KITCHEN MAKEOVER - phase 2

Knot So Perfect Designs – BLOG   

Explanation: Knot = wood knot, crochet knot etc. Sew = I sew just enough to get by; Sow- seeds for gardening either flower or veggie.Perfect = absolutely exquisitely done but KNOT by me (sometimes). What I do sometimes I have never done before so the results are Knot Perfect!   Design = Could be most anything. A crocheted rug, a kitchen makeover, a patio, garden, a new recipe , decorating something or something basic.

KITCHEN MAKEOVER - phase 2

Let me say this AGAIN - this is NOT JUST FOR WOMEN.  Guys, this

applies to you as well.  Need some simple encouragement?  
YOU CAN DO THIS TOO.  You can do anything if you TRY.  So you have to ask for help - how else will you (we) learn? So let's get at it.  Who will be the HERO when you create something awesome for your wife or partner?  HERO STATUS?  Think about it - yeah, you got this.

YOU DON'T NEED TO KNOW HOW 

YOU JUST NEED THE DESIRE TO TRY

MATERIELS:
wainscot panel - 2 4x8 sheets = $10.97 each ($22.00)
paint - 1 gal. for walls, 1 gal. for cabinets - $29 .95 each  ($60.00)
saw, drill - in your tool box or shop, 
finish (brad) nailer = $29.99 (this will save you lots of time)
paint pan, rollers & paint brush = $20.00 
glue - large bottle = $9.99
hardware - handles, knobs = $70.00
Approximate cost = $220.00 (depends on size of you kitchen)
Approximate time to complete = depends on how motivated you are.
          Could - be completed in one weekend.


So, we've made the pantry cabinet with sliding shelves, now let's get at the rest of the kitchen.
I mentioned that after 5 years in my house I didn't like the color of my kitchen anymore. And, why would I?  I'm a woman.  Now you have to understand that my house is open and one room leads to the next so I had to choose a color that would go WITH the living room and the dining room which of course, are two different colors. The kitchen walls were a peachy color and I also have oak cabinets that are now BORING!  Imagine that.

 Okay - here's what I did:  Yup, painted the walls AND the cabinets.  The walls are Roman Plaster (kinda' beige)and the cabinets are Coastal Beige (kinda' an "old" white). Can you SEE the difference in the color? I kept the red wainscoting mainly because all "accents" are red themed!  (for now). Think it needs to be a darker red.

BUT, I also resurfaced the cabinets!  Oh yea - POWER TOOLS.  You got it.  Here again I had to ASK FOR HELP because what I did was get 4'x8" sheets of wainscoting which had to be cut to many sizes to fit the doors and the drawer fronts. I left the door edge in oak to set it off which actually came out nice.  I can still paint them if I need to.

 Yup, so I enlisted my neighbor in yet another project because he has the table saw. (I so want one!)  But why buy one when I can use his? I measured and WE laid out the dimensions but came up short for all the cabinets but 2 pieces.  Dang-it.  So I had to buy a whole other sheet of wainscoting but that's okay because it was used on the pantry cabinet!.  Remember we had to make new doors for it?  So all was good.

After  cutting all the pieces out it was now time for more POWER TOOLS.  I have a trim NAIL GUN...oh yeah - here we go again. I had bought this for another project which I have yet to complete (bad girl). Anyway - there were nails flying all over the kitchen as some did NOT want to go into the oak door front...ping - and away they would fly. 

Now, all this did NOT get completed in one weekend.  I do still work part time to keep from going completely broke by doing projects!!  Another reason not to retire!  Oh, did I mention I am 65 years young?  Hi ya'll, nice to meet you.

 Of course I painted walls first, then the cabinets, then cut the cabinet panels, painted them, then attached.  Once panels were on the cabinets I put another coat of paint on to help conceal the nail heads.  Yes, you can see the nail heads a little but only if you have your face 2 feet from the door & looking. (This is the part where the Knot So Perfect Design comes in!!)  My son, the contractor in Bennington, VT 
802-753-7017   

( & a surprise visit between my birthday and Mother's Day )   asked why didn't I glue them on?  Good question. Never thought of it until he mentioned it.  Besides, I liked the idea of the nail gun.  Oh yea - power tools!!! Anyway - ask for advise, ask for opinions and it just might make your project easier.   I certainly have lots of ideas and opinions!!! I will try to help wherever I can...or I'll ask someone else who might know.

To finish them off I put all new handles on and there were a LOT to buy.  I needed 24 knobs and 13 pulls.  After checking out to see what I wanted I researched prices - cuz' I haven't won the lottery yet remember?!  I checked out Lowes, Home Depot and Amazon.  WOW - what a difference in price.

I got a brushed bronze knob and pull through Amazon from a place named Hardware 4 Less at HALF THE PRICE of the same items from either Lowes or Home Depot.   I like saving money don't you?

Okay - we're still not done here.  One more phase to do.  See you next time.

***Keep PATIO FURNITURE  glistening.  Before setting your furniture out, if not new, then clean with Clorox and put a light coat of car wax on them.  This will be easy to keep clean just as the wax helps to keep your car clean-er. 

OWL - from recycled pallet wood

  – Knot Sew Perfect Designs – BLOG

Explanation: Knot = wood knot, crochet knot etc. Sew = I sew just enough to get by; sow- seeds for gardening either flower or veggie. Perfect = absolutely exquisitely done but KNOT by me (sometimes). What I do sometimes I have never done before so the results are Knot Perfect!   Design = Could be most anything. A crocheted rug, a kitchen makeover, a patio, garden, a new recipe or decorating something - maybe even some awesome pictures. 

Let's make an owl from recycled pallet wood. I am

kind of excited about this.  It was fun to make as well as challenging.



Materials:
pallets = for the wood  = free ?
cardboard = for the pattern = free
pencil or marker = to trace with = you should have one around the house somewhere.
chop saw, handsaw, table saw = to cut with
jig saw = to cut out the wood patterns
3/4 inch finish nails (or nail gun) = hold it together = $3.47 - $9.99 
glue = to help hold it together = $3.86
patience !  = priceless!
Total price - under $20.00
Time to complete - 3-4 hours

First off you need to get some pallets, (maybe not this many but you get the idea) take them

apart, get the nails out and have the wood ready to use.  Some nails and nail heads will still be in the wood (they break off or are just too damn tough to get out) so you have to be very mindful when cutting this wood. After you have done this - and this WILL take some time - LOTS of time so get the pallet wood ready first.  Maybe plan a weekend before just to get the pallets apart as it is not easy. Actually, you won't need but one pallet as long as it's the "right" color.  You can stain it if you have to.
 Get ready for the beginning of your new Cross Fit workout!!

Next - find something you want to make.  Pinterest has lots of ideas for pallet projects as does the rest of the internet.  I think that is where I got my idea for this owl.

 So I get my idea & a picture of it and guess what?  I don't want just a small owl, I want a BIG freakin' owl. Can you imagine that?  Well, I can't draw worth a lick so how do I get this bigger?  Well guess what (again) - Staples has an   blueprint copier and can make copies 3' x 2'. (I'm sure the other office supply stores have them too, Staples was closest).  Now that's what I'm talkin' about!  Darn right.  Although she didn't enlarge to the 3 foot size I'm still okay with it being 2 feet.  Ok, so I forgot to take pics of the copy - well, actually I did but deleted it - duh.  I then made a pattern on cardboard to save for future

owls just in case I have requests and maybe can make a little $$ with them...we'll see.  I simply traced over the parts with a dull pencil or you can use a pen but just bare down so you make an impression in the cardboard.  After that, cut each piece out and write what part it is.  Okay so you can tell what it is but the left wing is different than the right wing.....ha ha ha, get it?

Now comes the hard part - selecting the wood for size and color!  Be mindful of the nails you left in the wood.  Don't have them where you need to cut.  Get your boards lined up the way you want them for each part.  Get your pattern and a pencil or marker and trace around it onto the wood.  With a jigsaw, cut one piece at a time and lay back in order.  Do the next piece.  I did put glue between each board and I also have an electric (brad) nail gun that I used in a few spots.  To hold the body pieces together I cut a

few small boards for the back.  Put some glue on the boards, lay face done on the back of the body and nail with some small finish nails 3/4 inch is good...or in my case, the nail gun.  Hey - I'm an old gal and need all the help I  can get!!  After that, flip over and lay the rest of the parts in position.  Again, use a little glue on the back and nail with small finish nails - yup, from the front.  You won't really be able to see the nail head unless you are two feet from it. 
 Last but not least, ya' gotta' drink a couple beers to get the bottle caps for the center of the eyes!!  That's okay cuz' you are done with the power tools.  Oh, that's right, they do have soda bottles with caps too.

And WA-LA, it's done.  Isn't this just the cutest thing ever?  It was a little challenging but hey - we all need a challenge now and then.       All this takes is a little time...maybe 3-4 hours. Remember what I said in my last blog?   

You don't have to know HOW - you just need the DESIRE to TRY.

What's going to be next?  Not sure but I know it will be made from pallet wood...I'm on a kick!! I have a few ideas - mainly for gifts so I can't really tell you yet. Besides, this wood is free and you get a great workout taking it apart!!

Having trouble sleeping?  Instead of popping a sleep aid that leaves you groggy the next day, try this trick:  Drink half a glass of water, then put a pinch of salt on you tongue and let it dissolve, making sure the granules DON'T press against the roof of your mouth.
Studies have shown that the combination of water and salt alters the electrical charge of the brain, inducing a deep slumber that helps take the edge off daytime stress.