Box Joint Project

In June 2024 I took the "Fixins Tray" course offered by the  Philadelphia Furniture Workshop and had a great time learning from Craig and Greg.

• They gave us four pre-cut cherry pieces, and we used the table saw to cut box joints.

• We used a drill press to cut out the handle openings and a sander to smooth out the bumps.

• We used a router to cut the dado that holds the bottom panel in place.

• Lots of hand sanding.

• I chose to finish my tray with boiled linseed oil.

• Finally, I applied a coat of carnauba wax.

 

Camping--Fire Starter Tip

 

Caning a Small Chair

This is my third caning experience. I'm getting better at seeing mistakes--hope that means my skills are improving.

Pandemic passtime...

Frame Earring Holder

I decided to make frame earring holders for my two granddaughters--why not display earrings instead of letting them get lost in drawers? The display helps keep track of jewelry and it looks cool as it fills up.

 Here are the steps and photos of the completed (easy and fun diy) project.

1. Yard sales are a great place to find picture frames, and I had two that fit this project perfectly. 

2. I found 1/4 in. 23-Gauge Galvanized Steel Hardware Cloth at Home Depot. A 2 ft. x 5 ft. roll costs just under $10. Measure, cut, and staple into the back of the frame. 

Note: Be careful when stapling into the back of the frame. The frame on the right above has a white (wood putty) milk paint border because my staples showed through the front. On the second frame, I bent the wire "cloth" so I could staple into the side (thicker part) of the frame.

3. This is my favorite part, mainly because I enjoy using my pneumatic upholstery staple gun. Cut pieces of fabric to use as a background behind the wire. Staple it to the back of the frame.

4. So now the frame can hold earrings with hooks, but what about the ones with posts on the back? I added a strip of jute seat webbing by weaving the purple ribbon through it and the wire mesh (a curved upholstery needle worked well here). Posts can easily poke through the jute, and it is sturdy enough to hold lots of earrings.

5. Add wire to the back for hanging, and if you zoom in on the photo you can see the 1/2 inch clear bumpers I added to the bottom two corners.

And here's a front view of both frames, completed.