Category: Home Decor

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DIY Home Decor Storage and Organizing Ways With Wood

Make a Rustic Message Center

Make a Rustic Message Center

by Carolyn Hasenfratz Winkelmann

Make a Rustic Message Center from lath wood

For this message center to hang on a wall I deliberately used rough lath wood instead of smoother wood stock. I wanted to simulate the look of a utilitarian crate that is getting re-used for another purpose. I bought a bundle of new lath wood so that I would have enough for teaching and samples. You can use scrap wood that you have salvaged if you prefer. Salvaged lath wood often has bits of plaster clinging to it which is very interesting if you like the distressed look. A good source for salvaged lath wood is Perennial, a creative re-use studio where I occasionally teach. On the TV show “American Pickers”, they often pick up items for re-use that have “just the right amount of Stank on it” as they say. I know what they are talking about – it’s one of the reasons I love to work with salvaged materials mixed with new. I use a dust mask when sanding any wood, especially salvaged wood because you don’t know what’s in it or where it’s been!

Materials
Lath wood
*Small wire nails and tacks – some of them can be decorative if you choose. Recommended sizes – 19 x 1/2″ and 19 x 3/4″ (Quantity approx. eighteen 1/2″ and six 3/4″)
*Small wood screws – 4 x 1/2″ (Quantity six)
*Small washers – #6 (Quantity six)
*Chalkboard Paint
*Chalkboard Contact Paper
*Clipboard Clip (available at Schnarr’s Webster)
*Wood glue
Scrap cardboard
*Optional – White acrylic paint

Tools
*Sandpaper
*Saw
*Ruler
*Pencil
*Drill
*Tiny Drill Bit
*File
*Rags
*Paint water container
*Paint brushes
*Small clamps
Block of old wood for bracing wood while drilling and nailing
*Dust mask
*Squeegee or bone folder
*Utility knife, self healing cutting mat and *metal ruler, or paper cutter for cutting cardboard
*Phillips screwdriver
*Optional – small container for mixing paint wash
*indicates products available at Schnarr’s

Instructions

1. Cut 1 1/2 inch lath wood into the following lengths:

Four pieces – 15″
Five pieces – 6″
Two pieces – 1.5″

Use the pencil and ruler to measure and mark wood pieces, then cut.

Optional: Paint all the wood pieces on all sides with a wash of white acrylic paint and allow to dry.

Pieces cut from lath wood
You will need to cut eleven pieces of wood for this project.

2. Sand the rough edges off of your wood pieces. You are probably wondering why I placed the step of sanding the wood pieces after painting instead of the other way around. The reason is it brings out the rustic look more because you’ll be removing some paint as you remove the rough spots on the wood.

3. Lay the four 15″ long pieces down on your work surface. Place one of the 6 inch strips about an inch and a half from the top. Add another right at the bottom of what will become the back of the message center. If it is helpful, draw a pencil line lengthwise on the wood to help you line up your nail holes. Draw little dots to show where the nail holes will go.

4. Squeeze a little wood glue on the backs of the wood cross pieces and clamp in place if you have trouble with the wood sliding around while you’re trying to work on it. If any wood glue squeezes out just wipe the excess off with a rag. Drill a little pilot hole for each nail. You don’t want the drill hole to go through all the way, it only needs to go in far enough to help the nail stay in place and to keep the wood from splitting at the surface as the nail goes in.

Hardware I used in this project - wire nails, wood screws washers and Clipboard Clips
Hardware I used in this project – wire nails, wood screws washers and Clipboard Clips

5. Hammer in your 1/2″ nails. If any poke through the front, file off the sharp parts.

Nailing wood slats to back to hold vertical wood pieces together
Nailing wood slats to back to hold vertical wood pieces together

6. Now start to assemble the tray that will be attached to the bottom front of the message center. Prop up one of the two small one and a half inch pieces of wood up against a piece of scrap wood. A small section of a 2 x 4 is the perfect size (2 x 4s are not really 2″ x 4″ as you can see.) Add a dab of wood glue and place a 6 inch cross piece on top, butting up the edges together. Drill a couple of pilot holes and nail in place. Repeat for the other end.

7. Add another 6″ piece to the bottom of the box and nail in place after dabbing with wood glue, then nail the whole assembly to the bottom front of the message center with 3/4″ inch long nails. It helps to prop up the other end with the 2 x 4 piece while you are nailing through the back.

Making tray for the bottom of the message center.
Making tray for the bottom of the message center.

8. Next make a small chalkboard for the middle front. Cut out a 5 1/2″ x 9″ piece of scrap cardboard and cover with chalkboard Contact paper. Cut the Contact paper slightly larger than the cardboard so that you can fold the edges over for a neat look. Burnish the paper with a squeegee tool to make a nice tight seal. Paint the front of the chalkboard over with chalkboard paint. (Unfortunately the Contact paper does not really take the chalk well enough by itself, but it makes an excellent base for the paint.) Let paint dry.

Cover a piece of scrap cardboard with contact paper, then paint over with chalkboard paint
Cover a piece of scrap cardboard with contact paper, then paint over with chalkboard paint

9. Nail the last 6″ wood strip across the top front of the message center and glue and nail in place. Place the clipboard clip where you want it and make little pencil marks to indicate where to drill two holes for the screws to hold the clip on.

10. Drill the pilot holes then thread a washer on two screws and drive the screws in place.

11. Use a screw and washer on each corner of the chalkboard to attach in the middle front of the message center. You are done!

Attach the clipboard clip and you are done!
Attach the clipboard clip and chalkboard and you are done!

Do you want some more ideas for for things to make out of wood? Here is the Pinterest Board I made awhile ago that was the inspiration for this article:
Rustic Spring Ideas – this project isn’t only for spring of course, but I started working on it in February.

There are also some ideas for fun wood projects here on the Schnarr’s Pinterest site:
Ways With Wood

Categories
DIY Home Decor Storage and Organizing Ways With Wood

Make a Wood Storage Crate

Make a Wood Storage Crate

by Carolyn Hasenfratz Winkelmann

Wood crate decorated with stencil designs

This project was inspired by a card box my husband Tom and I made for our nautical-themed wedding reception last summer. I made a lot of stuff for the wedding and I was literally working until the last minute at the church figuring out how to attach my homemade veil to my head! I finished my jewelry the day before! Two or three nights before the wedding I had set aside time to assemble this card box. I had already cut the pieces out but needed to nail it together and decorate it. I came down with what I thought was a terrible cold and I asked Tom to assemble the box for me. He came through and did a great job! I recovered quickly from whatever I had (if I actually really had anything other than stress) and was feeling fine the next day so I did the decoration in a hurry.

Card box we made for our wedding last summer with decoupage decoration

I painted the above crate-style card box with a wash of brown paint to “antique” after applying decoupage decoration. For the following storage crate project I’m going to experiment with applying a light colored paint wash on unsanded wood to be sanded, assembled and then decorated with stencils.

Materials
*Six pieces of lath wood (1 1/2″) cut to 12″ long
*Two pieces of 1/2″ thick wood cut to 4 1/4″ x 3 1/2″
*Tiny nails
*Paint rags
*Wood glue
*Acrylic paint
*Painters tape or masking tape

Tools
*Pencil
*Ruler
*Saw
*Paintbrush
*Paint water container and small paint mixing container
*Drill
*Tiny drill bit
*Hammer
Small sponges (or *large sponges cut up)
*Assorted stencils (available at Schnarr’s Webster)

*indicates items available at Schnarr’s

If you want a more refined look you can substitute lattice strips for lath wood, they are similar in size and thickness with a smoother surface and fewer irregularities.

Cut pieces of wood ready to paint, sand and assemble

Instructions

1. Paint your wood pieces with a wash of white acrylic paint. A wash is paint with water added to thin it out and make it semi-translucent.

2. After paint is dry, sand the rough spots with all-purpose sandpaper and sand the edges to bring out a little more of the natural wood color. The effect of sanding the edges is subtle but adds a lot of visual interest.

Wood slats taped down to work surface

3. Take three of the 12″ slats at a time and tape them down onto your work surface. Normally for stenciling projects I use painters tape or masking tape, but I was out of both so in the pictures you will see me using duct tape and drafting tape as substitutes.

4. Tape stencils in place on your work surface over the wood. Choose a light to medium color of paint and dab the paint through the stencil openings with a sponge.

5. Lift the stencils and let the paint dry. I rearranged my wood pieces on the work surface to see what they would look like if I turned every other piece around 180 degrees so that the stencil designs would be scrambled. I liked the effect!

6. Set the two end blocks on your work surface and position two side slats across them. Add a dab of wood glue at each point where the wood will connect for extra strength.

7. Drill two pilot holes at the end of each wood strip with the tiny drill bit. Hammer in nails and repeat until both wood strips are nailed securely to the end blocks. Repeat steps 6 and 7 for the other side, then for the bottom.

I only stenciled one side of these wood strips, so for the bottom of the crate I ended up turning them over so you could see the design if you looked down into the box. You could stencil both sides or have the design facing down while the box is in use if you prefer.

8. Next I stenciled onto each end of the crate. I set the crate on end on a chair to bring it to a more convenient work height. Tape the stencil down and if necessary, mask out the parts of the template you don’t want to use with tape. It’s easy to accidentally sponge into areas you didn’t intend.

Here is what one of the ends looks like after the final stencil. You can really change the look of the crate depending on what stencils and colors you choose to use. You can also make crates in different sizes to fit different needs. They make great baskets for gift giving too. Have fun!

 

Additional Resources

If you want some more home decor inspiration here are some additional resources:

Spring 2019 Mood Board – yes spring 2019 is done by now but a lot of these looks have been around for several years and should be good for inspiration for awhile yet. There is a lot of raw wood, tin, burlap and looks that you could easily recreate with hardware store items.

Summer 2019 Mood Board – wood, tin, twine, rope, seaglass, oh yeah!

Categories
DIY Home Decor Ways With Wood

Stenciled Letter Blocks

Tools and Materials
*indicates available at Schnarr’s
*Wood blocks – 5″ x 3.5″ x 1.5″
*Water based paint in assorted colors
Old lids from cleaned food containers
*Letter Stencils
*Sponge
Scrapbooking or decorative paper
*Scissors
*Modge Podge matte finish (available at the Ladue Schnarr’s store)
*Paintbrushes
*Water container
*Sandpaper
*Painter’s tape or masking tape
Squeegee tool
*Rags
*Pencil
Sharpie Markers

Optional if using metal letters:
*Metal letters
*Hammer
*Nails or tacks

Cut blocks of wood into 5″ x 3.5″ x 1.5″ pieces (two-by-fours cut into 5″ lengths). Make as many pieces as you want letters. For example, if you want to display someone’s initials, cut two or three blocks. To spell out the word “holiday” cut 7 blocks.

Paint all sides of the wood blocks with holiday colors, beachy colors, or any color scheme of your choice. Let dry.

Sand the blocks to bare the corners and get rid of any painting mistakes. I’m fond of the distressed look so I don’t mind the sanded spots giving an aged and worn appearance to the wood. The distressed look is even better if your wood pieces have bumps, knots or other flaws in them.

I worked on several blocks at a time so I wanted to experiment with different layering effects. One some of the darker colored sides, I stenciled a letter with white paint.

Cut some shapes out of decorative papers and use Modge Podge to adhere them to some of the painted wood surfaces. You might want to use shapes that are related to the theme of your project, such as ornament shapes or trees for Christmas, fish for beachy, trees or deer for woodsy, etc. Possible sources of shapes to trace are stencils or cookie cutters. Let dry. You can also cover an entire side of the block with paper if you want.

Since I was working on several blocks at a time, I labeled the backs of my paper pieces and the spots where I wanted to put them with corresponding letters so I could match them up later.

Here is the method I use to apply paper with Modge Podge or other glue without the paper wrinkling.

  1. Paint one side of the paper pieces you want to glue with Modge Podge and let dry.
  2. Paint the other side and let dry.
  3. When ready to apply, paint a thin (but not watered down) layer of Modge Podge on the back of the paper and on the surface you’re gluing it to.
  4. Press paper in place and burnish with the squeegee tool to get a flat seal and push out excess glue. Wipe glue away.

To help me decide where to place paper pieces, I outlined in pencil where my stenciled on and metal letters would go.

Here are the fronts and backs of my blocks with the paper pieces glued on.

Mix up some white or off-white paint with water to make a light wash. Paint your wood blocks with the wash and let dry.

Use painter’s tape or masking tape to hold a letter stencil where you want it on a wood block. Sponge paint through the stencil. Remove stencil and let block dry. Repeat for each block until all your letters are done.

If you think your letters need a little more emphasis, you can place your stencil over the letter again and use it as a guide to draw an outline with a Sharpie Marker. You’re done!

Categories
DIY Home Decor Ways With Wood

Upcoming DIY Class at Schnarr’s – Stenciled Letter Blocks July 19, 2018

Upcoming DIY Class at Schnarr’s – Stenciled Letter Blocks July 19, 2018

Stenciled Letter Blocks – $20.00 Class

Join us at Schnarr’s Hardware in Webster Groves to decorate wood blocks with paint, stencils and mixed media to create fun home decor. Spell out words, make initial blocks. house numbers or dates to enhance a festive occasion. All supplies included.

CLASS DETAILS
Thursday, Jul 19 2018
05:30:00 PM
Price: $20.00

For More Class information or to Sign Up – Click here

 

Categories
DIY Home Decor Upcycling Ways With Wood

Make a Shadow Box from an Old Drawer

Make a Shadow Box from an Old Drawer

by Carolyn Hasenfratz

Tools and Materials
*indicates available at Schnarr’s Hardware
Salvaged old drawer
*Screwdrivers
*Sandpaper
*Dust Mask
*Rags
*Wood filler (optional)
*Burlap, canvas or other solid color fabric
*Corrugated cardboard
*Glue gun
*Hot glue sticks
*Paint
*Paint brushes
*Water and mixing containers for paint
Metal ruler
Self-healing cutting mat
*Utility knife and sharp blades
Pencil
*Hanging hardware
*Small nails
*Hammer
Strong masking tape
Fabric Scissors
*Modge Podge
Squeegee tool
Decorative paper
Memorabilia, collectibles or decorations to display in the box
Optional – heat tool to speed up drying

Instructions:

1. Remove the old hardware from the drawer. You may or may not want to put some of it back on the box later so set the aside for now.

2. Sand the drawer inside and out. This is to give the surface a good “tooth” for paint and glue to adhere to. Wear a dust mask while sanding because you never know what is in old, reused wood. Wipe off the dust with a damp rag.

3. Now it’s time to take a look at your box and think about what you want to display in it. Do you want to set it on a table top or hang it on the wall? What is the look of the room it’s going to be in? Do you want to match the colors or decor in the room? When you have the answers to those questions you can start designing. Here are some pictures of past shadow boxes I have made with descriptions of what I did to give you ideas: Crafts By Carolyn: Shadow Boxes.

I’m going to use my sample shadow box as table decor for my upcoming wedding reception and later I’ll hang it on a wall. So I’m going to give mine a base to stand on as well as hanging hardware on the back. I’m going to paint the inside and the outside of the box to go with my color scheme (navy, coral, lime green and white), add a padded background for pinning small photos, add paper accents to the outside edges of the box with decoupage.

4. If the hardware you removed from your drawer left holes or if there are any other holes or uneven spots in the wood that bother you, if you want you can use wood filler to disguise them before you paint. In my case I like the distressed look and it goes well with the casual nautical theme I’m using so I chose not to fill in any holes in my sample box.

5. Paint your box on all sides and all edges with the exception of the inside back which will be covered. If you are hanging the box on the wall you can also skip painting the back. I’m going to display mine in the round first so I will paint the back.

There are some good painting tips for a distressed piece of wood in my previous article Stencil a Sofa Shelf Made From Distressed Wood.

6. While your paint is drying, you can start to work on your cardboard and fabric background. First measure the opening in your box. Then cut two pieces of corrugated cardboard to that size using a metal ruler, utility knife and self healing cutting mat.

There are some good cutting safety tips in my previous article Introduction to Letterboxing – Part II – Making a Personal Logbook.

Make sure your paint is dry enough to handle, then slip your cardboard pieces into the box and press them to the back to make sure they fit ok. If they are a little too large, cut them down bit by bit until they fit. Allow for a tiny bit of extra room around the edge to accommodate the fabric wrapping.

7. Select a piece of fabric to wrap the front of your cardboard pieces. Lay one of the cardboard pieces down on the fabric and draw around it with pencil. Add another two inches allowance to each side and draw lines. This is so you have enough fabric to grab onto, pull, and tape. Cut out your fabric along the outer line you just drew.

8. Heat up your glue gun and get your masking tape ready. Put a few dots of hot glue between your two pieces of cardboard and press together. If any sides of your cardboard have printing on them, make sure the printing is toward the inside or the back or it might show through the fabric.

9. If I were not applying hot glue to join this back to the inside back of the box, I would not expect the masking tape to be able to do all of the heavy lifting here in keeping this fabric on the board in the long term, but along with a generous application of the hot glue it will be adequate.

Fold fabric over the back and tape down. Start in the middle of each side and pull in the opposite side as you go and work your way out, pulling tight as you go.

10. You’ll want your hot glue gun nice and hot for this next step so a lot comes out. Apply a generous amount of hot glue around the inside back edge of the box and a little bit in the middle. Press the fabric-wrapped cardboard in good side up and hold for several seconds until the hot glue is holding it flat.

11. Apply decoupage decoration to the outside edges of the box if desired.

12. Attach hanging hardware or feet to the box with small nails.

Watch video of this project at Schnarr’s Hardware in Webster Groves:

Make a Shadow Box from an Old Drawer Part 1:

Make a Shadow Box from an Old Drawer Part 2:

Categories
DIY Home Decor Upcycling Ways With Wood

Upcoming Class at Schnarr’s: DIY Shadow Box on June 21

Upcoming Class at Schnarr’s: DIY Shadow Box on June 21

by Carolyn Hasenfratz

Learn how to make a shadow box from an old drawer
Learn how to make a shadow box from an old drawer

It’s easy to turn an old drawer from an unloved piece of furniture into an attractive and functional shadow box that fits your decor. Learn how from artist and designer Carolyn Hasenfratz at Schnarr’s Hardware in Webster Groves. Most materials are included, including the drawer. If you want metal feet on your box we have some along with some extra decorative hardware available for purchase.

What’s Provided
Drawers, fabric and board for backing, paint, essential hardware, glue, sandpaper, decorative papers

What You Can Expect

  • Learn how to make a functional background for tacking
  • Learn how to attach feet or hangers to your box for display
  • Get decorating and mounting ideas for your favorite keepsakes

Location
Schnarr’s Hardware – Webster Groves
40 East Lockwood Ave.,
St. Louis , MO , 63119

REGISTER HERE

Categories
DIY Gardening Home Decor Upcycling Ways With Wood

Make a Wood Plant Tray

Make a Wood Plant Tray

by Carolyn Hasenfratz

Materials
*Indicates items available at Schnarr’s
*Piece of 1/2 inch thick wood cut to 4 inches by 13.5 inches (or other size of your choice)
*Wood for the sides of your planter (I used a variety of widths and thicknesses from my scrap pile plus the Schnarr’s scrap pile)
*Wood glue
*Nails
*Water putty
*Masking tape
*Paint
*3/16″ dowel rod
Ball knobs or drawer pulls with 3/16″ holes
*Disposable plastic gloves
*Dust mask for sanding

Tools
*Saw
*Pencil
*Ruler
*Hammer
*Putty knife
*Sandpaper
*Containers for water and mixing
*Paint brushes
Miter clamp
*Drill
*Small drill bit for pilot holes
*3/16″ drill bit
*Hand pruners
Old credit cards

Step 1: Cut a piece of wood that is 1/2 thick to 4 inches by 13.5 inches or to whatever size you want for the bottom piece of your plant tray. I actually used 1/4 inch thick wood in my sample because I had some lying around but you will have an easier time nailing it together if you use 1/2 inch thick wood.

Step 2: Decide where to cut the wood for the sides of the plant tray and mark the pieces with pencil. I made butt joints at the corners for this project so your wood pieces should be as long as the sides of the tray plus the thickness of the wood.

Parts for two wood plant trays
Parts for two wood plant trays

Step 3: Cut the side wood pieces to size and sand the rough edges.

Step 4: Dab on a little wood glue for extra hold as you arrange one of your butt joints in a miter clamp. We’re going to hammer a couple of nails in from the end to give more strength to the joint. Brace the clamped pieces in a vise as shown in my sample or on top of something like a large block of scrap wood. Drill a couple of pilot holes with a small drill bit. The pilot holes help the nail go in straighter and prevent the wood from splitting. Drive in a couple of nails and repeat until you have a three-sided frame assembled with one side open.

Wood pieces in a miter clamp
Wood pieces in a miter clamp

 

Miter clamp in a vise
Miter clamp in a vise

Step 5: Now we are going to put the bottom in our tray. Squirt some wood glue on the edges of your bottom piece and slide it into the frame. You can temporarily hold it in place with masking tape as you work. Put the last side on the frame and glue and nail the last two corners.

Step 6: Reinforce the bottom by driving a few nails into each side after drilling pilot holes.

Step 7: Next we’ll fill any cracks or holes with water putty. Since I tend to use a lot of scrap wood that has holes in it for my projects, I often patch the wood with spackling paste, water putty or wood filler. Then I can cover up the patches with paint, decoupage or some other surface treatment. I’m using water putty this time because I want my tray to be leak proof. Water putty dries really hard. In my sample I applied the water putty to the bottom of the tray as well as in the inside seams and anywhere else there were holes in the wood.

Mix a little but of water putty at a time with water until it’s a workable consistency. Put on disposable gloves and smear the putty it into the cracks and crevices you want to fill. Water putty is fairly hard to sand off so before it dries do a really good job of flattening and cleaning up the patches to reduce the amount of sanding you’ll have to do later. Old credit cards are a good tool for scraping away excess putty.

Step 8: After the putty sets up, sand your piece to get rid of rough edges. Wear a dust mask while sanding so you don’t breathe in the particles.

Step 9: Place your feet where you want them on the bottom of the tray and trace around them with pencil. I like to use ball knobs and drawer pulls with 3/16″ holes as feet on a variety of wood pieces. I keep a supply on hand along with 3/16″ pieces of dowel rod to use in joining the feet to the wood. After tracing, set the feet aside and drill a 3/16″ hole where each foot will go.

Step 10: Cut pieces of dowel rod to size so that they fit into the hole in the feet and into the holes you drilled in the bottom of the tray without leaving gaps. If you have a pair of hand pruners, I’ve found they do a quick and easy job cutting the dowel rod pieces to size. Put a dab of wood glue into each hole, push the dowel rod piece into the feet and then push the feet into the drilled holes.

Attaching the feet with wood pegs
Attaching the feet with wood pegs

When the putty is dry enough, your tray is ready to paint and decorate. Add some extra varnish to the inside of the tray to help make it waterproof for plant pots.

Categories
DIY Home Decor Upcycling Ways With Wood

Make a picture frame from scrap wood

Make a picture frame from scrap wood

by Carolyn Hasenfratz

Have you taken down an old fence or pulled up an old wood floor? Are you getting some remodeling done or have access to scrap wood? It’s fun to make reclaimed wood pieces into unique picture frames. For my sample I purposefully chose scrap wood with a rustic and weathered appearance, welcoming flaws that don’t compromise the wood’s structural integrity such as saw marks, knots, plaster stains and nail holes. This project is designed to exploit the unique qualities of scrap wood – the flaws in the wood are part of the “decoration”. If you like you can choose new wood and give the surface whatever treatment that fits your decor. You can even buy wood made specifically for picture framing if you want a more conventional style of frame. I made this frame the size of an 8 1/2 by 11″ award certificate because this is a common size that a lot of people need.

Watch Video of Carolyn Teaching this Class at Schnarr’s Hardware in Webster Groves:
Part 1
Part 2

Materials needed:
Scrap wood approximately the size of lattice strips – 1 1/2″ wide by 2/8″ thick. For my sample I used wood lath salvaged from a demolished building. You can purchase new lattice strips if you don’t have access to the right size scrap wood.
Scrap wood strips – 2/8 – 3/8″ thick by 1/2 – 3/4″ wide. I obtained my strips from the scrap stashes available to me. You can buy such wood new if you need to where molding is sold.
Small washers
Staples for staple gun
Sandpaper
Aluminum flashing
Small nails – long enough to go through both layers of wood but not long enough to penetrate to the front of the frame
8 1/2″ piece of plexiglass, clear acetate or glass
8 1/2″ piece of chipboard, cardboard or mat board
Wire
Wood glue

Tools needed:
Mitre saw
Eye protection
Staple gun
Dust mask
Drill with tiny drill bit
Ruler
Pencil
Permanent marker
Sturdy scissors
Wire cutter
Large nail
Scrap block of wood
Hammer
Staple gun

Click the diagram above to download a PDF copy to print out

1. The inside edge of the opening for your framed picture will be 8″ x 10 1/2″. When finished the frame will overlap the framed image about 1/4″ all the way around. Mark with a ruler and pencil on the wood where the cuts will be. You might find it helpful to draw a rough diagram on paper to help visualize the cuts. Using a miter saw, cut four wood pieces with 45 degree angles at the ends. Wear eye protection when sawing and drilling.

2. Sand the cut ends of the wood. I did not give my wood any other treatment or finish. This is partly because I like the way it looks as it is. Another reason is that this wood was salvaged from a historic building that has great personal significance to me. I did not want to alter the historic integrity of the wood beyond cutting it to size. There are saw marks on the wood from the 1920s which I think are cool! Salvaged lath wood that has been separated from its original historic context is often available for purchase at Perennial, an art studio that promotes the reuse of materials. If you want you can give your scrap or new wood further treatments such as sanding, painting or staining for a variety of decorative effects. Wear a dust mask while sanding – it’s never good to breathe dust and old wood may have mold spores or contaminants.

3. With a staple gun, shoot two or three staples into the back of the frame across each mitered corner. The staples will help tack your work in place until you can get some bracing installed on the back of the frame to make it more sturdy. Tap the staples with a hammer if they need a little extra help going all the way into the wood.

4. On the back of the frame, center an 8.5 x 11 piece of chipboard, cardboard or matt board and trace around it as a guide for placing narrow wood strips on the back for holding your protective layer (plexiglass, clear acetate or glass) and artwork.

5. To make the bracing, cut four pieces from the wood strips that are approximately 2/8 x 3/8 inches thick and 3/4 to 1/2 inches wide. The lengths you cut from with wood will be slightly different depending on how wide the strips are. Cut them so that the inside edge opening is 8 1/2 by 11. Make the lengths 9 inches for the short side and 11 1/2 inches for the long sides if using 1/2″ wide wood. If using 3/4 inch wide wood use 2 9 1/4″ pieces and 2 11 3/4″ pieces. If you are using wood in different dimensions just cut them so that the opening id 8 1/2 x 11″. Since you’ll be attaching these pieces to the back of the frame, if the pieces don’t all match or don’t line up perfectly it doesn’t matter, they won’t be visible. Sand pieces smooth.

6. Apply a line of wood glue on the back of each wood strip then press in place on the back of the frame. Drill small pilot holes, about three per strip, then nail the strips to the frame.

7. Next make some metal tabs to hold the artwork into the frame. These tabs are designed to swivel in and out so that you can easily take out or put in artwork. Draw four rectangles with permanent marker, 1 3/4 by 2 1/2 inches each, onto aluminum flashing. The flashing we sell has both a silver colored side and a brass colored side. These tabs won’t be visible when the frame is on the wall but if you have a preference for one side or the other keep that in mind. Using a sturdy pair of scissors cut out four pieces and round the corners to avoid sharp points. Sand or file the metal peices to get sharp edges off if necessary. On two of the pieces drill or punch one hole toward one end, on the two other pieces drill or punch a hole in each end. An easy way to punch a hole is to place the flashing on a scrap wood block and hammer in a large nail where you want the hole.

8. Attach the four flashing pieces to the back of your frame as shown on the diagram. Place a small washer under each nail head.

9. You are now ready to add artwork to the frame. First put in your clear protective layer (the glass, acetate or plexiglass), the display item, then a stiff layer of chipboard, cardboard or mat board to protect the artwork from the back and keep it from falling out. Rotate the tabs inward.

10. String a piece of wire from inner holes on the two-hole tabs from one side to the other for hanging. You’re done!

Here is how my frame looks with a certificate displayed in it:

Suggestions For Sources of Scrap Wood
Ask home improvement stores for scraps.
Volunteer to clean out someone’s garage or workshop in exchange for keeping some interesting wood pieces.
Make inquiries of people you know who are doing home improvements.
Look in thrift stores for picture frames or cheap pictures in frames that you can get parts from.
Make a request for wood pieces from the Freecycle community – freecycle.org
Walk your neighborhood on trash day – I’ve found so much usable wood that way.
Purchase salvaged supplies from a non-profit studio that specializes in reclaimed materials such as Perennial or Leftovers, Etc..

Categories
DIY Home Decor Ways With Wood

Schnarr’s Hardware is now offering DIY Classes!

Schnarr’s Hardware is now offering DIY Classes!

by Carolyn Hasenfratz

I hope you can join us for our first class at Schnarr’s Hardware in Webster Groves – Make a Picture Frame from Scrap Wood!

make a picture frame from scrap wood

Schnarr’s employee Carolyn Hasenfratz will show you how to use reclaimed wood pieces to make a frame that fits an 8 1/2 x 11-inch picture. This size frame is a good size for award certificates and other common documents that you might want to display. Tools and materials will be provided. You will learn techniques that you can use to design and build your own frames from your choice of wood scraps. Save a ton of money by gaining skills you can use by making your own unique frames for your home decor while gaining the satisfaction of saving materials from the landfill.

Class with Carolyn Hasenfratz – Make a Picture Frame from Scrap Wood
Date: February 22, 2018
Time: 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Location: Schnarr’s Hardware in Webster Groves, 40 East Lockwood, St. Louis MO, 63144

The cost of the class is $20. To register please go to this url: https://dabble.co/rc/carolynhasenfratz10

What’s Provided
Wood, tools, metal, chipboard, hardware

What You Can Expect
Learn to build simple picture frames
Learn to design frames from reclaimed wood
Learn to fabricate hardware for the back of the frame using simple tools
Learn how to recycle wood pieces
Learn about sources of low cost reclaimed materials for your DIY projects

For Carolyn’s complete teaching schedule, please go to:
http://www.chasenfratz.com/wp/about/classes-and-events/

Categories
DIY Gardening Home Decor

Making Holiday Centerpieces From Natural Materials

Making Holiday Centerpieces From Natural Materials

by Carolyn Hasenfratz

I enjoy walking around outside at any time of year. It takes more motivation to go outdoors in cold weather but I’m always glad at such times that I made the effort. A landscape that is mostly dry and brown may seem unappealing at first, but if you look closely at plants and their remains in winter you will see more textures, shapes and colors than you may have thought possible.

One way to enrich the way you see the winter landscape is to collect natural materials and use them to make centerpieces for your Holiday celebrations, or any occasion. I had the opportunity recently to join other volunteers at the Litzinger Road Ecology Center in making centerpieces for the annual Holiday party. We were provided with a variety of recycled and donated containers along with embellishments such as ribbon and floral accents. Our goal was to create arrangements of mostly natural materials from the prairie at Litzinger Road Ecology Center to make attractive centerpieces.


collecting natural materials from the prairie

After taking a quick look at the available floral supplies, we spread out around the property to look for plant materials that we wanted to use. We collected reeds, grasses, seed heads, dried flowers, branches, feathers, vines, berries, pods, snake-skin, pine cones, nuts, bark, evergreen branches and more. A few plants were still green. Others provided many variations on dried plant colors – red-brown, silvery grey, dark brown, straw yellow hues and more. Often when we are working in the field we are mindful of the identification of plants. This time we were free to concentrate mainly on what the plant materials look like and what would make attractive combinations. Tall or short, delicate or bold, feathery or solid, rough or smooth – how can one enhance the other?

It’s enjoyable to go into a craft store and buy materials that fit a preconceived idea of what you want to make – it’s also a fun creative challenge to see what you can make out of the limited materials on hand with little to no pre-planning. I decided to be a little irreverent with my arrangement and use some green invasive creeping euonymus (Euonymus fortunei) which is a plant that may not quite be as hated as invasive honeysuckle here at LREC but could be a close second! To keep the vine green until the time of the party, I placed the cut ends of the vines into small bottles of water in the bottom of the glass container I was using. This also helped provide structural support since we did not have any florist foam in our supply stash to help hold tall stems erect.


Making a holiday arrangement with invasive euonymus vines


I added a few small pine cones among the green to break up the color a little bit, then I made a small donut shape of grasses and placed it in the vase on its side to provide extra structural support at the top. Then I added some branches with red berries, a few pine needles and some tall thin strips of wood with plastic crystals on them. A few red berries fell into the vase and down into the greenery so I added a few more here and there to make it look like I put them there on purpose.


finished arrangements made from natural materials and a few embellishments
Finished arrangements made by other volunteers


Is there anything in your backyard that would look good in a Holiday arrangement? Explore with fresh eyes and you might find a new way to appreciate your garden in what we normally think of as the off-season. I recommend you take care to identify your finds if you have children or pets in the house who might eat things that they shouldn’t. Some common garden plants (and houseplants) are toxic. Have fun and see where your creativity takes you!