scrapworklove Archives - Handmade with Ashley

DIY Christmas Tree Address Sign (Scrap Wood Challenge)

Ashley — Tue, 01 Dec 2015 03:31:49 +0000

DIY Christmas Tree Address Sign

I have a huge pile of scrap wood that grows larger by the day. I was really excited to see Sandra over at the Sawdust Girl create a sCrap wood challenge! I love challenges! I have no greater motivator for get things done.

My submission for the sCrap wood challenge is a Christmas Tree address sign. I built this from a leftover piece of cedar picket fence. In this post, I’ll go over the steps I took to create the sign.

Christmas tree address sign

Tree ready for it’s outdoor debut!

Wooden Christmas Tree Address Sign

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Tools and Supplies

Here’s a list of the tools and supplies I used to create the sign.

6 ft Cedar Picket Fence (or a scrap piece of 1×12 board ~3 ft long)
Wood Glue
Scroll Saw
Orbital Sander
Acrylic Craft Paints (I used Delta Ceramcoat)
Mod Podge
Scrapbook Paper
1 inch circle paper punch

How to Make the Address Sign

This is a super easy project that you could knock out in on afternoon.

Step 1: Cut the picket fence in half and edge to edge join the boards.

First up, cut the cedar picket fence in half. Apply glue to the long edge of one half and clamp the two halves together creating a ~11 inch wide board.

Edge to edge joint of the cedar halves

Step 2: Draw the outline of a Christmas tree onto the board.

Next up, sketch a quick outline of a Christmas onto the board. I started out with a triangle and from there flushed out the details. Also, trace the outline of the address numbers onto the board. I used Arial Bold.

Drawing the shapes

Step 3: Cut out the tree and numbers with a jigsaw or a scroll saw.

Once the lines are drawn, you’re ready to cut! I used my scroll saw to cut out the shapes. My saw was equiped with a Flying Dutchman spiral scroll saw blade and it cut the cedar like butter.

Scrolling out the shapes

Step 4: Sand!

Take a moment and sand down the pieces. I cycled through grits 60, 100 and 120 with my orbital sander.

Sanding the shapes with an orbital sander

Step 5: Paint the tree and the numbers.

Next up, paint the tree with acrylic craft paints. I used Delta Ceramcoat colors. This line of craft paints is my favorite because of the quality compared to other brands that I have tried. The base coat of the tree is Spring Green (02517) and the numbers are painted with Tompte Red (02107).

Painting the tree

Step 6: Add paper ornaments.

For some added sparkle, cut 1 inch wide circles from glitter scrapbook paper and glue it to the tree. I used Mod Podge to seal the paper and attach it to the tree.

Paper punching glitter scrapbook paper

Steps 7 & 8: Attach the numbers and seal the project!

Finally, attach the wooden numbers to the tree ( I used wood glue), and seal the wooden tree.

Tree ready for it’s outdoor debut!

The toddler is digging the address sign

DIY Christmas Tree Address Sign

The post DIY Christmas Tree Address Sign (Scrap Wood Challenge) appeared first on Handmade with Ashley.

DIY Busy Board

Ashley — Sat, 09 May 2015 13:22:07 +0000

Ashley Makes: DIY Busy Board

I found a really cool project while browsing Pinterest: a busy board (the busy board by Millionayres in particular)! I have never seen such a thing, but the moment I saw it I knew I had to make it. I made use of some scrap 1×12 boards, spray painted it black and yellow, and purchased a variety of items to attach to the board. In this post, I’ll share the steps I took for creating a busy board for our busy little boy!

Disclosure: This post contains some affiliate links.

Tools and Supplies

The following items are some of the tools and supplies I gathered to make the busy board:

2 – 1×12 boards 36 inches long
Kreg Jig (for joining the two boards)
Silhouette (for creating the caution stencil)
Yellow spray paint
Black spray paint
Painters tape
Contact paper (material used to creating the Silhouette stencil)
Daddy Van’s Beeswax (for sealing the project)
Cotton Terry Cloth Applicators
OOK ReadyNail Large Sawtooth Hanger
OOK Picture Hangers

Busy Items

Creating the Busy Board

Step 1: Join the 1×12 boards.

I wanted to make use of lumber I had on hand, so for my board I used my Kreg Jig to join two 36″ long 1×12 boards.

1×12 Boards joined together with Kreg Jig pocket holes

Step 2: Spray paint the with base color.

Next, I spray painted the board with yellow spray paint.

Spray painted the board yellow

Step 3: Create caution stencil.

I created a caution stencil with the message, “CAUTION: CHILD AT PLAY” from my Silhouette and Contact paper. 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 my Silhouette cut file here.

Step 4: Apply caution stencil and painters tape.

I applied the caution stencil to the board and used painters tape to tape off diagonal stripes.

Taped and ready for black paint

Step 5: Spray paint with secondary color.

Next, I spray painted the entire board with black spray paint. Once I removed the stickers I was a little disappointed to notice a few areas where the stencil and tape were not completely stuck to the board. This resulted in a few fuzzy spots. Fortunately, if you stand from a distance the flaw is not noticeable.

Spray painted the board with black paint

Stencil and painters tape removed

Step 6: Seal the board.

I used Daddy Van’s Beeswax to apply a protective coat on the board. This is my first project using beeswax. Daddy Van’s was really easy to apply and I am quite pleased with the results. It gets bonus points for no smelly fumes and easy clean up!

Daddy Van’s Furniture Polish

Beeswax applied

Step 7: Install the busy hardware.

Now, here’s the fun part: installing the hardware! I made a trip to the hardware store and I purchased the following busy little items:

Door Chain
Locking Hasp
Spring Door stop
Bells
Caster wheel

I also made a trip to Michael’s to purchase some bells. I strung the bells on cord and attached it to the board as well.

If you use a door stop, secure the tip with glue.

Locks and a caster wheel

Bells from Michael’s

Step 8: Hang the board!

In hindsight, I should have installed the picture framing hardware prior to installing the busy hardware. It would have made this step a little easier. I installed two large OOK Sawtooth hangers on the back of the board. I then installed two 20 pound OOK Picture hangers on my drywall.

OOK Picture Hanging Hardware

If you have never used this picture hanging system, I recommend you check it out. It made this step a breeze!

Busy Board prior to hanging

The Finished Busy Board

The Busy Board was an instant hit for my little guy. He is most attracted to the spring door stop and caster wheels. I am pretty happy with how the project turned out as well! I do have a few more spots that I’d like to fill in, perhaps with a mirror and a push light.

The finished busy board

The kid approves

The post DIY Busy Board appeared first on Handmade with Ashley.

DIY Bowling Lane (Tutorial)

Ashley — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 03:01:00 +0000

Ashley Makes: DIY Bowling Lane

Scratch your bowling itch by building this miniature bowling lane made from scrap lumber. My husband and I were discussing how fun it will be to take our little boy bowling once he is old enough to enjoy it. From that conversation I got the idea of building a miniature bowling lane. I was also inspired by Ana White’s #GetBuilding2015 challenge to make use of the large pile of lumber stored in my garage. This bowling lane is a little shy of being a foot wide and 4 feet long. In this post, I’ll share steps for making a bowling lane of your own!

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

Kids bowling lane

Disclosure: This post contains some affiliate links.

The Tools and Supplies

The following items are some of the tools and supplies I gathered to create the miniature bowling lane:

Bowling Pins

Bowling Lane

1 – 46″ long 1×12 board
2 – 46″ long 1×2 boards
2 – 9.75″ long 1×2 boards
1 – 9.75″ long 1×4 board
2 – 23″ long 1×4 boards
Kreg Jig (for joining boards)
Sander
Dremel (for rounding guard edges)
JigSaw (for rounding guard edges)
Wood Filler
Handsaw
Paint
Silhouette (for creating stencils for lane markers)

Decorating the Bowling Pins

I purchased 10 unfinished wooden bowling pins. The pins looked pretty bland. A little paint and washi tape made a big difference. The following steps describe how I decorated the pins.

Unfinished wooden bowling pins

Step 1: Paint the bowling pins white.

I spray painted the bowling pins white with a can of Rust-Oleum’s Painter’s Touch Paint+Primer.

Rust-Oleum Spray paint + Spray Paint Gun

Bowling pins lined up for painting

Step 2: Add washi tape to the neck of the bowling pin.

To give the bowling pins a nice pop of color, I added washi tape to the neck of the pins. I purchased my washi tape from cutetape.com. I used the following tapes:

Washi Tape from CuteTape

Step 3: Seal the washi tape with Mod Podge.

To ensure the tape would stay put, I applied a coat of Mod Podge (Matte Finish).

Step 4: Coat the pins with Triple Thick Gloss Glaze.

For the final step, I coated each pin with two layers of Triple Thick Gloss Glaze. This gave the pins a nice shiny and smooth finish.

Coating the bowling pins with Triple Thick Gloss Glaze

Building the Bowling Lane

Here’s how I pieced together the bowling lane.

Step 1: Cut the boards to the appropriate size.

I had a leftover 46″ long 1×12 board. I wanted the lane guards to run half the length of the bowling lane, so I cut 2 1×4 boards to length of 23 inches. The remaining 1×4 and 1×2 boards were cut to fit the 1×12 board.

Lumber

The final cuts were:

1 – 46″ long 1×12 board
2 – 46″ long 1×2 boards
2 – 9.75″ long 1×2 boards
1 – 9.75″ long 1×4 board
2 – 23″ long 1×4 boards

Step 2: Round the lane guard ends. (Optional)

Rounding the edges of the lane guards give the bowling lane a nice touch. I used a lid to trace a curve on one end of each of the 23″ 1×4 boards. I then used my jigsaw to cut the curve.

Jigsaw

Step 3: Add bottom trim.

I attached the 1×2 boards to the 1×12 board with some finishing nails and a hammer to form a box.

Nailing 1×2 boards to 1×12 board

Nailing the 1×2 boards to the 1×12 board

Bottom trim added

Step 4: Attach the lane guards.

Next, I used my Kreg Jig to create pocket holes for joining the pieces of the lane guard together. Once the 3 1×4 boards were joined, I then attached the lane guard to the 1×12 board.

Drilling pocket holes

Attaching pieces of the guard together

Attaching lane guards to bowling lane base

Step 5: Add wood filler and sand, sand sand.

I added wood filler to cover up the pocket holes and spent a good amount of time sanding down the rough edges.

Wood filler

Sanding the rounded edges with a Dremel

Sanding bowling lane

Step 6: Add paint.

I painted the bowling lane with Krylon Satin Sea Glass spray paint.

Ready for paint!

Step 7: Add washi tape. (Optional)

I wanted to tie in some of the colors from the bowling pins to the bowling lane. I wrapped perimeter of the lane with striped washi tape.

My little washi tape helper

Step 8: Add lane markers. (Optional)

For a nice final touch, I created stencils for lane arrows and markers for the bowling pin locations with the Silhouette editor. 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. To complement the Sea Glass paint, I painted the lane markers with neon orange paint.

The Silhouette cut files are available here for download:

If you don’t own a Silhouette, I made the images available for download here:

Painting lane markers

Painting complete!

Close up on the lane arrows

Step 9: Seal the project!

The Completed Bowling Lane

The bowling lane was a really fun project. It has been a hit for my little guy, and the adults enjoy it too. To increase difficultly, use a smaller ball and have the bowler toss the ball from several feet away.

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

Bowling pins in position

Reader Projects

My very first reader project from @sawdustandperfume!

Made this mini bowling ally for my niece who is visually impaired. She loves being able to get up close to see what she is doing. The lrg orange dots for the pins are very helpful for her to set it back up. Plans from @handmadewithashley

A photo posted by @sawdustandperfume on Aug 1, 2016 at 1:05pm PDT

Pin it!

DIY Bowling Lane

DIY Kids Bowling Lane

For sneak peaks on upcoming projects follow me on Facebook and Instagram!

The post DIY Bowling Lane (Tutorial) appeared first on Handmade with Ashley.

DIY Volcano Wooden Stacker

Ashley — Sat, 04 Apr 2015 21:33:12 +0000

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Ashley Makes: DIY Volcano Stacker

Using scrap lumber, I made a little volcano stacker. I created the stacker using a pattern from Erin Freuchtel-Dearing’s book, Natural Wooden Toys. The stacker was a really simple and easy project. I was able to complete the project within one afternoon using supplies I had on hand. Best of all, the toy seems to be a hit with the little guy!

The Tools and Supplies

Natural Wooden Toys by Erin Freuchtel-Dearing

The following is a list of a few tools and supplies I gathered to create the volcano stacker:

Natural Wooden Toys Book
Scroll Saw
Scrap Lumber
Acrylic Paint
Mod Podge
Dremel (for sanding the curves)

Making the Stacker

Step 1: Prepare the board.

I grabbed a 1×12 board from my scrap wood pile and gave it a really good sanding.

Prepping the scrap lumber

Step 2: Trace the pattern.

Using tracing paper, I made a copy of the volcano stacker pattern from the book. I then applied the pattern to my board.

Volcano stacker project in the book

Pattern applied to the board

Step 3: Cut out the shape and sand the edges.

Next, I used my scroll saw to cut out the four pieces that made up the volcano. I then sanded down the rough edges.

Scrolling complete

Step 4: Paint and seal the stacker.

I used acrylic craft paints and followed the same color scheme as the project in the book. Once the paint dried I applied Mod Podge (Matte Finish) to seal the stacker.

The Completed Stacker

Overall, I am pretty happy with the final project. However, next stacker there are two things I would do differently. One, I would do a better job sanding the edges. Sanding is my least favorite thing to do! In this project I took a shortcut there and it shows. Two, I would take my time painting and sealing. Once again, I took a shortcut and it shows. Now, my little boy could care less! He is really drawn to the toy and has not become bored of it yet. I am super excited about trying other projects from the book and experimenting with original designs of my own!

DIY Volcano Wooden Stacker

DIY Volcano Wooden Stacker separated

The post DIY Volcano Wooden Stacker appeared first on Handmade with Ashley.

DIY Minecraft Torch (Tutorial)

Ashley — Thu, 02 Apr 2015 04:32:41 +0000

How to make wooden Minecraft torches from a 2×2 board. The torches make awesome party favors for a Minecraft themed birthday party.

Ashley Makes: Minecraft Torch

My favorite 7 year old recently had a Minecraft themed birthday party. For party favors, I made Minecraft torches from a 2×2 board. Painting each pixel of the torch was an incredibly time consuming process. This is definitely not a project you want to procrastinate on. I would budget two hours per a torch. The torches are 1.5″ wide and 7.5″ tall. The scale for the pixels is 0.75 inches. In this post, I’ll share steps for making a few torches of your own!

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

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Tools and Supplies

The following is a list of the tools and supplies I gathered to create the torches:

2×2 board
Japanese Handsaw and Guide
Rockwell JawHorse (for holding the 2×2 while cutting)
A sander or a sanding block
A ruler
Acrylic Craft Paints (I used Delta Ceramcoat paints)
A good quality paint brush (A good brush helps keep the paint within the lines. I used one of my Da Vinci Red Sable brushes.)
Mod Podge (for sealing the paint)
Led Party Lights (optional)
1/2 drill bit (for creating a hole in the board to hold the led party lights)

I wanted consistent color among all of the torches, so I purchased specific colors instead of mixing colors. The colors I chose are not an exact match to the real torch, but close enough.

Making the Torch

Step 1: Cut the 2×2 Board.

A 2×2 board is not 2 inches by 2 inches. The real dimension of 2×2 board is 1.5 inches by 1.5 inches. This is why the pixel scale is 0.75 inches. The torches in Minecraft are 2 pixels wide and 10 pixels tall. So our torches are 1.5 inches wide and 7.5 inches tall.

Cut your 2×2 board to a length of 7.5 inches and give the board a good sanding.

Step 2: Draw a grid on the 2×2.

With your ruler, draw a grid on every side of the 2×2 board. Each cell represents a pixel and should be 0.75 inches by 0.75 inches. I found it easiest to first draw the grid lines on top and bottom sides of the 2×2 board.

Drawing grid lines

Grid lines completed

Step 3: Paint the pixels.

The bulk of the time on the project will be spent painting. If you are painting multiple torches, I recommend working like an assembly line and paint one color at a time. I recommend using a good quality brush. A good brush will make it easier to stay within the grid lines as you paint. Taping off the cells will give you nice and clean edges, but I found it very time consuming.

Da Vinci Size 4 Paint Brush

Here is the color scheme I used on my torches (column 1, column 2):

Acrylic Craft Paints

I painted rows 1 and 2 on the top of the torches, and I used Brown Iron Oxide to cover the bottom of the torches.

Tangerine paint added

White and yellow paint added

Painting the flame

Brown Iron Oxide paint added

Raw Sienna paint added

Step 4: Seal the torch.

Once the paint dried, apply a layer of Matte Mod Podge to seal the torches.

Step 5: Add a light. (Optional)

I thought turning the torches into a real source of light would be a neat upgrade. To do this, I purchased a bag of LED party lights. Each light is a little shy of being 0.5″ wide and 1.5″ tall. With a 0.5″ wide drill bit, drill an inch deep hole into the top of the torch.

A half inch drill bit

A hole for holding the party light

Drop the little party light in the hole and you’re good to go.

A light for the torch

A source of light in the darkness

The Finished Torch

I am pretty happy with how the torches came out. It is a great way to use leftover 2×2 boards in the garage and a neat treat for fans of the game.

DIY Minecraft Torches

The post DIY Minecraft Torch (Tutorial) appeared first on Handmade with Ashley.

DIY Wooden Car (Plans by Ana White)

Ashley — Sat, 21 Mar 2015 08:56:46 +0000

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Ashley Makes: DIY Wooden Car

I built a wooden toy truck using a leftover 1×4 board in my garage. For this build I used Ana White’s plans for the wood wheelie cars. This was a quick and easy project and my first project using my scroll saw.

The Tools and Supplies

Here’s a list of some of the tools and supplies I gathered to build the toy car:

A scrap 1×4 board
1.5″ x 0.5″ Wood Toy Wheels with Treads (4)
0.25″ Wood Dowel
Rockwell JawHorse Material Support and Saw Horse
A scroll saw
Mod Podge (Matte Finish)
DecoArt Americana Acrylic Paint (Santa Red)

Building the Toy Truck

First, I glued the truck template provided by Ana White onto my 1×4 board. I used Sheila Landry’s advice on applying scroll saw patterns: cover the wood with painter’s tape and glue the pattern on top of that. This protects the wood from the glue so it will take stains and paints well.

Ana White’s truck template

The truck template glued to the board

Next, I drilled several holes into the board so I had a spot to insert my scroll saw blade.

Holes drilled into board

Then, I used my scroll saw to cut out the shape of the truck.

Cutting out truck template with the scroll saw

Cutting complete

Once I had the shape cut out, I drilled holes for the truck’s axles (a drill press is on the wishlist now). I gave the truck a quick sanding and I applied two layers of craft acrylic paint to the body. After the paint dried I applied a couple layers of Mod Podge to seal the surface. For the final step, I attached the wheels.

The Completed Toy Truck

Not too shabby for my first go at toy making. However, I am not happy with the finished toy. If I did it all over again, I would take my time with the finish. Also, the driver was not perpendicular to the truck’s body when I created the holes for the axles, so the truck leans slightly (hence the drill press on the wishlist.) My son does not seem to notice its flaws, so I will try to overlook them as well!

DIY Wooden Toy Truck

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

DIY Vintage Step Stool (Plans by Ana White)

Ashley — Sun, 15 Mar 2015 03:04:44 +0000

Disclosure: This entry contains affiliate links.

Ashley Makes: DIY Vintage Step Stool

Several years ago, the first woodworking project I finished was the Vintage Step Stool built with plans by Ana White. I use the step stool just about every day. I had some scrap lumber taking up space in my garage, so I decided to use it to build another step stool.

My first woodworking project

The Tools and Supplies

Here’s a list of some of the tools and supplies I gathered to build the step stool:

Kreg K5 Pocket-Hole Jig – It makes joining two boards a breeze!
Rockwell JawHorse – This is my second pair of hands! I love using this tool.
Bosch Jigsaw
Japanese Mini Saw Guide – I love using my handsaws. They are easy to setup, simple to use, and best of all quiet.
Charles Neil Pre-Color Conditioner – To prevent blotching
ECOS Paint Woodshield Stain (Special Walnut) – There is seriously no smell with this stuff.
ECOS Paint WoodShield Varnish (Satin) – There is a tiny odor when you first open the can, but it’s nothing compared to your traditional varnishes.
Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint (Boxwood)
Silhouette Portrait – For cutting out my footprint stencil

Building the Step Stool

Building the step stool was pretty easy and simple. The most time consuming part was using the jigsaw to cut out the shape of the sides. I used pocket holes to join my 1×2 boards to the 1×12 boards. This was a very tight fit for my drill and made for a very frustrating experience. I enlisted the help of my husband to drive in the screws.

Assembling the step stool

Ready for staining

Finishing the Step Stool

For my stool’s finish, I first applied a layer of ECOS Paint WoodShield in Special Walnut. Once the stain dried, I covered the edges of the stool with a coat of Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint in Ironstone.

ECOS Paint WoodShield Special Walnut

Mixing the WoodShield

Stool staining complete

Once the paint dried, I used my Silhouette Cameo to cut out a set of footprints from Contact paper. I followed the Shanty sister’s tutorial on creating a stencil with contact paper to get the perfect cut setting on my Silhouette. I sized the footprints to a height of 5 inches.

Silhouette foot prints

Next, I applied 2 coats of Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint in Boxwood on the entire stool. After the stain dried, I first distressed the edges of the stool and then I applied two coats of ECOS Paints WoodShield Stain Varnish.

Mixing Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint

Wet paint

Silhouette stencil removed

Ready to apply the varnish

The Completed Step Stool

I am happy with how the step stool turned out. I took my time with the finish and it really shows when the stool is compared to the first stool I built.

The step stool is completed!

Close up on the footprints

Side comparison between the old and the new

Front comparison between the old and the new

DIY Step Stool

The post DIY Vintage Step Stool (Plans by Ana White) appeared first on Handmade with Ashley.