Plumbing Pipe Shelves

Happy New Year to all of you... I hope this year brings you many blessings, love, and most importantly, DIY projects to complete. Our holiday season this year was one for the books. We actually made it through without any snow, which is unusual for Indiana at this time of year. It was about 50 degrees on Christmas Day {what?!}. We had a great time with family, despite the fact that my husband had to leave at 9:00am Christmas Day to help restore power in Michigan. It comes with the job. New Years Eve was spent in Cincinnati, OH with great friends. It was fun and something we have never done before. My favorite part was the firework display at New Years. So, now starts a new goal for 2016 for this blog... to complete a post every month (but, I'm shooting for more). I want to do more than just DIY projects though. Maybe some recipes, maybe some other things too, and that's where you come in. I need some suggestions on what you would like to see more of on here. Leave me a comment below this post of things you might like to see. But, nonetheless, I'm excited to start 2016 with a bang. So here we go...

To begin, we (because, yes, this was a project I needed help from the hubby) used stud wood from another project. It was just white stud wood. I had him cut me 2 shelves, one at 24" and one at 18". The other dimensions of the boards are 2" x 6". But you can make your shelves as long/short, thick/thin as you want.

Next, I used this stain to make them look weathered. I also applied a light coat of gray wood stain over the weathered stain, and then once it was completely dry, I added Minwax finishing wax to the shelves to ensure they were sealed for the bathroom.

Now comes the part where the hubs helped out. We bought the plumbing pipe at Menards. We picked up 4 - 1/2"x 6" black pipes that had threading on both ends, the caps to match, and the floor flanges to match. It's pretty simple, but if you need help at your hardware store, don't hesitate to ask. :) We figured out where we wanted the pipes to be attached to the shelves, then attached them with pipe straps.

Next, we held the shelves up to the wall and made marks of where the holes were to be drilled for the flanges. Then, hubs just attached everything together and to the wall.

This was one of the more simple projects we completed, but it makes a huge impact. It also showcases our style more. I love them, don't you?

3-Foot Distressed Clock

Have you seen those huge, 3-foot clocks around town? You know, the distressed, rustic-style, vintage-looking clocks. Well, we (my husband and I) decided instead of spending upwards of $150 on one of those, we would build our own... for $50 tops! This was the first time I ever distressed brand new wood to make it look worn and old. This was the first time my husband ever made something out of wood, this big. And this was the first time a project worked out in general. I am so pleased with it, even if it isn't "perfect". We didn't follow any plans - since it's pretty much a simple circle - we just went for it. Here is the complete list of tools, items, and wood you will need for this project as you see it.

The main tools you will need:

Other tools you will need:

- Mider saw or circular saw (either would work)
- Hole bit
- Tape measure
- Pencil
- A spare nail (long enough to go through a 2x4" and into another board slightly)
- Sander
- Sand paper

The wood you will need:
- 2 2x4" stud length boards
- 2 2x6" stud length boards
- spare piece of 2x4" at least 18" in length

To finish the clock:
- Clock mechanism (from Hobby Lobby)
- Clock hands (from Hobby Lobby)
- Strongly brewed tea (8 tea bags per 2 cups of water)
- Homemade stain (click here for recipe)
- White primer or paint
- Roman numeral stencil (I made my own out of cardboard)
- Black chalkboard paint
- Paint brush or foam brush
- Stiple brush
- Sand paper
- Steel wool (optional)
- Wire brush (optional)
- Wax (optional)

Yes, there are a bunch of tools you will need to finish this project, but don't worry if you don't have every single piece of equipment - ask a friend, relative, or even at your local lumber & hardware store to see if they can make the cuts for you.

Ok, so for step 1, we cut the boards in half and laid them out in the order we wanted for the clock.

After that, we flipped all the boards over to trace a circle on the backs for a guideline to cut the clock out with. To create the "compass" for the circle, we used a nail, a piece of scrap 2"x 4", and a pencil. In the scrap piece of board [guide board], we drilled a hole at one end big enough for a pencil to fit through, and at the other end, a smaller hole for a nail to fit in. We made sure to find the dead center of the boards, and hammered a nail in that spot. We slid the guide board over the nail and slid the pencil in the hole at the other end. Finally we traced the circle onto the all of the boards, being careful not to shift any of them since they weren't secured together. 

Once the circle was traced on the boards, we attached the boards together using the pocket jig. This allows boards to fit together without the sight of nails (except for on the back side). It's an ingenious invention if you haven't seen it yet!

After the holes were drilled and the boards were attached together, we cut the clock out using the jigsaw. (And by we, I mean my husband! :))

Once the clock was actually cut out, the "pocket", for lack of better terms, was chiseled out of the back for the clock mechanism compartment. This is a must, so the clock sits flush on the wall.

Using a "hole bit" to cut out the hole and chiseling out the remainder to make it smooth.

Now it was time for the finishing process. And of course, I had a wedding to go to, so my amazingly-awesome hubby, applied the tea and vinegar-steel wool stain for me. (Just make sure to let each coat dry before applying the next one. He just applied 1 coat of each). 

After everything was completely dry... and a few weeks later, since we are really busy right now... I got to finish this piece up. I first applied a white primer that we had leftover in our basement - any white primer or paint will work. I let it dry completely and then distressed it with steel wool, sand paper, and a steel brush. 

Finally, I created roman numerals out of cardboard and painted them on the clock. I used black chalkboard paint to insure it was a matte finish. After that dried over night, I, then distressed everything again, and added some matte polyurethane for protection. 

Final step: adding the hands!

And here it is, finished and hung on the wall...

{P.S. Don't mind my OITNB on TV. Bonus points if you can tell me what season and episode this scene is from.}

DIY Weathered Wood Stain

Here is a quick and easy stain recipe for that weathered, rustic look that is trending the world right now. It's super easy, super cheap, and looks great and takes little effort.

What you will need:

- Extra fine steel wool
- Vinegar (each type will produce a different color - I used distilled white vinegar)
- Glass jar with a metal lid (mason jars work best)

Break up pieces of the steel wool and place them in the glass jar, or put the entire spool in (like I did here). I can't give specific amounts because my steel wool came in a pack with a bunch of separate spools. I used one spool per jar. I poured the vinegar in the jar making sure to cover the steel wool and adding just a little bit more. Again, no specific measurements. Put the lid on LOOSELY. (I learned this the hard way... just recently actually. My steel wool wasn't dissolving, and I just stared at it like, "What the heck? Why is this crap not dissolving?" Well, I loosened the lid just thinking maybe it would help, and let it sit like that all day and BAM, it was dissolved and a dark grey/black color.) Shake it every so often, but make sure to tighten the lid first! After about 24 hours, you should be able to use it, but if you let it go longer, it wouldn't hurt it. Mine has been sitting in my garage for about 2 months and it's still perfectly fine.

The first time I did this, my steel wool did not dissolve completely in 24 hours, but it was able to still be used. I tested it on a scrap piece of board before using it on other projects... I definitely recommend this since it produces different colors depending on the vinegar type. Make sure to stain the wood before using this vinegar stain with dark, DARK tea or coffee. This gives the wood more tannin to react with. After all the stain has dried, lightly sand it to even out the stain color, and apply any type of sealant.

Until next time.