little guy in the house enjoys rolling the table around!

I think he loves this table as much as I do

My new coffee table

The table from a distance (I could use a rug in this room)

Table up close

the perfect pairing with my sofas

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