Project Farmhouse Table
I
can do basic DIY if you're talkin' cutesy crafts for the home, pretty wrapping for gifts, knicks and knacks for my classroom. What I don't do is DIY with pinache, i.e. projects that can stand a critical eye. Take a look under the freshly covered stool or behind the new twin headboard and you'll see a jangled heap of staples and material that is the farthest thing from pretty. Look closely at those white spray painted vases or "freshly" painted coffee table and it'll give a whole new meaning to knicks and knacks. The beautiful newly hung blinds? Don't pull 'em! Whatever you do. Don't. pull. on. them. Though I try, I fall short of the talented DIY bloggers out there that I follow so closely and long so evasively to be like. How do they get it? How are they so 100% fabulously fantastic at what they do? I've come to the conclusion that they have been through the failure phase. Phase Failure. My phase. It's just a phase, right!? They had to start somewhere, hopefully (for the rest of us) failed along the way, and thankfully (for the rest of us) succeeded through failure. Can I get an Amen? I mean, really, that's our hope, right? That they started off normally like the rest of us and aren't superhuman achieving the unattainable that the rest of us can only dream about. If they're human and started out like I'm starting out it makes me want to at least try. I try because I won't learn if I don't and you can't become what you need to be by remaining what you are. If I keep trying then one day, someday, maybe my DIY failures will pay off into something fantastically great. With Spring Break here (I'm a teacher), I decided to conquer my biggest conquest yet: building furniture <insert gasp>. I'll admit, it was a whim. On a whim I began and on a wing and a prayer I finished. I took my time, measured twice and twice again and cut once. Nailed and screwed until my fingers were numb. I cringed all the way, waiting for a roadblock. Waiting for something that wouldn't fit to something else or for a slight breeze to blow the whole thing over. It didn't. Everything fit. Everything's stable. My husband jumped in to help me the second day because I needed another pair of hands to help with the drilling. All along the way, we used our own terms that would make professional craftsmen laugh. We measured counting "tick marks" off the inch. Shall I demonstrate? Me: "This end is 1,2,3,4,5,6 tick marks off 2 inches." Hubs: "Ok, let me measure my end...it is 1,2,3 tick marks before 2. We need to move it my way some". It was laughable and highly unprofessional BUT it worked!! For anyone wondering, I plan to study up on my 3/8" and 5/8" to know exactly how to read those tick marks. At least I know it's called a tape measure. All that to say, it is a my masterpiece and I have never been so proud in my life. I feel like such an overachiever! Behold, my fancy pancy farmhouse table.
Material used:
4 – 2x10 @ 8 feet long
7 – 2x4 @ 8 feet long
1 – 1x4 @ 12 feet long3” screws, 2 ½” PH screws, 2” finish nails, 6" screws
Total Cost: $123
Time to Completion: 2 days
Every iota of ideas, plans, inspiration was taken from Shanty 2 Chic and Ana White's blogs.
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| Buying the lumber. YIKES! Cue stomach knots. Spending $123 on possible scraps. Bless my husband for his faith in me. |
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| The blank canvas. My work area. |
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| Measuring twice and twice again. |
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| Holding my breath. Hoping I measured the tick marks correctly. |
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| Cuts are complete~! Let the assembly begin. |
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| With snafu's along the way. That's a screw poking through. Pretty sure that wasn't in the plans. |
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| End Day 1. Starting to take shape. |
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| Day 2. So far, so good. |
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| Finishing up. Can it be it looks like it's supposed to!? |
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| You're not imagining. |
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| Angels are singing. |
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| The finished product. Sans stain. |
The DIY success journey begins. If I can do it, anyone can do it.
