Taking a Trip

Well guys, due to my day to day job (the one that actually pays the bills) I will be gone for the next couple of months. I hate to leave the crafting behind, more importantly though, my family. So if you have any questions or concerns and I don't respond, this is why.

Please feel free to send me any requests or ideas, and when I return I'll hit the ground running getting you some new material.

Until then - The Craftsman, out.

Clothes Pin Photo Hanger

Hey guys. I saw this in our favorite antique store several months ago and thought that it was a great idea. It wasn't until I ran across a picture of one the other day that I decided to make one.

Clothes Pin Photo Hanger

I love the look of it, and the purpose it serves. Here's what I did - I took a couple pieces of 2x2 (actually it's about 1.5" x 1.5") and cut to length. I forgot the exact measurements I used, but it's entirely up to you. I then cut 45 degree angles at each end and put it together with wood glue and screws (like a picture frame)

45 Degree Angles

I then drilled holes for the string, which is hemp twine. I then gave it a good sanding and used a saw blade to "antique" some of the areas with scrapes and holes. I stained the wood with some Minwax wood stain (again, up to you)

The clothes pins were brand new, so I decided to 'ruff' them up a little to give them that 'been outside awhile' look. To achieve this look I first stained them the same color as the frame. After they dried I put them in some muriatic acide for a few seconds to eat the protective coating off the metal. I then let them soak in a mixture of whit vinegar, hydrogen peroxide and salt for about 10 minutes. I then took them out and let them sit in an oven at 250f until fully dry. They came out looking great (I'll do a full tutorial on this technique at some point)

Weathered Clothes Pins

And lastly I strung the twine through the holes and cloths pins and stapled on the back. The hanger was strung through the holes and large knots were tied into the ends to keep it from pulling out, and then I frayed the ends.

So what do you guys think? It's a very easy project to make, and looks great hanging on the wall!

This build was featured in the Living Section on Instructables.com!

Mixed Media Barn-Scape

Spent the day in the shop and started looking at all of the scrap wood and other little things laying around and thought that I could do something with all that spare stuff. This is what I came up with:

I took a 24" x 36" painting canvas (I think that's the size) and took the canvas off and mounted it to a couple of pieces of 3/4"x5"x3' planks of plywood that I joined together for the overall width.

I then painted the canvas white, and while it was still wet I applied a thick layer of dry-wall paste on top of it and used a paint scraper to give it texture. 

While that was drying I hot-glued scrap wood together to make the barn and stained and painted it. Once the canvas was dry I stained the sky and painted the fields. I then attached the barn and other items using nails and hot-glue. 

There are a couple of little pieces here and there that I used to get the overall look.

Hope you like it. Give it a shot. See what you having laying around and think of something you can recycle it into.

Oh, and of course - the inspiration:

Tea Light Candle Wall Art

I was looking around on the internet the other day thinking about a new project I could do. I came across this idea for a Tea Light Wall Art.

I picked up some old spoons from our Goodwill store and "rusted" them. (Hopefully, once I perfect this technique, I'll post a how-to) I then stained and painted the board and mounted the spoons.... Well, enough talking, watch the video:

I want to thank Brooke at Spruce Your Nest! Check her blog out.

Wall Shelf with Coat Hooks

I've been wanting to build this for a while now. I had seen pictures in me and my wife's favorite magazine, The Country Sampler, and thought what a wonderful idea.

After looking around the web for different pictures I realized it wouldn't be that hard to do. I had the wood donated to me by a friend that was moving. Picked up the paint and the Shaker Pegs from Home Depot.

For the color I decided on 'Alligator Skin' by Behr.

I've already found the perfect place for it by our front door. Check out the video for the how-to on building this Antique Style Wall Shelf with Coat Hooks.

Buffet Table

Whilst me and the wife were out 'Antiquing' we stopped by one of our favorite Antique Shops and ran across this buffet style table.

The Inspiration

We both loved it, so I snapped a couple of quick pictures for reference. We purchased the table legs and cabinet knobs for Vintage Hardware here in Astoria. They are great people, if you're in the area you need to check them out! The rest of the wood I had on hand.

The Wood Work

Staining and Sanding

Finished Table

Check out the video for all the pictures of the build and the how-to: