Rustic Bench and Coat Rack Tutorial

Here at my house we have been under going many projects.  We are updating the upstairs, gutted the basement restroom and are in the process of putting it back together, so I thought what's one more thing!  HA!  When I brought my idea to do this project to my husband, I thought for sure he was going to tell me I was crazy because we have so many other things going on.  Thankfully for me, he saw what I saw....an easy project that would ultimately make my life a bit easier and he didn't say 'No', so I immediately ran to my local home improvement store!

I wasn't following any plans, just an idea I had and a space to fill. 

This was what was thrown here.  Not really working for me,

I wanted something chunky for a bench.  So I decided to use a 2x12.  My hallway is less than 5' wide, and I always remember that you should have 3' for walking room.  So I didn't want something too wide.  Plus it would just clutter the space.
For the back piece of the bench and the coat rack I used a 1x8.  I unfortunately got these in two trips, because I was making it up as I go.  I wasn't sure if I needed a back, but after building the bench, I felt like a back would anchor it better.

Here is a list of what I needed...

1- 2x12x8' (you need 8' for this project however my store only sold it in 12' length so I can make another bench now!)
1- 1x8x10' try to find the straightest one you can
8- 2-1/2in double wide corner braces this (these came two to a pack so I only needed to purchase 4 packs)
wood screws
stain of choice (I used Varathane in Dark Walnut)
5 hooks of choice (we used this)
nail gun

Cut list:
2x12: 1- 5' & 2- 16"
1x8: 2- 5' sections

easy peasey!

When I got my wood home I started staining.  I wanted to distress it a bit so I took a hammer to it.

 I used it the "right way" and then turned it to the side and hit that way too.  You can use chains as well, we just didn't have any.  I figure my kids are going to take care of all the distressing!

As a big painter, the staining was quite a fast process.  I just followed the directions on the can. 

Apply liberally wait 2-3 minutes then wipe off the excess.  I used a lot of fabric to wipe up the excess.  I had a ripped fitted sheet that I used.  As for the brush I used...you can use those foam ones or I just grabbed a cheap 1" brush that my kids use for painting.  TIP- you need mineral spirits for cleaning...so needless to say I threw the brush in the trash because I didn't have any.

So after my wood was dry, it was time to assemble.  Determine which side of the 2x12x5' is going to the the top of the bench and lay that side down on the floor.  You will be using the 16" pieces as legs.  I wanted there to be four feet from inside leg to other inside leg.  I don't know how to go about telling you to accomplish this...so I will let you just figure it out...I know you can do it!

So we have this awesome right angle clamp to hold the leg to the bench, but if you don't have one,  it would sure help to have an extra pair of hands.  So once you have figured out placement of the legs you will stand the leg on the bottom side of the bench, place the brackets where you want them.

We used two on each side of the leg, so each leg had 4 total brackets.  My kids are rough on things so I wanted them reinforced.  We placed each bracket about 1.5" from each side. You can either mark the spots with a pen, using the bracket as your template, or just use the bracket and drill your pilot holes.  Once you have done that you can use the hardware that came with the brackets to attach the legs to the bench. (I ended up taking stain after it was built and go over the shiny brackets.  It doesn't look pretty but now I can't see them glaring at me).
 So, because I had someone at the store cut them for me, the legs weren't completely straight, and neither are my floors I am sure! So we attached a shim to the bottom of one of the legs and stained it.

Shim

Hopefully you can skip this step!  If you do need it, you just need to move the shim in and out until it the wobble goes away...gotta just mess with it.
To attach the back, we used our handy dandy tool again, other wise help would be awesome...We lined up the bottom of the bench with the long side of the 1x8.

Bottom of bench meets with bottom of long side

Again drilling pilot holes, we did 8 evenly spaced.

Brady wanted to help.

I also wanted the holes countersunk too.  This will help it lay flatter against the wall (if your walls are straight....mine aren't even close!).  Attach the back using wood screws. 
Voila your bench is done!

We had thought about attaching the bench to the wall for multiple reasons.  One being worried about the back being pushed on a lot and it not holding.  Seeing as our wall curves horribly, attaching it is NOT going to happen! So I leave that choice to you.

This end is pushed as close as it will go...sigh

So now for the coat rack.  First, figure out where you want to place your bench.  We lined up our coat rack right over it and wanted the ends to match.  Second find where all your studs are.  We put the board up first and then attached the hooks.  So you need to determine what height you want it to be.  We placed ours 55.5" from the floor to the bottom of the board.  We attached the board using our nail gun and 2" nails.  We nailed the board into the studs using 4 nails per stud.  We had four studs that the board covered, so we figured it isn't going anywhere!

Now that the board is up you need to attach the hooks (almost done...this is where I get super excited!).  We used 5 hooks so we placed them (the middle of the hook just eyeballing it) at 8", 19', 30",41", 52".  We placed them about 1" from the bottom of the board to the bottom of the hook.  I wanted them low on the board so you can see more of the board.  You can place them where ever you would like.  I am just telling you what I did in case you love it as much as me :).
So, like the brackets you can either mark all the holes that need to be drilled or just hold up the hook and drill the pilot holes while holding up the hook and using as a template.  When all the pilot holes are drilled, attach the hooks using the hardware they came with. 

Line the bench up with the coat rack and get ready to do your happy dance...Guess what...you're done!  Have the closest toddler see what they can reach now...

Before

After

I would love to see all the benches you make...
If you have any questions, ask away.  I am sure I have left something out.  Seeing as I am writing this and my kids are running around, asking me questions, fighting, etc.

Have a good one!  Happy building!!!

Side note:  we we re purposed the bookcase in our kitchen nook where we were going to build a cabinet.  That project just got put on the back burner...for awhile.  Love when things work out!

Flannel Infinity Scarf tutorial

Flannel Infinity Scarf - tutorial DIY

Sorry for the long delay between posts.  October was insane and I felt the month of November was spent digging out.  So now with Christmas on the horizon, I thought I would share how to make these super easy scarves.  I think they are affordable and simple and would make a great gift!  So here I go....
I posted the link on my previous post to the tutorial I used.  I have decided to do it again, because when searching things on Pintrest, I would go to the site of something I like, only to redirect me to another site.  So I am trying to simplify for you.  If you'd like to see the origin of this tutorial go here.

First head over to your favorite fabric store and pick out your favorite flannel.  You will need 1.75 yards.  I have found most are 42inches wide.  IF you get two yards there are some fun things you can do with that extra .25yard.

When you get home find a big space (just to make life easier) and lay out your fabric. 

You are going to be cutting right down the middle on the short side of fabric yielding two long (1.75 yards to be exact) strips of fabric.  I simply folded in half the on the short side and used my pinking shears to cut.

Folded in half the long way

Cut in half

This brings me to how to handle fraying.  Flannel frays!  So, I read that pinking shears will work if you don't have a serger.  I am not a fabric expert and rely on the advice of others.  I did on some scarves try a zigzag stitch.  So either cut around the whole perimeter with pinking shears or use a zigzag stitch or serger.

Once you have your fabric ready fold one strip in half, on the short side, right sides facing each other (mine didn't really have a right side, they both were the same).  Now you can pin if you want but I just used my hand to guide.  On the long edge you are going to sew almost the whole length of the fabric, but leaving 2 inches open at the top and bottom.  I always use about 1/2 inch seam allowance.  I try 1/4" and always am more comfortable with 1/2" (I don't know why).

Sewing down the long edge...

Leaving two inches at top and bottom!

  Turn the fabric right-side out.  (I missed this step my first time).  I found putting my arm inside the tube and grabbing the opposite end and then pulling it up through worked well. 

Reach arm into tube and grab the end

Pull it through to the right side.

 This is what it looks like when pulled out, showing the two inches at the end...

Right side, with two inches not done on either end.

Once you have straightened out the fabric and get it laying flat, fold in half the long way.  So now the ends of the scarf are matched up. 

The short ends matched up.  Fabric folded the long way.

This is where it gets hard to describe.  You will grab the two middle pieces, pushing the other pieces away, and start to sew.

Grab the middle pieces of fabric

Sewing only the two middle pieces at this point....make sure to push the top and bottom fabric out of the way!

You will continue around (the very end will be hard), marrying up the fabric as you go. 

Sewing along, pulling the fabric together as you go

Eventually you will be swing the top and bottom piece.  Just trust me.

After  you have completed joining the seams.

Another view..

  Once you have connected the ends of the scarf together you are ready to close!

Pulling the joined edges into tube.

You are going to push in the sewn ends inside the big tube.

After pulling the ends in.  Now to close that hole.

I pull the seam tight and push the fabric down, then I pin it closed.  This is because I use a machine to close and I can get closer to the edge (just my technique).  You can use an invisible stitch and do by hand...but no one will really see it so I say make life easy and use your machine.

I put a pin right at the hole opening so I stitch a little before

I am stitching super close to the edge...red means stop.

 Cut all the lose strings and you are DONE!!

Even works well for big kids! 





















Feel free to share with me your scarves and if you have any questions!
Thanks for stopping by!

So unassuming at first but goes with a lot!

Looks amazing with my orange coat and SO fall!

Family Pictures...wanted this, so I made that.

In preparation for family pictures, I look for coordinating clothing.  Recently I was accused of being "one of those".  Who puts thought and effort into photos that will hang on my wall for years to come??  Thanks?!?!  I will take it as a compliment that I have attention to detail and not as a criticism.   Now, I don't necessarily want everyone matching.  In fact now, I would like no one to wear the same outfit (as you will see that wasn't possible).  So I start "shopping" in my kids closets and also search Pintrest for different color schemes.  After searching Pintrest, I knew what colors I wanted...Navy, gray and a splash of yellow.   Yellow was going to be hard, very hard.   I also didn't want to buy a new outfit for everyone (hence shopping in their closets).  So after many texts back and forth between my good friend (who I mentioned before in previous post...I should just out her) I had the outfits for the kids.  Now for my clothes.  Cream sweater with jeans and boots.  It goes, but I wanted to tie in.

Now remember my original color scheme...well green had found a way into the mix (thanks to Brady's shirt).  So my girlfriend searched another site for mainly hand made items for purchase, and found this scarf...

 

 NOW we are talking!!!  I LOVED it...however wasn't fond of the price tag.  Since my sewing machine is out from making the ruffle curtains (I am SO loving having a basement!!!) the hunt began for the fabric.  I searched JoAnne's online.  I didn't see it, however they had many plaids (or Tartans) so when the bigs got home from school I could NOT wait and loaded them to search.  I HAD to know.
When I say crafting is like an itch I need to scratch....it is!!  I also just got done being affected by the poison oak plant...so I know real itching...and I just need to scratch (please don't...it is so bad and can lead to infection...PSA over).
So at first pass I can't find it.  Bummer.  I walk around and around..finding flannel in multiple locations...then I spot it....insert angles singing!  I proudly gather my fabric and go to the cut out station.  Having not really researched a tutorial yet, I guess at the yardage.  I got 2 yards...fingers crossed!!
We get home and I can hardly wait, but the kids are hungry so dinner is done and then the start of bath time...so finally I get to start researching the exact tutorial I wanted.  I looked at a few but this by far appeared to be the easiest and quickest (to me)...HERE.  So I jumped in and after being a bit too rash, I had two scarves made one for me and one for my dear friend helping me.  Plus I had some scrap left over.
Here is it is!!  Super happy (don't mind the non matching shirt..)

After making the scarf and putting with my outfit I think I am done...no, not quite.  Juliet's dress is too summery and then I find this amazing yellow skirt in corduroy on clearance at Target...in her size!  So I bought it...I HAD to.  Now I am happy.  I also decide to use the scrap to make a sash for Viv's denim dress, to tie her in.  So days before the photos I make the sash, only to find out that Viv says her dress is too small....ugh...off to Old Navy to get a new one (at least I can hand it down...right?).  Ok...NOW I am happy...? Then I start putting everyone's clothes together and Jillian's shirt adds too much pattern to the new skirt paired with a polka dot sweater...AGHHH!  Insert matching dress to Viv...we had one already.  So I have two girls in matching denim dresses and only enough fabric for one sash...
To make a long story short (as you can see I am long winded) I decided after a painful decision (because I knew it would be a pain!) to add the fabric to the cuff of each girl's dress...don't ask..ok if you really want to know comment below and then I will post how I did it.  When I get the photos from the shoot I will post how it looked here..it is super cute!  The girls loved it!  The best part...I had extra fabric to tie Juliet in with all us girls...
I started researching rosette's with fabric and ribbon..I quickly twisted and turned and made a rosette...now hopefully when I get the glue gun I can do the same.  So out came the glue gun and I started over and this is what I  got. 

 I still had some fabric left over and I played until I created a bow...again if you post you want a tutorial I will be happy to post!

The morning of the photos I ran to Target to get headbands and attached them with some felt from another project (no one will miss it..right?!?!)

Voila coordinating headbands!  NOW I am happy....which is good because I had to leave in a couple of hours and had three girls hair to do and my own!!

So from two yards of fabric I made two scarves, four sleeve inserts, and two head bands.  Did I mention I had a coupon!?!?  I think it totaled about $14.  I can't wait to share the pictures with you.  I saw a preview and love them!!!

Remember comment here or on the FB page if you want to know more information about the sleeve inserts or the headbands.
Meanwhile, go get some flannel and make yourself a scarf!! The other can be a gift...maybe for a teacher or family...it's that time of year.  Nine more weekends before Christmas....


*******Update*******
So as promised here are a few photos from our photo shoot.  A huge shout out to Megan at A Beautiful Moment.  She is located in southern CA but I am hoping she comes east soon.  Her website is here.
Now for the photos.  I just picked quickly from the thumbnails...so I am holding on to some special ones for Christmas surprises...so sorry I can't share all of them (or my most favorites..) 

 Maybe a better view of the cuff??

Can you see the cuff embellishment?

May we always continue to keep having fun.....