Free Furniture Plans to Build a Cabinet Here are the plans from the post yesterday… I created this plan for some special order plywood I bought and it is a very easy build using only two sheets of plywood! Click on the thumbnails to enlarge the pictures.

Materials: Two sheets of 3/4″ plywood Scrap of 2×4 measuring the same height as the furniture legs Four 1×6 at 8′

One sheet of 1/4″ plywood Other Materials: Edge banding for exposed edges of plywood Four furniture legs with attachment plates Six sets of 14″ drawer slides Six drawer pulls Two sets of partial wrap around hinges (I used these) Two cabinet pulls Wallpaper for the back Finishing Supplies (stain or paint & sealer) Tools: Kreg jig with 1-1/4″ & 2″ pocket hole screws Drill Brad nailer with 1-1/4″ brads Right angle guide with clamps (or whatever you have on hand) Sander & sandpaper Cut List: One 2×4 at xx” (the same height as the furniture legs)Center Support Leg Four 3/4″ plywood at 7-1/8″ x 15″ – Drawer Dividers Two 3/4″ plywood at 15″ x 48″ – Bottom & Top Two 3/4″ plywood at 15″ x 42-1/2″ – Sides Three 3/4″ plywood at 15″ x 46-1/2″ – Shelves Two 3/4″ plywood at 14″ x 15″ – Middle Dividers Two 3/4″ plywood at 12″ x 15″ – Upper Dividers One 1/4″ plywood at 44″ x 48″ – Back Two 3/4″ plywood at 13-3/4″ x 14-3/4″ – Doors Six 3/4″ plywood at 6-7/8″ x 14-3/4″ – Drawer Fronts Twelve 1×6 at 12-1/2″ – Drawer Boxes Twelve 1×6 at 14″ – Drawer Boxes Six 1/4″ plywood at 14″ x 14″ – Drawer Bottoms

Edge banding should be applied to all exposed edges of the plywood before assembly. For a tutorial on how to apply edge banding, click here. 1. Cut the pieces for the bottom and the drawer dividers. Set the Kreg jig for 3/4″ material and drill pockets in the bottom edge of the divider pieces. Attach to the bottom as shown using glue and 1-1/4″ pocket hole screws.

2. Cut the pieces for the sides. Drill pocket holes in the bottom of the panels and attach to the bottom as shown using glue and 1-1/4″ pocket hole screws.

3. Cut the pieces for the shelves. Drill pocket holes in each end of the shelves. Attach one shelf as shown using glue and 1-1/4″ pocket hole screws. Attach the next set of drawer dividers, as well as the next shelf.

4. Cut the pieces for the middle dividers. Drill pocket holes in each end and attach using glue and 1-1/4″ pocket hole screws. Attach the last shelf in the same manner as the previous two.

5. Cut the pieces for the upper dividers. Drill pocket holes in the bottom edge only and attach using glue and 1-1/4″ pocket hole screws.

6. Cut the piece for the top. Attach using glue and 1-1/4″ brad nails through the top into the dividers and the sides.

7. Cut the piece for the back (cover with wallpaper if desired) and attach using glue and 1-1/4″ brad nails. Attach the legs and hardware according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Set the Kreg jig for 1-1/2″ material and drill pocket holes in one end of the 2×4 leg support. Attach to the center bottom using glue and 2″ pocket hole screws.

8. Cut the pieces for the drawer boxes. Drill pocket holes in each end of the shorter pieces and assemble as shown using glue and 1-1/4″ pocket hole screws. Cut the pieces for the bottoms and attach using glue and 1-1/4″ brad nails. Attach the drawer slides (for a tutorial, click here). Make any necessary adjustments to the hardware.

9. Cut the pieces for the drawer fronts (for a quick tutorial click here).

10. Cut the pieces for the doors. There will be a 1/8″ gap around all sides of the doors. Attach the hinges and the handles, then install the doors.

If you have any questions regarding the plans, let me know! Until next time, Happy Creating!

Please note – these plans are designed and created by me. They are not to be sold without express written consent from me. They can be shared on any site as long as they are credit back to me!

Building Plywood

a

Cabinet

with

My dad has a saying – “Good work takes time”. He’s not referring to taking your time on a project… He’s referring to procrastination, a skill that at times I believe I have mastered!

I ordered this plywood back in January. Mr. Awesome and I cut it for my project in April. I am just NOW getting around to finishing it. I have no idea why it has taken me so long! Let me talk about this plywood, first. It is Purebond by Columbia Forest Products in Walnut, available at Home Depot. Purebond plywood is made with a soy-based adhesive making it formaldehyde free and non-toxic! It is LEED compliant and cost competitive – in fact I find it to be cheaper than regular hardwood plywood at other home improvement stores. Did you know that Purebond plywood can be ordered at Home Depot in all different types of species? That’s where I got mine! Ordering was easy, the order arrived very quickly, and it was a really great experience! Stop by the Pro Desk at Home Depot for more information on special ordering and for more information on

Purebond plywood, click the “Purebond Pledge” button on my page! The veneer used on this plywood is beautiful! I LOVE walnut – especially the rich chocolate brown tones! It is so fabulous! In fact, when I was staining one of the drawer fronts I found that a spot on the veneer looks like a heart – awww!

I designed this cabinet for my living room with the walnut plywood in mind. I wanted lots of drawers (so I can hide all of my incense and burners) and a few cubbies to store boxes with DVDs. As with most of my plans, the size can be customized to suit your needs – just add to either the length, height, or both!

Come back and visit me tomorrow! I will post plans for this cabinet which include a materials list, a cut list, a lumber list, as well as drawings. I cut all of the pieces as listed in the cut list. I like to draw lines before I attach each shelf, that way I know where it goes and keeps everything where it should be!

I attached the first set of drawer dividers to the bottom as shown in the plans using glue and 1-1/4″ pocket hole screws, then attached the sides and the next shelf.

I used a right angle jig and clamps to keep everything square. This is my favorite tool and I really need to use this because I am so bad at making things “not straight”!

I continued adding dividers and shelves according to the plans, then finished with the top.

I stained the cabinet with Rust-Oleum’s Ultimate Wood Stain in American Walnut. I sealed the cabinet with Rust-Oleum’s Ultimate Polyurethane in Satin.

I cut the piece for the back and covered it with wallpaper, then attached it to the back of the cabinet. I attached the legs and the center leg support to the bottom of the cabinet. I built the drawer boxes, then installed the drawer slide hardware. I added the drawer fronts and the handles. I installed the hinges on the doors. In order to place them correctly, I shimmed the door into the opening (there is a 1/8″ gap around all sides of the door), then used blue painter’s tape to mark where the hinge post would be. I installed one screw in each hinge, then closed the door and checked the opening. I moved the cabinet into the living room, hid all of my stuff in it, then wiped off any remaining drool marks left by me!

What a beauty! I really should have worked on this sooner!

Make a Great Set of Bookends for Any Decor! How to Make Peace Sign Bookends My daughter, The Han, is a bookworm. She could honestly open her own library because she has so many books! I can’t complain about a child who loves to read, though. Since she has so many books, organization seems to be a problem. I saw these cute bookends in one of the high-end catalogs and decided to hack this design! The Han helped me with this project so we could customize it to match her room. It is very simple and can be completed in a weekend. The height is totally customizable to match the peace sign (or any other chipboard piece) being used. (Mine was extremely large!) Let me show you how to make Peace Sign bookends for yourself…

Materials: Chipboard peace sign (or any other initial or symbol) 1×3 board at 3′ Paint Scrapbooking paper Mod Podge Brad nailer & 1-1/4″ brad nails Cut the pieces for the bookends as determined by the height and the width of the chipboard piece. If using a peace sign, it will be cut in half (each half will sit on a bookend) so the width will be based on half of the total width. If using an initial or another symbol, it will not be cut in half so the width will be based on the total width of the piece.

Paint the bookends. I used three coats of paint on mine.

If using a symbol like I did, mark the center and cut the piece in half with a jigsaw.

Paint only the edges of the chipboard piece.

After the paint dries, spread a coat of Mod Podge on one side of the chipboard piece and position the scrapbooking paper.

Let it dry, then use a craft knife to trim the excess paper away. Repeat the process for the other side.

To attach the chipboard pieces to the bookends, I ran a thin line of glue along the straight edge and clamped it in place. Then I kept my fingers crossed (and out of the way) while I used the brad nailer to attach the chipboard piece to the bookend.

So cute! I’d like to try these for myself using – what else – the letter C!

The bookends are so easy and my daughter really loves them! (Yes, she really does read John Grisham – she loves him!) Have any questions on how to make Peace sign bookends? Leave a comment below!

How to Build a Side Table How to Build a Side Table A little over a year ago, Matt and I built a coffee table similar to one found in a high-end catalog. The catalog price was $399 – yikes! We built the coffee table for about $50. Now it is time for matching

end tables. The end tables in the catalog run $199 each and we built two of these beauties (yes, two!) that are a tad bit bigger at $30 for the pair!!

The plans for the coffee table can be found here. I drew up the plans for the end tables myself in order to customize the size to fit our needs. The construction method is quite a bit different, also. The plan drawings are at the end of the post. Click on the drawings to enlarge them! Materials: Four – 2×4 at 8′ (stud length is fine also) One – 4×4 post at 8′ (these will be ripped down 3″ x 3″) Kreg jig and 2-1/2″ pocket hole screws Stain or paint and sealer We started by cutting all of our lumber to length with the miter saw. These tables will each measure 18″ x 24″ x 20″.

While I ripped the posts down to 3″ x 3″ on the table saw, Mr. Awesome drilled all of the pocket holes with the Kreg jig set for 1-1/2″ material. Mr. Awesome sanded all of the pieces before assembly. At the same time, I assembled the table tops using glue, 2″ pocket hole screws, and clamps.

We attached the shorter apron to the legs using glue and 2-1/2″ pocket hole screws. Because this piece is so short, we used a close-quarter drill to get into the tight space.

Next, we attached the longer aprons to the legs to connect everything together. After checking for square, we added the center support.

Last, we placed the table top face down, centered the leg assembly on it, and drilled screws through the pocket holes in the aprons and support into the top.

Mr. Awesome stained the tables with Minwax stain in Provincial. After the stain was dry, we sealed the tables with Rust-Oleum’s Ultimate Polyurethane in Satin.

Wow! Fantastic work… Cheap, too!!

Until next time, Happy Creating!

Plans to build the side tables: Start by cutting all of the pieces to length. Drill pocket holes in the pieces as shown with the Kreg jig set for 1-1/2″ material. Attach the shorter aprons to the legs using glue and 2-1/2″ pocket hole screws.

Attach the longer aprons with glue and 2-1/2″ pocket hole screws. After checking for square and making any necessary adjustments, attach the support in the center of the longer aprons using glue and 2-1/2″ pocket hole screws.

Assemble the table top as shown using glue and 2-1/2″ pocket hole screws. Attach to the leg assembly using glue and 2-1/2″ pocket hole screws through the pocket holes drilled in the aprons and support.

If you have any questions, please let me know!

#DIY #woodworking #build

How to Apply Edge Banding to Plywood How to Plywood

Apply

Edge

Banding

to

Plywood is one of the most economical building materials out there. It comes in various thicknesses, sizes, and species. Covering the edges can be a problem for some. The edges can be covered with small strips

of solid wood to hide the layers but I am horrible at getting the strips to line up and be unnoticeable! Depending on the project, the edges can be thoroughly sanded and left exposed but sometimes I prefer a more finished look. That is where iron-on edge banding comes in…

I purchase mine from VeneerSupplies.com. Joe carries quite a selection of species at great prices! The service is unbeatable plus he carries Copper Veneer which looks really cool and I wish I could afford it! (I’m a HUGE fan!) Anyway, applying edge banding is not hard at all but having the right tool (the edge banding trimmer) is the most important step! Some pieces such as doors and drawer fronts will need edge banding applied to all four sides. Other pieces will only need edge banding on exposed areas. Today, I’ll show you how I applied edge banding to pieces of fabulous walnut plywood I’m going to turn into a cabinet (a post for later!). Materials: Plywood Edge banding to match the plywood Edge banding trim tool Scissors Regular household iron

When using plywood in a project, it is best to apply the edge banding to each piece before assembly. I cut a couple of doors from the walnut plywood and need to apply the edge banding to it. I like to apply the edge banding to the sides first, then to the top and bottom. Set the iron on the “polyester” setting. The iron has to be hot enough to melt the adhesive. If it is too hot, it will make a huge mess! Cut a piece of edge banding a little longer than the edge where it will be applied. Position it on the edge of the plywood and run the iron along the edge. Always let the adhesive cool before trimming it.

Once it is cool, use a pair of scissors to trim the overlapping part of the banding flush with the edge of the plywood.

To trim the long edges, start at one end and run the trimmer along the edge. I have a trimmer that cuts both sides at once. It is a little more expensive (I found mine on eBay) than the single edge trimmer but I find it saves a lot of time. Plus, refill blades are available!

Repeat the process for the top and bottom. Now, the plywood looks like a piece of solid wood! Sand the edges lightly with a piece of 220 grit sandpaper for a more finished look.

Until next time,

Happy Creating!

How to Build a Rustic Crate and Wine Bottle Lighting I found these great wood panels at my local home improvement store. They are rustic, rough, and perfect for a number of projects! They measure about 16″ x 72″ and are 5/8″ thick plus they cost me $16.00 each! I didn’t think that was too bad for something so fantastic!

Impulse led me to buy two of them without a specific project

in mind. That then led me to buy two more… So when I went back to buy more for another project to be featured later, I found out that the panels I had purchased were mistakes! In other words, the panels they were supposed to have on the shelf are paint-grade (smooth) and these particular panels were received then put on the shelves by mistake! That would be my luck… Anyway, I saw a rustic candle holder in one of the high end catalogs for $149. It was basically a box measuring 39″ long x 16-1/2″ wide x 5-1/2″ tall. The flameless candles were sold seperately for about $14.00 each! Do you know how many of those candles it would take to fill a box that big?? More than I care to calculate! I figured the panels I bought would make a fantastic box to house a few extra wine bottles I had to make outdoor ambiance lighting similar to the one in the catalog for a fraction of the cost!!

Materials: One rustic panel (Reclaimed wood or pallet boards can also be used) Wine bottles with corks LED puck lights Museum putty Glue & brad nailer with 1-1/4″ brads Before I cut the pieces, I set wine bottles on the panel to get the measurements for my box. I didn’t want any big gaps

between the bottles and the edge of the box.

I cut my pieces as follows: One – 18″ x 13-3/4″ (Bottom), Two – 5-1/2″ x 19-1/4″ (Longer Sides), Two – 5-1/2″ x 13-3/4″ (Shorter Sides). The size of the box can be customized to a size that fits your needs.

Start by running a bead of glue along one of the short edges of the bottom and nail one of the shorter pieces to that end. Repeat for the other end.

Run a bead of glue along one of the longer edges as well as the sides of each of the shorter pieces and nail one of the longer pieces to this edge. Repeat for the other edge.

It took everything I had in me to resist sanding! Sanding the box would ruin the “rusticness” so I sealed it with a few coats of Rust-Oleum’s Ultimate Polyurethane in Soft Touch Matte. Have you ever used Painter’s Pyramids when finishing wood projects? These are the bomb! I’ll give more info on those later!

If you’ve never used Museum Putty, this is the best stuff on the planet for securing objects to shelves, etc. It is similar to the blue tacky stuff that can be used on posters so they can be hung without putting holes in walls except better!! The putty will be used to secure the wine bottles to the inside of the box.

Put a couple of balls of putty on the bottom of each of the bottles (probably not as much as I did in the photo) and press into place. I wanted all of the labels to face out even at the corners.

Put a ball of putty on the bottom of each puck light and position them in the center of the box.

The box can be hung from a tree branch (with a length of rope and a few fasteners) or placed in the middle of an outdoor table.

Enjoy! Until next time,

Happy Creating!!