Furniture from Wood Pallet - Seating Bench and Venetian Blind Wall Art

Some weeks ago the leader of my local FRG (585th Eng Co) was inspired to get some ladies together to make wooden pallet coffee tables.  Now I know they are very popular on pinterest and other such sites but the questions are:

Are they easy to make?
Are they usable?
Are they practical?
Are they durable?
Are they affordable?
Are they unique?

I am happy to announce that the answer to all of these questions are YES!  She (FRG Leader) gathered a bunch of pallets from a local source and asked everyone to buy fabric, legs, foam mattress pads (cheaper than traditional padding) and batting to attack this project head on.

What I liked most about this project was the ability to innovate off of the innovation.  Everyone's project came out very different and unique.  Two of the ladies made full pallet sized coffee tables - one of them made a  traditional piece that would comfortably fit into the existing living room, and she made matching throw pillows for her couch to further tie in the look.  The other used a beautiful red patterned fabric turning her coffee table into an accent conversation piece.

One of them made a smaller center table perfectly sized for most apartments by cutting the pallet down to about 3/5ths of its original size; and I made a bench, using half of the original pallet.  I also innovated to make a piece of wall art to go with it so I can create a vignette to tie it in with my existing decor without it looking like a strange, last decision piece of furniture thrown into the house.

In regards to the ease of making it, I have to say it was pretty easy.  I personally am very comfortable with power tools and building things, my husband had me assist with every project in our NY home from refinishing kitchen cabinets, to replacing the boiler.  But if you are not so good with power tools - the full pallet projects needed only the use of a staple gun to upholster the fabric and a screw driver (along with some elbow grease to screw in the legs).  I would add that it is a little easier if you have a helper but it's not that bad if it's just you.  The total project time took less than 2 hours each for the bench/coffee tables and for my art piece.

I waited a few weeks to post the finished product to allow time to test for durability.  After about 8 or more weeks of extreme use (my 5 year old son had declared it his official relax, sit, play handhelds, read kindle bench) it is still very new looking.  I took the precaution of treating mine with fabric guard since it was a light colored fabric, thinner than most upholstery fabrics and subject to a lot of use - I think this was a wise choice.     

Finally - it was very inexpensive considering.  The base (the pallet) is free.  The costs of fabric varies and you can get some great deals, the legs were about $5 a piece, the batting was $10 and the foam was about $19.  The wood and chains for the art piece were $10.  My project costs about $85 including art piece.  The bench would cost about $200 in a discount store and the art piece - who knows!  If you've ever bought unique art pieces - they are never cheap!

So to conclude, I have to say these pallet bench projects popping up on every photo share sight are worth making for the sake of the experience, for the sake of indulging your inner artist and for the sake of adding some really beautiful original pieces to your home.

The 50th Anniversary of not just a speech, A movement forward for all mankind.

 

Today is the 50th Anniversary of the "I Have a Dream" Speech delivered by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Defining a moment in American History and capsulizing the essence of the civil rights movement, Dr. Martin Luther King called for an end to racism in the USA, inspiring a crowd of a quarter million people of all races at a march on Washington.  The movement demanded the natural right of equality for all, which up to that point had been impeded due to a monumental ignorance of our nation.

Today our nation still struggles with ignorance and inequality which has a devastating ill effect on every race, creed, religion and culture; male and female.  Martin Luther King Jr. did not just deliver an eloquent speech meant to hang on the shelves of  "beautifully stated things", it was meant that men should wake up from a deep mental lethargy and grow into a people of intelligence. To move away from the stagnancy of ignorance and evolve into a people of advancement and development.

Today I honor not only Martin Luther King Jr. and his speech for equality, but even more so his hope that this nation would become one intelligent enough to grow past its ignorance and excel into a functional, fully matured people with the goal of advancement for all mankind.

Just a Pic of my Stuff - Chalkboard Nails for Back to School

Just a Pic of my Stuff - A+ Nails for Back to School

How to Make a Military Company Pride Logo Mirror for your Soldier

Most military spouses and family members know how important our soldier's unit is to them.  This project is perfect for giving your soldier something unique, stylish, useful and which shows support for his Brigade, Battalion or Company. 



I will be making a mirror of the 585th Engineers Company Logo.

Things you will need:

A Document Frame.
Rubbing Alcohol.
Dry Erase Marker.
Black Paint Marker.
Glass Paint.
Company Logo Printed on Plain Paper.
Metallic Craft Paint (optional).
Drop Cloth.
Krylon Mirror Glass Spray Paint.

Note: This is a hand tracing technique, of course you always have the option of transferring an image as opposed to tracing but I think the hand technique really gives it a personal and artistic touch.

EASE FACTOR: Easy
STEPS TO MAKE: 9  

All of these items can be found easily at your local craft stores like Micheal's and your local big box stores like Walmart.

*Know in advance that you will need to do the mirror finish portion of the project in a well ventilated area like an open garage; or you may prefer to spray it outside.  It's best if you do not attempt to use it indoors because the fumes are very strong.

***

Step 1.  Take the glass out of your document frame and clean it thoroughly with rubbing alcohol.  Then lay it on top of your printed logo, positioning the logo exactly where you want it on the finished mirror.

Step 2.  Using the dry erase marker, trace the image of the logo on top of the glass.

Step 3.  Remove the printed logo and flip the mirror around so your dry eraser image is facing down on the table.  (Be careful not to rub the dry eraser image off when doing this step).  Then trace the image of your dry-eraser image using your black paint marker.

Step 4.  Using your glass paint, paint the image you just made with the black paint marker until your image is complete and to your liking.  Let dry for 20 minutes or more.



Step 5.  Optional - while your paint is drying, you can paint the document frame to your liking.  I did mine with a gold metallic craft paint and used a rubbed on technique to make the frame appear antiqued.




Step 6.  When your painted image is dry to the touch, lay your glass down on your drop cloth in the area you will be spray painting in.  Make sure the image you just colored in is facing the ceiling.  Spray paint the glass in clean sweeps to cover the entire glass following the instructions on the can of Mirror Spray Paint. (Yes you are spray painting directly over the image you just colored in).

 

Step 7.  Repeat step 6 until you get your desired coverage.  I sprayed three layers using 15 minute drying times between each layer.

Step 8.  One hour or more after your last layer you can use your new mirror.  Pick up your glass and turn it around to face you; you are now looking at one of the coolest Company Logo mirrors you've ever seen. :)
Just clean off the dry erase marker with a damp cloth, remove any finger prints with rubbing alcohol, and replace your mirror back in its original frame.

Step 9.  Sit back, relax and admire your work. You're finished.

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