Dremel Design

Power tools….. bloggers usually love some power tools and most people think of power tools as largish, as in circular saws, drills, etc.  Today I am talking about a power tool that should be in your arsenal…..for design and  for fun! The Dremel multitasking tool.

I found a wood changing table at the thrift store and then was able to score two very old bar stools from a house around the corner from my shop. 

This how I found them…..

And this is how they came together to form a fun partnership!

I removed all of the seat padding and then glued and screwed the changing table to the stools after I  sanded and spray painted the stools so they looked fresh. And although I liked the overall look, it needed something. So I made a triangle template, outlined them and then used my Dremel tool to score the top of the wood. I used the smallest burr that comes with the set and it was easy. I just took my time and made sure that I was going the same depth and keeping my lines straight. 

Here she is all shaped up. This only took me about 30 minutes to complete but it added a unique and modern touch to this industrial marriage of found objects.  The girl who purchased it saw it at a night market I did in Downtown Pittsburgh. She didn't purchase it that night but called me 2 days later and said she couldn't stop thinking about it and could she come to the shop to buy it? Of course! 

I love it when people fall in love with something that I have created. I know I preach think of ways to use something in a different way. Well now you can think of the Dremel in a new way…..I think I'll be seeing triangles on more things!!

Always being renewed,

Trashy Tables

I have been working on a few tables for the shop. I am loving how they turned out!

First up are a set of tables that I had around the house taking up space. They were fake "verdigris" and the finish was flaking off of the wood tops. I painted the bottoms in homemade antique white chalk paint. So far love.

 I then sanded the rest of the flakiness off and I was just going to stain and reattach. I apparently did a great job on one and sanded a bit too far on the other because when I stained them.....one looked great and the other looked splotchy. To try to save them I thought I might stamp them.

I did like the stamping but they did not go with the table bottoms. So now what?

I grabbed my tin snips and made them into planters!

I took chicken wire and made a basket and attached it to the frame with more wire. Then I layered moss in between the chicken wire frame and the frame of the table and hot glued more around the top.

I distressed everything pretty well and then added my one and only plant that is still alive.

You could fill it up with potted plants or seasonal items, like gourds and pumpkins. They are in the shop waiting for a good home. Let me know if you want them!

Next came a table that I am not sure I am going to be able to sell. No, it's not weird...it's delicious and so much so I may have to keep it. I styled the photos in my living room and it looks way too good there! 

I found this gem on Trash day on the way to work. It is pretty sad when I leave early for work specifically to hunt for trash around the burg on Tuesday mornings! oh, I am so glad I did. Picture me doing a donut in the middle of the road just to get back to see if it was as glorious as I had imagined driving by the first time. 

Actually the donut wasn't all that impressive considering I was only going about 20 MPH. That would make it a U-turn, and frankly, that just does not sound as exciting as me making a full fledged 60 MPH donut for the sake of junk!

What do you do with free junk? Add more free junk to the top of it! Free Pallets fit the bill.

 I did purchase the belts for $6.00. So yes, you can have an awesome, junkified, but classy coffee table for $6.00. That would amount to be one huge real Donut from Dunkin'! And I would do a real 60 MPH donut to get one of those babies! But forget the pastry.....let's get back on the road to my wood table

I staggered the wood instead of making it all straight and normal like I had done on my farmhouse table. It just said to do it and I always listen to my furniture. I also do not seal the wood as it will change the color and I like the ashy gray. I do give it a light sand to take off the rough edges and that is it.

I wanted to show you how I attached the pallet boards to the legs. So do you see the yellow wood slats peeking out from the bottom of the pallet wood? If you notice in the first picture of the legs sans wood, you will see that each curl has a hole. I laid the legs on top of the wood and attached them with 1.5" wood screws and then laid the whole deal on top of the pallet wood pieces upside down. Once I had them how I wanted them, I screwed each pallet piece to the boards. 

Then Tess and I made a trip to the Thrift and got us some belts! I choose the woven kind because I thought holes might be too hard to make work and I didn't want to have to add holes to make it tight and make it look like I added holes to make it tight. 

Woven worked like a charm.

While it is upside down, cut your belt how you want it, and use 3/4" nails to attach the belt to the back. I used 4 nails per side as I did not want the belt to unravel so I nailed each braided section individually.

Now the hard part....parting with it. Doesn't it look nice in my Living Room!

You can keep it simple and put your treasures right on top .......

or add some metal to take the look into even more of an industrial country vibe.

Either way Junk Rocks.....

and so do 20 MPH donuts!

Always being renewed,

Please see the link party page to see where I link arms with those blissfully beautiful bloggers that host every week. So gracious they are along with these other sweet ladies!