Potting Bench Makeover

Remember this great bench Steel and I garbage picked found??  Well, it got a makeover!

It was in pretty bad shape and needed some cleaning.  I found this wood cleaner in the garage that would do the job.  I hear that vinegar will do the job as well but might as well use up the wood cleaner.  I mixed with water in a bucket.  I didn't pay too much attention to the directions of measuring out 1 part clear to 5 parts water.  I just poured.

Just a few strokes with the nylon scrub brush and I could see that it was working and working well.

I scrubbed down the whole bench and let it sit for 20 minutes and hosed it off.

I gave it a few days to dry...

Then...
I grabbed some Krylon Watermelon...

and sprayed away, following up with a hand sander...

My plans were to stain over top of my freshly painted and sanded project.  This would stain the bare wood.  

I had to put my project on hold due to time constraints and other time consuming demands.  My project sat on the top of our hill for a couple weeks and the more I looked at it, the more I DID NOT like the color watermelon!  I think watermelon is a nice enough color and all but not for this particular Potting Bench.

I decided to grab some Krylon Ballet Slipper and White...

I sprayed and sprayed...  

I can't tell you details of how I sprayed but I tried to give the same effect as I got when I sanded (using the watermelon).  This took a lot of trial and error.  This was more of an experiment than anything else.

Having the watermelon underneath was a nice effect, as it showed through in lightly sprayed areas.

I am over all pleased with the way it turned out.

Potting Bench

We were driving down the street and saw this great weathered bench 4 or 5 houses down sitting on the side of the road.  Well, we were on our way out and I hoped that it would still be there on the way home.  It was!  However, the hub was no longer with me.  I told Steel that I wanted it and hoped that Daddy would be home soon so he could help me grab it.  Steel told me that he could help me carry it.  (Steel is 6.)  Well, after I thought about it, I decided we could walk down and see how heavy it was.  Not too bad!  Yes, I had my 6 year old help me garbage pick!  Technically, it wasn't garbage picking because it wasn't garbage day, right?

I am so excited.  I plan on putting this behind the garage and using it as a potting bench.  I'm kind of  thinking that, that is what it is supposed to be used for?  I just need to decide if I should stain it, or possibly white wash it.  What about turquoise blue washing it to give it a nice blue hue?  Should I see if I can clean the grayed appearance of it first?  Some help with ideas would be greatly appreciated!  I would like to protect it in some fashion so that I can use it for a few years.  It's a little wobbly and needs a little TLC but I think it will be great!!!

Garden Sign using wood burning tool

I made a garden sign using my wood burning tool.  I'm not completely pleased with the results but I figure it will take time to perfect this art.  It is quite difficult getting it to look good.  You have to have just the right pressure when writing and the grain of the wood gives you difficulty.  Perhaps I can try, try again another time.

Click Read More for How I Did It...

Suncatcher Windchimes

I got my inspiration from www.crafter.org.  I took it one step further and made windchimes with our suncatchers.  This is a super easy project if you can tolerate the funky smell coming from your oven.  lol.  It's a bit weird but, it's over quickly and I sprayed some air freshener afterwards and all was good.  I would suggest putting them in the oven and spending some time outdoors while they are in the oven, just remember to take your kitchen timer with you!!!  

Click Read More for the How To...

Vertical Pallet Flower Garden

I absolutely love my Vertical Pallet Flower Garden.  It is complete with it's own irrigation system!!!  Have you seen Home Depot's commericial that shows their vertical garden project?  Well, a couple friends of mine were talking about it and I went to their website to check it out.  Well, I thought...why not make it out of an old pallet?!  Much easier and cheaper!  Check out my inspiration here. 

Click Read More for How I Did It...

Solar Light Jars

Another version of Solar Jars...  This jar is painted with frosted glass spray paint. 

My Inspiration:  http://blog.freepeople.com

Click Read More for the Super Easy How To...

Patriot Tin Can Windsocks

The Fourth of July is just around the corner so I needed to spruce up the house with some patriotic decorations.  I found this great idea for Tin Can Windsocks at http://the-wilson-world.blogspot.com.  What a great idea!  I modified ours a bit.  We painted paint cans, of course, cut out stars in vinyl on the Silhouette and used ribbon for the stripes.  I liked them so much, we made quite a few of them.  

Click Read More for the How To...

Tin Can Windchimes

Steel especially had fun painting these.  Mom had to put them together.  We hung them on his playset on a flower hanger hook thing.  I was lucky to find 4 different sized cans quite easily.  Start saving those cans!!!

Click Read More for the How To...

Sponge Water Bombs

How about our some fun water bombs made from some sponges and string?!  

My Inspiration:  http://onecharmingparty.com

Click Read More for the How To...

Solar Mason Jars

I made some solar jars this weekend.  This one I made with a mason jar and metallic paint.  It glows nicely and creates a neat shadow as well.  

My Inspiration:  http://blog.freepeople.com

Click Read More for the How To...

Wooden Garden Markers

I found this wood burner tool in Walmart's clearance of all places!!!  I needed to put it to use.  I was in need of some garden plant markers...  Super Easy (after a bit of practice, of course)!

Materials

Wood Burner Tool (Regular Price $10 at WalMart)

Tongue Depressors

 I am pretty confident that you can figure out the HOW TO part... =)

I will add a few words of wisdom that may save you some time if you so desire to make your own...

1.  Make sure the tool is warmed up properly, my directions say 10 minutes.

2.  Do not press hard.  Apply even pressure but not hard!  Take some time to practice.  Pressing too hard will make circle indents.  You can see below I still haven't mastered it but this was my first stab at it and it was getting dark and I wanted pics.  =)

That's all I got.  Enjoy!

Project Garden Update #2

Garden Update!!  Just wanted to share our progress.  All of the plants are doing wonderfully.  Being this is our first garden, we didn't count on our plants surviving and we planted the plants a bit closer together than advised.  So far, so good though.  

I used garden twine to make my own tomato cages.  The hub installed garden stakes and secured them to the bed sides with screws.  I wrapped twine around each of the stakes, weaved it, etc. until I had three levels of twine around each tomato plant to form cages.  

For the cucumbers, I attached eye screws to the existing tomato stakes and eye screws on the inside of the garden bed front side in front of each cucumber plant.  I tied twine from the bottom eye screw to the top eye screw forming an angle.  I, then, weaved more twine perpendicular to the angles that I had just made, this formed a grid that will allow the cucumbers to climb.  (I learned this tip from a co-worker and avid gardener!)

 Lastly, our pumpkin patch is looking good, we have half the pumpkins that we planted, which we expected.

Dad Rocks

Dad Rocks carved into a rock.  Steel and I made this for Dad/Hub for Father's Day.  It was a bit more of a 'Mom' project but Steel helped in spirit.  

How We Did It

1.  Steel picked out a rock from the backyard and wrote Dad Rocks on it with a black sharpie.  

 2.  I used a Tungsten Carbide Cutter bit in my Flexshaft (kind of like a Dremel) and carved Dad Rocks.  This was the first time I had ever attempted carving rock.  It is not so easy.  I'm sure it will come with time.  I didn't press hard until I had established good lines by pressing lightly over and over again.  The smoother the rocks the better, my tool didn't take too kindly to hitting ridges.  I don't really have any other good tips to help, perhaps at a later date, once I carve more.  I am sure that different rocks will be easier as some may be more difficult.

 3.  I carved the year on the underside of the rock.

Project Privacy Fence Complete

Our privacy fence is complete!  (Well, at least one side...)  We love it.  It looks so clean and neat.  The hub (with the help of a few enlisted friends) poured concrete to fill in the area in between the drive and the fence for permanent weed control.  The concrete also stretches back along side of the garage for garbage can storage.  We couldn't be happier (or at least until the entire backyard fence is replaced with vinyl).  See Phase I here.

Pallet Herb Garden

I love my Pallet Herb Garden.  With lots of luck, I can keep my herbs alive long enough to take my clippings and freeze my fresh herbs for later use.  I found my inspiration at http://kellymoorebag.com.  

Click Read More for the How To

Mosaic Stepping Stones / Bird Baths

Steel and I made these stepping stones / bird baths using clay pot saucers adorned with mosaic tiles and shell pieces adhered with mosaic tile adhesive found at the local craft supply store.  

 

Project Garden - Update #1

The hub built us a two-tiered garden.  Sorry, I have no tutorial.  I let him handle this on his own.

I bought the green wired fencing at the local discount store to keep our Puppy clean and out of our garden.

I had very bad luck with the seeds that I planted indoors.  They were great indoors but I was too impatient and did not introduce them to the harsh elements slowly.

All the tomatoes died.  I had to visit the local garden center and buy new plants.  The peppers are doing wonderfully!  The hub also built a bed for a pumpkin patch.  It seems the animals are already getting to those, all should be good.  I planted way too many for the area.  I planned this so that I could trim back the weaker plants to make more room for the stronger ones.

See our planting post here.

I will keep you posted on how our garden is doing.