A Simple Shelf

This weekend I created a simple shelf.  Actually it was a lesson in how to use a router.  I’ve been wanting to learn how so I could add to my power tool repertoire and was fortunate enough to have a friend loan one so that I could try it out.  So off to Home Depot where I bought a one by four and then I went to routing.  I only needed a five foot length for the shelf I wanted, so I used the piece I cut off the end to practice and get used to the tool.  That was a good idea by my hubby (thanks honey!).  So after a little practice, I went right on to my board.  I routered (is that a word?) the three sides and left the back side flat to go against the wall.  I used four L brackets to mount it to the wall with help from the hubby.  Here are a couple pics; one showing my router skills and one showing my shelf in place above my scrap/craft table.  It was really simple and fun, so if you ever wanted to give it a try, go ahead.  It wasn’t scary at all.  I used the FolkArt Chalk paint in white which was great for the raw board because it didn’t require any priming.  Enjoy!

shelf router shelf in place

The board in the background is the next project I’ll share.  Have a great afternoon!

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Ottoman-Coffee Table from a Wood Pallet

Good snowy afternoon!  Today I’m sharing a project that I actually did a little while ago, but is one of my all-time favorites.  If you’re like me, spending countless minutes, okay hours, pouring over those Pinterest photos of all those awesome projects that are being made from wood pallets, I just had to get in there and try one.  I had been battling with my coffee table for a while any way, so this seemed like the project for me.  I have a little experience with some light upholstery and I own a staple gun, so I was game.  It actually turned out to be quite easy.  The most difficult part was dealing with the cumbersome size of the pallet and working around having to flip it over and center it and such.  I enlisted the help of my daughter who, on occasion, is game to help old mom out with a project or two.

So here are the before and after photos.

pallet ottoman before pallet ottoman 2 pallet ottomanottoman in place

The total cost of the project was about $100 dollars.  The most expensive part was the foam padding.  I was surprised how expensive it was, so if you can find a good source for inexpensive foam, definitely go that route and you can save a lot of money.  The pallet was free.  I got the fabric at Hobby Lobby when their home décor fabric was on sale at 50% off so only spent about $12 for that.  I purchased the legs at Home Depot for about $3 each.  I also bought a package of quilt batting to smooth out the corners and that was about $10 for the size I needed.  So as you can see, the foam was the biggest expense.  If you know of a good source for cheap foam, please do share!  I even got it on a 50% sale at Hancock Fabrics, but it must contain gold 🙂  I am thrilled with it and it has been the best addition to my living room in years.  I have a couple of smaller pallets that I am going to try some more projects with soon as well, now that I got my feet wet.  So stay tuned!