Our Gilded Abode: April 2016

Have you noticed that plants and flowers look super vibrant in wood planters? Maybe it's the combination of natural elements working together - the green plants, warmth of the wood, and the texture of the compost/mulch, all highlighted by the burst of color from the flowering plants. And, planter boxes are surprisingly easy to make ....

For this project, we used salvaged pressure-treated fence boards from our stockpile. Along with being pressure-treated, they have been out in the elements for quite some time and are naturally weathered.

To begin, we bought black plastic rectangular planters (similar to the one below) to use as liners - two for each wood planter. We found them at Home Depot for $10 each and they are 24" long.

Assembling the wood planter boxes was super easy - they are basically a topless box with an open framed bottom.

We started with the two ends made with 2x4's as supports.

Then attached the long horizontal boards and 2x4's to the bottom to support the black liners, turning the planter upside down to determine the placement of the supports.

To serve as "feet," we attached 2x4's to the underside of the planter, allowing the 2x4 to extend beyond the bottom of the planter. Everything was secured with long decking screws.

A light dry brushing with Minwax Jacobean wood stain on the cut ends was all it took to make the fresh cuts look old and weathered.

These two planters are now on the patio of our oldest son's home. He has a major green thumb (it skipped a generation!) and the planters are filled with beautiful, thriving plants!

The finished dimensions are over 4' long and 18" wide (each planter).

Hubby and I really enjoyed making these with materials we already had on hand. Was a great way to spend a sunny Saturday in our "workshop" (a.k.a. garage)!

Your comments are greatly appreciated and I look forward to your thoughts and ideas! I try to respond to comments via email as soon as I can. If your email address isn't available, I will comment here. Thanks so much for visiting!

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The Interior Frugalista

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Making it in the Mountains

Setting up a craft space is a lot of fun, and checking out the many options available for seating and accessories is even more exciting!

Wanted to share with you a few fun things I discovered during a recent trip to Ikea and At Home that would be great for a craft space.

(I was not compensated in any way for this post -

the opinions expressed are my own based on my personal experience.)

My first stop was Ikea. The above cart is a big hit on Pinterest and is available in dark gray, turquoise and beige. It's the Ikea Raskog utility cart and is reasonably priced at $29.99. The middle tray is even adjustable. Isn't the turquoise cute?

The utility cart below is the Risatorp. It's available in white, the baskets are generously sized and the bottom basket would be perfect for large sheets of card stock. Wouldn't this also be a great portable cart for corralling all the supplies you need for a current project?

This is probably my favorite of all the items I saw ... it's the Pressa hanging dryer with 16 clips, and looks like an adorable chandelier. It comes in white, red and black! If I had a place to hang it, it would have come home with me. I personally would use it for drying paint brushes, but envision it also for displaying cards and photos.

When I saw the Dignitet curtain wire (below), it struck me as being a neat way to display crafting scissors and tools - using ring clips.

Next is the Spontan steel magnetic board. It looks sleek and modern and is 14-1/2" x 20-3/4" - all for only $12.99. A couple of these mounted side-by-side above a craft table would be awesome.

While at Ikea, I also checked out the chairs and stools.

This one is the Roberget - it's metal and adjustable. The turquoise color is so fresh and fun (it also comes in grey) - would look so cute in a craft space, along with the Raskog turquoise utility cart!

Another interesting seating option is this wicker adjustable chair. It's the Gregor and available in white, light beige, and gray. I may have to go back and get this one!

An item that did make the trip home with me was this Dalfred adjustable bar stool in black. I really liked the way it looked in my craft space, but the height wasn't quite right, so returned it. Am still searching for the perfect chair or stool.

After leaving Ikea, I popped in At Home (formerly Garden Ridge) for a quick look at their many counter and bar stools. The one below immediately caught my eye. Unfortunately, as with the Ikea Dalfred stool above, the height was not quite right for my space. But, the smooth brushed steel and sleek lines of the stool were very appealing.

Searching for craft space items that work well is just as much fun as actually acquiring them! And, each time I visit Ikea and At Home, I find something new - such fun stores for browsing and gleaning ideas and inspiration. Do you have Ikea and At Home stores nearby?