DIY router box cover

Sometimes it's easy to look at all the design magazines and think "what do they do with all their real life stuff?"  Like printers, and cable boxes, and wireless routers for their computers.  Sometimes they probably just take them out for the pictures or have special closets to hide away all that stuff, but in our house that's not reality.  So, I'm slowly finding ways to work around those things that aren't that aesthetically pleasing, but are necessary to everyday life.  I mentioned before how we installed an IKEA bookcase to work with our living room electronics and then I used foam board  to hide the cords in my office.  Now, it's time to tackle something that has always bugged me.  The router in our office.  It's a small little thing and something most wouldn't even notice, but it bugged me.  So, I set out to do something about it.

I started out with:

2 pieces of wood from Hobby Lobby (3/8 x 36")

1 Union Jack Aluminum Sheet (I purchased mine from Hobby Lobby with a 40% off coupon)

  Rustoleum Gold Metallic Spray Paint

I decided I was going to create a small box to conceal the router.  I chose the aluminum sheet due to the fact that most electronics due better with good air circulation.  There are lots of different patterns of metal sheeting to choose from, I just preferred the union jack.  

First, determine the measurements you need to have in order to conceal whatever it is you are trying to conceal.

Then, measure and mark your wood. I just used my miter box to cut the pieces to the size I needed them to be.

You are going to create two frames.  I forgot to take a picture of them, but you'll be able to tell what I mean from the pictures below.  I just stapled the frames together on both sides to hold them together.  It would be great if you also created 4 vertical pieces to connect the two frames (I ran out of wood), but it's not really necessary because the metal sheeting holds everything together.  

So, then just measure and cut the metal sheets down to the size you need them to be.  The package recommends using tin snips to cut the sheeting, but I just used an old pair of scissors and they worked great.

Then, I used a little hot glue to attach my metal pieces to the two frames.  One problem I ran into was the hot glue got a little thick and dried too fast.  It might be better to use super glue or E6000.  This box isn't going to be moved or handled much so I think it should hold up fine.   

After I attached all the metal pieces, I gave it a coat of gold metallic spraypaint and put it in place.  It's not perfect, but it works well for us.

I also updated the filing cabinet with some Gold Leaf Rub 'n Buff.  It was actually my first time using it and I was pretty pleased with the results.  The hardware on this cabinet cannot be removed so spraypainting it wasn't an option.  It's a little hard to tell the difference in the pictures, but on the left you can see the nickel finish and on the right is the rub 'n buff finish.  It's a little change that makes a big difference in my opinion.

Disclaimer: I am not an expert at storing electronics so please use your own discretion when it comes to storing your electronics.  

Completed Kitchen-Part 1

The play kitchen is finally complete! As with most projects this one took a lot longer than expected. It seems like you always run into those little things that cause you some trouble. In the end though it was definitly worth it and I'm so excited to give it to my future niece tomorrow for her birthday. I think she will have lots of fun playing with it!

I started with this sewing table, given to me by a friend. It's cool how the timing worked out on this because when I got this table I didn't have a use for it but knew I would find one. Then a few days later I had the idea to make the play kitchen and this table ended up working out perfectly!




I had to shorten the legs some to make it the right height and I added a few shelves (I used scrap MDF from Lowe's, they gave it to me for free!) I figured out how to use my hand circular saw for the first time. I am so excited that I actually know how to use it now. Call me crazy, but it's actually kind of addicting.

Next, I cut the holes for my "sink" and faucet. This was a huge pain. If I had a router it would have gone much smoother, I'm sure. I didn't though, so I painstakingly made several small holes with my drill and then connected them with a small hand saw. It looks kind of rough, but I knew it would be covered in the end so I didn't worry too much about it.

Next I attached the original top of the sewing table to the back using some screws and brackets from Lowe's. I also attached the shelves that I purchased from Goodwill. I thought they would be perfect for little dishes or other fun kitchen stuff.

and I hate to leave you hanging but that's all I have for tonight.  I'm waiting on my wonderful sister to send me the "after" pictures.  I took some with my camera but they just didn't do it justice.  I will post the completed pictures tomorrow!  Be sure to check back!  Happy Friday!

Play Kitchen II

You may remember the first play kitchen I did here.

Well, I got inspired to make another one for our sweet friend's daughter for her 2nd birthday!  She loves playing kitchen like any other little girl so I thought this would be just perfect for her.

I started out with this $5 nightstand from Goodwill.

I cut this $3 shelf from goodwill in half to make the sides and give her more surface area to "cook"

I found this cabinet door at the Restore for $2 and thought it would make a great chalkboard for the back.  I just used Rustoleum chalkboard spray paint. 

Put it all together, added a cute little curtain (fabric is from Hancock Fabrics).  This little girl is a true southern belle so I thought toile would suite her. :)

The frame added another pop of pink (ballet slipper by Krylon).  It was another Goodwill find.  I loved the details on it and thought it added to the girly look.

I found the faucet at the Restore for $7.  I've seen others do this with a letter "j" upside down, but I like using real faucets because it just makes it seem more realistic and fun to me.  The sink is a cake pan from the dollar store.  I needed it to be shallow so she will still have some storage space underneath it and this worked perfectly.  I don't have a router so I used a saw to cut the circle for the sink, needless to say the circle was far from perfect.  The ruffle trim from Hobby Lobby helps to hide those little imperfections.

Frisbees make perfect burners! 

DIY Nailhead Table Makeover

Two posts in one day?!?  I know. I just couldn't wait to show you this...

I know you probably thought this day would never come, and trust me, I wasn't sure it would either.  The table is finally finished!  After a LOT of work and a LOT Of hiccups, the finished product is here.  For a recap of the disaster, check out this post, appropriately titled "DIY Disaster."  Oh man, it was a doozie, but enough about all that. 

After a disaster with trying to refinish the table, I almost gave up.  The finish was terrible, uneven, and had deep groove marks where I tried my hardest to sand off the old finish.   So, I thought, maybe I'll just paint it, and you won't be able to tell. Well, I was wrong.  The gray paint seemed to highlight those unsightly grooves and the uneven finish like you wouldn't believe.  I was discouraged, but we needed a table, so I brought it back inside and tried to make it work.  Here's what it looked like after a little paint.  You really can't tell it from the picture, but just trust me, it was very noticeable in person.  

So, moving on...

I was so close to just putting this table by the side of the road and letting someone else worry with it, I wasn't even sure it was worthy of Craigslist, but I had a lightbulb moment while wandering around at Zgallerie (actually looking for another table)  I saw this table and realized it would be the perfect inspiration.

Here's the picture from Zgallerie's website...

I loved that the top was glass because that would mean I could eliminate the large areas that were damaged and only have to deal with getting the outer border smooth and even.  There was hope!  The idea of glass also appealed to me because that meant it would showcase my cowhide rug that was hidden by the wood before.  

I don't have a router (although that's on my birthday list) and didn't want to mess things up anymore, so I called our friend, who is a carpenter, and explained what I wanted to do.  

He cut three rectangles out of the top and created a lip wide enough for my nailheads.  We had three separate sections cut out so that we could still remove the leaf down the road if need be.  I actually like it better that way, too because it breaks it up and creates more areas for the bling of my nailheads.

I ordered nailhead trim from this eBay seller. It was the best price I found.  If you've never used this before, it's amazing!  You only nail every fifth nailhead, which makes it 1,000 times easier to get it straight.  I drilled a tiny pilot hole and used a nail punch to hammer them in.

Then, we ordered some glass from a local glass shop, and now we have a beautiful, functional dining room!  At last!

You've come a long way baby.....