Recycled Wood Projects

I found a bunch of long pallets in a dumpster.  yes, I said a dumpster.  and they were all in perfect condition.  I loaded up as many as would fit in my girlfriends explorer and headed home.  I had no idea what I was gonna use them for, but it was good, free wood.  I unloaded them on the side of the house for a few days. (not to leave them there to long to look like trailer trash), and finally took them apart.  Taking out staples is a pain in the A@#!  I used one pallet to make a headboard and to use for box spring support boards for a bed I was building, then thought...I have been making lots of furniture, but no accent pieces like pictures.  I made a few frames and now I can't stop.  lol  On these two pictures, I used some old metal tractor seats and the center piece.  It is country and rustic and very different than Ikea cookie cutter pictures!  Talk about a conversation piece!

A Wood Picture and Frame and a Hope Chest I Made

I found this sliver of elm that I cut off a elm slab to make a table.  It had dried out and warped into a cool curve shape.  I stained the heck out of the 1.5' x 1' elm sliver (elm absorbes stain like crazy!) and used it as the focal point of the barnwood frame.  It looks amazing with the barnwood stained oak red and the frame stained black!  The next thing I made was a barnwood hope chest, using new hinges and a rustic hinged latch lock.  It is solid and roomy!  I stained the outside ebony and the inside red oak.  Looks amazing!

Big Bench, Lean Shelf, and Big Picture

I made a big bench or chair out of walnut and maple.  It is over kill in size, but would look awesome on a deck or front porch!  Then I made a barnwood lean shelf.  Those are a little tricky to get the top shelf and other shelfs level.  Measure twice or three times, cut once. lol.  Then I made a 5' x 3' frame with recycled pallets, the back is recycled barnwood, and then left over ends from logs and branches I made furniture with. 

Barnwood Coffee Table, End Tables, Book Case, Bird House and a Coat Rack

I've been busy building furniture out of barnwood the last week.  I got tired of pealing bark off logs and branches and sanding forever, so I switched it up a bit.  This barnwood is over 100 years old.  I got it from an older guy who had a heart attack and could not use it any more.  It was in his storage for over 30 years.  He told me he got it from a building in down town KC and was off a trail rail car door.  It still had the old nails in it and everything.  It is beautiful barnwood and in great shape for being over 100 years old. 

Elm/Maple Wall Table & Elm/Walnut Coffee Table

Today I made a wall table with an elm slab top and maple legs.  I also made a coffee table with an elm top and walnut legs with oak spindles.  I stained the wall table clear after plaining and sanding the heck out of each piece and I stained the coffee table clear on the elm top, black on the walnut legs, and clear on the oak spindles that I left the bark on.  The wall tables make such nice and good looking accent tables for knick knacks, picture frames, candles, etc... and the coffee table will make a nice accent piece in someones home to throw off their Ikea cheap furniture and add some life and character to their room!

Old Wood Ironing Board Wine Rack

I swear I staired at this old wooden ironing board for two hours straight after I bought it, trying to figure out what I was gonna do with it.  Do I just sell it and try to make a few bucks?  Do I sand it down and stain it, then sell it to make a few more bucks?  Do I take the legs off and use the top as a shelf?  Do I paint it a country theme and put a hook on it to hang on the wall?  Do I make it into a plant holder?  Etc...  The whole time I was thinking about what to do with this thing, I was finishing off a bottle of Sake that was already 3/4 gone and set the empty bottle on the cross section of the legs and went to bed.  The next morning I woke up and went out into the garage to work and saw I forgot the Sake bottle on the ironing board and just laughed, because using it as a wine rack and decor shelf made perfect sense.  The next challenge was how to do it...I did not want to use to much material and take away the old look, but needed to have strong and stable bottle supports of some kind. I stared at it for another hour and gave up.  After working on a shelf with some barnwood boards for a while, I accidently leaned a cut piece on the front leg of the ironing board.  When I was cleaning up, a light bulb went off when I saw the board leaning.  "if I just add some 2" x 5" board pieces that the bottles can rest on...It will work and not take away the look of the ironing board.  I know this is not a glammerous piece of furniture, but it is just comical how an idea comes to you. 

More Fun Stuff

I added a post to the cowboy standing coat rack.  It now holds 5 coats and two hats.  I added jute rope and a large horse shoe for accents.  This coat rack is balanced better with the new post!  I also bought some old pullys on a pick and made some candle holders with them.  They look pretty cool and easy to make.  I took two oak 3x3 boards I had, sanded them down (especially the edges and corners), stained them natural oak and clear coated them after drilling the candle holder holes and mounting holes in the back.  I also threw together another square nail towel holder with a horse shoe to make it a bit more rustic.  It looks basic and it is on purpose.  If you add to much, it looks like to much.  Use the KISS rule.  keep it simple stupid.  Basic designs will work in any home, apartment, cabin, place of business and go with just about any decor as an accent piece.

Small Fun Stuff I Built Today

I used some of the rustic hardware I bought when I went picking not to long ago.  Hors shoes, square nails, hooks, small fire place cover, etc... It is fun to make and accents a room well without going "all log" or "all rustic". 

Kids Table and Stools and Night Stands/End Tables

I broke the belt in my plainer the other day, and of course, no one had them in stock.  I had to order them on line on a Friday and of course they don't ship out on the weekends.  Good news is they are cheap and I bought 5 of them so I don't have to wait 4 days to get another one if it brakes again.  Since my plainer was inop.  I preped a bunch of table tops, stools and legs so they would go together faster when my belts came in and I could finish plaining the table tops and stools.  I built a cute little kids table with stools today and two night stands/end tables to match the oak log bed with barnwood I have not sold yet.  Grrrrrr.  Maybe  the bed will sell better as a set....  I still have to do some touch up sanding, glueing to the legs, and stain them, but they are sturdy and look good!

The Cowboy Coat Rack

This is the "cowboy" coat rack.  it Was fun to make with a unique stand, a large worn horse shoe, and jute rope to accent it.  It is fun to accent furniture, but sometimes hard to find the accents, especially at the right price.

Nook Table and Bench Set

I am almost done with the elm, walnut, and oak table and bench set.  I know I keep saying I'm almost done, but this time its true.  I also made a barnwood shelf that has a few rustic hooks and a cow bell.  (kinda country style)

Holiday Candle Holders

I'm getting ready to put my log furniture in a Market Store December 1st.  It is the holiday season and I had fun making these log candle holders and decorating them!  The decorations can be taken off, changed, or just left on for next year.  Having an imagination is key to log and rustic furniture!