Pretty Paper Christmas Trees

I explained in “Christmas No-No Decor” why I had to switch it up this year due to my naughty kittens. We are in the throes of training them…they are just a little hard-headed.

I was excited to try something new and this vision of blue and red came to mind. I went with it.

 

Apparently, the motivation from naughty cat-dom was just the challenge I needed. Without spending a dime and using things that I had on hand, I created a whole new fancy look for my mantel this year.

 

Here’s what you’ll need to make your very own Pretty Paper Christmas Trees:

3/4″ Dowel Rods or PVC pipe
3/4″ Scrap Plywood
Coffee can lid
Jigsaw
Palm Sander & Fine/Medium Sand Paper
Drill and paddle drill bits
Oops Paint or Spray Paint
Hot glue gun & glue sticks (not pictured because they were warming up for their duties)
Wrapping Paper (I used both robin egg blue and brown parchment)

 

I had two pieces of leftover 3/4″ PVC and a 3/4″ Broom stick that someone had gone ninja on. I used all three pieces to make my three trees.
Mark the desired height of trees onto the PVC or dowel rod with a sharpee. I cut my lengths to 18″, 24″ and 32″.

 

Using the jig saw and a wood blade, cut the PVC or dowel rods at the marked lines.

 

Outline the coffee can lid onto the scrap plywood. This will be the base of the trees.

 

This joke never gets old, “Cut it out.” (Courtesy Uncle Joey.)
Meaning, cut the plywood circles out with the jig saw.
Using a 7/8″ paddle drill bit attached to the drill, drill into the center of the plywood, without going all the way through.

Sand the pieces of plywood using the palm sander. Sand the PVC and dowel rods by hand with a loose piece of sand paper.
Make sure the PVC or dowel rods fit into the holes in the plywood.

 

Hot glue the PVC or dowel rods to the plywood. Make sure you burn at least two of your fingers in this process.

 

Spray the entire thing with two coats of your favorite paint. Let dry.

 

While the tree stands are drying, cut out 3″ square pieces from the wrapping paper.

 

Roll each square into a cone shape that resembles this one. Hot glue the very end to the cone.

 

Pour a glass of wine and then do that same thing about 20 times more for each tree-depending upon the height.
Some of my trees required about 20 cones, the tallest about 30.

 

Starting about 6″ away from the base of the tree, begin hot glueing the desired colored cones to the PVC or dowel rod. Move up about 3-4″ and add another round of cones. Continue doing this until you reach the top of the tree.
I made one tree that was all blue, one with rows of alternating blue and brown parchment paper, and one that alternated within the same row blue, brown, blue, brown, etc.

 

I insist you make a mess while doing this, just so I don’t feel bad.

 

Add one last cone to the top of the tree, covering up any of the remaining PVC or dowel rod. Add a few cute birds, candy canes or alternating colors.

 

Fancy it up with some cute deer, sparkly tinsel and leftover ornaments and call your mantel decorated!
Merry Christmas!

Mod Log Table

I have been dreaming of an outdoor end table for quite some time. When my neighbor decided to chop down his very dead pine tree, the opportunity afforded itself.
I love neighbors with chainsaws.
Here’s a view of the finished Mod Log Table. Yes, it’s inside my house. No, it hasn’t spent a day outside yet. I think it’s kind’ve pretty inside…

In order to make your own Mod Log Table, you’ll need a dead tree-preferably very dead. I hopped the fence into my neighbors yard and picked out my victim from amongst the carnage laying before me.

I let my Little Mini chainsaw rest while I borrowed the neighbor’s beefier chainsaw. I tried to make the cut as even as possible, knowing I would have to sand down any high points on the wood later on.

I had some vintage legs laying around, but you can use pre-made legs that you can buy at Lowe’s. You’ll also want lag screws to fasten your legs to the log, polyurethane, a foamy brush, and gloves. You’ll want some steel wool & a microfiber cloth for in between your poly layers.

You’ll need a drill with a drill bit slightly smaller than your lag screw and a belt sander with 40 & 80 grit sandpaper, a socket set and a level(not pictured-sorry!).

Sand the top and bottom of your log until it’s smooth, starting with the 40 grit. Use the 80 grit for your fine sand.
That’s fine, baby, that’s fine….

Once your log is smooth, use small set screws to temporarily attach the legs to the underside of the log. Outline the table legs (so when you remove them later on, you’ll know where they go) and flip your table over to check for it being level.

Using your level as shown, ‘shim’ up your table leg until the table sits level. Measure the amount you will either need to router out of the underside of your table, or shim up with scrap plywood.
Or you can choose to sand it even more until your shoulder falls off.
Flip your table back over and remove the legs.

I cut out pieces of plywood with a jigsaw to make up the difference I had measured earlier in order for the table to be level. I chose to shim up my legs, mainly because I do not own a router. This doesn’t look quite as finished, but for an outside table, I was ok with it.

Drill pilot holes for your lag screws or for your pre-made table legs using a drill bit that is slightly smaller than the screw you’ll be using.

Use a socket set to insert your lag screws, if you have legs like mine (tee hee). If you have pre-made legs with the screw already sticking out of the end, just screw them into where you drilled your pilot holes.

Wipe the table down with a microfiber cloth-get all the nooks and crannies. Now it’s time to make it pretty! Enough of the functional stuff. WOO-HOO!

Apply your first layer of polyurethane and let dry according to the manufacturer’s instructions. It’ll be so purty when you’re done with the first layer!

Use your steel wool to get any of the bubbles out by ‘sanding’ it lightly.

Use your steel wool to get any of the bubbles out by ‘sanding’ it lightly.
Wipe the entire thing down again with your microfiber cloth. Apply another coat of poly and let dry.

You now have such a cute table, you may not be able to bring yourself to put it outside. Mine hasn’t made it outside yet. I keep telling myself to let go…but I’m worried it will be lonely outside…

Mod Deer Hoof Coat Rack

*DISCLAIMER: I used this project awhile back as a guest blog for someone else. It caused a mild uproar when a woman commented that it was ‘gross’. If you don’t like to see the hooves of deer, please bail out now.
I would hate to gross you out. Over and out.*

I have been wanting a coat rack by our front door for a couple of years. Our guests must pile their coats on our bed, which of course becomes the perfect nesting ground for Cowboy.

I live in a part of the country where the phrase ‘He’s packing’ doesn’t mean ‘He’s preparing for a trip’.
Naturally, I thought, ‘If one can make gun racks out of deer hooves, why can’t one make a coat rack out of them?’
I searched on ebay and found five deer hooves that would be shipped to me for $5 each.

What you will need:
Wood Paneling-I bought my 3/4” tongue and groove from Habitat for Humanity
3/4” x 1” ‘L’ shaped trim
Deer Hooves
Lag Screws-mine are 2”
Epoxy
Oops Paint-I used glossy black
Paintbrush
Level
Tape Measure
Sawzall with metal blade, or a hand saw with metal blade
Skill Saw with a wood blade
Square
Drill & Drill bit a little smaller than your lag screws
Studfinder

You’ll also want a:
Hammer
Finish Nailer, Nails & Compressor (or you can use ‘brad’ nails & a hammer)

My wood was pretty damaged in several areas. I determined that I had enough to make a 30” x 34” coat rack. I marked the pieces that I wanted and drew a ‘cut’ line using my square.

Using my skill saw, I cut those suckers down and then double checked for accuracy.
I always double check myself. My accuracy tends to be unreliable. I guess you could call me ‘reliably unreliable’.

Find your studs by using a ‘stud finder’ or tapping a hammer lightly against the wall.
Starting with your top board, make sure it’s level before using your finish nailing to attach it straight to the wall and hitting the studs.
I painted my ‘L’ shaped trim black and cut the ends to fit at a 45 degree angle. I used my finish nailer again to attach the trim to the tongue and groove boards.

My deer hooves did not have a screw already mounted in them-some do. If yours don’t, clamp the heads of your lag screws with a strong table vice and use a metal bladed sawzall or hand saw to cut the heads off of the screws.
‘Off with their heads!’

Place the cut end of your lag screw into the hoof, filling the entire cavity with epoxy. Let dry for the manufacturer’s recommended time.
That is Biceps’ un-manicured hand, not mine. However, mine isn’t far from this….

Once the epoxy has hardened, give your hoof a ‘high-five’ just for good measure and to keep the neighbor’s guessing.

Using your level, mark where you would like your hooves to be attached on the wood paneling. Drill pilot holes into your wood paneling.

Screw your hooves into the pre-drilled holes and then stand back to enjoy your creation.

‘Modern-Bohemian’ is what I call it…with a touch of ‘weird-functionality’.
I hope I didn’t gross you out. Please let me know if I did…

Mod Filing Cabinet

I was tired of the clunky metal object mocking me from the rest of my very ‘cool’ office.

I was inspired by something similar in a Ready Made magazine (now defunct) and just had to try it on my own, of course putting my own little spin on it.

What you will need:
Filing Cabinet-I picked mine up from craigslist for $15
Contact Paper-I chose a wood grain birch (found at Lowe’s)
2’ or 4’ level
Exacto Knife/Scissors
Pencil

Using your level, draw a straight line across the middle of your filing cabinet. This will be the end point for your contact paper. I chose to put the line about a third of the way down of the filing cabinet, instead of a predictable half-way mark, just to make things interesting. I don’t like to be predictable…

Using your level, draw lines at 3”, 2” and 1” of thickness onto the contact paper to make the stripes. The angle you choose to have your contact paper at on the filing cabinet and the depth of your cabinet will dictate how long your strips need to be. Cut your differing width of stripes from the contact paper, overcompensating for the length.

I temporarily taped all of my stripes to the side of the filing cabinet, and adjusted them until I liked the look of them, before permanently adhering them to the cabinet. I have learned to do this the hard way. Let’s just say it is very difficult to remove contact paper from anything. Next, I drew little ‘tick’ marks onto the filing cabinet, notating where each stripe went, so I would remember in what order to adhere them to the cabinet.

Using a level, draw a line across the bottom of your taped contact paper stripes that coincides with the line you had originally drawn on the actual filing cabinet. This will make the bottom angle on your stripes. Remove your stripes and cut the tips off with your exacto knife or a pair of scissors.

Peel off the backing from your strips and began to place the stripes onto the filing cabinet, following your earlier notations. Smooth out the bubbles as you go.

Use your exacto knife to cut the top of your stripe off, leaving about an 1/8” to wrap around to the other side.

Repeat this process around the entire filing cabinet. If you have recessed pulls like I did, cut your stripes extra long in order to tuck the contact paper up and around your pulls. When placing the stripes on the drawers, cut them extra long in order to wrap around the edges of each drawer.

 

Now you have a ‘very cool’ filing cabinet! No more mocking us, Mr. Clunky Filing Cabinet!